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What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice?

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:46 pm
by happychap
Getting ahead of myself here, but I have been thinking about the order of choices to go on the CAF.

Unless you are certain of getting into the Grammar of your choice eg in top 120 for Pates. (Almost certainly not BTW) You could put a grammar as first choice without being certain of getting in.

What would then happen if you didn't get into the grammar and had, say Bournside, as second choice?

Published Admission Number: 270
No. of pupils on roll Jan 2010: 1814
Total preferences for Sept 2010: 756
No. of 1st preferences for Sept 2010: 274

Looking at last year, they didn't even admit all the people who put first choice.

So you wouldn't get your grammar of first choice and you wouldn't get your local school as second. Would you then get your third choice, which where we live is Pittville or All Saints (the new academy), neither of which appeal.

Hmm - I'll be interested to hear what others have to say! Thanks in advance.

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:54 pm
by turtleglos
Hi Happychap, from what I can understand this year if you have a first place preference which you are not elligible for, your second choice becomes your first choice and the school doesnt even need to know about the other choice.
Every school is looked at with its own criteria working down the list until your choices match schools admission criteria.
Use all of your choices wisely when deciding on a school(we have been told off as our ds1 has been to see lots and may see more depending on test results)or you may end up somewhere totally unknown.

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:37 pm
by Tolstoy
Turtleglos is correct. The places are allocated by the LEA using each schools individual admissions criteria. As long as you met Bournside's admissions criteria then putting it after a school whose criteria you didn't meet makes no difference.

This is why people are advised to put their closest comprehensive down somewhere in their choices. Even if someone has put it first and you put it last then if you live closer you will get the place if you don't get any of your other options.

Put the schools in the order you want them but make sure the last one at least is a dead cert unless you want to be left with a school the LEA can'( fill.

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:52 pm
by capers123
Indeed. If you don't get 1st choice, 2nd choice becomes the 'effective 1st choice'. The schools are not notified of where you put them on the form, and the allocation is done by Shire Hall.

Once upon a time, up to three years ago, it did make a difference. For instance, St. Peters RC school insisted on being placed as first choice, otherwise they would not consider you until after all the other first choices had been allocated. This was a major headache for parents who wanted a grammar with St Peters as a back-up, as they had to put St Peters first, and were therefore allocated it even if the child had passed the 11+. This caused quite a few extra appeals for the grammars.

This is now against the schools admissions code (it's a Schools Must Not), and no schools in Gloucestershire currently break that rule.

I say again, though, just to reinforce what Tolstoy says - please, please put a sensible option on the list - one that you are absolutely bound to get - your catchment area comprehensive in most cases. Otherwise you could end up allocated a comp 20 or 30 miles away after everyone elses 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th preferences have been taken into account!

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:15 pm
by happychap
Thank you! Useful feedback!

So are you saying that we could put the following for example:
1. Pates
2. Denmark Road
3. Ribston
4. Bournside

and we would be certain of getting Bournside if the scores weren't high enough for the grammars?

We live only 5 minutes walk from Bournside.

Is this policy written out anywhere or is it just common knowledge.

Thanks.

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:23 pm
by Tolstoy
The policy is written in the admissions hand book. As B is your closest comp you should get it.

Last year I didn't put our closest as my DS2 had a certain place at Crypt. That said if I had had to put him in then we would now be living somewhere else. Our local would not have been right for my DSs.

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:18 pm
by allovernow
As Tolstoy says - if you DD did not qualify for Pates, Denmark Road or Ribston (in that order) then Bourneside becomes your first effective preference i.e. it's as if you had put them first. They will not be aware that, in reality, you had listed them fourth. You then are assessed based on the criteria that are applied to that school so, in your case, being only 5 mins away would probably mean you are offered a place for sure.

Note though that if your DC had qualified for (say) Pates and Denmark Road but quietly preferred DR then you may not get it as you would be allocated Pates (it would be seen as your 1st effective preference as you listed it above DR and you met the entry requirement). In other words, put the school you really want first !

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:55 pm
by EmeraldE
Also it may be worth noting that there appears to be no point at all in putting Pates first if you are not within their top 160. They have in previous years made this quite clear on the results letter :? You would be effectively wasting a choice. However, I would consider it worth a punt putting Tommies or Denmark Rd even if I didn't think my DC had scored enough. There is so much movement ALMOST anything is possible!!! :D Always of course to be backed up with more choices.
we would be certain of getting Bournside if the scores weren't high enough for the grammars?
You will know by the time you have to hand in the CAF where you stand with regards having enough points for the grammars. Well, kind of! See above :0)

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 5:45 pm
by Tolstoy
Just to clarify if your DC has not passed the entrance exam the LEA will not allocate you a place at that school. Pates is no different from the other Grammars in that respect.

Re: What happens if you put your comprehensive second choice

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:03 pm
by EmeraldE
yes of course. I did mean if the DC got a pass in the test in the first place :)