Hi

I know this is very late in the day, but I am confused with regards school allocation in the CAF.

So I get that; (1) the local council operates an equal preference system, (2) all schools listed in the CAF receive the application, (3) non-eligible schools are removed and finally (4) the highest ranked preference is allocated.

Where I get lost with the process is this - I am giving six preferences and all six schools receive my application. Now let's say there are five other applications (so six applications in total including mine) each has a different first preference, but eligible for all six schools. Whilst logically each child would be allocated their first preference, I am struggling to understand how can each school make 6 offers for a single place?

In the above example, I can't understand how the allocation works if there are 36 eligible applications for 6 places...and schools don't know where they were ranked in the application. Surely there's a risk that a school over-allocates...and therefore through the back-door the first preference process kicks in?

I have my 6 preferences, but my genuine first preference is currently 3rd as I'm concerned that the above scenario naturally leads to first preferences...

Thanks

The schools themselves do not make any offers, they just rank those who have named them on the CAF. The local authority make the offer of the highest ranked school for which the candidate qualifies. DO NOT put your real preference 3rd, put it 1st.

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mad?

The explanation here should help. It has an example which may make things clearer.

I think I follow your logic.

However where it doesn't work is that there would not be 36 eligible applications for 6 places. Those applications would be ranked depending on the the admission criteria of the school (not the applicants preference) and placed in order. The top 6 would be offered a place if they had put the school (call it school A) first on their list. If they had not put the school first then the LA would first check to see if that applicant qualified for their first preference (call it school B) and if so then they would be allocated school B and the place at school A which had been freed up would be offered to the next person on the list.

You should put your first preference first as if you qualify for either your current 1st (or if not then 2nd) place then that is what you will be offered and you won't automatically go on the waiting list for no 3.

It cannot be stressed enough, so apologies for capitals:

FILL THE CAF IN YOUR TRUE PREFERENCE ORDER!!

DO NOT TRY TO SECOND GUESS ANYONE ELSE’S PREFERENCES!

FILL THE CAF IN YOUR TRUE PREFERENCE ORDER!!

If your current 3rd listed school is your real 1st preference then please read the above.....and then FILL THE CAF IN YOUR TRUE PREFERENCE ORDER.

Otherwise you run the risk of getting the school you actually listed 1st or 2nd. Whilst you would be added to the waiting list for the first school if allocated the 2nd, you would not be added to the wait list for any schools listed below the one allocated.

Please go back to the top and read it again...!!!!

Hi trimission. Please heed the advice above and don't make the mistake of trying to outthink the process. Your imagined version of the process is much much more complicated than the reality which is to simply put the schools in the order you like them.

All

Thanks for your views. Honestly, I'm not trying to make it more complicated or out-think the system.

Your comments above are helpful - I have one last follow-up question...

So let's say I rank my first preference first. The school then ranks the applications and passes this information back to the LA. My child doesn't rank high enough on the admissions criteria so isn't allocated first preference...the LA therefore move to 2nd preference. BUT, given a number of applicants have my 2nd preference down as their 1st preference...wouldn't that mean the child who has this school as 1st preference is allocated the space?...and I therefore lose my 2nd preference (hence the process becomes a first preference)? How do the LAs allocate schools under this scenario?

FYI, the schools I have in mind are Burnham and Berkshire grammars.

These are the last 24 hours of panic and confusion...then it's over to the powers that be!

The LA will have moved to your second preference, butvtye school will have tanked everyone who named them according to their admissions criteria so your child’s place will be the same regardless of where the school was put on the CAF.

You are thinking that the Laa look at all the 1st preferences then move to 2nd preferences etc. The process all takes place at the same time. The schools rank ANY applicant. Then the LA matches your highest possible school - of course, if 20 kids rank above yours on school A and all 20 of them have listed school A asfirst preference, then they will be offered ahead of your child. If your child listed school A as second preference but the child (lets call them Carol) ranked below your child has listed school A as first preference, your child would still get the place (if the LA could not offer them the school they listed first) ahead of Carol, because school A ranked yourchild higher.

Thank you...it's clear now.