Think I might have put the wrong school down as my first choice. Thoughts?

[Idonthaveenoughtime]

Hello,
I always find it's only after I make a decision that I realise I might not have made the best decision...decisions are not my strong point.

I've filled in my primary school application form and submitted.
I was trying to choose between a large local primary, good ofsted rating, slightly above average sats results in general, I liked the fact they have lots of green outside space and it is the school closest too us which means lots of friends for my daughter in her immediate area. The other advantage of this school is that it is linked to my child's preschool which runs an after school and holiday club, and I feel continuity is a big deal at that age. Also the nursery is significantly cheaper than a child minder.

My other choice was an infants school, so no sats results to compare, but it has a consistently outstanding ofsted report which states that children make outstanding progress and achieve well above the national average. I felt a preference for this school as it seemed cosy, focused on individual children, valued ICT and extra curricular activities, and the headteacher was a strong character, they also have their own veg patch. I was of the mind that this school would get the best out it's pupils. The draw back is there is no after school care attached to this school (unless you count the supposedly satisfactory nursery down the road with bricks and bits of wood with nails sticking out in the sandpit ) and I have no choice but to work when my child goes to school as the money situation is not good after years of being at home.

So pretty much because I had to put something down as a first choice rather than because I was sure...I put the infants school as my first. I was in so much agony over this decision that I left it until an hour before the deadline to submit.

There wasn't a huge difference between the two schools, but I did slightly prefer the infants. But maybe visiting the infants school first and the very convincing sales pitch from the headteacher biased it in my preferences?

More worryingly, reality has just struck me that I may not be able to find any kind of quality (and affordable) after school care for my daughter and as I'm not really a networker or especially sociable with other mums I'm not sure how I'd find out if it even exists. I think I may have had a good thing going with my daughters current nursery and have messed that up. I think I was being overly optimistic that we would 'find something'. But what if we don't?! For holiday care I suppose she could possibly return to her old nursery, which is next to the primary school site, but not linked to it so I don't see this as problem. But is that then going to be even more confusing, all this swapping and changing between different care settings for school/after+before school/holiday sessions? This was giving me massive worries before handing in the application, now I've done it I think I'm making my head swim!

Can you change your preferences after the deadline for applications has passed without jeopardising the chance of getting any school place?
Would you be worried about this? Advice?

It's perfectly normal to feel doubt after submitting an application like this.

If you try to change your preferences after the deadline, your application will be treated as "late" and you will only get a place allocated once all the on-time applications have been allocated - so only do it if you are confident that the school that you want to switch to first choice is likely to be undersubscribed.

I think, however, that you would probably be feeling just as uncertain if you had put the other one first. You can't keep second-guessing yourself all the time - you've made the choice that felt like the best school for your child. Stick with it. You will find a way to make it work - there are lots of childcare options and I wouldn't normally consider a school having a holiday club attatched to it to be a huge reason to choose a particular school.

Is the deadline midnight tonight? It is in our area. If you have applied on line you may be able to change choice order if you want.

Once the deadline has passed you cannot change your preferences without good reason. Simply changing your mind is not classed as a good reason. Sorry.

BUT has the deadline passed?
Check on line op. As I say- midnight tonight here if on line application.

Are you confident that both schools would be able to offer you a place? It sounds as if you have 2 v good options - maybe you will get the one you put down second anyway.

If you find that you get offered the Infants school and still prefer the bigger school, you can accept the infants as back up and ask to go on the waiting list for the other school. You'd have to ask. You should automaticlly be put on the waiting list for schools higher up your preference list, but not lower down.

we have gone back and forth over this as well, with childcare being the big issue. In the end, it was DH who saw it clearly, that the school is the most important element and childcare second. We have a long time to sort it out.