school application

[anonymous21]

When completing secondary school application

It’s states that all 3 preferences are equal preferences?

So it is worth putting grammar schools down only as this is what we want ideally.

I want them to come above local high school if that makes sense so was hoping first choice was taken into account?

Thank you

[ToadMum]

When completing secondary school application

It’s states that all 3 preferences are equal preferences?

So it is worth putting grammar schools down only as this is what we want ideally.

I want them to come above local high school if that makes sense so was hoping first choice was taken into account?

Thank you

The ' equal preference' bit means that each school, independently of any other consideration, ranks your application for a place against its own published admissions criteria. Its local authority does not tell it where applicants ranked it on their CAF.

Your local authority then collates the responses from all the schools that you named on your CAF. If more than one school ranks your DC high enough for a place to be offered, your LA then allocates to your DC the school, from those responding positively, which is in the highest position on your CAF- that is where the relevance of where you ranked a school, with respect to your DC's chance of getting a place there, comes into the process. If you really want schools in the order C A B, but for some reason rank them B, A, C, even if C can offer a place, if B can as well, ABwill be allocated

It has been illegal for many years now for a school to use 'first preference first' in its admissions policy.

If your DC has done well enough in the entrance exam (or has passed and you can clearly see that they will be ranked high enough up under the school's oversubscription criteria, however places are allocated) for those grammar schools, then not naming a fall-back local non-selective may not be a risky path to take. However, if your DC cannot be offered a place at any of the schools you have named, they will be allocated the nearest school which still has places available once places have been allocated to the DC who actually applied for it, which could be a failing school three buses away.

[hermanmunster]

If you have 3 choices then put your favourite grammar first, then another grammar, then the local high school.

If you don't get the grammars it won't affect your chances of a place at the local high school but they will try the local grammars first to see if you can have a place there

[TinyDAncer13]

If you have 3 choices then put your favourite grammar first, then another grammar, then the local high school.

If you don't get the grammars it won't affect your chances of a place at the local high school but they will try the local grammars first to see if you can have a place there

We actually have 5 choices.

I’ve put the 3 grammars and then our 2 local comps x

[hermanmunster]

If you have 3 choices then put your favourite grammar first, then another grammar, then the local high school.

If you don't get the grammars it won't affect your chances of a place at the local high school but they will try the local grammars first to see if you can have a place there

We actually have 5 choices.

I’ve put the 3 grammars and then our 2 local comps x

that's good - it varies around the country, I think Birmingham have 6 whereas neighbouring Worcester only have 3 (or at least it used to be like that - very unfair as they were often putting the same schools down)

[TinyDAncer13]

If you have 3 choices then put your favourite grammar first, then another grammar, then the local high school.

If you don't get the grammars it won't affect your chances of a place at the local high school but they will try the local grammars first to see if you can have a place there

We actually have 5 choices.

I’ve put the 3 grammars and then our 2 local comps x

that's good - it varies around the country, I think Birmingham have 6 whereas neighbouring Worcester only have 3 (or at least it used to be like that - very unfair as they were often putting the same schools down)

I don’t understand the variation around the country.

Its good that we have more options however I know people who have only put 2 choices down even though we have 5 xx

[hermanmunster]

each LEA can choose - to be honest in many areas anything more than 3 is totally unnecessary, there aren't enough schools that people can reasonably get to - small towns probably have a couple at most, rural areas may only have access to one.

I put one place on the CAF (the GS we could see out of the window - there wasn't another GS for 20 + miles)

[TinyDAncer13]

each LEA can choose - to be honest in many areas anything more than 3 is totally unnecessary, there aren't enough schools that people can reasonably get to - small towns probably have a couple at most, rural areas may only have access to one.

I put one place on the CAF (the GS we could see out of the window - there wasn't another GS for 20 + miles)

Oh wow.

None of our GS are within walking distance but all within 10 miles by car.
Our comps are however about 5-10 mins walk/bike ride.

Our top choice (Calday) is 7.2 miles away so am really hoping we still manage to get a place although from the information you provided me with, im feeling quite hopeful : )