11 Plus Exams Forum

Sorry if this qtn has been covered already, but I couldn't find it.

If my DS has a score of 235 for QE, but we put it third after other schools, but then he doesn't get our top preferences, where would he stand with QE against another boy who got a lower score, but ranked QE first on the CAF form?

Would DS still get the place above a lower score, or would it count against him that he only ranked QE 3rd on the CAF form?

Thanks in advance.

You would be offered the QE place before the children who ranked lower.

Rankings should be explained clearly by the educational council you are applying through. The school does not know where you ranked them, only that you applied. If more than one school offers you a place your council will give you the highest ranked offer so if you put the school you really want you will lose it. So far I have encountered somebody every single year who loses the school they really want by putting backup schools higher on the ranking. Last year I met somebody who put DAO third after Bishops and Chancellors and then were surprised that Herts County Council could not read their mind and know that they really wanted the school they had ranked lower. You will be allocated your school in order of ranking on the CAF but the selective schools will allocate places by mark order not by ranking on the CAF. So if you put QE 4th and somebody else puts it 1st but you have a higher mark you will get the place, not them. DG

Thanks so much. That really clears it up. Just didn't want to lose the chance of a place, but even if we get borderline at our preferred choices I will rank them higher now.

Put your true order of preference on the CAF form.

If you do not get your first choice school (for whatever reason - eg didn't qualify/oversubscribed/out of catchment) then your second choice school becomes your EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE school. If you don't get your second choice, your third choice becomes your EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE school. And so on.

The school have no idea where you ranked them - they get told by the LEA who they have made offers to.

kenyancowgirl wrote:Put your true order of preference on the CAF form.

If you do not get your first choice school (for whatever reason - eg didn't qualify/oversubscribed/out of catchment) then your second choice school becomes your EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE school. If you don't get your second choice, your third choice becomes your EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE school. And so on.

The school have no idea where you ranked them - they get told by the LEA who they have made offers to.

Well said, kcg! Parents should think long and hard about their choices and put them in the TRUE order of preference, and should not factor in likelihood of getting in, etc.