Changing Priorities

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BarnetDad
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:51 pm

Changing Priorities

Post by BarnetDad »

Has anyone here heard of people writing to Barnet to change their school priorities? How tough are they on it?
Daogroupie
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Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Changing your list of schools

Post by Daogroupie »

I know someone who did it in Hertfordshire at primary level. They decided after gaining a place at the first ranked school that they actually preferred their second. So they turned down their first and went on a waiting list for their second. How drastic is yours out of your six choices?
Ally
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Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:30 pm
Location: Hertfordshire

Post by Ally »

If you mange your mind now / amend your application will it be counted as a late application ?

I don't think the council will be very helpful/fexible they will say there's no point in them having application deadlines if people can change their mind after the deadline. It might be worth checking with them. It may be best to wait untill allocation day
Charl39
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Location: London

Post by Charl39 »

If its any help Barnet are still checking forms are completely properly and proofs of addresses etc (as are other LA's) at the moment so have not got down to communicating with schools yet. Also people who move house into Barnet have up until around 12th Dec to submit a CAF. What I mean is technically it would not make any difference at this stage as they haven't done anything with the form, but whether they would allow it is another matter. I would ring Admissions and ask. They are clearly not going to advertise that its a possibility but if you have a good reason who knows?? It has to be worth a try.

Sorry you find yourself in this predicament, I changed my online CAF 5 times so I appreciate how difficult the order of choices is.
Charl39
Alex
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Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by Alex »

I am afraid it is not possible to change preferences after the closing date for applications unless there is a "genuine" reason for doing so such as a house move. It is laid down in the Admissions Code so will apply in all LAs. New applications can be made after allocations in March.
BarnetDad
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:51 pm

Thanks all

Post by BarnetDad »

It's a purely theoretical question right now. Just thinking that something may come up that makes us regret our priorities...

Of course they're going to try to discourage people from changing their minds, and say that you have to have a "good reason" but sometimes rules can be flexed just a little bit.

;-)
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by Alex »

Barnet's Secondary Admissions Booklet wrote:Changing your preferences • please think carefully about the preferences that you decide to state on your form as it is not possible to change your preference schools or their ranking order after the closing date unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you want to change the schools that you are applying to in any way, you must notify the Admissions Team in writing by Friday 23 October 2009.
Hmm - doesn't sound too flexible to me. Some authorities are more flexible than they will openly admit about late forms but I think most are pretty strict about not allowing changes of preference after the closing date, though the School Admissions Code only says "should not" rather than "must not":
School Admissions Code wrote:1.39 Once the closing date for applications has passed, local authorities should not allow preferences to be changed without a genuine reason for doing so, for example, if the family has recently moved address. Local authorities must make this clear in the information they provide for parents.
Hopefully you will not regret your preferences! Hope everything works out well for you.
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