Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores only!

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AK loving Dad
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:00 pm

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by AK loving Dad »

kenyancowgirl wrote:
TST wrote:Hi. I just wanted to clarify how we will be notified about waiting list offers in Brum after 25 March...post? email? Phone?
You can find out information from the Foundation Office after March 25th, as per your position on the waiting list. If they are going to make you an offer, they will most likely try and telephone you (for speed) and follow up with an email - fear not though, if you are the next person on the waiting list, they will try every avenue to contact you - it is not like a competition where if you don't answer within three rings they move on to the next caller!

But, in all seriousness, if you ARE on the waiting list for a school, be aware, that technically, if a place comes up and you are offered it, that means that is your school place (and the one you were given on NAD is withdrawn and offered out.) In practise, Birmingham usually give you a small amount of time to make a decision. BUT - to be fair to everyone else who is still waiting - be ready - if they ring you - be ready to accept the place. If you know now that you aren't going to accept the place then take yourself off the waiting list. This becomes especially important the nearer we get to the transition days as it allows someone who really wants to go to that school to experience the transition with everyone else.
I checked this with the FO today, they do not expect an instant yes/no (" if they ring you - be ready to accept the place"); also until you accept a new school offer place, your existing offer remains intact. So again,
"if a place comes up and you are offered it, that means that is your school place (and the one you were given on NAD is withdrawn and offered out.)" is not correct.

Please can posters check the facts before posting.
nervousmom
Posts: 1687
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:38 am
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by nervousmom »

To start with last year, when people were being contacted regarding places, they were given up to a week to decide.

Your existing offer is not automatically withdrawn. This is only withdrawn once you accept the new place offered.

In some cases, people opt to keep the existing offer and turn down their waiting list offer. In this case, they are withdrawn from the waiting list and the next person is then offered.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by kenyancowgirl »

AK Dad/Nervousmom - perhaps you both missed the subtlety in my quote which, I can assure you both, was very carefully worded.....

"....You can find out information from the Foundation Office after March 25th, as per your position on the waiting list. If they are going to make you an offer, they will most likely try and telephone you (for speed) and follow up with an email - fear not though, if you are the next person on the waiting list, they will try every avenue to contact you - it is not like a competition where if you don't answer within three rings they move on to the next caller!

But, in all seriousness, if you ARE on the waiting list for a school, be aware, that technically, if a place comes up and you are offered it, that means that is your school place (and the one you were given on NAD is withdrawn and offered out.) In practise, Birmingham usually give you a small amount of time to make a decision. BUT - to be fair to everyone else who is still waiting - be ready - if they ring you - be ready to accept the place. If you know now that you aren't going to accept the place then take yourself off the waiting list. This becomes especially important the nearer we get to the transition days as it allows someone who really wants to go to that school to experience the transition with everyone else...."



Yes they give you a few days as they know most people want to check with their other half etc, to make a decision. But also, if the school you really wanted offers you a place, think NOW, whether you would take it - so often we have people on here saying they have now been offered a place and wanting to know about the differences between the school they have been allocated and this one - just a friendly reminder that they chose that school as the favourite and it if it is their favourite, the sooner they can accept the w/l place and release their allocated place, the sooner someone else can have the joy of a w/l position. Yes, nervousmom, some people do opt to keep the positoon offered - and this IS more understandable the closer you get to September, when a child may have bought into the transition up period etc but, for every delay right now/at end of March whilst someone makes a decision, someone else's child may miss vital transition days so I am just asking people to try and think about what they would do if a w/l offer comes in.

Nothing wrong in the facts of my post, just that you both read what you wanted to read.
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by ToadMum »

mebobby wrote:Hi all, just an update 249 was the last child offered a place at CHB. This has been confirmed with the Admissions Office...

I read in a post that 250 did not get into CHB that is incorrect.
Or, if it is correct, something went wrong there?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by hermanmunster »

ToadMum wrote:
mebobby wrote:Hi all, just an update 249 was the last child offered a place at CHB. This has been confirmed with the Admissions Office...

I read in a post that 250 did not get into CHB that is incorrect.
Or, if it is correct, something went wrong there?
Looking back it was a "friend of a friend" who had not got in on 250 - we had no further info.
Lawmonkey
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:59 am

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by Lawmonkey »

I am sharing info re WHGS waiting list. I have called Wolverhampton council today(Friday 15.3.19) who say all questions about waiting list for WGHS should be directed to the school directly as they hold the actual list. The school reception say the lady responsible for the list won’t be available for calls until Monday.
Tranquility
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2018 10:33 pm

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by Tranquility »

Just a quick note to congratulate Birmingham LEA of the highest level of incompetence. They have made a complete and utter dogs dinner of the 2019 admissions.No thanks to them we have the grammar school of choice. The amazing thing is that when you phone them up to ask things to be put right, they act as though they have done nothing wrong, even suggesting that it is my fault. The value for tax we pay is garbage, just like their rubbish collection service.
mebobby
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2019 8:23 pm

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by mebobby »

Totally agree... I called admissions the other day and I seem to have more knowledge than the lady I was speaking to ...at such a stressful time you would expect some reassurance or at least the correct information but I'm afraid it is quite the opposite...you are left feeling worse when you put the phone down...
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Unfortunately mistakes do happen where IT is involved, (following parents input errors, which also happen frequently) - where there is a combination of both and/or transfer of information across LEAs, it is not unsurprising that there are some errors - unfortunate, yes, but not unsurprising.

The vast, vast majority of people's information is correct - I dont think it is fair to d*mn Birmingham LEA as showing the highest level of incompetence when for the absolute majority everything is OK - and, please do bear in mind that whilst you as a parent are under stress, the people answering the phones are equally under stress - getting, often, uncalled for abuse by parents who excuse it as being "because they are under stress".

If there are any administrative errors - which there are every year, across all counties, they will be sorted out as quickly as possible - before any appeals or waiting list offers or anything. No child, in my experience, will lose their place because of an administrative foul up.
Tonysingh123
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:12 pm

Re: Allocation & Waiting list movement March 2019 - scores o

Post by Tonysingh123 »

Adams Grammar School.

I have been in communication with AGS who have refused to disclose their cut off scores. In light of the errors that have taken place it seems wrong that a school should fail to be transparent.

Please see below response from the School. I have now formally challenged the decision since the information request does not relate to an Individual and is generic information no difference to publishing GCSE or A Level results. The below decision is not consistent with the advise given to me from the IOC. The information can be redacted so no harm can come to an INDIVIDUAL.

Dear Mr. Singh,


We have now heard back from the Information Commissioners Office with regard to your request to know our cut-off score (pass mark) for the recent Entrance Test, as well as the cut-off score for the disadvantaged children/those in receipt of Pupil Premium. Your request to know these things was submitted as a subject access request as you believe they should be available under the Freedom of Information Act.

As you know, we are always very reticent to give out this type of information because we believe it could cause harm to individuals. As mentioned in our previous reply, we believe this is not in any pupil's interest because as soon as the cut off score is known it would be possible for parents to work out which children could be in receipt of Pupil Premium funding/Free School Meals and so on, or even identify the Looked After Children in care. This is absolutely not in the interest of the people concerned. This is made more of a concern because you have already said you want to make this information public on an internet forum. This means any person(s) could then know such information.

The Freedom of Information Act contains a number of exemptions that allow us to withhold information from a requester, including exemptions based on "the harm that could arise or would be likely arise from disclosure". As such, we have today been informed that under Section 40 in Part 1 of the FOI Act such potential harm to children that publication of this information could cause would allow us to use this exemption in this case and so we can choose to refuse the request.

In addition, there are also further exemptions in Part 2 of the FOI Act that apply to information. Most exemptions are not absolute but are 'qualified', which means that before deciding whether to withhold information under an exemption, we must consider the public interest arguments. This balancing exercise is usually called the public interest test (PIT). The FOI Act requires us to disclose information "unless there is good reason not to, so the exemption can only be maintained (upheld) if the public interest in doing so outweighs the public interest in disclosure". As the only reason that you gave for the request was that "Several people on the forums are interested to know, i think this information will be helpful for future years" this in no way at all equates to the potential damage that can be done to vulnerable children by the sharing of the information, hence we have been advised that disclosure would be against the public interest and we can claim exemption and refuse the request.

We are obliged to tell you that you are naturally totally at liberty to contact the ICO in your own right, however, please do bear in mind that all of the above advice has come directly from them.
Kind regards

Mrs A Mills
Registrar

Tel: 01952 953813

High Street, Newport, Shropshire,TF10 7BD
Tel: 01952 953 810 Direct: 01952 953 813
http://www.adamsgs.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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