Allocation day,waiting lists and appeals?

[Shaftsbury1]

Hello Everyone,

How is the waiting going?

I was hoping before the actual day comes,if someone could explain the whole process.

My questions are:-

1.If a child is on the waiting list for a school,do you still have to accept the allocated school in a given time limit? And then, if and when ,they gain a place at their preferred school, do you then just inform the originally allocated school ?

2.Someone mentioned appeals,so under what conditions do you appeal?

3.What is the timeline for waiting lists ,realistically?

Surreymum,Sve............. anyone,please enlighten me!

Nervously awaiting March 2nd.

[WP]

1.If a child is on the waiting list for a school,do you still have to accept the allocated school in a given time limit? And then, if and when ,they gain a place at their preferred school, do you then just inform the originally allocated school ?

In short, yes and yes. Accepting the allocated place does not jeopardize your place on waiting lists for other schools, nor any appeals you might make. If you don't accept the allocated place, it will be given to someone else. In that situation, if the waiting list doesn't come through, you could end up looking for a school when all but the least popular and most distant from your home are full.

[admissionslady]

Hello Shaftesbury 1

Previous poster is quite right. Accept your state school offer unless you absolutely know that you are going for an independent place, even if you know you are on the waiting list for a preferred school. If that waiting list place comes through, accept it, and let your LEA and the first school know you have done so.

Certainly DO NOT decline your first offer because you are waiting for your first choice.

There is nothing underhand or sneaky about this so don't worry that you will be poorly regarded. This is normal practice.

Speaking as someone at the sharp end, I would far rather someone accepted promptly then subsequently declined rather than failed to respond at all. LEA's and schools will give a deadline for a response, but will chase you rather than striking you out without further notice (at least I wouldn't do that).

Waiting lists move pretty briskly in the first month or so then slow down as we move into the summer.

[Shaftsbury1]

Thank you Wp and Admissionslady,

You hit the nail on the head! I was thinking that it would be awkward to first accept a place and then when a preferred offer came up,reject it.

Do people appeal if their ds has passed but not offered a place? I don't understand under what circumstances people appeal for a grammar school in our area?

Thanks

Shaftsbury1

[hermanmunster]

Hi Shaftsbury1

The appeals for selective schools are 2 types, selection appeals when they have not scored enough on the test (but my normally have been expected to do) and allocation appeals when there are to many who passed and put the school down on the CAF. Who gets a place depends o the school / LEA oversubscription policy. Often comes down to a matter of being a few more metres further away from the school than someone else

[Milla]

take a look at the very helpful appeals section listed higher up, shaftsbury1 - Etienne, Sally-Anne et al very helpful and more answers can maybe found there.

[Shaftsbury1]

Oh now i understand

So an appeal to a selective school based on low (unexpected marks)
could mean gaining a place or a place on the waiting list?


Thanks everyone.I just thought it would be better to understand the process before the dreaded allocation day.

[WP]

I'm not that familiar with Sutton and Kingston, but don't they have individual schools allocating by rank order, so they would only have one kind of appeal?

[Shaftsbury1]

Yes WP they are all individual schools with seperate tests and ranks.