Admissions

[Ml2210]

im applying for my child’s secondary school, his first choice school we are out of catchment and not in feeder school, so would only be allocated a space via aptitude test, he sat aptitude test which takes top 10% (24 children) he scored 39 in previous years the lowest score allocated in the 10% was 2024 - 43
2023 - 37
2022 - 38
2021 - 35
2020 - 41
2019 - 39
2018 - 33
his second choice of school he is in a 9% feeder school (30 children in a class only one class per year) also sat the aptitude and scored 52 average score this year was 41 and last years lowest score that was accepted on aptitude was 51, no previous years data available. Do I jeopardise his place at the second choice school if I put it second and not first? As I’m confident if I put his second choice school he’s likely to be allocated it as feeder and aptitude, however his heart is really set on first choice school, but I’m unsure his score is sufficient enough and I don’t want to lose his second choice school as his back up as it is also a very over subscribed school with lots of children listing it first whereas we would be listing as second. HELP!

This is the section of MN university professionals as stated at the top of the forum. You’ll get more help in the correct bit of MN for your query about schools

MN have now moved thread.

No you do not jeopardise your chance if you put schools in your true order of preference.

Schools don't know the order you put them in.

Am I right in reading 1 form entry at a secondary school (second choice school) - if so that is tiny and I would avoid. Surely I've misunderstood?

Put in true order of preference.

You will not jeopardise your place. You will be allocated wherever has a place the highest in your preferences. Basically they look at all your preferences decide which ones you can be offered a place at and offer the highest preference which can offer a place. You are not penalised for putting your favourite first. If they can’t offer they will give the 2nd favourite (assuming a place is available).

Please please please put your true order of preferences.

In most cases it is algorithm that allocates space

The only people who know who you put down as your first preference work for the local authority handling the co-ordinated admissions scheme. Oh, and the school that gets told just before the National Offer Day emails go out that you've been offered a place.

Put your first choice first, your second choice second, etc, etc. Otherwise you'll get offered a school you didn't really want as much and have less chance of being offered a place at your favourite school in the second round offers (if there are any) than before.

Thank you so much! I have been so stressed about it all and so many parents saying you lessen your chance by putting a school in second place compared to a child that has put it first it’s so hard to wrap my head around so thank you for clarifying! So in theory if he doesn’t get his first choice as because he doesn’t score high enough with his high aptitude results on second choice school and it being a feeder he theoretically should get a place there? But would they not allocate all the children in his class that put that particular school first over him as he has listed it as second?

Thank you so much! I have been so stressed about it all and so many parents saying you lessen your chance by putting a school in second place compared to a child that has put it first it’s so hard to wrap my head around so thank you for clarifying! So in theory if he doesn’t get his first choice as because he doesn’t score high enough with his high aptitude results on second choice school and it being a feeder he theoretically should get a place there? But would they not allocate all the children in his class that put that particular school first over him as he has listed it as second?

he is currently in a one form primary school of 30 children the secondary school has 240 places per year

Thank you so much! I have been so stressed about it all and so many parents saying you lessen your chance by putting a school in second place compared to a child that has put it first it’s so hard to wrap my head around so thank you for clarifying! So in theory if he doesn’t get his first choice as because he doesn’t score high enough with his high aptitude results on second choice school and it being a feeder he theoretically should get a place there? But would they not allocate all the children in his class that put that particular school first over him as he has listed it as second?

Sorry to sound silly but what does this mean?

If you put school 1 first and he has scored highly enough to get into school 1, he will get school 1.

If you put school 1 first and he has not scored highly enough for school 1, he will likely get school 2 (if he's scored highly enough).

If you put school 2 first and he has scored highly enough to get into school 1, he will school 2 even though he scored well enough to get into school 1.

PUT SCHOOL 1 FIRST.

It means that a person doesn't sit and think @Ml2210 didn't really want school 2.... A computer system ranks all the applicants in order and shuffles them until everyone has the highest preference school that they qualify for, or an alternative if they didn't qualify for any of their preferences, or, rarely, no school if there are no spaces left.

The general process is

• the schools get a list of everyone who applied, with no reference to preference.
• the school puts the applications in order of how they meet the criteria.
• the top 200 (or the PAN) are allocated a space.
• the computer checks for any duplicate offers, and cancels any that the parent has listed lower.
• the waiting list shuffles up, and new allocations made
• again the computer checks for duplicates.
• this repeats until everyone has one offer. Then anyone without an offer is allocated their nearest school with a place.

So on offer day, your offer is your highest preference school that could make you an offer

Yes @Ml2210 as everyone says, you need to list schools in your genuine order of preference.

If your preferred school is a real long shot – you should still list it first. If your second favourite school is a cert then list it second – no the LA will not fill it with other people who put it first before giving you a place unless a) you get into your first choice or b) those other people live closer (or whatever the criterion is).

So we live out of catchment for a very popular school, and (literally) round the corner from another. If I listed the popular school first and the nearby school second, I would have got a place at the popular school if we were places were allocated far enough away that year (it varies, much like the attainment test your DC sat); if no place there, I would have got the local school.

Someone further away from me who listed the local school first would not leapfrog me in that scenario.

Thank you so much, it’s not made very clear how it works so i appreciate you explaining it

Thank you!

Right ok I finally understand! Thank you, I wish the aptitude test results you were told if you made the top 10% so you know what to do I don’t understand why they keep it all mysterious

Thank you so much for explaining this I have finally got my head wrapped around it all

I don't think they can tell you if you made the top 10% as you might have only been in top 11%, but if someone in the top 10% put a different school as their first choice and got that one, then you might qualify, despite only being in top 11%.

All LAs should explain how the system works (@Ml2210 if you can't see the explanation anywhere in your own LA's literature, then perhaps drop the admissions team an email to ask where to find it?); Portsmouth City Council puts it quite well, but note that the 'provisional offers' mentioned are just a paper (or, as a pp has said, computer) exercise - you will only get one offer on March 3rd.

This makes sense I really didn’t think of it in this way so thank you

If other parents talk nonsense about what order to put schools in, tell them to look on the local authority website. It will have information about the "equal preferences system" which all schools have to follow, as is basically as everyone has said above

Yes, as the PP said, lots of parents talk complete nonsense about school admissions OP and you're best to look at your LEAs website which should explain the system clearly. But no matter what rubbish other parents tell you, there are no tricks, or ways to game the system- well not unless you commit fraud which obviously isn't to be encouraged!
Put your genuinely preferred schools in your genuine order of preference but don't fill up all your preferences with "aspirational" applications, make sure that there is at least one on your list that you're pretty much guaranteed a place at and would be acceptable to you even if not ideal. If you don't qualify for any of the schools you list you will be offered wherever has places left after everyone else has been allocated, and a not great school close to home is generally preferable to a not great school on the other side of the county.
From what you say, you're probably more likely to get school 2 than school 1 but you have nothing to lose by putting 1 as your first choice as long as you have one or more schools that you're confident of a place at elsewhere in your application.
The schools/LEA will follow the published admissions policy. Anyone who tells you they came up with some clever strategy to make sure they got their first choice was either simply eligible for that place anyway or is a liar. Don't fall for those kind of stories.Do your homework on the process and your options and then list your genuine preferences. It really is that simple. Good luck- hope you get a school that both you and your child are happy with.