Anyone working in private school admissions - siblings question (title edited by MNHQ @ request of OP)

[wobblychristmastree]

For senior/high school. we’re in a state grammar area. It is very very competitive and the schools super academic. There is also a bit less academic but still competitive private school.
dc1 is in grammar
dc2 - will apply to both, 1st choice grammar, private is the back up.
dc3 - private is the first choice, no back up decided on yet.

for the private - for dc1 we registered interest but didn’t apply. we’re going to register and will be applying for the other 2.

My question is will it go against our application, especially for dc3 if we apply and end up turning down the place for dc2.

dc2 is more academic and dc3 will have a harder job getting in there so I’m nervous.

there have been quite a few families where the eldest dc has got in and then the younger sibling turned down.

Any thoughts on how to manage the application process and comms with the school appreciated :)
many thanks

Sorry typo in the title!! It’s supposed to say - anyone working in admissions please help!

Probably depends on how popular the private school is, a lot of private schools are struggling right now and wouldn’t be quick to turn away students.

Really depends - which school is it?

i won’t say the name. It’s a medium sized private day school. Midlands based. it has become more popular in recent years. Around 2 applicants for each place. Popularity seems to be increasing not decreasing despite the VAT issue

I think it will depend on a number of factors. All things being equal, two candidates with equal scores, if one came from a family with elder siblings as students, then I would expect they would get offered the place. However, things are hard for a number of fee-paying schools, so I don’t necessarily think it would be a deal breaker if you turn down a place for DC 2, especially if the non-refundable registration fee / deposit is considerable.

I’d expect siblings of current pupils to have priority, but that they wouldn’t care if you’ve registered but not taken forwards the other two.

In a grammar area they will know they’re most people’s backup option.

Thank you @LadyLapsangand @Slothey that’s reassuring.
I don’t think they give any sibling priority anyway. I think they just select who they want from their applicants

Not sure private schools are turning away pupils at the moment!

Possibly when looking at making offers they might consider you less likely to accept as you have gone down the grammar school route for a sibling.
It doesn’t hurt to have these conversations with the Admissions Team. In our school the Admissions manager knows quite a bit about the applicants.

This one is…

Can I say « you are back up school for dd2 » and « first choice school for dd3 »?

then I need to come up with a better reason why than because she’s not academic enough for the grammar

Main question is how to sell DD3 to admissions then

I think it’s fine to say that you are considering the best fit for each individual child but that dd3 is particularly keen to attend.
If it’s an academic selective school the first consideration will be their results in the entrance exam - everything else is secondary to that.

Thank you that’s really good to know

the private school will seek to take the best applicants they can, full stop, they have no business/time of not offering a place because sometime in the past a family member has not accepted an offer.

Obviously if DC2 goes to that school, is a lovely pupils and fees are paid on time, then these things will obviously play in favour of DC3