Help, I have to apply for a primary school by midnight tonight !!!

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, I've just done my daughters on line application for a primary school place for next year, I can change it up untill midnight.
I just wondered wether I should put my favourite school as first choice or our local school.
My favourite school is very over subscribed but is a fantastic school only just out of catchment.
If I don't get that school, will it reduce my chances of getting her in to our local primary, as it'll be seen as second choice.
Our local one is also oversubscribed.
What should I do ?

I don't know.

I live in Surrey our LEA operates and equal preference system. This means that all the choices you list are treated equally by the schools according to the criteria the publish ie local authority care, siblings, distance from school.

This has been brought in to stop schools saying "you didn't put us as first choice therefore you go to the bottom of the pile"

Which lea are you in? Isn't it clear from the lea instructiosn as to how they do the allocations?

put your fave first. unless you have checked the enrolment requirements and you do not qualify.

go with your instincts on which you like best

I just wondered wether my second choice school would put all the people first that put it as a first choice.

They say it's in order of catchment area, siblings etc.

all choices are considered equally - order of preference only comes into it if you could get a place at both
the LEA allocates the places, not the schools

we have jsut done ours, but have until midnight monday to make changes, guaranteeing a weekend of angst and handwringing.

As I said you need to check what the LEA says whether it uses AN EQUAL PREFERENCE system, most LEAs do.