Your first choice primary school should be one you are most likely to get?

[coffeeforone]

AIBU that this is an incorrect statement? If you put your closest, most likely school as last option you still have as much chance as someone who put it first and it will come down to distance when they are allocating?

Thinking of putting 3 unlikely, better options (in order of my preference) then my very likely safe offer as 4th (final) place. Is this not sensible?

It's always worth looking at the admissions criteria and information your local council, or the school if handles it's own admissions, give. If it's still not clear check with them directly.

There are variations in different areas though in my experince many other parents haven't checked this information and are going on what they've heard or what a relative in another location said.

I've also had heads give out the wrong information - that you have to put their school first to get a place but actually when checking the admissions information it hasn't worked like that in the areas we were in.

@YouthGoneMild

Either you misunderstood or the person at the LA misinformed you.

If you live right next to a school and put it last you'll still qualify for a place over and above someone who (has no siblings not LAC etc) names it first but lives 25 miles away.
But you'll only be offered that place if you don't qualify for any places at schools you preferred.

By law they have to follow equal preference. They are not allowed to prioritise people who name them first.

I don't know any areas of the UK that don't offer an equal preference system.
I've sat ranking school applications loads of times.
Schools rank on their admissions criteria, they have no idea whether you've put them first or sixth.
The only advice you ever need to hear is:
Put the schools in your genuine order of preference. Ensure you include at least one school that you are sure of being offered (because of distance, sibling, faith etc criteria). If you don't include any schools you can be offered you will be offered your nearest school with spaces at the end of the process.

Not exactly, they look at first preference schools first so if lots of people list it first the places may already be filled by the time they reach third preferences. That said put down your preferred school but do make sure that you have a chance, no point in listing a school which typically has a tiny catchment and you are 2 miles away. Having been through the whole school system and done mid year moves I wouldn't worry too much, kids with parents who care do well!

stuck NO THEY DON'T.

If you qualify according to admission criteria above someone else, you would qualify for that place ahead of someone else, even if they put it 1st and you put it 6th. The only way they would get the place and not you is if you were offered one of your higher preference schools.

Stucknoue that is not correct. Youthgonemild, I can believe that that’s what the person in the school admissions office told you - it’s a widely held misconception even amongst people who should know better, but it’s bollocks.

I don't know any areas of the UK that don't offer an equal preference system.

I've not lived in any area with it either - but I can't say it definitely doesn’t exist somewhere.

If the council website or documentation isn't clear on how the system works in OP area a quick e-mail to the team should clear it up for the OP in definite way so she can then have complete assurance other parents are talking rubbish - which IME is probably what's happening here.

I have also heard Heads spout the “you need to put us in first place if you want to get a place here” line and reported them to the LA for misrepresenting the process. The LA brushed it under the carpet.

The only reason they say this is it looks better for their stats when they report how oversubscribed it was to next year’s parents and to stoke parental fears that they might not get a place. Never hurts to get gossip out in the local community that your school is massively popular, even if it isn’t 😔

I have also heard Heads spout the “you need to put us in first place if you want to get a place here” line

Charitably though, if you want that school in preference to any other then you should put it first, otherwise you might be offered the school you have put first, even if you want it less. (Though I agree they are being disingenuous.)

Tri but I can't say it definitely doesn’t exist somewhere.
In England and Wales it would be illegal not to do equal preference.

I’m no expert and very open to the fact that I could be wrong.

I can only repeat what I was told by an admissions officer at the local council. I called as I’d heard the 2 versions too and found it very confusing.

Is there a .gov link that explains it anywhere? I couldn’t find one 3 years ago. I think the lack of clarity adds to the confusion.

I have also heard Heads spout the “you need to put us in first place if you want to get a place here”
CasparBloomberg a local head did the same thing the year we applied for our youngest, so a lot of naive parents put his school first. Cue lots of upset parents when their children didn’t get a place. A lot then came to my children’s school (around a mile away, and second on their lists). Our school has better SATS results, OFSTED, higher % of children going to grammar schools, etc, but lower on the yummy mummy factor. Where we are, there’s always a crowd of sheeple going for the current ‘trendy’ school. When the reality is that ALL the schools in our area (very middle class) are very good. Our kids are in year 3 now and some of the parents are still grumbling about it.

Youth Try here? www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2

Youth See Section 1.9 point c)

It is for admission authorities to formulate their admission arrangements, but they must not:
a) ...
b) ...
c) give extra priority to children whose parents rank preferred schools

… sorry lost the end of that ...

c) give extra priority to children whose parents rank preferred schools
in a particular order, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements;

Teen, that’s very generous of you to think of their motives so charitably 😉
Unfortunately no, they were definitely trying to imply that they prioritised the first choices and that you couldn’t put their actually not full school in 3rd place and be offered a place, even if you were the only people meeting criteria 1 on their admissions policy. Interesting how so few of the schools don’t actually have “position you choose us in your school application” on the admission policy rankings .... 🤦‍♀️

Lol cross post - the reason that’s not on their admission policy given by Teen

In England and Wales it would be illegal not to do equal preference.

I don't doubt it and I hope everyone would follow the law and I assume with something so basic everyone would be though I am aware law isn't always followed with more obscure admission things.

Maybe I've been lucky but the councils I've applied under have always provided very clear explanations with their booklets and their webpages on how the admission process works – so while I’ve encountered a lot of misinformation, I’ve always clearly understood the process in the area we were in.

If OP council hasn’t done that then parents like her getting in touch with the council to check the situation may well help them provide clear information in the future and signpost parents to it.

It's such an important form to fill in, I would specifically call admissions for your borough to double check that is exactly how it works in your area.

Peace of mind as school admission processes can differ.

@BrieAndChilli thank you for that example, best way I’ve ever seen it explained!

@TeenPlusTwenties thank you. Thats excellent

I will amend the advice I’ve incorrectly been giving for 3 years.

Although I’m now pretty cross as I would’ve listed my preferences differently if the bloody admissions officer had told me the right answer!

It's a preference not a choice.

Were in County Durham and everyone gets their first choice every time

I work in a pan London admissions team. Schools are filled on whether or not the child meets the criteria that would give them a place. I will apply for a school that I chancing my arm on getting in. I I get in on distance then great, if I don’t my choices will be looked at in turn to see if I meet the criteria. I will put my nearest school last as I live 50m away so will definitely get in if I am unsuccessful in my previous choices. Someone who lives further away from my last choice will not get that place over me even if it their first choice as I am higher on criteria (distance). If I put down schools I haven’t got a hope of getting into I will be allocated to a rubbish school that has places and could be miles away.

Maybe my experience only relates to oversubscribed London schools but definitely the circumstance that I know

Lemon Not for state schools.

In London as in the rest of England and Wales if you are in a higher category and put a school last you would still qualify for a school above someone in a lower category (or further on distance if that is the tie breaker) even if they put it first.