DD didn't get into any of our school preferences - any options?

[HannahTone]

We live in an area with really low performing schools, so after having checked the preferences list and admission criteria, we put the further schools as our top 3 choices because we really did not want DD to end up into one of the school nearby, as we heard lots of nasty rumours about them, but then added them in the last 3 choices just so if nothing else, she does get accepted into the more reasonable ones near our house.

However, on offer day, we got rejected out of all our preferences and DD got put into one of the most low performing schools which are even further away than the nearby school I put in number 4.

Now, I just contacted the council and the lady was really rude and just told me to wait till 21st March when the waiting lists will be out and that she will be put on waiting lists for all 6 schools, but given higher preference for the first school. I'm not even sure she knew what she was talking about tbh, but realistically I dont think she'll get the 1st school choice, so I was thinking of getting her to higher preference to the more reasonable school near to us, but I dont know if I can do that?

Has anyone been in a similar situation, do you think I could do that, or does that seem like an impossible thing to do? Please help a struggling mum!

I think I've just seen a copy of the admissions code from 2006 that states that 'first preference first' could still be used (if I've understood it correctly). I think if I had to put an approximate date on when equal preference became law across the country I'd go for around 2009/2010 but very prepared to be corrected there!

The equal preference system will be explained on the school admissions part of the website of each local authority.

The equal preference scheme means that all applicants are treated as if they have put each school on their list as first choice.

All the pupils who have a school on their list are ranked in order of how they meet the admissions criteria. This happens for all the schools.

Some children will meet the criteria very well for several schools. Say child A qualifies for 4 schools. They get allocated their first choice and their name is removed from all the other lists. Every child below them is bumped up one place because they aren't on the list any more.

This process of allocating places and shuffling lists goes on and on until each school has reached their PAN, ensuring that each child is only offered one place.

Any child who was not offered their first choice school is put on the waiting list for the other schools, ensuring that the list is in order of how well they meet the criteria.

Things can go wrong. If a distance is calculated incorrectly, or a sibling link or feeder school isn't registered, it can put a child far further down the list than they should have been. So it is worth checking carefully.

@Jijithecat

Out of interest does anyone know what year the Equal Preference System was introduced?

It became compulsory in 2007 but many LAs were using it before then.

You have my sympathy. We didn't get any of our 3 choices either. (We only get 3)
We are in the catchment for all the schools and meet the criteria but can only assume all are oversubscribed. We've ended up with a school that would mean driving past all the other 3 (within 2 miles) to get to. There aren't any in the county the other direction as we're just in the border.

The ones we've got is in special measures. Son heartbroken. Have registered for waiting lists and will appeal until I'm hoarse.

As above can you find out how the places were allocated?

That's interesting. I'm almost certain that a headteacher told us on a school tour about five years ago, that if we thought we would like a place at the school for our child we would have to put it as our first choice in order to get a place. Now I know different. Thanks for setting me straight!

@Jijithecat

That's interesting. I'm almost certain that a headteacher told us on a school tour about five years ago, that if we thought we would like a place at the school for our child we would have to put it as our first choice in order to get a place. Now I know different. Thanks for setting me straight!

Unfortunately this sort of thing is common. They are either mistaken, or what they are trying to get across is that you need to put the school above closer schools to stand a chance of getting a place (e.g. if it's your favourite school but is quite far away/selective/etc and you 'play it safe' by putting your catchment school first and this school second, what you are actually saying is that you prefer your catchment school, so that will be the one you are offered if there is a place there, not the one you actually want). It is often not communicated well though and is interpreted by some as "this school fills up with people who put it first". The 'first preference first' system is still a widely held misconception unfortunately.

The “you need to put us first” advice could be correct, in the situation that you meet the oversubscription criteria for more than one school. Only the offer from your highest preference school will be passed on, so if you qualify for schools 1, 2 and 5 you will only receive the offer for school 1. But (obviously) that is a million miles from saying that placing a school first on your list will boost your chances of getting a place or guarantee that you do.

And yes, there are a lot of people working in schools who don’t understand the admissions process and give out some very poor advice.

You need to read the oversubscription criteria for school 4.

For example, do they give preference to siblings, or those who provide evidence of a religious affiliation, or live within a priority area, or have a music or language or sports ability.

Or is it just based on distance?

It's irrelevant how close friends live to other schools. If they live closer to school 4 than you, or they are in a higher priority category, they will get a place ahead of your dc. If they live further away and aren't in a higher priority category than you, that would suggest something had gone wrong.

It sounds as though you are on the waiting list automatically. By 21st March, some people will have declined places at school 4 - so you may be offered a place, or at least be able to find where on the waiting list you are.

There's a long way between now and September and lists can move a fair bit.

Do accept the place you've been offered though - otherwise the LA has no obligation to offer a place.

I'm shocked how many times schools give out wrong info. A new high school near us told everyone at open day that they needed to put it first to get a place. HT said it.

@Lily737 if you are in England and Wales it terrifies me that people with such a serious level of lack of knowledge and understanding work in a primary school and might be passing on this misinformation to parents.

The Equal Preference system is LAW in England and Wales. The system you describe: first choices allocated first etc, is illegal.

Please take this seriously and stop spreading damaging misinformation.

Wanted to give an update, thank you so much for all of your responses so far!
I've found out by calling all our rejected choices that we can't do anything atm, as they will receive waiting lists on the 15th, so then I'm planning on probably going to each school and asking for where DD is at.

I have looked into the admission criteria once again for each choices, but we don't fill most of it anyway as I dont any other child or work for any of the schools, so the only criteria DD would be meeting is distance, which is why I'm guessing she's got the place for the other school. This really has made me hopeless as I don't think she's be able to get into the other schools as we live quite far, unless we move.

I'm still dreading to contact the LEA, but I'm going to do that in a while, and still have not received any letter explaining the reasons for rejection so I don't even know what I should be asking them anyway!

I am trying to be hopeful, but I really don't know what to expect!!

@LadyLazarus40

Have you read the admissions policy for each school you applied to? It will state in detail how places are allocated. Eg it will show priority prob something like this: 1. Children in care 2. Catchment siblings 3. Catchment by distance 4. Distance. Then be clear what category you fall into eg are you catchment or not.

You then need to cross reference this with the details given by your council for each school showing how they allocated places. This will allow you to see if a mistake has been made.

If however they only offered to say catchment up to 0.5 mikes and you are catchment 0.6 miles you will not get a place. Similarly if they only offered in catchment and you live out of catchment then no place.

It works on an equal preference so you will be offered your highest placed school which you meet the admissions criteria for. If you do not meet the admissions criteria for any of the schools you listed then you will be offered the closest school which has a place (which it sounds like is the case with you).

I have checked the admission criteria and DD would only meet the distance from school.

Our dilemma was just that we didn't like most of the schools in our catchment and so, we put in schools that were further away just so she could get into a good school (furthest one is 1.5 miles), but that still doesn't explain why she didn't get offered to the nearest school put in the list.

The 4th choice school doesn't have these details on the admission process which I admit was probably my mistake for not checking it out beforehand, whereas the other schools do.

But, I wanted to ask how do I check how the LEA has allocated places, is that through the admission criteria or am I missing something?

@HannahTone so you weren’t catchment for any. How far in distance for non catchment did school 4 offer to - that’s the key - if it offered further then you then there may be an error if not then that’s the reason why you weren’t offered. Your council will have on line the info regarding the distance offered and probably also a distance calculator to check your house.

@HannahTone all schools will have an admissions policy on line (it is a requirement) detailing exactly how places are allocated.

[quote LadyLazarus40]@HannahTone so you weren’t catchment for any. How far in distance for non catchment did school 4 offer to - that’s the key - if it offered further then you then there may be an error if not then that’s the reason why you weren’t offered. Your council will have on line the info regarding the distance offered and probably also a distance calculator to check your house.[/quote]
We don't know whether we are or aren't catchment for school 4 as it does not have any information under the admission arrangements' LEA page, so I'm going to need to ask, nor does it say the previous admission patterns.

@HannahTone the admissions policy will be on the school website

Also the allocations for this year should be on line - if you Google countyname secondary school allocations 2022 you should be able to find them (that brings the up for my county)

[quote HannahTone]@PsychologyMum100
Thank you so much, it is really helpful! It really does feel like I'm rocking the boat alone.

I have just been contacting schools directly and asking them what to do and if they can put DD on their waiting lists, and so far I think she is automatically been put into all our preferred choices, but just contactign to get her higher in the place and do whatever we can.

I honestly was not aware it'd be this chaotic, but I really think there should be regulations on Ofsted rating as basis for school preference, because how else are we going to see whether the school is a well or low performing school? And even then, like you said, we didn't even get the school that was 5 mins away from us, which boggles my mind.

But, hopefully we can get it through the waiting lists!! I honestly dont want to appeal either, as it would just add more to my stress, and I dont think we have a strong case either.

Thank you for your help!![/quote]
Sorry NRTFT but if your DD didn’t get 4th choice I’m guessing it’s because those who put it as 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice filled up any spaces before anyone who placed it as 4th choice.

@Prepaway You guess wrong. That is NOT how the system works as has been explained many times on this thread. Please don't spread misinformation. The equal preference system has been law in England since 2007, and the OP did not disadvantage her DC by putting the closer schools lower down on her list.

Sorry NRTFT but if your DD didn’t get 4th choice I’m guessing it’s because those who put it as 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice filled up any spaces before anyone who placed it as 4th choice.

And if you HAD read the full thread you would see that this is NOT the case as it is illegal to give priority to someone just because they have put a school as 1st or 2nd choice instead of 4th.

Person A puts School X as 1st choice and School Y as 2nd choice. Person A lives 0.7m from school

Person B puts School X as their 4th choice and lives 0.5 m from school.

The available place goes to Person B

[quote ChildOfFriday]@Prepaway You guess wrong. That is NOT how the system works as has been explained many times on this thread. Please don't spread misinformation. The equal preference system has been law in England since 2007, and the OP did not disadvantage her DC by putting the closer schools lower down on her list. [/quote]
How am I spreading misinformation, I clearly stated I had not read the full thread and I stated I was guessing. Stop getting your knickers in a twist because my thoughts in the matter may not be correct.

It is spreading mis-information if you are guessing at a process you clearly know nothing about which is clearly set out in law. If you don;t know how admissions work, then say so, don't guess.