Please please please can someone answer a question on primary admissions for me?

[pocketfullofposies]

We have chosen our three preferred schools for next year. We are not in the catchment for any of them, although they are all less than one mile away and I know of quite a few other parents from my area with DC at those schools.

Those schools are all oversubscribed, as is our catchment school.

My question is this - if we don't get offered any of our three preferred schools will we then be offered our catchment school? Would we take priority over someone who does not live in the catchment area but has listed that school as a preferred school? Or would they take priority?

I don't know whether to list out catchment school as our third option to try to minimise the possibility of being offered none of our preferred schools and then given a place at an out of catchment school.

Sorry, waffly but actually quite simple question! I would really appreciate advice, thanks.

You have to put your catchment school or risk the chance of being given one miles away i believe. I'm applying for secondary at the moment and we have been told that none of the schools know the others that you have listed or in what order they are listed, it is just done on your preference and distance and who else has applied, moving down your list. Hope that makes sense and good luck, it's a nightmare. We live less than 1 mile from our preferred secondary and there were 1000 applicants for 200 places last year meaning our neighbours didn't get in so I'm rather worried to say the least

If you don't list your catchment school then someone who has listed it yet lives further away would take priority.

If you are not allocated a place at one of your preferred schools ( and the chances are you might not as you are out of catchment for all three) then my understanding is you would be placed at the nearest school with a vacancy AFTER everyone has been allocated a place based on preferences. So someone out of catchment for YOUR catchment school would be above you in allocation order if they had expressed it as one of their preferences ( if that makes sense!) I would list your catchement school as your third preference just in case!

Brilliant, that's just what I wanted to know. Thanks so much both.

So basically, I need to choose two of the three favourites, place them first and second then place our catchment school third.

Preferences would be met first and foremost. If your catchment school is oversubscribed then places would be offered to those who have put it as a preference, in line with the published admissions criteria. If you haven't put it as a preference then you wouldn't be considered until after those who have put it as a preference. Therefore, if the school is oversubscribed with preferences you wouldn't be considered.

Can you only put three schools on the application form?

Assuming so, your application will only be ranked for the schools to which you have applied. If you don't make the cut on any of those, you will be placed at the nearest school that has a vacancy. So if your local school that you haven't applied has more applications than places, you won't get a place there.

Always always put a school on your form that you are likely to get into, even if you put it last. Better a local school that isn't great than a distant school you know nothing about, IMO.

The posts are correct, it would be sensible to put the catchment school as your third preference and your backstop against not getting a place at one of your first two preferences. Not getting any preference would mean that you are allocated a school place where there are places after all other initial preferences have been dealt with.

And to be honest, if a school still has vacancies after all preferences have been allocated, there may well be reasons why you should avoid it!!

I agree with other posters. Anyone who lists your catchment school as a preference takes priority. If you don't list your catchment school as a preference you will be behind out of catchment applicants who do list it as a preference. If you don't get any of your preferred schools you are likely to be given a place at an unpopular school which could be miles away.

I would strongly recommend putting your catchment school as your third preference.