First choice for primary school - chances

[mango0101]

wondering if anyone actually has the facts on this. I feel like I can’t research anymore!

basically - our “catchment” school - we have put as second choice. For our first choice we have put a school close by but we are JUST out of catchment.

I am desperate for first choice but it’s definitely
popular! I am wondering if I would get priority as I put it as first choice against those in the catchment but put it as their second?

hope this makes sense and someone has the answer! Thanks so much

Putting it first doesn't give you priority. It just means if you qualify for first and second choice, they will offer you first choice.

Sorry to be unhelpful but the rules/situation differs by area so not sure anyone is going to be able to answer your question.

Where I live, schools are allocated based on a list of criteria e.g. children with an EHCP first, then children who already have a sibling at the school, then children in catchment based on distance etc. Putting a school as first choice doesn’t feature in the list of criteria.

In many areas, primary schools are now undersubscribed due to falling birth rates. This is certainly the case in my town, and means you can get a place at pretty much any school. That may not be the case in your area though.

Hi - you putting a particular school first choice will not give you priority over someone in catchment who put it second. (Unless they get their first choice, then it frees up a spot for you.). Each school has its own list of the order in which they prioritise the intake if they are oversubscribed- including catchment area, siblings, children in care etc.
Sometimes parents think they can sway the discussion by only putting one school, for example, but it makes no difference.

No sorry @mango0101 to answer this question I am wondering if I would get priority as I put it as first choice against those in the catchment but put it as their second? no that's not how it works. And a good thing too tbh or people would try and game the system which you cannot do.

Unless there is some extra qualification for a place – which is the factor that can vary, and might include a child being a LAC, having a sibling there or the school being named on an EHCP – then based solely on distance/catchment (which is the way many places are decided) the person who is nearer will have priority over you.

That's unless as @Thingsthatgo says, the person closer to the school got a place at their first preference (not choice – you don’t get to choose) – they would obviously then not need their catchment second pref. The same as if you got your first preference and would then free up (as it were) a space in your catchment school that you listed second.

You may well get offered your first pref – but if not then you have your catchment school as a safe banker on your list which was very sensible.

The Schools Admissions Code and the ‘equal preference system’ are law across England and Wales.

Whilst different schools / LAs may have different priority criteria such as Looked After / siblings / faith , none are allowed to prioritise people who list them as first preference.

The Equal Preference system means that every application to the school is judged and ranked according to how they meet the published admissions policy. So an equal chance of being admitted no matter where you placed the school on your list.

Your order of preference only matters once all the applications have been processed, and you will be offered the school that can admit you that is highest up this list.

This means you can safely list your schools in the exact order that you prefer them.

And it works that way across England and Wales.

@mango0101 see my reply above!

No, you will not get priority on the grounds that you listed that school as your first choice.

Nor have you disadvantaged yourself in getting your nearest school by not putting it first, if you don’t get your favourite school.

You have done the right thing in putting your favourite school first.

Fingers crossed for you!

Wanting a school more than someone else isn't one of the admissions criteria, but equally as PP have said, wanting it less than someone else doesn't disadvantage you in any way. It's absolutely right to simply list the schools in the order that you want them - the system will do the rest. The reason for having the preference order is in the event that you qualify for more than one, you're offered the one you most want.

It’s worth a reminder that, as @clary says, you don’t choose a school, you select a preference.