realistic advice please

[katka1311]

My child achieved a 106 on the Slough consortiums's test.
Her dream was St. Bernards.
We are a practising catholic family, my child attends a catholic primary school.
My question:
Is her score too low to appeal on the grounds of non qualification?
My plan:
To list St. Bernards on the first position on CAF, and once rejected, appeal based on the above mentioned grounds?
If we have a strong case with the headteacher's support, would it be in our favour that we fall into category 2 in oversubsription criteria, along with having the Supplementary form submitted?
Is it realistic to expect a favourable outcome?
Or: should we not waste a space on the CAF and apply for BUCKs schools, where she passed, but is difficult to get into being an external candidate?
What are your views?
Thank you.

[ToadMum]

Where do you actually live? How many options do you have on your CAF? If a lot of your preferred schools are aspirational in terms of scores / distance, the most important thing is to name at least one school at which your DD is as certain as can be to be offered a place. Presumably there is a non-selective RC option for which you would qualify?

Put the school(s) for which you intend to appeal above the 'sure things', though, otherwise you won't actually have your application turned down.

[scary mum]

If your DD has qualified for Bucks, the important thing is where you live. I'm sure you checked before having her sit the test, but is she likely to get in from where you live? If you are talking about St Bernard's I presume you are in Slough somewhere? In which case you are likely to get a place at Burnham Grammar, but nowhere else.
Here are the previous allocation distances (of course, next year could be different).

[katka1311]

We live in Hayes. Many children from our school get admission to St.Bernards. We are priority no 2 in oversubscription criteria. But I do understand that we need to have a qualifying score.
Dd passed the Bucks test and Burnham would be our no 2. School...but we are 10.06 miles away.
If I put Burnham as second choice is it less likely to get in? We are ready to fight for St.Bernards and I feel that proving it was our first choice would help us with our appeal...but I might be wrong.
The comprehensive non selective is St.Marks...but it is out of borough..but again..many children go there from our school but it is also not sure that we will have a place offered.
What we really want is St.Bernards...and I feel we should not give up judt yet but at the same time I would like to know if I am realistic at all....

[hermanmunster]

If you really want St Bernard's then you have to put it first and appeal.

Putting Burnham as second is OK as the position on the CAF will not affect your likelihood of being offered a place there.

You would be offered a place at the first school on your CAF for which you are eligible.

[scary mum]

Burnham is probably worth a space on your CAF, but out something else that you know you will get & will be happy with. I doubt you would get Burnham on March 1st but it is a faint possibility off the waiting list, although you wouldn't have got it the last couple of years.

[Aethel]

It is very rare for non-qualifying children to get into Slough schools on appeal, I’m afraid, as there are so many parent who appeal “because we really want the school”. Six points is a long way off. Putting it first on CAF makes no difference to your likelyhood of success (sorry, but you need to know this). How much yoi set your heart on the school is irrelevent: your child needs proof of genuine high ability and there is lots of advice on the Appeals section about this to look at if you want to try that route.

Burnham Grammar is outside your likely cachement but if they have qualified it may be worth putting that down and appealing against oversubscription (though unlilely to work, you may at least get onto a waiting list with the uncertainty of whether it might move). Howver BGS seems increasingly popular, so the out of area places are now getting shorter and shorter distance each year. The east side of Uxbridge was not near enough last year, for example.

[katka1311]

I have spoken to Burnham grammar, and they have adviced me to put them down on the list as they told me that despite having a catchement area, they rarely fill their places from within. The headteacher explained that they offer places from around within 10 miles, which is means a fair chance for us.
I have also tought about the advice people have about putting down 1 school that you really want and might get.
There is 1 very popular comp school in our area, which will be oversubsribed, but if my plan did not work out, I would not want my DD to miss out on. Originally wanted to list it as my 6th preferance, but I am afraid she might miss out on if grammars do not work out.
So my question is/ and I know it is very different from my morning post, when I was hoping that I will be able to successfully appeal for St. Bernards- our ultimate preferance- now this seems less and less likely/.
Basically or aim was St. Bernards, as we wanted a faith and a grammar school. My DD attended an open evening last year, and it has been her motivation and dream ever since / not a reason for an appeal, which I understand/
Because most likely we will not be able to win a place at a faith grammar / St. Bernards/ we would like her to at least attend a grammar school. Only real chance she has is Burnham, as for the rest we are out of catchment with a considerable distance.
If that does not happen I wish she would get in to a comp, the only one which she liked /but very popular/.
I do not mention St. Marks anymore /despite my morning post/, as I have spoken to our headteacher and she said it should be one of our first 2 preferences.

So should my list be "A" or "B"

A:
1. St. Bernards - with a minimal chance of a successful appeal
2. Burnham - fair chance either on 1st of March or second round
3. Comprehensive -very popular
4.5.6. all bucks grammars, with the hope we might end up with a place after all the rounds

B:
1. Burnham fair chance
2. Another bucks grammar-historical data show that they offered a place out of catchment with considerable distance
3. comprehensive-popular
4.5.6. bucks grammar

Please help me to shed some light on this, as I am getting more and more confused and the clock is ticking.

[hermanmunster]

How likely are you to get the popular Comprehensive? what at the admission criteria?

My concern would be that in both lists you have not got anywhere you would be guaranteed to get a place, and if none of the schools you have listed can offer you a place then you would be offered the nearest school with space, not necessarily one that you listed or that near.

Re : St Mark's - I think the head is wrong about it having to be first or second on the list, if it was 6th and you were not offered 1-5 then it would be considered to be YOUR first choice and you would be considered alongside everyone else.

[scary mum]

It makes no difference which of those you do as I'm not sure you have a school you are certain of getting. Burnham is an outside chance, but if you aren't sure of the comprehensive you could just be allocated any school where there are spaces. I can't think of another Bucks grammar you could be allocated from Hayes (or indeed travel to from Hayes).
The rule is to put them in your genuine order of preference, the schools don't know so it doesn't affect your chances. You will be allocated the highest ranked one in your list that is possible.
ETA: cross posted with hermanmumster