How to answer "list other schools to which you are applying"

[scattycow]

Im not sure how to answer this question on a school application form;

Is there a right/wrong answer? What are they hoping to see by my response ? I feel like its a double-edged sword !!!

Any advice please

I don't think that it makes a lot of difference to the outcome, other than possibly giving an indication of where you see your child academically. I would avoid lying, as girls schools in particular seem to ask the question at interview, which I feel is a bit unfair. The school tend to want to know if you have older children elsewhere (in which case younger siblings are likely to follow). I have known day schools to ask how someone will make the journey (when it is an unreasonable one).

Is this an independent school?

This is really about older siblings. DD2's friend wasn't offered at her insurance schools because it was obvious from her exam scores that she wouldn't take the places and had a sister at a higher performing school where she would get in too. Don't sweat it.

Is this London? In which case they are probably looking to manage numbers and wait lists.

As horsemadwoman says schools can sometimes turn down very bright children simply because they dont feel it is worth offering them a place. Co-eds have been known to ask why they are the only co-ed applied for, presumably because they think the candidate might prefer a girls school.

We have known a couple of super bright girls who applied to around 10 schools apiece, for no obvious reason. One sailed into everywhere and ended up, as could be predicted, at SPGS. The other came quite unstuck and failed to get into schools she should have got. It may have been that schools decided she was unlikely to accept their place and so did not offer. Not knowing where she wanted to go would have also made it hard for the prep school writing her report.

Answer honestly. If there is a reason why you have applied to a number I might be tempted to write a short cover letter to the first choice explaining why they are the preferred school and why you have felt the need to seek fall backs.

If it is a state school, then it is a question that should not be being asked. The whole purpose of the CAF is that the parents put on the form the schools they want as preferences in the order they want them and the school is not allowed to know either the other schools or the preference order.
This sounds like a school wanting to try and get information they are not entitled to. I would just ignore the question or put N/A.

We are in a similar situation, particularly as we have an older child at our first choice school for the dc who is about to do the exams, but who is probably weaker academically and therefore is more likely to get into one of our other choices (fingers crossed). I don't want those schools to dismiss the application just because there is a sibling at another school.

Retrieverlady - If you are dealing with state schools (including VA schools, VC schools, academies and free schools) they are not allowed to do that. Independent schools are another matter.

Going back to the OP's question, as Admission says if this is a state school it should not be asking that question. Personally I would ignore it and refer them to the Schools Adjudicator.

I suspect it is an independent. Answer honestly, no school is going to expect you to only apply to them. They often like to see commitment to a school when allocating scholarships, but that doesn't mean only going for one school.

For dd1, we answered that we were applying to two private schools, an all girls and a co-ed. We also wrote we were also very interested in two state all girls schools. We are applying this year for dd2, and have told the independent that her sister is at that she has passed the 11 plus, so we are also looking at grammar schools.

Yes it is an independent. I'm a bit worried that school A might see that school B is also being applied to, therefore school A decides not to offer a place because we have other choices . Am i being mad ?

Would a school be more included to offer you a place if it was your ONLY choice of school.

I have no idea if I'm reading too much into it.
We have no siblings to worry about in this case.

I think that you are reading too much into it. I suspect that asking this question is more market research than anything else.

Are you going from state to private? We did this, and it was a bit daunting because we didn't have other parents who had done this before to ask. I remember being a little taken aback by this question.

My friend had her dc at a private junior school which automatically links to the seniors, a nice school but not prestigious. During secondary school transfer she didn't apply to any other schools, and didn't fill in a CAF either. School knew this, because no references were requested.

She hoped this would indicate commitment to the school, and enable her dc (bright) to be considered for a scholarship. About 30% of children get some help and friend was also struggling with money. She didn't get one, and friend ended up wondering if it was because they knew her dc had no other options. She had to go there, or end up with no school. In the end her dc was removed to go to a super selective in Y8. This may well have been sour grapes, but friend still felt that she had been naive about secondary school transfer. All her dc's friends had applied to a variety of schools.

Thanks Bugged. My mind tends to work overtime, and i have a tendency to overthink things and wonder what the ulterior motive is.

OK honesty all the way

The school knows they are not the only school you will be applying for - almost every single applicant will have applied to the same group of 3 or so schools.

I remember being asked at interview for DS2 how I would feel about having DSs at 2 "rival" schools (it's mostly a friendly rivalry as they are owned by the same Foundation :)). Both these schools offered DS2 a place and the "rival" one even offered him a scholarship so it was obviously not a problem.

The schools all want the best children so, if they want your child, they aren't that likely to rule them out based on the other schools they applied to.