Applying for High School outside PAA

[Ahmawa]

My child will be sitting entrance exams for Crossley Heath and North Halifax Grammar but we live in Huddersfield.

I believe you can pick 3 schools - so do you have to pick Crossley and North Halifax or just 1 of the schools because you are sitting one test for both?

You have to list both if you want your child considered for a place at both of them. If you only list one you will not have applied to the other. That they share an exam does not change this.

Also what does it mean by

State schools that are independent of the local authority The governing body or academy trust is responsible for deciding who is given a place

So these are not part of your three choices?

No, you still need to make an LA application and they are one of your three choices. All this means is they are their own admissions authority so set their own admissions policy and will apply it. BUT you have to also apply for the test as they set out on the school website.

I don't know the schools but if you only have three choices, how selective are they and how realistic (exam results and also catchment if relevant) is it that your child will get in? Where will you be choosing as your third choice, is it a slam dunk that your child will get in if they don't get either of the grammar schools?

My predicament is that I do not want my child to attend the school in which we are in the catchment area, so if I list North Halifax, Crossley and another school, then do I get the default school in my catchment area?

If you do not qualify for any of your options the LA will allocate a place at the nearest school with a space after others' preferences met, which may or may not be your catchment school.