School admissions

[Mousewatch]

I need to apply this week but I'm so confused.

My closest school is a very good catholic school and then there are two very good primary's within a couple of miles.

So if we put the catholic school 1st and then the others 2nd and 3rd on the form does that mean ( if we don't get our 1st choice) someone that lives further away than me but who put the primary school 1st on their list would get in before us?

I'm not even sure that makes sense but I really don't know what to do.

One of the primary's ( 3rd) has a small intake so we are unlikely to get that choice. I would very much prefer the catholic school but I wouldn't want to miss out on the 2nd choice.

[AalyaSecura]

If you don't qualify for your first choice, you are then considered for your second choice in exactly the same way as if you had put it first. The only reason order matters is to determine which of the schools you have put down you are offered if you qualify for more than one.

[PettsWoodParadise]

Bear in mind the Catholic school may not run its admissions based on distance, its admissions criteria is likely to have a faith requirement. Check if the school requires you to also submit a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) that needs to go to the school to help it work out if you qualify.

Our local Catholic Primary for example if I put it first I wouldn't have hope of getting in as we can't prove regular attendance at a Catholic church (also DD is way beyond applying for Primary but using that as an example). This regular attendance would have to be put on the SIF in the form of a signed letter or something similar from the Priest.

Someone who lived further away but met the admissions criteria if it wasn't done on distance could get the school, they might have put it second but didn't get their first school for some other reason. They'd still get the school as it was the first school that they met the qualification criteria for. There are lots of 'mights and ifs', but it all boils down to you get the school that you qualify for based on the admissions criteria of that particular school. Pupil premium, looked after children, siblings, faith, lottery, distance (at secondary you also have feeder schools, eleven plus etc) can all be in the mix for admissions so you need to look at the admissions criteria for that school.

Good luck

[Rainbowsandflowers78]

The catholic school will most likely admit on how often you go to church - check their admissions policy

Schools don’t know the order you put them in so put the order you genuinely want them

[Rainbowsandflowers78]

Ps you can always ring or email your council to ask for help with this all too

[Mousewatch]

Surprisingly the catholic school is undersubscribed but I have no idea about the birth rate for that year. I totally get that we would be bottom of the queue for the catholic school due to their criteria but thought it was worth a shot.

[Snowysky20009]

How often do you then church?

[Snowysky20009]

Attend*

[Mousewatch]

Great thanks tiggytape!

Not as often as we should snowysky20009, why?

[Rainbowsandflowers78]

I’d be surprised if it was outstanding and under subscribed - where did you get your figures from?

[Mousewatch]

I telephoned the school and was told. They still have spaces available in every year group.

I've decided to put is 1st on our form now I know it won't make a difference to where we are in the list for our 2nd choice.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

You can get outstanding and undersubscribed schools it just depends on what school admissions is like in your area and what the nearby schools are like.