Am I being stupid on my CAF?

[Ungratefulbiped]

Opinions please!
Last year, boys in my village got sent to Kemnal, 5 miles away as there were no places at the usual comps: Crown woods, Coopers etc. There were some boys still waiting on any place in August (think Bullers picked up all the late applicants and stragglers)
We always wanted St Thomas More and fulfil all the criteria but had a panic we would be juiuist out of catchement as last year many were upset and shocked at how small it became.
So we have no "safety"
Would it be stupid to list my CAF like this (all straight line measures)
1. BGS 3.1 miles
2 C&S 2.9 miles
3. Beth's 3.9 miles
4. St. Thomas More 1.3 miles

As I have no safety, I don't know what else to list. It would be a bit like putting down a comp for the sake of it? We liked Crown Woods and the grammar stream but boys from here aren't getting it lately so it's no safety net.

[Guest55]

Put the school you want FIRST - you must put schools in your true order of preference.
If school 1 can't be offered then school 2 become top etc.

[Ungratefulbiped]

Put the school you want FIRST - you must put schools in your true order of preference.
If school 1 can't be offered then school 2 become top etc.

This is my true order. I am worried I'm leaving myself open to being put randomly at Kemnal as nothing is certain.

[Guest55]

I would fill up all choices with schools you want more than others ...

[kenyancowgirl]

Well that is the risk - you have to ask yourself if it is worth taking? I don't know the schools so can't comment on them particularly, sorry. Do you have any spaces below number 4? If so, put in schools that you would be willing to consider.

crossed with G55

[streathammum]

If you don't qualify for any of the four schools you have listed you will be allocated a school with places.

Are you saying there is no school near you that you would qualify for? (I know that does happen in some parts of London, just trying to check.)

If there is no local comp that you would get a place at, you are at risk of being allocated a school a very long way away. You may prefer to have some control over the backstop and list a school like Buller or Kemnal rather than find yourselves at the whim of the fates.

There is nothing you can do with the order you put things on your CAF to alter your position in the rankings of the schools. It's a difficult position to find yourself in and I understand why you don't want to name a school that you don't really like, but the alternative might be worse. Good luck.

Crossed with other, sorry

[Ungratefulbiped]

We are in traditional catchment for all 4 schools except BGS.
There is not another comp we are in catchment for. Honest!

[Guest55]

I've known people allocated schools where they aren't in catchment as they only put one or two choices ...

[streathammum]

We are in traditional catchment for all 4 schools except BGS.
There is not another comp we are in catchment for. Honest!

In that case I would advise perhaps speaking to the council (if possible) or looking on the website to try to find out where children from your village ended up going last year and which schools in the Borough were undersubscribed on offer day. It may also be possible that a school you perhaps haven't considered made offers to a distance that would cover you.

I'd then try to choose which of these schools is the least worst option and put it at the bottom of the form.

[Ungratefulbiped]

We are in traditional catchment for all 4 schools except BGS.
There is not another comp we are in catchment for. Honest!

In that case I would advise perhaps speaking to the council (if possible) or looking on the website to try to find out where children from your village ended up going last year and which schools in the Borough were undersubscribed on offer day. It may also be possible that a school you perhaps haven't considered made offers to a distance that would cover you.

I'd then try to choose which of these schools is the least worst option and put it at the bottom of the form.

Yes that would be Bullers Boys which is brand new so not much known yet. I still won't have a 6th place school though.