applying to council to put my DS name on a waiting list primary reception

[Hotpotatofood]

we have been offered the 3rd choice, so I have accepted the place. but now wanted to put the name on a waiting list - and the council said to give the list with order preference to them. i understand that the school I have got will be in the last position, so other preferences will be 1. out of borough school 2. local catholic school 3. a bit distant catholic school 4. local CE school. so what will happen now? is this the same as first round allocations ? most realistically I can get the place at no 4 - local CE school. am risking it by putting it in 4th place? would I stand better chance to get this choice if I put it in first place? would really apprecite replies as need to give the form tomorrow. thank you all for your advice over the last few days!

They put late applicants at the back of the waiting list after all the on time applicants.

What is the reason for that?

You imply (when you talk about a 'clever form of words') that there's an agenda beyond simple administrative incompetence.

No incompetence involved. It is quite deliberate. This particular LA believe that parents who apply late should be at the back of the waiting list whatever the Admissions Code says. Their clever form of words is designed to convince the Schools Adjudicator they are complying with the Code when they clearly are not. If it is brought up in an admission appeal they will try to argue that they are not using the date the application was received to give priority on the basis that they are not putting the waiting list in date order, just putting the late applicants to the back of the queue.