Secondary school place allocation process - how does it work?

[fool11]

Can someone please explain, in simple way, how the allocation process work? I haven’t attended any schools in UK so not familiar with the process, although I’ve searched mumsnet and google but still not 100% clear how does council select who gets what/which school (usual criteria I came across are 1. LAC & PLAC. 2. Children who have a sibling that is expected to be on roll at the school at the time of the child’s’ admission. 3. Children of staff. 4. Any other children – usually based on distance from school.)

So for secondary, state schools, if I understood correctly, you need to apply by end of October and you add your schools in order of preference.
E.g. – application/school list:

1. first choice - school A – outstanding, oversubscribed, preferred
2. second – school B – outstanding, oversubscribed, preferred (religious school, but you meet all their requirements to apply)
3. third – school C – not even “good”, but closest

So if school A has e.g. 150 places, after allocating places to kids within LAC, PLAC, siblings, children of staff categories, let’s say there are 100 places left. How does council allocate those? Will they allocate it first to 100 kids who put school A on the list as their first choice- based on distance..but only from applications who had it as choice number 1, and only if they don’t fill the places with applicants who had it as choice number 1, then they will look if someone had it as choice number 2? So if you don’t get place in school A, do you automatically reduce your chance to get place in school B, as you’ve put it on your list as a second choice, as again council would allocate remaining places first to kids who put school B as first choice…(e.g. if child “AA” lives 5 miles away from school A, but put is as choice number 1, will it have a higher chance/be preferred to get a place, even if child “BB” lives 3 miles away but you’ve put it as choice number 2) . Apologies, it’s difficult for me to explain it properly in English, I hope it makes sense what I’m trying to ask. Just trying to work out how does the whole process work, allocation of the places. Thank you.

Every school has their own admissions criteria, which will include things like the criteria you have mentioned in your post. They allocate places based on the criteria in order.

Parents must list schools in their genuine order of preference. The order of preference is not taken into account when allocating school places - it's only important if their child is allocated places in multiple schools, in which case they will be offered their higher preference.

The process works something like this.

1. Process run to assign all school places based on admission criteria in order
2. Everyone who is allocated their first choice is given that choice
3. Process re-run without those already allocated places
4. Process continually rerun to ensure that everyone is offered their highest possible preference choice.

The key thing to note is that your order of preferences does not change your likelihood of getting offered your first choice school - you should put your genuine order of preference. Hence, if you really want a school, put it first on your list even if you have only a tiny chance of getting in.

The position on the list does not affect whether a school can admit you or not.

They assess every application only according to their published admissions policy.

Then if more than one school could offer you a place according to those criteria the local authority offers you the one that is highest up your list.

They are not allowed, by law, to use putting a school first as a criteria.

It is likely, but not always the case, that distance or living in a priority admissions area is used as a tie breaker where there are more applicants in the next category than places. Faith schools may give practising children of that faith, or even those within a specific parish, as a higher priority category than those not of that faith. Some give priority to those at specific primaries(often in more rural areas where using distance alone might be a disadvantage). Not all give children of staff priority.

A separate category for children of staff is unusual OP.
Once places for LAC, PLAC (SEN), siblings and any other categories are allocated, all other children who have listed that school on the application are ranked in order of distance from home to school until all the places have been allocated. This list is passed on to the LEA. Some children may meet the criteria for more than one school. If this is the case, they will be offered the school of highest preference. Any places still available after this process then get reallocated to the child who is next on the list in terms of distance.

Thank you for your time to read my post and respond. My DD’s preference is school A, where some of her friends will go, although we don’t live very far it’s so oversubscribed that even meters can make difference (I think), and based on previous year’s results I think she has a tiny chance. School B , religious school which is great, although she is not in the feeder primary school, we are part of the parish/catchment etc and feel she has a higher chance to get in (but you never know). School C is the closest, but had a very bad reputation, ofsted report etc.

So based on your responses, if she met admission criteria for schools and was offered a place let’s say at school A and school C, or B and C, council would pick the one which was at the top/higher on the list..correct? Or would they tell you that you have been accepted at A and C, or A and B or B and C and you can choose which one to accept – this is probably very unlikely to happen, to be offered more than one and choose?

@RedSkyDelights
The process works something like this.
Process run to assign all school places based on admission criteria in order
Everyone who is allocated their first choice is given that choice – so if you put school A as first choice, or second choice (any choice actually) - if the computer will pick you/allocate you a space regardless what position it was on your list, as you met the admission criteria, you will be allocated that place at school..correct?
Is it all done simultaneously? So during the very first run to assign schools , system will run the criteria for all schools at the same time, and if you meet criteria for 1 or more schools, it’s all done during first run and system will see /allocate place accordingly at those schools? If you didn’t meet criteria at school A, first choice, but met criteria at school B, they will offer you place at B, and then exclude you from further re-run? Do I understand correctly? Apologies for the questions, find it really difficult to understand, the principle of it (I understand that different schools can have different admission criteria)

Process re-run without those already allocated places –

Process continually rerun to ensure that everyone is offered their highest possible preference choice.

Apologies that you have to explain like to a 5y old 😊

You only get one offer, the school which you placed higher preference for which you qualify for a place. So if she really wants A that should be placed highest. If you do not qualify for a place at any of the preferences the LA offer a place at nearest school with space after the process of looking at preferences for all applicants has finished.

I don't know how exactly the algorithms work but they will be designed to make sure that you are offered your highest possible preference.

During the first run the school considers your child for all their schools simultaneously. So your child might be eligible (according to the criteria) for School A and School C. If you put School A first then, happy days, you will be allocated it. You'll only ever get allocated one school (with a small number of tiny niche exceptions).

However, imagine that you have put A, B, C in order of preference. After the first allocation run, you might be assigned school B. However, some other child might have put down D, E, A in order of preference and been eligible for D and A. As D is their higher preference, the fact that they were eligible for A becomes irrelevant and that frees a place for the next highest child on the eligibility list to get a place at School A. And if that is your child, then they will now be eligible for both A and B, but because A was their higher preference they will be allocated that, B will drop back into the "pool" and another child will become eligible for B. I assume it is all automated so you don't see the inner workings.

I'd suggest no overthinking and just put your schools in your preferred order, which sounds like it is A, B, C? It's always a good idea to put a school you are pretty sure to get into on your list even if it's last place (which sounds like it would be C in your situation) as you might otherwise get allocated something you like even less.

Yes - put your preferences in the exact order you prefer them - you will only get offered one school - the highest on your list that can admit you. That's the bottom line.

If you don't get offered your top preference most LAs automatically put you on the waiting list for all preferences above the one offered. And at that point you can go on the waiting list for any other schools you would consider. Including ones lower on your list if you have changed your mind.

Accept whatever school you re offered. It will not disadvantage you in any waiting lists or appeals.

Waiting lists can move fast once the acceptance date has passed. At that point some LAs automatically switch you to a school higher up your list (if you have chosen to remain on the waiting list for higher preferences) , some will give you a short window within which to accept or decline the new offer from the waiting list. Details will be on their website or in the offer letter.

Thank you all, really appreciate it. I will put school A,B and C when the time comes, not understanding the system I was worried that putting B as second choice will automatically reduce chance of that school being offered, if admission criteria met. I would be equally happy with A and B, trying to prepare her that she will prob not get to school A, and maybe not even B ..will see and hope for the best. Thank you.

Local authorities usually post "how secondary places were offered" on their websites and this will show which oversubscription criterion was applied for the last child offered on national offer day for oversubscribed schools (eg furthest distance). You can use this as a guide to see if you would have got a place however important to note that just because you would have been offered a place on offer day this year, it doesn't mean you would in a future year. Also some offered on national offer day will decline the place and other children will receive an offer before September.

Has anybody been offered waiting list places yet or do they have to wait until appeal places have been allocated?

Schools cannot not allocate places which become available in anticipation of appeals - they must go on allocating and any successful appeals will at that point take the school over PAN.

At which point, admissions from the waiting list will be paused until the number in the year group falls below PAN again, if it ever does.

https://www.essex.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-09/ECC%20Secondary%20Schools%20Brochure%202025_26_02.09.24.pdf

An example of Secondary School Admissions, How it's Done, so to speak. All LAs and schools in England are bound by the same statutory Admissions Code, so although there may be some minor differences between ares, the basic process is the same.

Who actually makes up the appeals panel?

Trained volunteers. They are independent from the LA and the school for which parents are appealing.

I don't know how exactly the algorithms work but they will be designed to make sure that you are offered your highest possible preference.

In broad terms, the algorithm is:

• If any applicants have put down schools in other LAs, notify those LAs of the applications
• Identify all the applicants for each school (including applicants from other LAs) and put them in priority order using the school's oversubscription criteria (for academies and VA schools, the school is sent a list of applicants returns an ordered list)
• For each school, the first N applicants on the list will have places, where N is PAN
• At this stage, some applicants will have more than one place. Keep the highest priority place they've got and remove them from the list for their lower priority preferences. Keep doing this until no applicant has more than one place
• After this process has finished, you will probably have some applicants who didn't get any of their preferences. Find places for them (usually the nearest school with places available). This only applies to applicants from within the LA
• If any of your applicants listed schools in other LAs, find out the outcome. If this results in an offer from a higher preference than they've got locally, adjust accordingly. If results in an offer from a lower preference, inform the other LA that the place is not required
• If you have any applicants from other LAs, notify them of the outcome. If they tell you that the place is not required, adjust accordingly

Occasionally, people ask why the process takes so long as surely it is all automated. As you can see from the above, whilst some steps can be automated there is still a lot of manual processing and co-ordination with other LAs.

Thank you all. One more question, i've heard some people move houses in order to get closer to the school so they get the school they want (btw not our case..). Just interested, doesn't school/council get suspicions if somebody moves house 4-5m before submitting the application? Surely it's more than obvious..

If you make a proper move, there is nothing they can do. i.e sell one house and buy another, or give up one rental and take on another. People are allowed to move house!

If you own a house within the area generally and then rent near the school, many LAs will withdraw the place.

If you have moved from miles away for work or whatever and are renting before your house back home has sold or is being rented - fine.

And people from the primary who are also wanting a place may well shop people who take on a temporary rental.

They check Council Tax bills and child benefit etc.