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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Should I only choose 3 schools?

34 replies

LloydColeandtheCoconuts · 10/01/2018 10:37

My DS is due to start Reception in September, I’m filling out the form and I’m about to press the submit button. Where we live there are 4 schools close by. 3 I really like and 1 I don’t. Would it be presumptuous of me to select the 3 schools, despite having a choice of 6? What have been your experiences?
More of a WWYD than AIBU.
Thanks

OP posts:

MirandaWest · 10/01/2018 10:40

How likely are you to get a place at one of the 3 schools you like. Not naming the 4th one doesn't mean you won't get allocated a place there, if other schools are oversubscribed and that one isn't.

I haven't used all my choices before, but was very sure my dc would get a place at my preferred choice

BarbarianMum · 10/01/2018 10:42

Only selecting 3 will make no difference to your likelyhood of getting any of them (neither will putting the same school multiple times or anything "clever" like that). Whether it is wirth you putting more than 3 schools down depends on the likelyhood of your child getting into any of them. So I suggest you do a bit of research into that.

ElenaBothari · 10/01/2018 10:43

Always best to use up your six choices, otherwise you could get somewhere really bad and far away if you don’t get one of the three you like.

Randomlywondering · 10/01/2018 10:43

We get to choose 3 but the one I want is a religious school and always undersubscribed so I've only chosen that. I hope it wasn't a mistake!

Snowysky20009 · 10/01/2018 10:44

It depends on how many applications they get per year and how many places they have. You need to look at your realistic chance of getting in. If they are very popular schools and you are on the edge of catchment, you could end up at a school you didn't choose, and was your last preference.

I would suggest you use all available choices, obviously listed best- worst, 1-6. No point in chancing it.

MiniCooperLover · 10/01/2018 10:45

Always use up all the space on the form. Leaving one blank leaves them the opportunity to say your first three were full so we had to choose for you and you leave yourself open to being sent anywhere.

Battleax · 10/01/2018 10:46

Always use them all.

It's better than they possible alternative.

BarbarianMum · 10/01/2018 10:47

That depends on where you live Randomly Generally, unless you are OK with your child getting sent to a sink school on the other side of town it's best to have your catchment school and another back up somewhere on the list.

Original poster

LloydColeandtheCoconuts · 10/01/2018 10:47

Ok, that’s really helpful. I’ll aim to fill up all the places.
Thanks

OP posts:

HolyShet · 10/01/2018 10:48

Read the criteria of the schools

Always put as a preference at least one you are more or less guaranteed a place at. Even if its in last place after your preferences.

Otherwise you will be allocated a place after everyone else's other preferences have been taken into account. You could end up with a place in an undersubscribed school miles away otherwise.

Randomly if you have chance to add preferences online before the closing date I would strongly advise you to, unless (or even if) you are number 1 in the criteria for the school of your choice.

MiniCooperLover · 10/01/2018 10:52

Randomly, please fill in your form fully if you can. You are leaving yourself open to being sent absolutely anywhere within your town if you don’t. Being undersubscribed last year means nothing if a load of siblings suddenly rock up and then suddenly you’re looking at over subscribed.

FrenchJunebug · 10/01/2018 10:58

I've only put 3 schools in my application, the ones I would be happy my son to be in. Don't put schools just to fill in the space if you wouldn't want you child to be in one of them.

TalkinBoutWhat · 10/01/2018 11:00

We only filled in 3 out of 6 for DS's secondary school application. But, TBH we're virtually guaranteed a place at our first choice, so even putting the second and third choices was redundant, but it felt safer adding them.

BarbarianMum · 10/01/2018 11:01

So what do you think will happen if you don't get into one of those 3 schools June? Even with schools you don't want there tends to be a hierarchy- don't want, really, really don't want, not only don't want but would take hours to get to, that sort of thing.

Sarahh2014 · 10/01/2018 11:03

I only selected one as it's the only school I want ds to go to.Its not the most popular primary in our village though so hopefully I'll be ok although I'm totally aware that it's not guaranteed

MiniCooperLover · 10/01/2018 11:07

Secondary v Primary is very different. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to have back ups in case you don’t get the school you want them to go to. There are so many families at our school who didn’t fill in the forms fully because they knew what they wanted but didn’t get them. It’s the most important decision so far for your child’s education. Why would you not fill in the form fully/properly?

TalkinBoutWhat · 10/01/2018 11:15

Sarahh, that was a very foolish move. You can be placed at a school that you really, really, really don't want, rather than just one that you would prefer not to go to. A BIG difference.

I didn't bother filling in spaces 4, 5 and 6 because there are actually no other schools that my DS COULD go to, as they don't meet the criteria.

Getting into first choice is virtually guaranteed, (we come in under criteria 3, the cut off is usually about 2/3 of the way through criteria 4) it is also the BIGGEST school in the area, with a massive intake, second choice is also virtually guaranteed as they are expanding by 1 extra class this year - and didn't fill all their spaces last year.

meditrina · 10/01/2018 11:28

I'm glad to see you're rethinking how you could use all the choices on your form.

It's really important to think about 'what happens if we don't qualify for the 3 schools we're genuinely happy with?'

Now, if your 3 schools include ones which you stand a reasonable chance of getting in to (check the criteria, and what is the greatest distance offered for your category in the last few years? Have there been any demographic changes or changes to the popularity of the schools of late that might affect the distance offered?) the. Fingers crossed, it won't matter what you put there.

But if you don't (maybe your first two were a bit iffy for distance and the younger siblings of a bulge class 2-3 years ago mean the distance for your 'safe' choice plummet) where would you prefer? Even though you don't much like the 4th school, would you prefer it to a school further away? If so, list it - because if you don't, and it's places all go to those who did put it on the form, then you won't get that either. Meaning you'll be allocated the nearest school with a vacancy.

But if you hate school 4 so much that you really don't want it under any circumstances at all, don't list it, but do list some more schools where you might get a place (historically undersubscribed, but in the right direction for school-run logistics). So at least you stand a chance of being allocated something that you dislike least.

HolyShet · 10/01/2018 11:34

If you still have chance folks, fill in your choices.

Sarahh - put a back up option in. Somewhere you are guaranteed a place. Chances are you are ok but if the spaces fill up on siblings, SEN, Looked after children, it is possible to miss out simply on distance.....

You could end up anywhere in your Borough if you do not state preferences.

Original poster

LloydColeandtheCoconuts · 10/01/2018 11:46

meditrina
Yes, I have definitely decided to rethink my options. I don’t hate the 4th school at all, I just didn’t love it like the first three. It’s really close so I’d rather he was placed there then somewhere further. That hadn’t occurred to me so I appreciate those comments that put me straight.
Right am off to edit my form now.
Thanks again All

OP posts:

Efferlunt · 10/01/2018 12:07

So many people seem to think that if they only put down the schools they want this will increase the chances of getting in. That’s not true at all. If you don’t get one of these it’s surely better to have a choice from the others

Glumglowworm · 10/01/2018 12:32

Fill all your choices. Even if you think you’re practically guaranteed a spot at your first choice.

A school you don’t like five minutes from home is infinitely better to a school you don’t like that’s an hour away.

If there was a bulge class a couple of years ago, there will be more siblings than normal now. If there’s new housing been built distance may decrease. If local ofsted ratings or results have changed not just at your school but other local schools there may be lots more applicants. Never assume. Or assume but have a backup plan anyway.

If you are prepared to home educate if you don’t get your chosen school then that’s fine, don’t fill in any schools that you wouldn’t chose above HE. But if you can’t commit to HEing until a place becomes available, which could be years away depending on your local area and priority on the waiting list, then use all your choices.

FrenchJunebug · 10/01/2018 14:37

if I had put a school I really didn't want my son to go to I might have got it, whilst if I didn't get any of the three schools I've put I would have taken what I was given. But I wasn't going to put schools i really didn't like just to fill in the list as I would have been hard pushed to say no to them if they were on the list. Luckily I got my second choice.

HolyShet · 10/01/2018 14:43

Totally Effer....it's like they don;t read the info the LEA sends at all

As I understand it all the preferences go into a computer program that sorts and allocates against criteria. So more preferences = more chances of getting something you want. It's not like there is a nice lady there going "oh look they've only put one school, we must make sure they get it....."

Sirzy · 10/01/2018 14:46

I know someone who put the same school in each box to “guarantee” a place - backfired when they got a place in a School they really didn’t want.

I think sometimes people forget that what is on the form is only a preference not an order

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