A quick question about secondary school application forms

[otto]

Do you need to put schools in order of preference on the main application form?

yes

Thanks. This is for my stepdaughter and her form has been filled in order, but a friend just told me that it doesn't matter and that the schools don't know which order you have put them in.

The schools don't know which order you put them in. She will be offered a place at the highest ranked school on her list with an available place.

In most cases the schools don't know which order you have put them in, unless it's a religious or other school which specifies in its admissions criteria that they must be first preference.

BUT the LEA co-ordinated system works by passing on to you ONE offer from the highest ranked school that was able to offer you a place. All lower offers are disregarded and shuffled around to be offered to someone else. So if you put your favourite school third, and the school you'd put second was able to offer you a place, you would never get the offer from your third choice.

Does that make sense?

Yes it does. I'm sure it explains all this on the application form, I just thought I should check as dp and bm are filling out the individual forms now and I didn't want them to be fretting over the order if it didn't really matter.

Otto, you still moving near the Inferiority Complex?

Yes MI, we moved in July. The house is a hovel and needs a complete overhaul, but dp assures me it has lots of potential. Can you recommend a good dentist in the area? There is one up on Perry Vale, but it looks a bit dodgy.

Email me! Will chat to you re schools and dentists and suchlike. Ours is a lovely dentist. If I can find the number. And DD1's school is delightful too.

I will. I'm just leaving work and on a course tomorrow, but will cat on Wednesday. Thanks