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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

which school do i put first on the form?

22 replies

Beesmummy · 12/01/2011 15:31

sorry, i posted this by mistake in the Parenting forum, meant to be here;

Hi, I have to register DD1 for a school starting in September (scary since she is still only three...!) and am confused because we are moving between now and then. I have to register by Friday!

I have asked the council a bit about this, but they were clearly busy and a bit abrupt with me - also I didn't want to jeopardise which school she gets into ... so, can anyone help?

We have had offer accepted on house in village which has tiny (I mean TINY - just two classes 4 - 11) school in it. Obviously it would be great to go to this school and be able to walk, but I am a bit worried that it is so small, she won't have many friends (there will be four others her age), although it's Ofsted report was Good.

The other school is twenty minutes away and out of our designated area and is unbelievably popular because it is so good. So we probably wouldn't get in anyway, but it might be worth a try.

We can put down three schools on the form, in order of preference. Do I put down the other school as our first choice and then the village school as second choice? I am pretty sure we would get into the village school no matter what, because we would be living practically on top of it and it isn't oversubscribed.

Any help from people in the know very VERY gratefully received!!

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GrungeBlobPrimpants · 12/01/2011 15:38

Without knowing your specific area/schools, the general rule is put the one you really, really want first (even if it's a long shot) as that usually gives you the right to appeal/go on continuing waiting list. But you must always put your nearest soemwhere in the list, as otherwise you could potentially be without one of your 3 choices. (Though of course there's never a guarantee that you'll get in your nearest either)

Clear as mud?

PixieOnaLeaf · 12/01/2011 15:43

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster

Beesmummy · 12/01/2011 16:44

Thanks... Will the village school know that they weren't my first choice?! I want to get off on the right foot with them if we do end up there!

OP posts:

mrsscoob · 12/01/2011 16:48

No Beesmummy they won't know :)

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 12/01/2011 16:48

No, they won't know - the LA control admissions rather than schools - the schools only see who is allocated/on waiting list, not whether they were put first or last

Original poster

Beesmummy · 12/01/2011 16:52

Hurrah, question answered totally, thanks so much!

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 12/01/2011 16:54

Sorry to hijack with another question...

If you got accepted to your first choice and your circumstances changed and actually your second choice would be preferential, can you decline the first offer? Assuming space at both schools?

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 12/01/2011 17:01

ShowofHands - in our LA if you declined first offer you'd be placed at bottom of waiting list, because your second choice would have probably been allocated elsewhere. Unless there is space and nobody else in waiting list for it, of course. It's why you have to really be sure about your order preference.

prh47bridge · 12/01/2011 17:41

Beesmummy - I would agree with the advice you've already been given. However, you need to be careful about your planned move. If you move between now and the allocation letters being issued the LA will probably treat you as a late application. If the village school is not oversubscribed that won't affect your chances of getting in there, but it will pretty much wipe out your chances of getting in to the popular school. No harm in trying, of course.

ShowOfHands - If you are offered a place at your first choice school and turn it down you will not automatically get a place at your second choice. You would have to go onto the waiting list. The waiting list is ordered using the admission criteria, so your position on the list would be determined by that. You wouldn't be pushed to the back of the list just because you've turned down your first choice place.

If you find yourself in this situation your best approach is to accept the place you've been offered and ask to go on the waiting list for your second choice school. You are entitled to go on as many waiting lists as you want at any time, regardless of whether or not you have already accepted a place.

ShowOfHands · 12/01/2011 17:46

Sorry, I wasn't clear. None of the schools are over or even fully subscribed round here. So there would be space in both schools regardless.

Could you then decline the first and go to the other?

PinkOlives · 12/01/2011 20:37

sorry to hijack but close-ish on topic. is it ok to NOT put nearest school on list at all? its terrible and so is the second nearest. Third nearest is still within walking distance but would be my first choice. I have to put 6 which is very hard most schools are not very good those which are good are far and oversubscribed (within borough though). I dont mind and would love to get a place at further schools and will put to bulk up application but is there any point in putting them at the top or is it best to put the third nearest which is in fact very near, miss catchment by a fraction.
ok rambling but have till friday and ive been looking at this for a year and its not any clearer!
To summarise Best far schools first or nearest okish school first AND not putting two closest at all

PinkOlives · 12/01/2011 20:40

oh and option is on form to chose out of borough is that ok?
so sorry for naivity

prh47bridge · 12/01/2011 21:06

ShowOfHands - If they offer you your first choice but there is also space in the second you are entitled to decline the first choice and ask to go to the second choice instead. If there is a place available they must give it to you.

PinkOlives - Always put the schools in your order of choice. If you want your child to go to a school that is a long way away put it as first choice. Doing so will not affect your chances of getting a place at the local schools. You will be offered a place at the highest choice school that has a place available. So if you put the nearest ok-ish school first and get a place at that you won't be offered a place at the best schools even if one was available.

You should always include at least one school which you consider acceptable and where you have a really good chance of getting in. That should be your last choice. That way, if all else fails you should get in to that school rather than ending up at an unpopular school which may be miles away.

PinkOlives · 12/01/2011 22:04

the problem here is that the half decent schools are all over-subscribed (they are at aleast 2miles). Being the only good ones means that parents from all over the borough that are concerned move to catchment or apply there. The closest two to us catchment wise are not good at all and i feel its to my deteriment to put them anywhere on form. Just thinking should i put the third closest first (not too bad good headteacher etc) as i dont really have a hope in hell getting the far ones let alone that one!
am i even coherent!

prh47bridge youve been great help this week!

Thirstysomething · 13/01/2011 13:05

PinkOlives (and please correct me if wrong) I think what was said to me also applies to you.

Put your favourite / the best school FIRST even if it is far away/you don't have a hope in hell of getting in.

PinkOlives · 13/01/2011 21:49

really even if i dont have a hope in hell of getting in? doesnt than lessen my chance of the nearer ok-ish school if it is placed second - very nervous. we really have an oversubribed school problem here

LondonMother · 13/01/2011 22:16

No, each application is assessed separately and then the LEA looks to see what the result is of each application, and on your behalf firms up the highest ranked offer (so that's the only one you'll be told about).

Suppose you've applied for School A, which is further away and hugely oversubscribed, and School B, which is nearer and less popular.

If you put them in this order on the form:

School A
School B

and School A by some miracle has a place for you, you'd be offered that place, and the LEA would turn down your place at School B because you wouldn't need it.

But if you put them in this order:

School B
School A

and School B could offer you a place, the LEA would turn down any offer of a place from School A for you, because you'd got your first choice.

That's why you have to put your true first choice down first. You stand no chance at all of getting that if you put another school where you are more likely to get a place down as a higher-ranked choice.

Best get to grips with this now, because if you're in London when it's time to apply for secondary schools, it's even worse than primary school applications!

prh47bridge · 13/01/2011 22:20

No, it makes no difference to your chances of getting into the nearer school. You MUST put the schools in your order of choice. It really is that simple. If you want to get into the good school which is further away, put it first. It will not damage your chances of getting into the local school. You have exactly the same chance of getting into the local school regardless of whether you make it your first choice or your last choice.

However, if you put your local school as first choice it could result in you losing a place at the good school when you would otherwise have got in. If the admission process gives you places at both schools you will only be offered your highest choice, which is the local school. So by putting the local school first you would have missed out on a place at the good school.

So, even if you don't think you have a hope in hell of getting in, put the good school as your first choice.

prh47bridge · 13/01/2011 22:20

LondonMother is spot on!

PinkOlives · 13/01/2011 22:46

its really is that simple! Thank you soo much both!
londonmother thank for the example makes it very clear - also a London mother,although this is first time round for me!

mamapea · 14/01/2011 10:03

Sorry to hijack but I was wondering what to do as I really really want our local village school so I have put this as first choice. We live in the village and my son already goes to pre school in same village (not attached to school)...Question is what happens if I don't get my first choice and have listed no 2nd or third choices? Am I foolish to only put one school down? Help!!

prh47bridge · 14/01/2011 11:32

If you don't list any other choices and fail to get into your local school the LA will allocate a place at the nearest school with places available. This is likely to be an unpopular school and could be miles away.

Listing only one school will not improve your chances of getting into that school. If you think there is any possibility that you won't get into the village school you should list some other options. At least one of these should be a school which you find acceptable and where you have a very good chance of getting in, which probably means an unpopular school since I presume the village school is your nearest one.

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