HBS allocations 1st March 2018

[canadad]

Do not forget to accept your current offer and you will continue to remain on the WL for all higher preference schools than the one offered.

Hello Daddyshah,

If we do not accept the current offer, will we drop off the waiting list? While we do have a second choice that was offered, we have accepted an independant school offer - and do not intend to go to the second choice. I was about to reject the second choice today to give others the chance, but this has got me thinking again. Do you or any one know?

Many thanks

[tiffinboys]

To the best of my understanding, If you have decided to go to independent school and have no intention to accept the current offer, then you will still be on WL for the first preference. When you decline the current offer, you will get your first preference when and if available, but LA will not be obliged to provide place in any other school, unless you reapply for those schools.

[daddyshah]

Do not forget to accept your current offer and you will continue to remain on the WL for all higher preference schools than the one offered.

Hello Daddyshah,

If we do not accept the current offer, will we drop off the waiting list? While we do have a second choice that was offered, we have accepted an independant school offer - and do not intend to go to the second choice. I was about to reject the second choice today to give others the chance, but this has got me thinking again. Do you or any one know?

Many thanks

If you are certain that you are not taking your existing offer, but would accept HBS if offered and you have placed it as your first preference on the CAF, I would be inclined to still accept the current offer and remain on the HBS WL. While it is laudable that you are thinking of releasing your current place, I am not sure how your LA and indeed others around the country would view this - perhaps they may see it as you making secondary school provision for your dd independently. Unfortunately, I am not certain whether there is a consistent set of rules followed in such a situation. You may wish to speak to the Head of School Admissions in your LA and check the same with Barnet.

[Violetsareblue]

If nobody rejects their allocated place and everybody accepts their current place as an ‘insurance policy’ (even if they have no intention of attending the school they have been allocated) then how can there by any movement on waiting lists? Presumably places can only be made available at a given school if people do not accept their place? I can’t see how else it can work.

[daddyshah]

If nobody rejects their allocated place and everybody accepts their current place as an ‘insurance policy’ (even if they have no intention of attending the school they have been allocated) then how can there by any movement on waiting lists? Presumably places can only be made available at a given school if people do not accept their place? I can’t see how else it can work.

It's a great big merry go round - there are those opting for indies, changing preferences, etc which make the system move. Also WL's do move over time - up and down as a result of some dropping off or entering the list as preferences change from the time they filled in the CAF to settling for a school that ticks the boxes for Sept! I'm sure it's the same with most selectives, but especially with HBS, QEB and a few others, some hold onto offers despite having decided to go to Indies and don't bother informing the school or the LA - this leads to a handful of places coming up in the first 2-3 weeks of term when the schools end up chasing offer holders who haven't turned up...

[Violetsareblue]

Exactly Daddyshah - but my point is the movement relies on some people actually declining their allocated places. If a parent knows they will definitely not be sending their child to the school at which they have been allocated a place then they should reject that place. The waiting lists can't move if everybody sits on their place "just in case". Hopefully those with state places who know they are definitely going to an independent school will decline their allocated state places quickly.

[dsme]

We received an email from HBS on Monday with the WL number

Thanks Mommie.

[daddyshah]

Exactly Daddyshah - but my point is the movement relies on some people actually declining their allocated places. If a parent knows they will definitely not be sending their child to the school at which they have been allocated a place then they should reject that place. The waiting lists can't move if everybody sits on their place "just in case". Hopefully those with state places who know they are definitely going to an independent school will decline their allocated state places quickly.

Agree - those who are already decided on indies would largely (i hope) decline their places although a fair few do end up holding these as "insurance" till the schools and LA's chase them into the new school year. However it is not as clear cut when choices are being made within the state sector and sadly these 2 systems do not speak to each other. If one has a state offer for School A and declines this offer hoping to get into another state School B for which they do not currently have an offer - it could be construed as them making their own provisions for the education of their child. The state system does not allow for anyone to hold more than one offer - there are strict timelines within which to accept/reject a place either initially offered or through the WL so one of the places does become free and moves to someone else. However, in practice, this system does not quite work well given varied LA's systems and the way these responses are processed. In our case, we received a call and I accepted immediately. I emailed the school directly and my own LA as well as the school we were holding an offer for. In this instance, the process was completed within a few hours. Sadly, it generally takes upto 2 weeks before the original place is released as LA's and schools tend to write to the parents and wait for c. 2 weeks to receive responses - as a result they often have to chase parents after the deadline to confirm the childs destination after which a place is made available.

This is precisely why the quicker and more proactively a parent can make decisions and engage with the schools, school's LA and own LA, the better and faster the process works all round.

[GreenDolphin]

Can anyone shed some light on how movement within waiting list will be relayed to appropriate candidates? Do we need to call the school? Will we know anything immediately after 15th March (deadline)? Or end of March? How the whole thing work?

[TT_Green]

Green Dolphin

May I just say that I feel your pain and I wish all of you good luck and quick movement on WL!
We were in similar situation last year; my daughter was in Band A, 35th of the WL. Our waiting list was moving really slowly. There will be some movement next week or whenever HB set the acceptance deadline for. In my experience after that it is anyone's guess.
End of July she was 7th, but month later, end of August she was 6th. By the time term started, our hopes have gone and she started school elsewhere. We were called at the beginning of 2nd week by Barnet Council to offer my daughter place. Apparently, 4 places have opened up as 4 children never turned up and parents never declined their place. My daughter joined HB in second week. On her first day there were two of them starting.
I was calling both council and HB to keep on top of WL movement. Also, this forum was very good as parents were informing of their offers which gives you a good indication where you are. Good luck!