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Original poster

school says they will only take those for whom this school is first choice?!

56 replies

Chandon · 19/10/2012 10:20

Can this be true?

We have two good schools (lucky us) but our first choice is oversubscribed, and we cannot be sure of a place. Our second choice says they only take kids who have them as First choice!

Dilemma. But also, can this be true? that would mean we can end up with No school.

Are we being bullied into putting them down as our first choice? Can schools actually say they only want people who have them down as a first choice? Isn't it up to the LEA to decide where we are placed?

OP posts:
parachutesarefab · 19/10/2012 10:35

Check with your LEA. It should be clear on their website, but phone if it isn't. In our area, and the surrounding LEAs, that isn't true.

Imagine Child A and Child B are both the same priority for school X (so both looked after, or both in catchment, or both have siblings at school X etc.). Child A puts school X as third choice, but doesn't get their first two choices.
Child B puts school X top of their list.
If Child A lives closer to school than Child B, Child A would get the place.

Bonsoir · 19/10/2012 10:34

If the head is lying about that, what else is he going to lie about? What kind of leadership is there at that school - corrupt and self-interested?

FoofyShmooffer · 19/10/2012 10:32

That head is spinning you some utter bollocks. They have no say in it. The LA have a system. Yes the school might have specific criteria say if it's a faith school or voluntary controlled but ultimately the divvying out of places is done by the LA.
And no, 1st choice or no place cannot be one of the criteria.

Bonsoir · 19/10/2012 10:29

Why don't you call your LEA to check what the rules and decision process really are?

Original poster
Chandon · 19/10/2012 10:27

I mean when applying for y7, you have to write down first, second choice etc, right?

The HT said, if we want DS to go to their school (local comprehensive), we can't have them down as their number 2 or 3 choice. They only want people who had them as their first choice.

Whereas I thought it went through the LEA, and they allocate a school?

(confused)

We are in the South East

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 19/10/2012 10:22

"First choice" is an American concept. When you apply to schools in New York, for example, you write a special letter to your first choice school explaining why.