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secondary admissions

4 replies

marizzy · 18/10/2017 11:18

Hi there, I wonder whether somebody could help me with this:
Where two grammar schools are put as first and second choice in the application and the child is put on the waiting list for the 1st choice, would a place in their 2nd choice still be offered, on the 1st of March, if she meets the criteria of entry?
My daughter has a place in a grammar school (ranked 51st out of 96 places on the 11plus test) she wants to put as second choice in the form. She wants to put as first choice another grammar school for which I think (based on her 11plus results) she most likely will get in but might be placed on the waiting list.
So my question is if we are put on the waiting list for the 1st choice grammar school would we get an offer for the 2nd choice on the 1st of March? or just put on the waiting list and get no school offer on the 1st of March? I am worried that if we do not go for the safe choice we might loose them both...thank you...

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Lotsofsighing · 18/10/2017 13:54

No, no and thrice no! The schools won't know the order you put them in, you'll be offered the one that you meet the criteria for that you put highest in your order of preference. If you don't get the 1st choice, you'll get the second choice above an applicant who had put it first if you meet the criteria better.

Put them in the order you want them in and don't worry about trying to game it.

It's explained well here:
www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schools/equal-preference-system

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marizzy · 18/10/2017 14:17

thank you Lotsofsigning, this is a relief! the website is also very helpful. So it is not that I will be put on the waiting list and get no school option in March but instead I will get my second choice (assuming I fulfill the criteria) and put on the waiting list for my first.

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Lotsofsighing · 18/10/2017 14:22

Yes absolutely. But if you put the second choice first, you'll be offered it and the council will think job done. It's a good system, I think, because it means you don't have to game it. There are still schools, though, that say 'if you don't put us first you won't get in'.

Good though the system is, it does throw up some issues occasionally. We got offered our third choice but a friend's first choice. Her son got offered our first choice, but their second choice. Ideally we'd have just swapped.

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marizzy · 18/10/2017 15:04

I agree, it is a good system but as you say, there are so many rumors out there saying that LAs will do anything to match as many people as possible with their firs choice and then the schools saying 'unless you put us first...'

Maybe they should allow mutually agreed 'swapping' in cases like yours...

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