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Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:07 am
by Tamim
On the CAP, I believe parents can list up to 6 schools, in order of preference. However with *all* grammar schools being over-subscribed, is entering a grammar school in 2nd place - i.e. to place another grammar school 1st - effectively a wasted entry?

As ever, thank you!

#ConfusedDad

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:00 am
by mad?
If DC does not qualify for the 1st preference grammar school the 2nd automatically becomes their 1st. This process continues until DC reaches a school on the list for which they qualify. So, always list the schools on the CAF in the true order of preference and make sure you put at least one school on there for which DC is guaranteed qualification, if you can find one.

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:04 am
by mitasol
It is not a wasted entry as all your preferences are treated equally. Each school will apply the oversubscription criteria and will will rank all the children who applied on a list. Where more than one preference can be met the local authority will offer the highest ranking preference.

As an example. You have placed school X first on your CAF and you are number 100 on the school oversubscribed list. Your neighbour has placed school X in fifth place on the CAF but are 99 on the oversubscription list.

If your neighbour cannot be offered any school they ranked higher on the CAF they will be offered a place at school X before you are.

Over subscription criteria dictates priority for places. The CAF is simply to express your preference and a higher preference does not give a higher priority for a place.

X-posted with mad

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:56 am
by ToadMum
What LA are you in? If the website doesn't have an 'Important information for parents' (or similarly named) section explaining how the system works, along with the 'applying for a school place' bit and the link to its CAF, you should email the Admissions Team to complain.

Eta, you probably actually want a relevant council official - for our LA, I would contact the Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, but the committee may be organised differently in other areas.

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:37 am
by Tamim
Over subscription criteria dictates priority for places. The CAF is simply to express your preference and a higher preference does not give a higher priority for a place.

That's important, [mitasol] - thank you. So the position one places a school on CAF is not folded into the application of that school's over-subscription criteria. Rather the two are de-coupled, with CAF positioning coming into effect only after all schools' over-subscription criteria have been applied.

Thank you!

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:39 am
by hermanmunster
that is effectively right Tamim, there is no "people who put this school first" in the oversub criteria, it is more "this person is eligible, is our school high enough up their list for them to be offered it as a place"

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:32 pm
by mitasol
So the position one places a school on CAF is not folded into the application of that school's over-subscription criteria
It has been unlawful for schools to prioritise CAF rankings in the oversubscription criteria for over a decade.

School Admissions Code (Covers legal obligation of School Admissions)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 19_Dec.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
First Preference First
Oversubscription criterion that giving priority to children according to the order of other schools named as a preference by their parents, or only considering applications stated as a first preference. The First Preference First oversubscription criterion is prohibited by this Code.
It is for admission authorities to formulate their admission arrangements, but they must not:
a) place any conditions on the consideration of any application other than those in the oversubscription criteria published in their admission arrangements;
b) take into account any previous schools attended, unless it is a named feeder school;
c) give extra priority to children whose parents rank preferred schools in a particular order, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements
d)...

Re: Common Application Form - listing > 1 grammar school.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 5:43 pm
by Tamim
Nice - thank you, Mitasol. That's a clear answer to my Q and so ends this thread v.neatly.

Sincere thanks again,

Tamim.