School admissions move online only — and the site fell over on day one
The deadline has been pushed back a week after the form stopped responding by mid-morning.
The portal opened at eight in the morning and had stopped responding by quarter past nine. By lunchtime the department confirmed that capacity had been increased and the deadline extended by seven days.
School offices set up a desk for families without a connection at home. In a handful of rural schools, hundreds of applications were handled on a single computer.
The written answer we received says the process is ongoing. On timings, it says nothing at all.
How day one went
The first figures from the bodies involved do not match. Two different numbers went out on the same day, both through official channels.
There is usually a gap between what people say locally and what the paperwork shows. This time the gap is a little wider than usual.
Has paper gone for good?
A similar scheme was tried in another borough two years ago. The results of that trial were never published.
Once it settles, applying online will end the queueing. What this year showed is narrower: during the changeover, the paper route is worth keeping open a while longer.
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