London Admissions - Do you think schools know what position you put them on your list ?

[drosophila]

I suspect they do. I know they are not meant to but I really really think they know whether you have put them no1 or not.

^^ it is a simple process - I'm a parent and I perfectly understand it - hence we only put down two options last year as we knew we did not meet the criteria for the other schools in our borough (Hackney). We made sure, however to list our preferred option first as we knew that we met the criteria (distance) for both but would be offered our highest ranking choice.
Unless, of course, we wanted to participate in the 'back door' admissions process that is also in place in at least one of the most oversubscribed schools (worst kept secret around here). And it makes my blood boil

LaydeeC, I am also in Hackney, if you are talking about Mossbourne, the Choice Advisor has said that that would no longer be possible since the Learning Trust are not handing control of the waiting lists back to the schools at any point.

Do you think they will still be able to find a way round this? At the Open Evening this year he said that unsuccessful parents should appeal, I was wondering whether he might find a way of helping those families where he wanted their DC as pupils.

I am in another inner London borough and was advised to only put down something you would be willing to accept.

Ie some parents put down schools they weren't really happy with because they thought they had to fill all six choices and were then unhappy when they were allocated to that school.

I was lucky that ds1 got his first choice but its an absolute lottery and there is no guarantee ds2 would be offered his.