St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

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Alessandra24
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:25 pm

St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by Alessandra24 »

Hi Please, does someone know. DS will be sitting st Olaves test. Does it matter whether st olaves is placed on 1st, or 2nd preference. if DS passes the test can he get in even though we put st olaves as second choice.

Many thanks
svg123
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:34 pm

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by svg123 »

Yes, he will get only if he doesn't qualify for the first school.
Alessandra24
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by Alessandra24 »

Hi svg123, thanks for quick response. very helpful.

Alessandra24
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by hermanmunster »

quite right SVG,

Alessandra - if you pass the test for the second place school you may not get a place if you can have one at the first place school - you may not even know that you would have been able to get a place...

so if you really want St Olave's - put it first
Alessandra24
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by Alessandra24 »

Hi hermanmunster, thanks for reponse but the thing is, I should have made it clearer that DS missed bexley and kent 11+ by few marks so obviously is non selective for bexley nor kent grammar hence we are doing st olaves. my other choices are

Trinity school Belvedere
Haberdasher's Aske's Crayford

These are non selective/grammar schools as u know. I live 5 mins away from Trinity school and I go to church. someone told me that Trinity is over-subscribed, a small school and only has 180 places. the person says if I don't name Trinity 1st on the list that I may not even stand a chance. I thought this makes sense because what if DS does not make the st olaves. so you see. I also think that if DS scores really high on st olaves test that he can get into st olaves provided st olaves is named on the CAF and supplimentary form submitted to the school.
Muggle
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by Muggle »

Alessandra24 wrote:if I don't name Trinity 1st on the list that I may not even stand a chance.
The order in which you place a school on the list doesn't affect your chances of getting allocated a place there. All 6 choices are equal and any school for which you qualify will offer you a place, then you are offered your highest preference.

So, put St Olaves in 1st place if it is your favoured school. Putting Trinity in second place will not disadvantage your chance of being allocated a place there. Trinity will be treated as your first choice if you are not successful with St Olaves.
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by hermanmunster »

If you put St Olave's first and he does not reach the mark then that choice is excluded from your form and your second choice becomes your first and the school will never be told where you have put them on the form

schools (and others) are very quick to tell people that if you don't put school x down first you will not get a place there - this is wrong and unfair on parents.

You should only put Trinity first if you want him to go there more than you want him to go to St Olave's.

Edit: just read the admissions criteria for Trinity - presumably you fall into 1) or 2). ? if these are oversubbed then it is down to distance. have you checked with the school as to how far they have got down the list in the past few years ie how many from 1,2,3 etc?
Alessandra24
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by Alessandra24 »

Thanks so much hermanmunster, you know u r quite right about schools and (others) being quick at telling parents if sch x is not put down first that one does not stand the chance. I obviously prefer my DS to go to st olaves more than i want him to attend trinity. and i had put my preference thus
1st- st olaves
2nd-trinity
3rd- haberdasher's

but i was told i had to put trinity first to even get a chance. so i changed it and put trinity 1st and st olaves 2nd last minute. my church is in the second criteria for trinity. i was told by this mom that last yr or the yr before that only 180 spaces were available and that first criteria(which i dont fall into) took up 150 space. and only 30 spaces ware available for criteria 2,3,4,5,6. i paniced and thought it will be more realistic to put trinity first becos i worried that if my DS does not pass the st olaves test he will then be considered for trinity, but then he might still not get in to trinity bcos we didnt put trinity 1st and so they might have to consider people who put them first for the remaining 30 spaces. so u see my dilenma at the time. so i put trinity first. advantage for trinity is that its 5-10 walk from my house, its a sport (football) and arts school and my DS is hugely talented in both. so i hope he passes test for st olaves but i/he are equally happy with trinity. I wish everyone all the best and hope come 1/3/12 we are all greeted with the good news :D of the school shoices we want or need.

Alessandra24 :)
Alessandra24
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: St Olaves...Does position in preference matter?

Post by Alessandra24 »

choices i meant (typo-error)
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