Applying for primary school

[samalulu]

Hi
I'm having a mini melt down about this and would appreciate some insight. I can have up to 6 choices for DDs application - choice 1 will be our local faith school and we hope to have fulfilled the admissions criteria ... however I'm totally stuck on the other choices as we seem to live in a bit of a desert for schools - catchments are tiny as schools are so oversubscribed here. Looking back at catchments for the last couple of years it appears we're only in one school's area - a school I really do not want my child to attend. So what do I do? Apply for my first choice, then the two good schools and one mediocre one that are nearby (but according to data too far away) or apply for these and add the name of the closest community school I'm really not keen on - just in case we get allocated an even worse one further away? There's such a lack of guidance - I've no one to talk to and I feel like everyone else knows the rules to a game that I've no idea how to play!? Is it even advisable not to use all of my 6 choices?
Thanks for reading this far!

I can't help I am afraid but I could have written your post so am sympathetic. I have one faith school (good) and two community schools (require improvement) which DD should get into on distance. All th other good and outstanding schools have such microscopic catchments we have no hope. But I am going to put them down anyway because I might as well use up all the options. Seems pointless though really.

Sorry I do have one point though which is that it is better to put down schools you dont care for but could tolerate than leave blank options and risk getting somewhere awful that is also miles away or something.

where we are we only get 3 options but we are strongly advised to put our official catchment school on the application. This way you should at least get A school place even if it isn't one you want.

you don't have to put lots of choices down. I haven't for any of mine - I just put the faith school that I knew they would get into.....
But, if you want to complete the form, just put any school you want on! The criteria will go on distance anyway so it's probably not relevant whether you're in the catchment or not
(BTW - I know nothing about this obviously as I've only ever put one choice down for primary and secondary )

I'm a governor for an outstanding school with a shrinking catchment area. Except last year it leapt out by 200m. We have no idea why. But blips like that DO happen so it is worth doing what has been advised as blips go the other way too. The year before we had our smallest ever catchment area - and the fewest sibling applications we've ever had!

So to be safe fill in all spaces. Faith school you want and are fairly sure you will get. The 4 schools you like. Then the school you know for sure you'd get but don't really want (but is better than random school miles away).

Thanks so much to all, some really helpful advice. My worry is, if we put down the closest not great community school as a choice and end up getting allocated there, as we missed out on the faith school and the others only accept those who live in the playground..... wont it make it harder to appeal? Or do you appeal for the one you want but didn't get into rather than the one you did get into that you don't want - if that makes sense?!! Also, how do the waiting lists work? Do you get higher up the list if you get your application in early? How do they choose the order? None of this stuff is in the bloomin booklet!
Thanks again and sorry if I'm making your heads hurt!

No it won't make it harder to appeal. You don't appeal against the school you have been offered. You appeal for the school you want.

The waiting list is ordered using only the admission criteria - the same ones used to decide who gets offers in the first place. You don't get higher up the list by applying early.

Thanks so much for some really helpful and practical advice. I feel a bit more in control of things now and will act on what you've all said. Cheers all.