Waiting lists
Waiting lists
If your child did not receive a place at your first choice school, they will be placed on the waiting list for the schools ranked higher in your application. Unsuccessful late applications will also be placed on the waiting list according to the priorities set in the admissions policies.
How do waiting lists work?
Admissions authorities must keep their waiting lists according to the priorities shown in their oversubscription criteria. Late applications are added to the waiting list at a position determined by these criteria. Date of application and length of time on the list cannot be taken into account. This means that children can move up and down waiting lists from day to day as applications come and go.
If there has been a major change in your circumstances, such as you have moved house, please contact the school admissions team as soon as possible. This could affect your child's position on the waiting list.
Who manages the waiting lists?
Waiting lists will be maintained by the Admissions Manager at Southampton City Council for all community and voluntary controlled schools. Waiting lists will be held until the end of the summer term.
What do I do with the current school place I've been offered?
We urge parents to accept the offer in order to secure a school place for their child, even if it is not at one of your preferred schools. Accepting the offer does not affect your waiting list position for your higher ranked schools nor any right of appeal for a school place. It does however secure a place for your child.
What happens if a place becomes available on the waiting list for another school?
We will automatically offer a place at a school you ranked higher in your application. Any previously offered places will be withdrawn and offered to another child.
Remember: We will not contact you to ask if you want the place before making the offer, withdrawing your existing place and offering it to another child. Therefore, it is important that you inform us immediately if you do not wish your child to remain on a waiting list for another school.
Withdrawing from a waiting list
As children are on waiting lists for higher preferences than the school they were offered, it is assumed that parents will want an offer of a place at a school they are on the waiting list for.
If you are happy with the school place you have been offered, please let us know that you no longer want your child to be on the waiting list. You can do this via our enquiry form.
Withdraw from the waiting list
Joining another waiting list
If you want to join the waiting list of a lower preference school or another school, you will need to make a late application.
