Advise on school preference

[renzokuken]

Dear All,

My son got 231 on SW Herts test. Based on historical data, he's got a good chance to get into Queens and Bushey Meads (band A), and some chance to get into Ricky if the cut off score back to pre-2014. We live quite close to Watford Boys (465m), so although very little chance to get into Watford Boys we still would like to put this in our preference.

Is it wise to put the preference as follow?
1. Watford Boys
2. Ricky (distance 2642m)
3. Queens (distance 3596m)
4. Bushey Meads (distance 5018m)

Or should I remove Bushey Meads and put in Westfield as a safe backup (we live 868m from Westfield)? Or even don't put Watford Boys at all, and put Ricky, Queens, BM and Westfield?

What is going to happen if for some reason the cut off score for queens and BM goes up and we didn't get place in of our ranked schools? are we going to be allocated nearest school?

Thanks in advance for your advice

Regards,
Renzo

[ToadMum]

If you are absolutely sure of getting a place at Westfield - and you would be happy to be offered it - it would make sense to name it as one of your preferences, rather than 4 schools which depend on how many / few DC have higher scores than yours.

If you have to be given a 'non-ranked allocation', this will be the nearest school for which your child qualifies and which has a place to offer. Note, this is not necessarily the same as 'nearest school'.

The year this happened to DD, we were very lucky that the school she would normally have been allocated in the circumstances was actually oversubscribed for once...

[decaff]

Do you mean 231? If this is the case then I think these are all 4 realistic choices. Small chance with distance Wbgs, academic Rickmansworth Queens and BM. Although nobody know what scores will be needed I think unlikely Queens and BM would be greater than 231. However you may want to look at Westfield particularly their grammar stream. However it it were me then I think I would be confident of getting one of your 4 choices.

[renzokuken]

Do you mean 231? If this is the case then I think these are all 4 realistic choices. Small chance with distance Wbgs, academic Rickmansworth Queens and BM. Although nobody know what scores will be needed I think unlikely Queens and BM would be greater than 231. However you may want to look at Westfield particularly their grammar stream. However it it were me then I think I would be confident of getting one of your 4 choices.

Yes, I meant 231 it was a typo. I've corrected it.

Thanks for your advice. TBH not too keen on Westfield but just worry if for some reason the cut off score for this year goes up significantly.

[renzokuken]

If you are absolutely sure of getting a place at Westfield - and you would be happy to be offered it - it would make sense to name it as one of your preferences, rather than 4 schools which depend on how many / few DC have higher scores than yours.

If you have to be given a 'non-ranked allocation', this will be the nearest school for which your child qualifies and which has a place to offer. Note, this is not necessarily the same as 'nearest school'.

The year this happened to DD, we were very lucky that the school she would normally have been allocated in the circumstances was actually oversubscribed for once...

Thanks for the information regarding the non-ranked allocation. Not sure I would be happy with Westfield, but I think that's the only "nearest school" listed when I check with hertsdirect website.