Do the schools ever find out where you put them on the CAF list

[dorisbumble]

Hi filling in the CAF today and totally panicked. Is it only if you have to appeal that they see the CAF? Do they actually see the form at this stage?

Sorry, I don't know what CAF is?

Hmm, do you mean where you put them on the preference list?

No, the school don't get to see the list, just that you've put them down.

Common application form. No they never see it, not even if you appeal , that's a different form.

No, and it makes no difference to the success of your application to that school where you put it in the list.

What is making you panic?

Got through grammar selection but no idea how far up. If tiwards bottom end of the selection my fourth fifth and 6th choices may be full of first choices as all over subscribed that leaves it up to la to give me left over places. Hence panic -don't want 4th to find out at appeal and jeopardise decision.

Either because they don't know how the admissions system works. Or because they are saying that if it's actually where you want to go you should put it first (if you put somewhere else first and get a place there you won't go to that school).

Thanks Tiggytape. I'm wondering why the heads say to put them first like weretrickspotter said earlier?

Okay. Can relax ever so slightly until March so!

I think schools get info on numbers of applications and their rankings. Maybe that's why they want you to list them higher on the caf? Ego?

Yes I recently started a thread as our favourite non grammar school told us that if we didn't put them as first choice, we wouldn't get a place.

It was at the open evening so probably lots of panicking parents.

MN put me straight

Good luck op!

Head teacher who make these statements that you must put their school down as first preference or you have no chance of getting a place are plainly incorrect, either through ignorance of the admission system or deliberately trying to manipulate you into making a potentially wrong decision.
There is however an interesting thought, the code is clear that if someone in authority, such as the head teacher, says you have a place then that is taken as fact. Where the head says if you do not put us down as first preference you will not get a place how far away are they away from saying if you put us down as first priority you are "guaranteed" a place. I would suggest not that far.

We had this happen too, whereisegg. It was a church school, too
Luckily we knew better than to believe that nonsense (second time round for us) but I wonder how many parents panicked at that point

Drat, wish I'd checked with MN rather than believed what another parent (whose eldest went up to secondary two years ago) told me.

Never mind, we are equally happy to get either our first or second places, both good schools. First choice is nearer our house, 12 minutes walk instead of 20, so I'm confident we'll get it. But it seems we would have got it whether we'd put it first or fourth...

Felt v. odd having to put four schools down. I can see how it works for the county, because there are a few big towns where there are four or more secondaries, but we live in a small town where there are three - and number three is a church school that ds stands no chance of getting in to (fortunately it's our least favourite anyway).

We had to put a school in the nearest big town that is horribly over-subscribed and ds would never get into in a month of Sundays, just to fill up the form. Madness.

I totally panicked

tiggytape, you are a mine of information, thank you for such clear explanations. We have successfully negotiated a Pan-London CAF once already and I still find myself having the odd wibble second time around