Admissions process - a bit of advice please?

[mitasol]

HOWEVER - at their open evening, the Head said....if you want to come to our school, you MUST put it as your first choice on the CAF. DILEMMA!!!!

http://www.heckgrammar.co.uk/web_files/ ... s/faqs.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DO I NEED TO MAKE THE SCHOOL FIRST PREFERENCE ON THE LA COMMON APPLICATION FORM?
If parents wish their child to attend HGS they are strongly advised to make the school their
first preference on the LA application form. If your child meets the admission criteria for
more than one of your chosen three schools the LA will allocate your child to the school of
highest preference. If HGS is not made first preference your child may not receive the offer
of a place even if they pass the entrance examination.

IF I MAKE HGS MY FIRST PREFERENCE COULD THIS AFFECT MY APPLICATION TO ANOTHER SCHOOL?
No, the order of preference on the application form is not used as an admission criterion by
any Kirklees school or schools in neighbouring authorities.

Sorry I don't have local knowledge but the same rules apply to all. Place your schools in order of your true preference and unless you're prepared to go private or home educate, make sure you include a realistic local school.

[citygent1911]

Are you sure it will be as hard as you think to get in to the good academy? What stats have you looked at?

Hi, not looked at stats, but just word of mouth from parents who's kids are moving up next month. They went through the same problem last year.

Interestingly, we've been told by two different parents that they managed to get a place at the Academy simply by appealing - but were granted a place before the appeal hearing!

It seems that the Academy decided to provide another class, so granted 30-ish more places and we've been told (hence not convinced) that these went to the first 30 that appealed? - Sounds a bit odd to me...

Out of interest, where could I find such "stats" - could be useful reading!

Cheers

[ToadMum]

Are you sure it will be as hard as you think to get in to the good academy? What stats have you looked at?

Hi, not looked at stats, but just word of mouth from parents who's kids are moving up next month. They went through the same problem last year.

Interestingly, we've been told by two different parents that they managed to get a place at the Academy simply by appealing - but were granted a place before the appeal hearing!

It seems that the Academy decided to provide another class, so granted 30-ish more places and we've been told (hence not convinced) that these went to the first 30 that appealed? - Sounds a bit odd to me...

Out of interest, where could I find such "stats" - could be useful reading!

Cheers

The places would have gone to the first 30 on the waiting list, I would think - if the people you quote had put the academy higher up on their CAF than the school they were allocated, then their children would have been added to the waiting lists for that school and for any others that they placed higher up (not sure whether this happens automatically - for DD (2012 entry) we had to say on the acceptance form from our LA which schools we wanted to be on the waiting list for). It would not have been the fact that they had started the appeal process that got them the places, as that is something quite separate.

[hermanmunster]

Agreed, I presume they would have been the next 30 eligible for places under the oversubscription criteria

[citygent1911]

Certainly sounds a lot more feasible!

Having said that, one of these parents is the same one who sent their son off to the Heckmondwike Grammar exam with no tutoring or preparation, and then were surprised that he didn't get in. "But he's a clever lad..." - Aye, and I'm not too think myself, but those non-verbal questions throw me completely!!

Nowt so queer as folk...

I think for now we just need to focus on getting him prepared for the exam - then if he passes we put the Grammar School down as #1, the Academy as #2, and the new school as #3 - there's no chance that our "default" school will be oversubscribed - no bugger wants to go there so no-one puts it on the list!!

[mystery]

Yes, that sounds like a good plan. Do check you are not missing any tricks though by reading the academy admissions policy policy thoroughly. You could also email the school and ask them, with your address, whether you would have got in on 1 march for the last few years or from the waiting list, or if you would have had to rely on appeal. You could ask if they have a feel for this coming year whether applications are like to be up or down on last year due to population changes and such like. You could also ask for numbers that were offered a place on appeal each year versus number of appeal hearings held.

Have you looked up the academy in the dfe performance tables to see what percentage of the high achievers make expected progress in maths and English.

Has the failing school been given a really good head since their dreadful ofsted? What are their monitoring reports looking like? If well turned round a failing school can end up better than its more desirable appearing neighbours so do no right it off yet.

[heckdad]

You sound to be in a similar position to us Citygent-feel its Heckmondwike or bust as honestly dont feel we stand much of a chance at getting in at any of the other relatively local good schools. Certainly dont want our catchment school-thats the nightmare scenario . If he doesnt pass for HGS we just have no idea what to put as our 3 choices. Fingers and toes all crossed !

[OCD87]

So what happened to everyone's DCs? Where did they end up? We are facing this nightmare scenario now and I am just on here torturing myself before the results are posted next week. Been to our third choice school tonight and we have a top three list (HGS first considering he has passed) but if he hasn't made the grade I will only be naming two choices, both of which are heavily oversubscribed and out of our catchment area. Although DS1 has been through the whole of primary school in that catchment area, we have just never lived there, so apparently we will stand a good chance at appeal. Any info/experiences shared will be gratefully received....please don't leave me suffering in silence lol!

[ToadMum]

Think of the schools in your LA that you would least want your child to go to / that are the most difficult journey for your child / that are always way undersubscribed so anyone applying from inside the M25 would get a place there, let alone someone with a neighbouring postcode. Now imagine how you will feel if one of those is the school your child is allocated on March 2nd 2015...

I'm - seriously - not being horrid, but if the only schools on your CAF are ones for which you are not in catchment and which are normally oversubscribed, you run a very real risk of experiencing the scenario above. You really do have to look at the schools which you have sensible chance of being allocated and decide on the 'least worst' one to put on your CAF. That way your child at least has a not totally awful place to fall back on while you appeal for places at the ones you would really like .

[kenyancowgirl]

Agreed. Unless you are in the fortunate position of having the finances to pay independent fees, and have entered for their various exams, you will be a muppet, not to at least attempt to fully complete your CAF form.

By all means put the two schools you really want in first and second, but if you genuinely do not meet the requirements from them, it will not look great at an appeal if you haven't bothered to put a school that is the least worst possibility. Your child could either be allocated a completely random school, or be without a place entirely.

Do not make the mistake, that countless other parents do each year, of assuming that if you only put the two choices you really want, the LEA will HAVE to offer you one of them. They won't. And every year their are children for whom they don't.

And, as another reminder to everyone, list the schools on your CAF in your TRUE ORDER OF PREFERENCE. If you do not get your first choice, your second choice school is then treated as if it was your first and so on.