Hi...where we live we only get 3 choices! There are 3 grammars we're going for but we are out of catchment for 2. Would you always put the local comp as a choice, or just go for it if it appears DD has done well? Even if she gets a good mark, I don't think they tell us if we are in or not. Don't know what to do!!

Ask yourself this: how would you feel if you put all 3 Grammar Schools beacause you felt your DD had done well but, it turned out that lots of in catchment children had done really well and it didn't go out as far as you...and you didn't do well enough for the one you were in catchment for....at this point, the local authority have tried to meet your request but cannot - they have done their job - they will now offer you a place at ANY school that has availability - whether you like the school or not (and often the school with availability is a school that people would not choose). If you choose to reject that school then the LA can effectively wash their hands, as they have done what they are obliged to do.

However, do not think if you put two GS and a popular local school that you will definitely get that if you don't get the GS's....you will only get the local school if you meet the criteria and meet it higher than the next person. We always advise putting a "safe" school on - a school you know you are guaranteed a place at.

Grr where we live we will know the results by the 12th of October, that will help inform our decision won't it?

Yes it will help inform however the information you are sent will make it clear that past performance does not guarantee that the situation will be the same this year, so if there is any doubt, you would be sensible to err on the side of caution - unless your back up is private school/fees.

We are in a 3 choice area as well. I put 2 grammars (one we were out of catchment for) and a faith school I was reasonably sure we would get into. I think it depends on how confident you are that your DC will do well. Our local comp was out of the question, I would rather have upped sticks and moved so we took a gamble that paid off.

May I respectfully point out that you in fact have no choices, unless your DC has an EHCP which names a particular school?

The Admissions Code allows for parents to express a preference for a minimum of three state schools via their local authority's Common Application Form. The schools named must consider the application according to their published admissions criteria, not according to how highly the applicant ranked them. This is a very important distinction, the natural consequences of the failure to understand it rearing their ugly head every March 1st, unfortunately

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I’m not planning to put my catchment comp school in my preferred three, but only because it’s half full, so I can pretty much guarantee being able to get a place if needed (hoping not!). In your situation if the scores come back strong, I’d choose which out of catchment grammar you prefer, then put that, the catchment grammar and the comp as the three.

Thanks everyone....I just wish when we get the results they could tell us if we're likely to be in or not! I suppose we will just have to choose our favourite/most likely two and the comp but it seems so unfair that other areas get 5 options.

We also only had three preferences but I only used two of them. Out of catchment grammar and our local comprehensive. I would agree with previous posters you really need to put one preference in that is a 'banker' or risk an unpopular school that could be a considerable distance away. Our local comprehensive was a dead cert and the grammar was a gamble that paid off. I didn't even wait for the 11+ results before I submitted, I couldn't change anything and we didn't have more than one grammar that was within reach.

Think hard about your very first preference of grammar and I would put the local comprehensive in third unless it is really dreadful.