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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

secondary applications and how to order them

32 replies

cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 22:36

ok i'm begging someone to please help me here.

Before I start I just want to say that I'm autistic and I'm really obsessing over this, so please be kind to me! I'm really sorry if tons of people have been asking this stuff lately.

I cannot decide on a school to apply for for my son. There is only one school that I've visited that I've actually really liked and can see him settling in well at. Unfortunately it's Catholic and we are not. Last year it didn't admit any non-church going children, so it's not looking good for us. BUT, I do feel like I want to list it just in case

What I want to know though, is if I put the school closest to me as my second choice (still not my catchment school) and someone else who lives further away puts it as their first choice.... would they get it over me because I've only put it second?

I've actually emailed the admissions team already this evening but they say they are taking 10 working days to reply to emails because they're so busy right now, so I am counting on you knowledgeable people to help me out here.

I know that people will say it's pointless putting a school as first choice when it's so unlikely that we would get a place, but I just feel I need to at least TRY for a place there. I'm genuinely really cut up about it and wishing I hadn't visited and seen how lovely it is!

anyway, i'm nervous blathering so i'll just post this now

OP posts:
Mimena · 04/10/2018 22:49

Order doesn’t matter, your chances of getting your second choice school are unaffected by you not putting it first. No doubt someone will explain the mechanism, but that’s the upshot.

kindascaredish · 04/10/2018 22:49

Hi!

Your preference for schools doesn't make you more or less likely to be allocated that school. The schools don't know what place you've put them.

If you are eligible for a place at both schools A and B but you put A as first choice you would be given A, but if you put B as first choice you would be given B.

The preferences only matter if you are eligible for a place at more than one school.

Put the schools in true order of preference, if the places are on distance and you are closer, and don't get your first choice, you will be offered a place at the school over someone who is further away who may have put the school as first choice.

I hope that makes sense!! :)

Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 22:51

thank you!
now I just need to find one i;m happy to put third... just in case

OP posts:
raspberryrippleicecream · 04/10/2018 22:53

Its absolutely fine to put your aspirational school first, and you should.

All applications for each school are put into order according to admission criteria. Your preferences only come into consideration if you fit the admission criteria for more than one school, and you are offered the school you have placed highest.

raspberryrippleicecream · 04/10/2018 22:56

You say your second choice is not your catchment school although its closest. Are you very sure you would get a place? If not your third choice should be a school you are reasonable happy with and that you are fairly certain to get a place.

Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:00

No, I'm not very sure at all.
We are about 200m over the catchment line. A lot of kids from our "side" do go to the school, but last year they only took 10 from out of catchment (some were further away than me though)

My catchment school is awful and I really don't want to put it down.
The only other choices are going to be really difficult to get to.
I think pretty much all bar 2 of the schools here are over subscribed

OP posts:
Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:01

The head teacher at one of the schools said that they do the allocations in a weird way here (west Sussex) so this is what has got me worried now!

OP posts:
maz99 · 04/10/2018 23:21

Don’t listen to Head teachers... most of them don’t really know how admissions really work.

Your best bet is to read the admission policy for each school. If you want help understanding the policies, then either list the names of the schools or links to each admission policy here.

Marypoppins19 · 04/10/2018 23:24

West Sussex here too. It should work just as explained above. There are some super faith schools in West Sussex

MarchingFrogs · 04/10/2018 23:25

The local authority's 'moving up' / 'secondary transfer' booklet or web pages will explain the process. There is a limit to how 'weird' the local arrangements can be without falling foul of the Admissions Code.

Marypoppins19 · 04/10/2018 23:25

The CofE admissions seem a bit more straight forward than the catholic schools

DropZoneOne · 04/10/2018 23:26

cakey I'm West Sussex too, there are a couple of areas that have unusual rules, Horsham and Steyning spring to mind. Have you read the admissions brochure online? It lists out all of the schools that don't follow "usual" application process.

Have you gone to the open day of your closest school? As sometimes the head will give an idea how likely out of catchment applications are to get in. Certainly our catchment school said they didn't fill from catchment and even some waitlist pupils got in - we're in an area that tends to get a few going private so they get offered state and find out later whether they've got into private / got a scholarship and then turn down state place.

Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:29

I've read everything I can find on the west Sussex website.
We're in Crawley, if that helps at all!

The head teacher of the closest one said they never fill it from catchment, but like I say, they only took 10 from out of catchment last year.
We are VERY close though, so if they don't fill it from the catchment area this time we stand a good chance of getting in I think.

OP posts:
Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:31

The school I really love is St Wilfrids. We would come under criteria 11 of their admission policy.
Last year they filled all places with criteria 1-9 so we have very little chance, but I want to put it anyway because I'm just stubborn like that

OP posts:
Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:32

I'm at the point where I have read so much that I'm just confusing myself and reading too much into it now I think

OP posts:
Marypoppins19 · 04/10/2018 23:36

Put it first and appeal if you need to

DropZoneOne · 04/10/2018 23:46

Ah I've worked it out. Your catchment school is TB but you want to get into O? I can see how you could live closer to O but he outside catchment. If you are 200m door to door in a straight line, then you'd likely be one of the nearest? The furthest out of catchment was 800m this year.

If you don't want TB, don't put it down. You might still be offered it if none of your 3 choices have spaces, but you can go on a wait list for O.

Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:49

Dropzone yes, that's exactly it.
We're literally the other side of the railway line

OP posts:
Original poster
cakeymccakington · 04/10/2018 23:52

I can't really decide what to put for 3rd choice though.
Hazelwick and the Gatwick school are going to be a pain to get to as I still have a primary school run to do each morning.
ICC is a possibility... I haven't visited it yet though

OP posts:
clary · 05/10/2018 00:01

cakes your child can make their own way to secondary school, please don't be taking them!

PillowOfSociety · 05/10/2018 07:50

Is TB oversubscribed?

If so I think you need to put it in last place, because if you don’t, and you don’t get any of the schools you don’t put down, they will wait until all the other allocations have been made and then give you a place in whatever school has places left. I.e an undersubscribed school. Which might be just as bad or worse than your catchment and further away.

It sounds as if you might have a good chance of O? Is there another school that you like better than TB that you would stand a reasonable chance of? If so, I would consider putting that instead of the Catholic school, which sounds as if you would need a miracle to get into.

If you don’t get O on Offer Day you might get a place when places move on the waiting lists.

PillowOfSociety · 05/10/2018 07:53

And yes, unless there is some condition that affects their ability to travel, there is no need for secondary children in urban /suburban areas it to walk or get the bus. It is normal and usual for secondary age children to make their own way.

Original poster
cakeymccakington · 05/10/2018 08:03

I would only be taking him if he was at one of the further away ones.
I'd give him the option of taking the bus but I'm certainly not going to force him to. Not to start with anyway, I'm sure he'll soon want to be off on his own and not have his mum drop him off.

TB is currently under subscribed (and for good reason imo) so we would probably get a place there even if we don't list it.
Having said that a friend has a daughter there who is doing well. I guess a lot, at any school, depends on what your cohort is like.

But it's all feeling like a bit of a gamble! I don't really know what to put for number 3

OP posts:
TeenTimesTwo · 05/10/2018 08:29

I would put you catchment school 3rd as you really don't want to be in a poor school miles away when you could be in a poor school locally.

If you end up with your catchment school, then you can wait list others and appeal for 1 & 2.

Start thinking now why 1 & 2 would be so much more suitable. Not the results but e.g. if your DC has a special need, interest or aptitude that these schools cater for better (eg orchestra, maths club, something special about pastoral care). This ideally needs to be something you can evidence to give an appeal panel a reason to think you need the school.

ps Sometimes poor reputations hang on long after a school has improved.