primary school - 1 or 3 choices

[RoxanaB]

Hello all, I am another parent, not familiar with UK education system, trying to find the best school for my daughter for 2010. The school from my catchment area has just been inspected by Ofsted and received a lot of satisfactory grades and few good grades. I am quite desperate as the school is 10 minutes walk from our place and I really like their prospectus, activities, etc and the fact that they have an after school club.

I read your opinions about the Ofsted reports and I think I will apply for this school, as my first choice. Now, I was advised by other parents to apply only for one school instead of 2 or 3 otherwise my first choice will decline my application on grounds that I am not so keen to send my kid there.

Is this a common practice, is this true? Is wise to apply only for one school? Many thanks for you answers.

First of all you need to read the admissions criteria. I'm sure it doesn't say that. Always put down more than one school. If you don't get your first choice then the LEA will try to accommodate you at your second choice etc. By only putting one, if you don't get in there you will go to the bottom of the heap and will be allocated a place after everyone else in the borough/district. It could be miles away.

In our local area, the schools don't organise their own admissions and the LEA doesn't take any account of how many schools have been applied for.

Limiting to one choice could be risky. If you don't get it, the LEA will allocate a place at an alternative (undersubscribed) school. Has happened to people I know, muchy to their dismay. Better to put options that you might be happy enough with as 2nd and 3rd choices IMO. I didn't get my nearest or 2nd nearest (from my list) schools. But did get the 3rd choice thank goodness!

This sounds very strange advice.

In most LEA's you are allowed to apply for up to 3 (or sometimes more) and you SHOULD put 3 on your application form in case you do not get your first choice - which often happens with over-subscribed schools. Those who apply to only the one they want may not get that choice, and instead end up with a school a long distance away with a poor reputation.

Look at your LEA website for admissions criteria. That's what counts - not hearsay. Good luck

I think it's madness only putting 1 choice down. If you don't get first choice they could put your dd in a school you haven't even considered.

I'd put all 3 if I were you.

Put down three choices. All the other posters are correct in that the LEA will simply allocate you a school at the nearest available one, if you don't get a place at your first choice (and it could be miles away!). This could also be at a school that you really don't want your dd to go to!

Definitely put your maximum choices down - you will not be rejected by a school because you are also looking at others - the schools have no access to your choices which are with the LEA.

The school only becomes involved once your DC as a confirmed place there.

The only time that your other choices would be considered afaik is if you apply to a private school. Some get snooty if they think that you are only applying to them as a back-up. But in the current economic climate they are likely to be less snooty.

Absolutely DO NOT only apply for one school. In our area, and I'm sure it's the same elsewhere, you are strongly advised to use all your options. It gives you no extra advantage for the 1st choice to have put none other. If it's full, then they just give you any other school in the area that has places free - and often they're half empty for obvious reasons. At least if you put down other names, then you have some element of choice, although I have to say, choice is an illusion when it comes to school allocations!