Does anyone know how they prioritise applications, eg if you put a school as first choice will you have more chance of getting it?

[iwouldgoouttonight]

We're not applying for our catchment school because it's really not good, but it means it's likely we won't get the choices we want. We'd like to have as our three choices:

1. Preferred school (brilliant school, think DD would thrive there, 20 mins on bus, but massively oversubscribed and last year only those with siblings already there got in from our primary school)
2. Second preferred school (wouldn't mind this one at all, only reason it's second is that it's a bit further away, 30-40mins on bus, this is also oversubscribed but some from our primary got in last year even without siblings)
3. Nearest school to us, although not our catchment one (not our preferred third choice but would be likely to get a place looking at who they took last year, OK school, not brilliant but best of the ones we'd be likely to definitely get a place at, so kind of a 'banker' to prevent us getting the catchment school)

Do my question is, as we think we have a slightly better chance of getting into school 2 than school 1, will we be given less of a priority because we didn't put it first?

I know the priorities are things like looked after children, siblings, catchment, etc and we don't meet any of them for any of the schools, it would be down to distance. But do they judge all applications equally regardless of where you put them on the list? Or do they give all first choice places and then all second choice places, etc?

Or does it differ by local authority? (We're in England btw)

The school usually have an admissions officer who should be able to provide that information if not provided by the council. I have spoken to the schools we are interested in and they were very helpful.

2 schools have said things about 1st preference which confused me.

Head of year 7 said at open day we oversubscribed last year if you don't list us 1st you stand no chance.

So I rang local council admissions who said I was right equal preference if we list this scholl as 3rd and we live close enough we may still get it.

Also did some digging it wasent oversubscribed until 2nd round in may so I'm guessing if based on last year's figures we stand a chance 3 miles door to door but difficult la.

Another school head told parents if they list schools 1st they nearly always get a place.
So again rang up admissions and they said there's a heck of lot of movement 2nd round so it's possible people like me further away to get it as furthest distance increases 2nd round and many go private but still seems a risk as 3 we like outside of catchment and no 1 is random allocation fair banded oversubscribed

I'm assuming waitlists keep same order as admissions criteria so if we put school b or c as 2nd / 3rd get get none of our 3.
We stay on waitlists for all with 2 schools based on distance if there's movements 2nd round and we live closer than someone who lives slightly further away that we get place offered 1st.

What Admissions have told you is accurate. The fact you list a school as your second or third choice does not reduce your chance of getting a place.

Waiting lists are indeed held in admission criteria order. When you apply and which choice you name the school is irrelevant. Note that school 1 has to conduct a fresh random draw every time a place becomes available.

So prh

Which to put 1sr

School 1 random allocation but local
School 2 nearby county most likely get offer 2nd round.

School 1 saying if you put us 1st we guarantee you place off waitlists.
It's a state academy in nearby la.
Spoke to their admissions they said as lots go private it's possibility

I want good chance at both but be happy with 3rd Co ed academy which works on distance 3miles so fairly close and historically under , was under 1st round last year hut head year 7 saying if you don't put us 1st you stand no chance as they had 143 1st preference places last year out if 216.

But I'm right in thinking schools 2 and school 3 have to offer place off waitlist if available if I'm nearer even if others listed ut 1st if I listed it 2nd or 3rd doesn't predjudice offer .

tiggytape and prh47bridge Thank you.

I was doubting my understanding of the process. It is a new school so no siblings. I think they just want to fill the school with pupils.

We had this conversation on another thread and I still find it absolutely shocking that Heads are lying about this. I thought it was a one-off at a school near me but it seems to be absolutely everywhere. I am sure there must be people who have missed out on a place at their preferred school because of this. If Justine Greening wanted to do something actually useful to improve access to good schools she could do worse than have a decent publicity campaign on this.

3asAbird

School 1 is lying. They cannot guarantee you a place off waitlists. Just as with ordinary admissions they cannot prioritise people who name the school as first preference. All the LA's admissions team are really saying is that you'll have a good chance of getting a place if you list it as one of your preferences. School 1 also has to offer you a place off the waitlist if you are drawn out of the hat even if there are others who named it as first choice.

Put the schools in your actual order of preference.