Number of choices on CAF form

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ale21279
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:56 pm

Number of choices on CAF form

Post by ale21279 »

Over the last month we have been to open mornings, open evenings, entrance exams and music auditions.

We have a month until CAF deadline, but at the moment we only have a 1st & 2nd choice school. One of which is a fairly safe option local comp, for which everyone from our road who applied last year got a place, but I know that doesn't mean we will this year; we are a high birth rate year, and their admissions arrangements have changed slightly since last year.

We are looking at 4 more schools over the next 2 weeks, but what should you do if you only have 2 or 3 preferred schools? Is it inadvisable to leave one space blank?

Obviously exam & music results are still to come but they are very unlikely to affect our 1st & 2nd choice (both local).

Also, what happens if (a very big if.... :) ) you achieve the pass rate required for exam entrance (eg top 65 rank at DAO) - do you still need to fill the other 3 spaces on the form?

Thanks
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by loobylou »

You don't have to fill all your spaces.
Dd had a top 65 place at DAO which was our first choice and we did not fill all the other spaces in. We did put more down because it felt odd to only fill in one space, but that was completely unnecessary...
With ds we put DAO (obviously guaranteed sibling place) and one other local comp where we knew he would get a place - and we only put that because dh suddenly panicked at the last minute that if DAO burned down over the summer we would need another school!
If you know your child will get the 2nd choice school (eg if you live right next door and it's a comprehensive school with a catchment area) then there's no point filling them for the sake of it.
exam2019
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:14 pm

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by exam2019 »

What are the implications of leaving spaces?
Well if you don't get either of your first 2 options you will be given a school that has places i.e. a lottery.

It depends totally on how secure your top choices are, but I was advised to leave no spaces on the form as it is better that parents choose, rather than leave it to chance.

I'm sure you already know this, but you should also put the schools down in the genuine order of your preference.
The computer algorithm will not look at your whole form, it will check if you meet the criteria choice by choice in the order of preference and allocate places on that basis. It doesn't take anything other than entrance criteria into account. The schools never know your preference.

Lastly don't forget to submit the application on the eportal. Every year people in my local area forget to press submit and end up with the lottery school. :(

Good luck!
ale21279
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:56 pm

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by ale21279 »

Thank you both for your replies. DS is oldest child so it's our first time doing this, still getting my head around everything

exam2019, by "lottery" I'm assuming you mean the closest school?

In our case, the closest school (only 0.1 miles closer than our 1st choice!) is the local comp, which we have 95% decided is not the right place for DS - low exam results, high absence rates, Ofsted Inadequate...

My question then would be, would we be more likely to end up with this school if we do or do not include it on the CAF (eg as 4th choice)?

This is assuming we don't get any exam places.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by Tinkers »

If you don’t get any schools on your CAF, the LA will allocate you a school with places left.

If the local school is not over subscribed (which it sounds like it isn’t), it’s quite likely, but not certain, that is the one you would get if you didn’t get any of your preferences.

If you would be OK with it, stick it on the form as your last choice. If not, make sure you have another school on there you would very likely get.
streathammum
Posts: 1252
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:02 pm

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by streathammum »

You will definitely be more likely to end up at the local school of you name it on the CAF than if you don't. If you don't name it on your CAF you will be a lower priority for a place on offer day than everyone else who does name it, regardless of where they live. You would only get a place there on offer day if not enough other people named it for it to fill all its places.

So the question then is which school would you be given on offer day? The nearest one *with spaces*. It may be that local school or it could be one that's miles away.

Please remember that if you put your local school on your CAF in the bottom slot, it won't make any difference at all to your chances of getting a place at one of the schools above it.
ale21279
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:56 pm

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by ale21279 »

Thank you so much for all the helpful replies.

What a minefield and such a big decision!

Hopefully some of the results will make our decision easier....
ale21279
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:56 pm

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by ale21279 »

Sorry for so many questions...

So although the schools don't know which order you placed them in, does the 1st choice school have the first option to say yes or no, if no, then followed by 2nd choice school, and so on down the list?
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by Tinkers »

Have a look at this and see if it explains it all for you.
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schoo ... nce-system" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Number of choices on CAF form

Post by Tinkers »

You will be given your highest preference School that can give you a place.
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