Can you be in more than one admissions category?

[Whathappenedtothelego]

Friend is applying for reception place at church school. They have 15 religion based places and 15 community places.
Religion based places are ranked according to how often you go to church, so friend is in second lowest faith category - attends once a month or less.

She has sent in form signed by church to certify attendance.

Community places are just on distance, friend lives v near the school.

Now she is panicking that she shouldn't have applied for faith place, as she'd probably be higher ranked for a community place. Website is not clear whether they would consider her for both faith and community place.

I said surely they would do it as two separate slots and just work out which one she is highest ranking for, but they do rank it all alphabetically and community places is later in alphabet than faith places, so she is worried you just get sorted into the highest category you fit into, rather than effectively getting two chances.

Does anyone know how this works and can reassure?
Not sure what she can do if it is bad news - can she change her application?

And sorry if above makes no sense at all! We are just as confused by it.

Admissions criteria set by schools usually specify how exactly they work and where preference is given. Usually they will pick out the 15 faith places and then everyone goes back in the mix for the next sort which would then be distance if that’s the criteria

Thanks Ciwirocks, that is reassuring if usually everyone goes back in the mix.
That's what I thought must happen, but we couldn't find it written.

If the exact procedure is not specified in the admission criteria, which you should be able to find on the school website, then that may become part of any appeal application. The school must specify in the circumstances that you describe exactly how the process will work.

Yes, it should say exactly what the process for selection is, including what happens in the event of a tie-breaker for any category (which is usually given as 'distance').

In general, an applicant would be considered against each category in the criteria and if they don't get a place they move down until they exhaust the criteria. So 'no faith based place, not a sibling, in catchment, X distance from the school.'