Help help Which one?sick with worry about decision For triplets

[motherofluvlies]

Got to unmake a decision for triplets
2 faith schools(thats imperative for us) both oversubscribed

Which do we put as preferred as we might end up with none

Out of catchment
We attend church there so teachers part of our community
More traditional
More caring?
Concerns for boys?no male influence
Ofsted not as good but fab head improving things
Have to drive but easier access when driving
No indication for places

In catchment
Can walk which is important for boys
Adequate faith but not as trad teachers not practising
Outstanding Ofsted
Older children attended here so have history (which is not necessarily good)
Male teacher&inflences
Loads of space as new premises so good for boys and special needs(1 of boys hearing impaired)

The problem is if we put the first school as preferred and don't get in we have also probably lost place in the other school too as they don't need to look at families who placed them second.....omg this is dong my head in....

3 places as well
Help

It doesn't matter whether you put them in first or second as your preference, you have the same chance of getting in.

How does that work?otherwise why would you have a preference?sorry to be so dim but it's a long time ago since my older children went to school and things have changed so much.

you list all 3 choices in priority order i.e. first choice, second, third etc

All 3 schools receive a copy of your application form and rank them all according to their criteria (they get all the forms on which they are listed and they do not know whether you listed it as first or 3rd choice.

The ranked list goes to the lea which issue offers depending on which schools have places for you

e.g. if your 1st choice is full and both the 2nd and 3rd school can take you, then you get the 2nd school offer as this is highest in your list. If all 3 can offer you a place then you get the 1st choice. So your list is important in deciding which order you receive offers.

Therefore you can get a place in your 3rd choice school above someone who put it as 1st choice if you rank higher on the schools admission criteria.

does this make sense?!

if the out of catchment school is oversubscribed, i would check their admissions criteria as many faith schools do not prioritise siblings.

The process that is used now is called equal preference. In effect for each school that you put down as a preference you are placed in the admission criteria order without the level of preference being known. Then the LA computer system is used to look at each of your preference schools. if you can be offered a place at your first preference, based on the admission criteria order, then you will be. If they cannot then the computer system goes to the second preference and sees where you are on the admission criteria order here etc. So you will receive an offer based on the highest preference that can offer you a place.
The problem you have is that you need three places and sods law says that your preference school will be able to offer some places but not all three places but you have no alternative but to see what happens.
I would go for the school you prefer as first preference and the catchment school as second preference. I would also put down the local community catchment school as a third preference against the chance you will not be able to be offered either of your faith school preferences. Otherwise you take the risk that the only school that can offer three places will be miles away and not a good school.