Advice on school selection

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west_kent_12
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:40 pm

Advice on school selection

Post by west_kent_12 »

Please can anyone give me some advice on how Kent allocate places based on your preferences?

DD has achieved a score of 408 and would like to try for TOGS. I understand that the cut-off last year was 405 for in-area, 407 for out-of-area so she has a chance to get in, although an informal conversation with the admissions staff implied they were expecting the cut-off to go up because everyone knows the scores in advance.

Our second choice is Weald but we are on the limits in terms of distance so need to be careful we don't scupper our chances for both schools!

Say we are ranked above someone else for Weald because we are slightly closer to the school but we have put it as second choice and they have put it as first choice - would we or they get priority for the place? I know that the schools don't know your preference but obviously Kent do - do they try and give as many people their first choice as possible (& therefore reduce the chances for second choicers) or do they continue to give priority to 'higher rank' children according to their admissions criteria?

Sorry this is so long & complicated. I tried to get an answer from Kent today but couldn't get any helpful info.
2childmum
Posts: 523
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:02 pm
Location: S E London

Post by 2childmum »

Hi - you need to put the schools in your genuine order of preference. Each school gets sent a list of all the children who have put them as one of their 4 (I think you get 4 choices in kent, sorry if I'm wrong) but they don't know the preferences. They will send a list back to kent of those children in the order they will offer them a place according to their oversubscritrion criteria.
kent will then offer you a place at the school highest on your list where you qualified for a place. so if you don't get a place at your 1st preference you have an equal chance of of getting your 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) as someone who put it 1st.

So put the schools in the order you would most like them.

I hope that makes sense - like a lot of people i know I get it, but can't always explain it very well!
west_kent_12
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:40 pm

Post by west_kent_12 »

Thank you very much! Why couldn't the woman I spoke to at the Kent offices give me that answer!
travelling man
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:42 pm
Location: Tunbridge Wells

Post by travelling man »

I'm sure that's right - the schools used to know what order you put them in but don't now so there is no real risk - just put them in the order you genuinely prefer.

Incidentally I think TGS actually went below this last year on appeals for in area pupils but as you say that may well go up anyway because all the children with high scores are more likely to put TGS first.
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