Does it REALLY matter?

[Beetlewing]

Tying ourselves in knots over our preferences. Does it make a difference? The nearest (less than a mile away) high school is hmm.... adequate but there are great ones 5 and 10 miles away and a FAB one 25 minutes (rural) drive away. DP seems to think the farthest (and best) one should be 1st choice, the nearest one 3rd and that there's some sort of strategy to be 'played' I don't know about this. DS has no older siblings at any of the schools.

Go for the best.

Do you have a chance getting into the furthest away? If you do, how would you get him there?

What are you basing your judgement on? Ofsted, progress scores or visits?

What does your DH mean by strategy? It is sensible to have the nearest one on your list somewhere.

What are you basing your descriptions of "adequate", "great" and "fab" on?

You should pick a school based on where you think your DC will thrive. Unfortunately this is hard to do before they get there, but you can do your best. Ofsted or local gossip telling you that a school is outstanding doesn't mean it will be outstanding for your child.

In terms of how much it matters - I would avoid a "dire" school or a school where children were not encouraged to value learning, but I'm not necessarily convinced of how much value a "fab" school actually adds over an "ok" school. Family background and support is still a major factor. There's also lots of soft benefits to be add from going to a local school.

You also need to think about what you want from a school. If you have a bright child then maybe they will get 9s as opposed to 7s if they go to the perfect school ... but does that really matter longer term? A school with lots of extra curricular activities is only useful if your child engages with them (and actually, there is lots of value in doing extra-curricular activities out of school and broadening your horizons). Pastoral care is most important I would argue. I went to the school my parents thought was fab and ended up with stellar results and mental health problems. I'd rather have been happier :)

There is no strategy. Put the schools in your genuine order of preference, including somewhere at least one school where you can be pretty much guaranteed a place (usually your nearest non-selective school). Of course, determining your genuine order of preference is the tricky bit, but there is no 'gamble' in putting further away schools first if you decide you would prefer your child to go there- this doesn't risk a place at any less popular schools, and the schools don't know where you listed them.

It isn't that the LEA look at all the people who put a school first and offer them places, then move down to the people who put it second, etc, which is a common misconception. Instead, there is an equal preference system- think of it as 6 (or however many slots you have on your form) separate applications, and the only way the order matters is if more than one school is able to offer you a place, in which case the place you will be offered will be at the school you put highest. If I put a school first and you put it sixth, but you live nearer than me (or are higher up on the admissions criteria another way), then you would get a place above me, assuming that you didn't get into any of the schools that you listed higher. I wouldn't get any priority for putting it first.

But you need to be realistic about the travel arrangements. Is there any school transport and would it be funded if not nearest school. Secondary pupils generally prefer to be independent.

Look at the culture of the schools. in my dcs school, it’s ‘cool’ to be clever, whereas in my nephews school, you’re called teachers pet, geek and made to feel rubbish. Makes a huge difference.

There is no strategy. Just put the schools in your genuine order of preference. Make sure you include at least one school where you are almost certain to get a place. But if the one furthest away is your first choice, put it first. You may strike it lucky and get a place. If you don't, it won't make any difference to your chances of getting one of your nearer schools.

My ds spent taster days at 4 schools, two state, two private, although I didn't explain that to him.
He chose one of the private ones because it was friendly, small, happy and the science lesson was the best thing he had ever done (apparently).

I chose the same (non-selective) school because they get 100% pass rate in English & maths gcse most years. Which really does matter. The better state school got 41% in maths for their boys.

So we agreed. It resolved itself.

What everyone else says about the preference system is correct.

I would add tho, is there a bus to the 25 min away one? How far away is that anyway? You'll have to pay for the bus as there is a nearer school. With walking to and from the stop, how long would his commute be? A 10 minute walk to the local school is a major bonus. You really do not want to be driving him to the furthest one and back, two hours for you in the car every day, ugh.

Where does your son want to go?
At this age they become more independent, meet up with friends out of school, so after schools sports/clubs after school. Would your son be living half an hours drive away from all his friends? How would that work as he got older?

Posted too soon sorry. My point about friends is that a miserable kid at a great school probably won’t do as well as a happy kid at a not so great school.

@Mintjulia it’s a bit disingenuous to say the private school is non-selective.
Selection may not be overtly academic, but what is selected is parental wealth and investment.

Parental support and input is the #1 indicator of student success at school.

It matters what you/child want, but there is no preference given if you can't be offered one of your higher choices, but meet the criteria for a lower preference, but someone further away has put it as preference 1.

@Takeachance18

It matters what you/child want, but there is no preference given if you can't be offered one of your higher choices, but meet the criteria for a lower preference, but someone further away has put it as preference 1.

This is wrong. The other posts on this thread are right.

The fact that someone puts a school as preference 1 does not give them any priority. If child A is in the same admissions category as child B and lives closer to the school (assuming the school uses distance as a tie breaker - most do), they will be admitted ahead of child B even if child B had this school as first choice and child A had it as sixth choice.