Preference Order on LA form
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Preference Order on LA form
So to summarise .... Schools will not know our order of preference. Schools will simply let LA know if place can or cannot be offered dependant upon score?? The LA will then try to give your first preference, if school hasn't put your name on list, then they look at 2nd preference and see if they can offer you and so on.
If you get first choice then it's a win:win scenario, as this is ultimately the school you really want and there will be no option of any waiting lists. But if unlucky and not offered 1st choice, then LA will see if 2nd choice school has offered a place, but you still get to go on waiting list for 1st school.
Question I have ... If you don't get your 1st preference (which I think is in our case) can preference 2, jeopardise your chances for admission? Or will this be simply be based on rank order? My phobia is that by putting 2nd choice, we could compromise our place as it could be offered to someone on a lower score but who has put as 1st preference? Is this possible??
My worst scenario that keeps running through my mind is that I think DS is more likely to get QMGS, but I want to try for AGS as that's our first choice(only thing putting me off is we are OOC & not PP) plus have borderline score.
Please someone put me out of mymisery .... Hope you understand what I'm trying to ask. Think I have completely lost the plot and incapable of seeing the facts! Lol.
If you get first choice then it's a win:win scenario, as this is ultimately the school you really want and there will be no option of any waiting lists. But if unlucky and not offered 1st choice, then LA will see if 2nd choice school has offered a place, but you still get to go on waiting list for 1st school.
Question I have ... If you don't get your 1st preference (which I think is in our case) can preference 2, jeopardise your chances for admission? Or will this be simply be based on rank order? My phobia is that by putting 2nd choice, we could compromise our place as it could be offered to someone on a lower score but who has put as 1st preference? Is this possible??
My worst scenario that keeps running through my mind is that I think DS is more likely to get QMGS, but I want to try for AGS as that's our first choice(only thing putting me off is we are OOC & not PP) plus have borderline score.
Please someone put me out of mymisery .... Hope you understand what I'm trying to ask. Think I have completely lost the plot and incapable of seeing the facts! Lol.
Re: Preference Order on LA form
There is nothing to worry about.
If you don't meet the criteria (score etc.) for choice 1, you will get choice 2 as long as your meet the criteria.
You do not compromise a place by putting a school lower - you should put schools in your order of preference.
So lets say (fictional here) a child scored 321 in an exam somewhere. Their preference list goes like this:
1) Red School
2) Blue School
3) Green School
4) Yellow School
Last-entry scores were:
350 for Red School, so no place offered
340 for Blue School so no place offered
330 for Green School so no place offered
320 for Yellow School so place is offered.
Child remains on waiting list for the higher three choices.
If you don't meet the criteria (score etc.) for choice 1, you will get choice 2 as long as your meet the criteria.
You do not compromise a place by putting a school lower - you should put schools in your order of preference.
So lets say (fictional here) a child scored 321 in an exam somewhere. Their preference list goes like this:
1) Red School
2) Blue School
3) Green School
4) Yellow School
Last-entry scores were:
350 for Red School, so no place offered
340 for Blue School so no place offered
330 for Green School so no place offered
320 for Yellow School so place is offered.
Child remains on waiting list for the higher three choices.
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hermanmunster
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- Location: The Seaside
Re: Preference Order on LA form
Um that is a great illustration of the CAF conundrum!
Only thing to add is if you had scored 360 and put yellow school first then that is the one you would have been given despite being eligible for Red school etc
Only thing to add is if you had scored 360 and put yellow school first then that is the one you would have been given despite being eligible for Red school etc
Re: Preference Order on LA form
Thank you Um & Hermanmunster.
Ok, so nothing to lose by putting school we really want as 1st choice. Even if we think it's unlikely we get it. But there is still hope of getting into 1st choice from waiting list. And hopefully good chances of being offered 2nd preference .....
Ok, so nothing to lose by putting school we really want as 1st choice. Even if we think it's unlikely we get it. But there is still hope of getting into 1st choice from waiting list. And hopefully good chances of being offered 2nd preference .....
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nervousmom
- Posts: 1687
- Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:38 am
- Location: Warwickshire
Re: Preference Order on LA form
Always put your first choice as first choice even if you don't think you'll get it, the schools do not know your choices.
Another scenario using UM's schools
Yellow - lowest QS- 240
Red - 235
Blue - 230
Green - 225
Always put in your order of choice in order of highest scores I,e
Correct way
1st - yellow
2nd - red
3rd - blue
4th - green
Incorrect way
1st - blue
2nd - yellow
In this instance your 2nd choice is a wasted preference as even if you got the correct score for yellow, you would be offered blue.
Also, if you get offered your second choice, you will be on waiting list for 1st choice, but you will be deleted from 3rd and 4th and will not be on these waiting lists, as a higher preference school was offered
Another scenario using UM's schools
Yellow - lowest QS- 240
Red - 235
Blue - 230
Green - 225
Always put in your order of choice in order of highest scores I,e
Correct way
1st - yellow
2nd - red
3rd - blue
4th - green
Incorrect way
1st - blue
2nd - yellow
In this instance your 2nd choice is a wasted preference as even if you got the correct score for yellow, you would be offered blue.
Also, if you get offered your second choice, you will be on waiting list for 1st choice, but you will be deleted from 3rd and 4th and will not be on these waiting lists, as a higher preference school was offered
Re: Preference Order on LA form
Not totally correct for those living in Worcs (say Wythall or Alvechurch) as there are only 3 choices. The problem being that to be guaranteed a place in reserve at the local Worcs Secondary school (say Woodrush) you have to include this somewhere in your CAF list as it's over subscribed.
So for Worcs parents who could potentially qualify for the KE Foundation grammars in B/Ham and the Stratford Grammars (being in the priority circle) it becomes a real dilemma. In this situation I would look carefully at the previously years score and possibly even write on the form the other schools that you would have included if Worcs LEA were not so unreasonable. Many years ago we actually decided not to include the Woodrush on our CAF list at all (having decided to appeal if our DS didn't get a place at any grammar.
So for Worcs parents who could potentially qualify for the KE Foundation grammars in B/Ham and the Stratford Grammars (being in the priority circle) it becomes a real dilemma. In this situation I would look carefully at the previously years score and possibly even write on the form the other schools that you would have included if Worcs LEA were not so unreasonable. Many years ago we actually decided not to include the Woodrush on our CAF list at all (having decided to appeal if our DS didn't get a place at any grammar.