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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

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Original poster

Applicaa- 6th form ranking

39 replies

Whatisagoodname · 07/01/2025 10:42

Just wondering, is it right that Applicaa is asking that applicants rank school choices in their sixth form applications. They then make the ranking known to the schools/colleges. They even say on there, if you rank a school 7th, they may not make you an offer.

Considering primary, secondary schools and universities don't know how applicants rank them. This feels wrong and unfair.

Has anyone ranked a school low but got a place. Mine likes 3 schools and can't decide ranking.

OP posts:

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Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 09/01/2025 13:59

They've obviously not taken the time to familiarise themselves with the admissions code, just want to get as many schools on board as they can.

It's good to ask questions! I didn't know all those other questions are breaches too. Perhaps I should send them a link to this thread. Hmmm.

Thanks!

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sprinklin · 09/01/2025 10:01

Good result @Whatisagoodname ! However, if students are forced to use this system, and forced to give a ranking as part of the application process, then I'm pretty sure the adjudicator would consider it a breach of clause 2.4. If just one school was found in breach of this clause, they would have to cancel their contract with Applicaa, and the same judgement could be tacitly applied to all other schools who use Applicaa. If they have any sense they will recognise this as a threat to their business model.

They have other breaches of clause 2.4 too - e.g. their form asks for career plans and hobbies, and ethnicity, SEN, EAL, etc

Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 09/01/2025 09:24

And the final response today as I can only upload 5 images a time.

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Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 09/01/2025 09:23

Thanks again both.

They're sticking to providing the ranking to schools and will be removing the impact on interviews (which leads to no offer) from their FAQs. Attached are my email exchanges with them, if anyone's interested in their response.

The ones that start with "to: info" are my replies to them. Will just hope we get the right offers.

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prh47bridge · 08/01/2025 19:39

Interesting.

Schools being able to see the ranking is not a great idea, but it is not of itself a breach of the Admissions Code. However, if a school uses that ranking to decide which applicants will be offered places, that is a breach.

sprinklin · 08/01/2025 18:48

@Whatisagoodname @prh47bridge here is Applicaa's help text for schools which makes it clear that the preference ranking will be shared with them: https://helpdesk.applicaa.com/how-does-student-preference-ranking-work

It's described as a new feature, but it's not clear when it was published.

@Whatisagoodname it also says its a feature of the 'Applicaa One' account - was it compulsory to create one of those or could your child have applied without creating the account? (From memory, my kids just applied to one school via Applicaa and had a login just for that application rather than an account.)

How does student preference ranking work?

This article will explain how the new feature of students ranking the schools/ colleges they apply to works

https://helpdesk.applicaa.com/how-does-student-preference-ranking-work

Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 08/01/2025 13:12

Thanks @prh47bridge I'll see what they say and quote the code to them as I said.

We're applying to state schools (not colleges).

Thanks.

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prh47bridge · 08/01/2025 12:13

Agree with @sprinklin that this is a breach of the Admissions Code for school sixth forms.

Sixth form colleges and independent schools are not required to follow the Admissions Code, so they can do whatever they want. State schools (including academies), however, have no choice. They may not 'give extra priority to children whose parents rank preferred schools in a particular order, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements' (paragraph 1.9(c)). Stating that a school may refuse to make an offer just because you name it as your 7th preference is simply wrong.

Paragraph 2.4 of the Admissions Code says that schools can only request information that has a direct bearing on decisions about oversubscription criteria, or for the purpose of selection by aptitude or ability. Schools cannot therefore request information about where they have been ranked. If Applicaa is attempting to co-ordinate sixth form admissions in the way LAs do for Reception and Y7, it is poor practice for them to tell schools where they are ranked and, if they do, it is absolutely forbidden for schools to make use of this information.

Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 08/01/2025 12:08

Thanks @sprinklin I can quote the code you refer to when/if they hopefully reply.

No, it's not local authority because some local schools still run their own i.e. you submit the form on their website. However, a lot of them use applicaa.

My older one applied 2 years ago or so and 1 or 2 via applicaa but there was nothing about ranking then.

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sprinklin · 08/01/2025 12:01

p.s. Do check you local authority website to see if they have introduced some sort of coordination scheme like the one they are obliged to run for Reception and Year 11. (But even so, I don't think schools can refuse to give an offer on this basis if they don't reference any such scheme in their policy).

sprinklin · 08/01/2025 11:51

Whatisagoodname · 08/01/2025 11:33

A lot of schools and colleges are processing applications through them now, even some independent schools. It doesn't seem to be about area. It's if the school/college has signed up. They say they have 2,000 signed up.

I'd think schools shouldn't know where they are in the applicant's ranking. I've just sent an email to applicaa to ask why they're doing this.

I know it all depends on results on exam day and might all change but they're lowering students chances of being accepted initially in my view as it might be too late on results day.

Interesting. Some schools in my area do use Applicaa, but when my kids applied they didn't need to rank them.

I am a school governor so know the national Schools Admissions Code well. If state school sixth forms are asking for this info via Applicaa, and it isn't in their policies, then they are in breach of clause 2.4 the Code, which says they can only ask for info that has a direct bearing on decisions.

If they don't make you an offer, you can appeal on grounds of a Code breach.
Tagging @prh47bridge (lawyer) for a second opinion.

The responsibility lies with the admissions authority (e.g. LA or academy trust), not with Applicaa, though its possible that Applicaa are misadvising schools when they create their admissions forms.

N.B. The Admissions Code doesn't apply to stand-alone sixth form colleges.

Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 08/01/2025 11:35

And the schools don't mention the ranking at all. It's only mentioned on applicaa.

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Original poster

Whatisagoodname · 08/01/2025 11:33

I'd think schools shouldn't know where they are in the applicant's ranking. I've just sent an email to applicaa to ask why they're doing this.

I know it all depends on results on exam day and might all change but they're lowering students chances of being accepted initially in my view as it might be too late on results day.

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sprinklin · 07/01/2025 20:14

@Whatisagoodname this doesn't happen in my area. Maybe some local authorities do coordinate sixth form admissions, but if so then I haven't heard of it. Which area are you in? Are they school sixth forms, or colleges, or a combination?

Have you checked the individual admissions policies to see what, if anything, they say about ranked preferences?

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