CAF Information - Your School Preferences

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mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

CAF Information - Your School Preferences

Post by mitasol »

Regardless of where the schools are located you apply via your local authority CAF. (Common Application Form) by the deadline. You also need to understand how the schools are going to allocate places. This will be detailed in their admissions policy which should be located on their website.

When filling in your CAF you should put the schools in your true order of preference. Your last preference should be a school where your child is certain to get a place. Usually, your local catchment school.

I have included guidance from the Yorkshire Admission Authorities below.

North Yorkshire County Council (*2018 Entry)*Still applicable for 2023. This version is IMO better than the current version.
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/questions-and-answers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
In line with the School Admissions Code (2014) we operate an equal preference with ranking system.

This is a national model designed to ensure, as far as possible, parent/carers' preferences for particular schools are considered fairly, equitably and consistently.

Equal preference requires the admission authority to consider all preferences received for a particular school (first, second, third, fourth and fifth) equally and, where the school is oversubscribed, apply the oversubscription criteria. Where more than one preference can be met the local authority will offer the highest ranking preference.
Calderdale Council
https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/sites/ ... t-2023.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (2023 Entry)
Calderdale’s co-ordinated admissions scheme operates in such a way that all parental preferences are considered equally. However, the schools have to be expressed in order of preference. In the event of a child being eligible for a place at more than one school, only one offer of a place will be made. This will be at the highest expressed preference of school for which the child is eligible. (For the purpose of clarity, priority is not given to first preferences over any lower preference. Oversubscription criteria dictates priority for places).
Kirklees Council
http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/admissi ... -guide.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Is the order of preference important? Yes, it is very important. When a child qualifies for a place at more than one of the schools named, they will be offered a place at the highest preference school. You should name the school that you would most like your child to attend as your first preference. A higher preference does not give a higher priority for a place.Places at schools are allocated according to the admission criteria for the school.
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To summarise
1. You have to include every school you want to be considered for.
2. The list should be in your true order of preference
3. It is prudent to include your local catchment school in the event that non of your higher preferences can be offered.

Further information on the CAF https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schoo ... n-form-caf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Further information on the Equal Preference System https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schoo ... nce-system" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
mum-of-two
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2015 12:01 pm

Re: CAF Preferences

Post by mum-of-two »

What happens if you don't put your guaranteed 'local catchment school' as your final preference?

I would home school or sell a kidney for private education rather than send my DS and DD to my 'local'. I assume that the LEA would have to allocate my child a place somewhere and, if I didn't get any of the 5 other options I placed, I anticipate that I'd be given the 'local' as the "here's one that has a space".

I welcome your comments....
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: CAF Preferences

Post by hermanmunster »

mum-of-two wrote:What happens if you don't put your guaranteed 'local catchment school' as your final preference?

I would home school or sell a kidney for private education rather than send my DS and DD to my 'local'. I assume that the LEA would have to allocate my child a place somewhere and, if I didn't get any of the 5 other options I placed, I anticipate that I'd be given the 'local' as the "here's one that has a space".

I welcome your comments....
Appreciate the problem!

the problem that comes each year is that some people assume that their less than ideal local school will take them anyway even if they don't put it on the CAF and on March 1st they get a shock as they are allocated an even less than ideal and much further away school instead.
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Re: CAF Preferences

Post by mitasol »

If none of your preferences can be met then the council will allocate you the nearest school that still has places after other applicant preferences have been met. If your local school is always undersubscribed and still has places left - you would be offered a place there. Equally, it could be full after filling preferences and you could be sent to a school that is further away.
I would home school or sell a kidney for private education rather than send my DS and DD to my 'local'.
If that is true then, of course, you do not need to name the local on your CAF. Come September you'll have to follow through or accept whichever school the LA offer you.

x-posted with herman
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