Schools knowing preference order

[Sazzlesw2]

Can someone confirm if schools know the order you put them on the list?

My DS has got a specialism place at a school and they say the only way to confirm it is to put them 1st. I thought that they didn't know what order you put them at?

DS has a different preferred school which is closer to our house but on previous distances we wouldn't get in. If we put it first and then didn't get it we should still get the specialism place as that has been offered to him?

They don't and the school has worded it badly.

What they mean is that if you really want your DC to go to the school where he meets their criteria for a specialist place, then you need to put it first to be sure of getting it. If you put another school first and qualify for that, then that's the single offer you will get.

So don't put your banker ahead of your real choice

Every school near us makes that claim including the school that everyone gets given once the preferred schools are full.

Fab, thanks. That's what I thought but am overthinking everything throughout the whole process!

Put the schools in the exact order you prefer.

Your supposition is right: If you put your top preference first and don’t get it, you will be offered the ‘specialism’ place.

Whether they know the place on your list or not, it is not permitted to give preference to those who list a place higher than anyone else.

It is done on admissions criteria alone and all comes out in the allocations process.

its the order of your preferred choice. Nothing more to the ranking choice than that other than be realistic, the rest is myths. School won’t know what number you put them down as. The system works out which school is the highest on your list that you meet the criteria for. So if you don’t put sons fav school first, and there is a miracle chance you won’t be considered if you don’t put it at the top of the list. If you get the specialist school place. Remember you can stay on the waiting list for any schools listed above the one you were allocated to see if you can get in that way (not schools below, as technically they were not a preferred choice above the one you got).