undersubscribed school, if not one of your preferences

[lizmcp]

We live in an area where you only get three priorities for your secondary school choices. As such, there's quite a bit of strategy required in determining which schools to put down.

Here's my question: if you do not put down, say, school X as one of your three preferences, yet you've passed the 11+, if that school then does not fill up, can you go along and avail of one of the remaining places, or are you locked out by not putting it down originally?

Schools in question here are Wirral Grammar for Girls and West Kirby. We'd prefer Wirral Grammar but it tends to fill up with a catchment area we'd be outside of, whereas West Kirby doesn't tend to fill up at all. We live pretty far from both, so other schools will be going as #1 and #2. If we put down WG #3 and didn't get it based on distance, would WK give us a place later on if it is undersubscribed?

[Tinkers]

What’s your genuine preference?

From what you’ve said you should put Wirral down as your first choice, if you don’t get that West Kirby automatically become your new first choice (and by the sound of it you’ll get that)and you’ll be on the WL for Wirral.

[streathammum]

I think the OP is saying they can only list either West Kirby or Wirral Grammar, not both.

If that's the case, you won't automatically go on the waiting list for the school you didn't list, but you will probably be able to add yourself to it once offers are made on 1 March. (You also won't go on the waiting list for your third place school if you're offered either of your first two preferences.)

If you don't qualify for any of the schools on your CAF, your local authority will offer you a place at an undersubscribed school - usually the closest school to you with spaces. So it's not likely you'd be offered the school you didn't list in the first round of offers on 1 March.

If you just want to be sure you'll get a place on 1 March, and you're not bothered which of the schools you get, you should use the third slot of your CAF for the one you feel most confident of getting a place at. You may well be able to get a place at the undersubscribed school after offer day but it's always a risk - this year it may fill all its places in the first round of offers and you may not be able to get a place from the waiting list - whereas you may be able to get a place in the first round if you put it on the CAF.

[lizmcp]

Thanks. Yes, I will likely only be in a position of putting down one or the other. WG would be the preference, but highly unlikely to get it because of distance. WK would be an option, but don't want to lose the slight chance of WG by putting down WK. By the sounds of things, if WK doesn't fill up, then the waiting list would be the best option. I just don't know if you'd automatically get in, having passed the 11+, or would have to go through some sort of second round of tests, i.e. if the waiting list is like a completely new application process. Still, nothing to lose, I suppose.

[mad?]

Is your DC likely to get offered one of your preferences #1 and #2? If not you should be sure to put something you are certain to get on the list as a 3rd preference.

[ToadMum]

Designated grammar schools are the only schools allowed to refuse applicants if the school runs out of qualified applicants before it reaches PAN; in that case, it would not have a waiting list and a qualified late applicant would get a place straight away.

(A non-selectove school has to admit all applicants in the main round - i.e. entry at the beginning of year 7 - if it only receives PAN or fewer applications).

[lizmcp]

Thanks ToadMum. Yes, it's a designated grammar, so I think the answer is yes, if the school isn't full, then someone who's passed the 11+ but not put it down as a preference would get a place rather than going onto the waiting list.

#1 and #2 preferences - it's impossible to say at the moment if they're likely/guaranteed. We will have a better idea after the Blue Coat and music aptitude tests. Last resort we can go private, so I'm willing to put a #3 that's not guaranteed (i.e. would prefer a small chance at a school we want, rather than a guarantee on a school we don't want).

[2Socks]

Check it officially with the schools and local authorities, it's the only way to be sure. In my area we're allowed to go on the waiting list for any school, but it's more difficult for those that you didn't apply for initially.