Advice please on completing forms

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I have to choose four primary schools and put them in preferential order on the council form. I do have a genuine preference but my question is this - do the schools know in what order I've put them?

For example, my first choice school is very over subscribed and we really have little chance of getting in. Would it completely ruin our chances if I put them as second choice. And would it increase the chance of getting into our second choice school if I out them as first choice on the form? Or does it really matter?

schools will not know - the council does the applications fomrs, so if you have a second choice school or third choice and end up getting a place, you can accept the place at 2nd or 3rd and still remain on waiting list for the first.

this is the case for Richmond Borough and i"M Pretty sure the rest of England as well (am sure I'll be corrected here if not!)

it's such a stress isn't it
we have just handed in dd1's form and only put 2 schools down, there just wasn't a 3rd that we'd consider, and really don't want the 2nd either......

Agree - the schools don't see the forms at all now.

That's a huge relief. I've been agonising over the order. Sooo stressful and especially since I didn't think I would have to deal with it until next year but Lewisham have just changed their policy. Lucky me! I've been rushing around trying to visit schools with a 3 year old and a 3 week old in tow. At least the order is one less thing to worry about.

Don't know if your system is the same as the ones I'm used to (Brighton&Hove and East Sussex), but around here you have to be very careful how you play it. If you don't get into your first preference school you don't automoatically get your next preference. If other people have put that school as their first preference then the LEA will allocate as many places as possible to people who have put it first, and so on down the line. So, if others have put your third/fourth preferences first they will obviously get preference - does that make sense? Generally if you put an oversubscribed school first and you don't have any real chance of getting in (special needs, sibling preference, distance from school etc.) you risk ending up with a school not on your list - remember the LEA does not, legally, have to give you a preferred school, their obligation is to offer a school place. Look carefully at the admissions booklet and see what it says. Basically if you think you have a good chance of getting into your second choice school but no chance of your first choice put your second choice first and you should get it. It's a totally b**y nightmare, but I've learnt to play the system over the years! Good luck.

Am I the only person who's only put down one school??

snowydelight, that's just what I was afraid of. Our chances of getting into my first choice school are about one in a million since they only take six 'open' places each year. I suppose we might be one of the lucky ones but they're really oversubscribed. Will have to think about it a bit more. Thanks for your input.