Is it okay to only list your 1st preference in the secondary school application form?

[spanna786]

Hello! It would be great to hear your views on this- I've been totally bewildered by the whole process with all the conflicting information out there. The deadline for submitting the secondary school application is drawing ever closer - and I'm still unsure of what I should be doing.

The headmaster at the my 1st choice school for my 10 year old advised me to only put their school down on the application form. He said that if I put down other options (and the form states putting down 6 choices in all) that I might get the 6th choice, in which case appealing that decision becomes much more difficult as I've would have effectively been given on of my choices.

The school is actually close to me - we just fall into their catchment area, but not other criteria apply to my child (e.g. SEN, or the sibling rule).

Should I do as suggested as only put down the one school? The application form, the council and all the guidance I've read so far suggest putting down 6 choices in order of preference otherwise you might get allocate a really rubbish school that is miles away.

Parents I've spoken to suggest being strategic about what you 2nd-6th choices are - but again that seems a little risky as you might get one of those choices.

Would be grateful if anyone had any advice on this?

Thanks
Spanna

We only get 3 choices here. I put down 2 - the out of catchment over subscribed school was my first choice, the catchment undersubscribed was our second. We got our first choice (as we're very close to the catchment border) so were lucky.

The only reason I didn't put a third school was that the next two nearest are church school, you have to fill out separate forms for them anyway, and I'm not religious so don't believe in faith schools.

We were told if we definitely wanted our children to go to our first choice then it had to be number 1 on the form, but we were always told to use all our choices.

Your preference for a same sex school is no reason whatsoever, sorry. If the Headteacher gave that impression they are also wrong on that account.

Head teachers really are a law into them selves.

I remember looking round primaries in 2009 and 1 infant head saying if you don't put us 1st you stand no chance.
We put it as no 2 but don't think we would have got it.
1st preference was local rc school and we not Catholic so don't always have be hugely religious depends on school.

Now we doing senior school apllications

School c year 7 head told all parents at parents evening that unless they were listed as 1st they stand no chance.
Checked with admissions totally untrue schools don't know order of preference.
Also found out they were not oversubscribed 1st round filled up 2nd 8ts fairly near in senior terms so listing it as 3rd preference

School d did one better I missed open evening where the head told all parents unless they list it as 1st and eventually historically those who lost it 1st always get in 2nd round before sept.

When I went to look that was repeated to me.
But worse I advised to decline 2nd and 3rd preference to remain on their waitlist if I really want a place.
I was like I could end up with no place as we live in area of oversubscribed schools even less good ones as more kids than places plus primary boom and local seniors closing she would not have it she was in the wrong so put me off applying.
She Indicated to another parent she tries her best for those parents who wish to have a single sex education .
Not a huge range single sex schools locally.

We talking about a well performing state academy where 12 spaces were for sports.
The rest sibling & distance.
It's either a big lie or a breech of admissions policy.

Good luck op try list 3 in order you want
Even if obscure further away 3rd choice 2 nearest sounds sensible.

NOOO.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS

If you meet the criteria for entry you will get school 1. If you don't and have no other school they will allocate you the nearest school with vacancies after all those who chose schools haven sorted.

It will be poor , it may be a long way away. There will be other " not so awful " choices.

Sooo
Use all you choices.
They look down the form and allocate the highest choice for which you meet the criteria.

You must list schools in the genuine preference you want them - they will not know where you put them. If you don't get a place in school A tgem school B automatically becomes your first choice and so on until a school can offer a place - you are not disadvantaged against others who may have listed the school higher.

If you only put 1 choice which can't offer you a place - or indeed if none of your choices can offer you a place then you will be allocated a school which has space after all places are allocated. Note this is likely to be an undesirable school!

If you are appealing for a place - eg over subscription appeal the onus is on you to show why this is the best school for your child and NOT why the allocated school would be a bad option. You would need to show tgat tge disadvantage to your child of not attending school X is greater then tge dissadvantage to the school of admitting over PAN.

Bloody hell - these Head Teachers!

OP: if you are in England the Admissions Code is law. The 'equal preference' system is law (this is the system where the school does not know where on the list you put them, and the position on the list does not affect whether or not the school is able to offer you a place. The position on he list only makes a difference if more than one school on your list of six is able to offer you a place. In that case the LA will offer you the one that is highest up your list.

That is why you must list them in your genuine order of preference.

You will automatically be put in the waiting lists for schools higher up your list if you don't get first choice. You will be put on the waiting list even if you accept your lower choice school.

You can appeal for any school you applied for, and the fact that you have accepted your lower choice will not influence the outcome of your appeal.

You should accept whatever school is offered: there is no disadvantage for waiting lists or appeals if you accept. If you turn it down, there is every possibility that you will never get better school, and that by the time you find that out, your original allocation will have been given to someone else.

Schools do have different admissions criteria, but the application of these within the law and within the system cannot be tinkered with or re-invented by Head Teachers!

Good luck!

We have been told by a head teacher that she will guarantee us a place at an out of catchment academy because we have shine an interest, can they really do this ?

Shown!

enolagayits0815 - no they absolutely cannot do that! The admissions policy is the admissions policy - these things have to and are done by the book!

That's what I thought as well but a friend is adamant it's true. She's going to be disappointed!

If the school is undersubscribed she will get a place. And she will put that down to having shown an interest and the Head having sorted it for her. And she will continue to believe and spread Admissions Myths.

Oh God this makes me nervous, I have only put my dds catchment secondary school down. We live in a small town and there is only 4 secondary choices in total, she is walking distance to the catchment school.

I haven't even looked round the other ones!

There is no game to this, you put down the most schools you are allowed to in the order you prefer them with at least one of them being the school for which you have the best chance of getting in. I know that sounds simplistic in a system that seems complex but it really is the best way.

We only have one secondary in our town. It's 3 minutes' walk away from our house. I still put down 2 other 'wouldn't mind' schools as choices 2 and 3.

Both my DDs got their place but the school is now badly oversubscribed for Yr7 with a long waiting list for Yr 8. If I were looking for a place now (I'm not, not third child) I would put down more than 3 schools.

The problem is i would have an issue with any other school she was offered! I honestly wouldn't want dd to go to any other school so if she doesn't get her choice it wouldn't matter which of the other 3 they offered her I would still be appealing.

Girliefriendlikesflowers but it means that you could get offered a place even further away at an even worse school. Just because you refuse to think about any other school doesn't mean they have to accept your application for your preferred school!

But there are only a total of 4 secondary schools in the town, none of the other schools are terrible so I suppose it wouldn't make much difference is what I'm saying.

I just text me friend to check what she is doing and she said the same as me, I think it is unlikely that dd wouldn't get a place at the local school given its a 5 min walk and if they do offer her a place at one of the others I would appeal.

"if they do offer her a place at one of the others I would appeal."

What if the appeal failed, are you saying that the other three in town are exactly equal in terms of preference, distance to travel, results etc?

What if she wasn't offered one of those three, what if she got a school in the next town along? Most appeals fail so you can't depend on that.

There's no guarantee of winning an appeal though.

Is there a chance that all the 4 secondary schools in town would be oversubscribed?

You are free to appeal if you don't like the school you are allocated Girlfriend. However, most appeals fail so it's not a foolproof 'Plan B'.

Girliefriendlikesflowers sorry that plan is terrible and will misfire dramatically if you don't get a place at your only choice. They could give you a place in another town. On what basis would you appeal? Why should your child get special treatment?!