Opportunity class reserve list bands
Reserve bands estimate if and when a student might get an offer from a reserve list.
Reserve band estimates
Check the Reserve list band showing in your child’s outcome. This may help you get a sense of when you might get an offer.
If you are in band A to D you are likely to receive an offer, but there is no guarantee that you will.
If your child is in band E, you are unlikely to get an offer.
Opportunity class reserve bands
| Band | Estimate based on previous year |
|---|---|
| A | within 1 month of the outcome notification |
| B | within 2 months of the outcome notification |
| C | within 3 months of the outcome notification |
| D | after 3 months from the outcome notification |
| E | unlikely to get an offer |
Learn more about reserve lists at What do the different outcomes mean?
Please remember, the bands are estimates only. There is no guarantee that you will receive an offer from a reserve list.
How do offers become available for students on a reserve list?
When a parent or carer declines their offer at a school, the offer is then made to the next eligible student on the reserve list.
Video: Opportunity class reserve bands (duration 2:51)
[Transcript of video animation: Opportunity class reserve list (2 minutes 51 seconds)]
If your child has been placed on a reserve list for opportunity class placement, they'll be given a reserve band.
This information is displayed in the ‘Reserve Band’ column in your application dashboard next to the relevant school.
Reserve bands range from Band A to Band E and are an estimate of when your child might receive an offer from a school.
If you are in Band A to D, you are likely to get an offer, but there is no guarantee that you will.
If you are in Band E, you are unlikely to get an offer.
The reserve bands are based on how parents declined their offers last year at each school. The bands are designed to help you make educational plans and should be treated only as a guide.
If your child's position on a reserve list is reached, you will receive an email asking you to view the updated outcome in your application dashboard.
You need to then ‘accept’ or ‘decline’ the placement offer.
If you don't respond by the due date, you will lose the offer and the place will be given to the next student on the reserve list.
Please note that when you decline an offer or withdraw from being on a reserve list, you cannot change this decision later.
If you have accepted a placement offer from a school and receive an offer from a different school, you can choose to ‘accept’ or ‘decline’ the new offer.
If you accept the new offer, the original offer is automatically declined.
If you decline the new offer, you keep your earlier accepted offer.
You may accept an offer while remaining on reserve lists for higher-choice schools up until the Reserve Decision Date. Refer to the key dates on our website.
If you have accepted an offer but want to remain on a reserve list after the Reserve Decision Date, you need to decline your current offer.
This means that after the Reserve Decision Date, students with an accepted offer will be removed from all reserve lists.
Students with no accepted offers can remain on reserve lists up until the end of term 1 in Year 6.
If your child is on a reserve list but you no longer want them to be placed in that school, select 'Withdraw' in your application dashboard.
For more information, including the progress of offers from Reserve Bands, please visit the Selective High Schools and Opportunity Classes website.
How long can my child remain on a reserve list?
Your child can remain on a reserve list and be placed up until the end of Term 1 in Year 6. Please note the information below about automatic removal from reserve lists.
Removal from reserve lists – decision due date
If you have accepted an offer and you are on the reserve list for your first-choice school, you will be removed from that reserve list on the 'reserve decision date' – see Key dates.
To stay on the reserve list after this date, you will need to decline your accepted offer at your second-choice school by the reserve decision date.
Important: If you choose to decline your offer, you cannot get it back again.
Progress of reserve bands for 2026 entry
Please note that the reserve bands are no longer being updated on the website.
Offers will continue to be made from the reserve list up until the end of Term 1 2027, should vacancies arise. We will contact you if your child is made an offer.
