Waiting List - How does it work?

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HarborneDad
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:21 pm

Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by HarborneDad »

Sorry if it's been asked before, I've searched the forums but cannot find a concise answer.

Can anyone explain how does the waiting list system actually works?

My DS, looks like he may scrape into KEFW by a few points, but if he fails to be offered a place in March. Will he be automatically be entered onto the waiting list or do I have to request it? Also if I accept his 2nd or 3rd choice school, will he be removed from the 1st choice waiting list?

Sorry for the rambling message, hope it makes sense. Thanking you in advance.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

If you have put KEFW as your first choice on the CAF and in March, are not offered a place (but have scored high enough to be in their waiting list range) you will automatically be left on their waiting list - then the LEA will look at your second placed school and so on - if the 2nd place was a rejection, you would also be left on their waiting list and offered your third choice school...

If you do not want to be left on a waiting list for a particular school you must notify the LEA because, for example, if you are then offered a place, in your second place school through the waiting list, the assumption is that you want it and the place in your third place school is withdrawn. (Some counties do this automatically which has caused problems for some people who had decided that actually they were happy with the third place, if you see what I mean!)

In the situation above, you would then have moved "up" to your second place school but will still remain on the first placed school waiting list - so could move again! So a movement of one person on the waiting list can have a knock on for lots of kids.

Be aware, however, that waiting lists move UP and DOWN.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by mike1880 »

kenyancowgirl wrote:If you do not want to be left on a waiting list for a particular school you must notify the LEA because, for example, if you are then offered a place, in your second place school through the waiting list, the assumption is that you want it and the place in your third place school is withdrawn.
That is absolutely not the case, once a place is offered it can only be withdrawn for very exceptional reasons and being offered a place elsewhere isn't one of them.
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by um »

Generally that was really helpful KenyanCowGirl, however as Mike1880 said, you will keep your offer on March and will then likely be telephoned and offered a higher choice if you get up from the waiting list and wish to take it.
I know a parent who was offered a higher choice by phone in the summer but actually then declined it as they had decided by then that they were happy with the school they had been offered in March.
pmc
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:25 pm

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by pmc »

Is the same procedure followed in all areas? We come under Worcestershire county, rather than Birmingham, and have to apply through WCC. I can well imagine things are more complicated when more than one local authority is involved!
ToadMum
Posts: 11947
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by ToadMum »

pmc wrote:Is the same procedure followed in all areas? We come under Worcestershire county, rather than Birmingham, and have to apply through WCC. I can well imagine things are more complicated when more than one local authority is involved!
Yes, the system is the same. You name all your preferences on your local CAF and your home LA liaises with any outside LAs as necessary.

As for the question of whether you automatically lose your place at the school you are allocated if a waiting list place comes up for you at a school you ranked higher on the CAF, some areas do seem to apply this, so it is best to check with your LA before deciding whether you want to be on a waiting list.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Thank you Toadmum - Nice to know that I am not completely mad - there were a number of people on this forum who got caught out last year when their original offer was withdrawn at the same time as the waiting list offer was made, I remember commiserating with several of them. Hence my comment

"...(Some counties do this automatically which has caused problems for some people who had decided that actually they were happy with the third place, if you see what I mean!)..."

This may not be the case in Birmingham, um/mike1880 but it certainly WAS the case in a number of other counties as recently as last year...
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by mike1880 »

Which is clearly unlawful. And it was unlawful last year as well - it has been as long as I've been looking at Admissions codes. It just needs someone to challenge it.
ToadMum
Posts: 11947
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by ToadMum »

The area in question was Hertfordshire, I think. Lawful or otherwise, their 'moving on' info for 2014 entry states three things (obviously amongst others) very clearly:

1. If you get a lower-ranked school you will automatically go on the CI list for those above
2. If you don't want to be on a CI list, tell them immediately, because the availability of a higher-ranked place automatically cancels the original offer
3. The system is fully computerised, human intervention only happening with regard to a specific category.

Possibly 3 explains 2?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Waiting List - How does it work?

Post by mike1880 »

Explain maybe but not excuse...

The system does what it's been told to do. If it's been told to process applications in an unlawful way it's still maladministration.
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