Secondary Admission - Number of choices allowed?

[CovMum]

I was wondering if there were any regulations on the number of choices an LEA has to offer for Secondary Admissions. My LEA offers only 3 choices but I know others offer 6.

I know what my 3 choices will be but I think we are pushing it so want a 4th choice as my back-up.

School 1: Christian Academy that requires a minister's form. We are out of catchment but do attend Catholic Church. They give priority to non-catholic first as our city has so many catholic schools.
School 2: Excellent school but it lists it's catchment by road names and we are on a road just slightly out of this.
School 3: Good school again slightly out of catchment
School 4: My old senior school which usually has places available after initial allocation but these fill up quickly after people find out their allocated school.

There are another 3 very local that I do not want my child to attend.

Agree with Schoolsnightmare that you really have to put school 4 as your final "choice" as you do need to have a catchment school on the form. It sounds as if all the other schools are likely to be oversubscribed, and if school 4 is not on your list, there is a strong possibility that the LEA may allocate you a place at another local school that you do not find acceptable.
So I would keep school 1 as first choice preference and try to decide between schools 2 and 3 for the second. Having a look round the schools should help you decide definitely and provide an opportunity to ask more questions about admissions.

The regulations require them to allow you at least 3 preferences. Whilst many offer more they are not obliged to do so.

I agree with the other posters that, given what you have said, you need to put school 4 as your third preference and drop one of the others. Your last preference should always be a school where you stand a very good chance of getting a place to minimise the risk of being allocated a school you really don't want.

Many thanks for your advice.

School 1: Has 178 church places and give points for church attendance of child and parent and points for religion followed which must be backed up by a minister's form. Then 32 open places. There are 3 catholic schools in the city so they give priority to christian faith and not catholic. Three children from my child's school have got a place there for this coming September and they live close to us and attend the catholic church as we do.

School 2: Is the school my husband attended. It was previously a boy's only school but became co-educational about 10 years ago. It has some of the best results in the city. Last year they were able to give places outside the catchment area but I know of someone on our road who did not get in for this September.

School 3: This school seems to have a very small catchment so I do not think we would have much chance of getting in.

School 4: This is a catholic school and is the school my child would definitely get into. They attend a feeder school that is listed in the admission policy. The school is a perfectly good school but if I can get my child in any of the other schools I feel I must give it a chance. If I got this school I would be happy that I had tried my best.

I will have a think about it and attend the open days and see how I feel.

I agree with the others. Make sure you have one choice you will almost certainly get into on your form, however many (or few) preferences you are allowed, or you will end up at the bottom of the list and could be sent to the least popular school, anywhere in your LA.