Thanks for your responses! Fingers crossed.
x

From memory, Thomas's will give an indication of your child's position on the waiting list. As other people have mentioned, gender and age is a consideration so they are unable to say whether your child is at the top of the list! After my son was wait-listed, I called the Registrar (she is friendly and helpful) and was told that they were hopeful they would be able to offer him a place if we were able to wait.
Thomas's was top of our list, so I let them know that we would definitely accept a place should one become available. As a previous post mentioned, they were offered a place from the waiting list but didn't accept it. I think its good to let them know if it is your first choice.
I didn't badger them weekly (or even monthly) but I did let them know when we were overseas...just in case a place become available. If you don't respond quickly to an offer, it is then offered to the next child on the list. As it was, an offer came through when we were on holiday. That wasn't until Easter, so don't give up hope!
My son is now in year 5 and really happy there.

As I think somebody mentioned previously there can be quite a lot of movement once Honeywell, Belleville etc have confirmed their places as some people will have been holding Thomas's only as insurance in case they do not get offered a place at their preferred state school. Thomas's carries on offering places off the waiting list right up until the start of the Autumn term if they become available.

If it happens I would ask them statistically what your chances are of getting in from the waiting list. Possibly in the first few weeks there's a reasonable chance as some people may decline the offer, but after that I would not hold your breath. There also tend to be some families arriving in the area who apply later with older siblings. If the older sibling gets in further up the school and there's a younger sibling applying for reception they are likely to go to the top of the waiting list, getting sibling priority!

Choose another school! From my experience it's really not worth all the stress with so many other amazing schools in the area!

Have just seen this post and, with a child due to attend the Thomas's assessment soon, was wondering what people's experience of the 'wait list' system is?

I am aware of how tough it is to get a place off the bat and would like to know what to expect if we do get the dreaded "unfortunately....." letter in November.

Re assessment @ Thomas's:

I personally think (following the message i picked up from the school open day) it is just like a play group as we all taking our kids to go to many times at different places. Our kids at 3 year old doesn't really know if it is an assessment or just a one of the play place mummy take him or here there. Get an offer or not only matters to us as parents' feeling. Will have no harm to our kids. We will go to have some fun. Finger is crossed if we can be offered a place as an option for our choice of schools. If not, our little gorgeous will still be the happy child as he is.

As the school says, it is not about judging better or worse. It is a way to see if the child will enjoy his or her time at the school or not. Maybe Thomas's is not the right school for your child.

So, I'd say no pressures. Go and have some fun if you agree with the approach and don't take the outcome too personal if can't get an offer. If you don't agree with the approach, don't go.

Re Newton prep:

I spoke to the registrar just this month. She said if the child is already in their nursery, it is almost sure that child will be offered a place at reception. If the child is not in the nursery class, they will see every child who applied. Have a little relaxed chat with the child. If the child is comfortable to go in without parents, lovely. If the child doesn't want to go in alone, parents can accompany the child.

When asked how they make decision on the offers, the lady answered the same way as Thomas's.

Good luck!

supergirl wrote:Hi Funnyone

I dont understand. We registered our daughter for nursery entry Sept 2012 and then she would have carried on to reception next Sept 2013.
Maybe your son is assessed because he didnt start at nursery?

We went to a parents evening, my husband had viewed the school and thats it we then were offered a place which we turned down as i didnt want to put my children through a commute to go to school. I think it is unfair at this age.

When i asked the registrar (at the time of registration), this what i was told that they had stopped assessing children because they thought this was not worth putting the children through that.

Sx

Hi supergirl - based on what you say, they must have stopped assessing kids already at the nursery - but they've certainly continued with assessments for all other kids applying for reception. Interesting that the Reg made that comment to you though... I wonder if they will stop for all kids at some point? If so, will they operate first come first served (like e.g. Hill House)??

Thanks for responding everyone! I phoned the registrar and she was lovely and echoed comments on here that things may well move around at the end of November.

To be honest, our back up option is a lovely school, so I feel like we are pretty lucky to have a great school for our daughter either way.

Good luck to everyone else going through this minefield of a process....

klw and SusieL

My son went to the assessment and we received a letter on Saturday saying he had been accepted. In the letter it says that they want a deposit by 21st Nov 'and if the deposit hasn't been paid by then the offer will lapsed and the space will be offered to the next one on the waiting list'

Maybe worth asking where you are on the list, but as other posters mentioned I guess it depends when your child is born and your child's gender, if they replace like-for-like.

But by the sounds of that letter other people would be offered a space last week of November....?

All the people I know - about 4 - whose kids were 'wait listed' at Thomas' for Reception Start 2012 did not make it. Make alternative arrangments I would and pat yourslef on the back for the money saved - the fees are extortinate! Beware too being bowled over by the sheer flashness of the place and the size 14 yrs is a long time to be at school, personally I want my kids to start somewhere a bit smaller and less grand

Hi Funnyone

I dont understand. We registered our daughter for nursery entry Sept 2012 and then she would have carried on to reception next Sept 2013.
Maybe your son is assessed because he didnt start at nursery?

We went to a parents evening, my husband had viewed the school and thats it we then were offered a place which we turned down as i didnt want to put my children through a commute to go to school. I think it is unfair at this age.

When i asked the registrar (at the time of registration), this what i was told that they had stopped assessing children because they thought this was not worth putting the children through that.

Sx

I meant to mention earlier that there is significant movement once the state school places are released as people are understandably hedging their bets but obviously that is quite a long way away. I don't think the registrar would be worried about you calling, just shows you're keen

supergirl wrote:Newton Prep which is in almost every way Comparable to Thomas', has stopped assessing children. The registrar said "we realised that we were putting both children and parents under too much stressed. What we do now is inviting the parents that wish to have a place so they can see the school, talk to the Head, etc."
I think this is such a better approach.
I did not wish to have my children at Thomas because this elitist kind of way repulses us.

but ds had an assessment at Newton Prep this October, for 2013 entry.... so when do they plan to stop?!?!

We are sitting on the waiting list for Thomas's Battersea 2013 entry for ds as we speak. Got the letter on Saturday. No idea about numbers on the waiting list. They say they only outright reject kids whom they think wouldn't "thrive" at that school. No idea how many that could be. What do people recommend? Sit tight and wait? Or call them up and have a nice chat? "How many on the list? How many boys in the same month as my ds?" Or would that just annoy them?!