Grammar school out of catchment admission

[Bluedenim25]

Hi,

My son has passed his 11+ exam for both BWS Salisbury and Bournemouth School for 2026 Year 7 entry. He has got quite good scores 397 and 393 respectively.

We are in Fareham, Hampshire and he is in year 6 at local Fareham school.

He is keen to go to BWS with Bournemouth as second option.

Can someone comment on his chances to get offer in one of these schools.

I am planning to put in CAF as follows:

1. BWS
2. Bournemouth school
3. Cams Hill School

I am hoping that by putting Bournemouth School as second choice won’t make him ineligible for this school.

Looking for some info. Thanks.

Putting a school 2nd choice won't impact.

However Fareham to Bournemouth (or Salisbury) is a hell of a long way! Googlemaps tells me it is a 1 hr drive currently and that is out of rush hour. Plus the M27.

Are you sure this is wise?

Do they select based on score or distance? Do you actually have any hope of getting in? If not is your final school a shoe in?

It's a shame you didn't mention the schools in the title. I don't know the area.

However, the Equal Preference System for school admissions means that you will not be disadvantaged by putting a school lower in your preference order. You will still get the offer for that school if your child is eligible and if your child doesn't get an offer for one of your higher ranked schools.

If you search for Equal Preference System and read some examples, you will see how it works.

Actually, it looks as though your own local authority explains it very well.

https://democracy.portsmouth.gov.uk/documents/s9071/Equal%20preference%20flowchart%20-%20evidence%20from%20Admissions.pdf

Do you know the 'last distance admitted' for recent years?
Do you have any hope?

You need to check their criteria. Ours if you are out of catchment is solely done on scores so it's just down to how others did too.

I tried to find the furthest distance of places offered for BWS recently but couldn’t anywhere - have you seen it?

Looking at admissions data both of those schools over-subscription criteria are based on distance rather than scores which makes it harder to get in from out of area.
In the last 3 years BWS don't appear to have taken anyone in a lower admissions band than 3 (boys living within their designated area).

Bournemouth school look to have made only one offer to out of area applicants last year and none the year before.

www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Assets/Schools-and-learning/summary-of-the-allocation.pdf

https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/media/17547/Secondary-schools-in-Wiltshire-2026/default/Secondary_schools_in_Wiltshire_2026.odt?m=1752153684537

Hi. Yes it is far but I was thinking of using train. Better than car travel I guess.

No. I couldn’t find it. It seems tight due to distance from the school.

For BWS Salisbury it is distance from the school I think.

No. Couldn’t find this information.

But isn't the train likely to take even longer than an hour each way, by the time you have got too and from the station at each end. Plus whether train times tie in.
Sounds exhausting!

@Bluedenim25 as others say, listing a school second will not affect your chances of getting a place. But are you at all likely to get a place at schools in Bournemouth – it's more than 40 miles away?

Would your DC really want that daily journey – more than an hour on the train plus getting to and from the station each end – probably at least 15 minutes extra each end of the journey? That's 3.5 hours+ commuting each day.

The third school you mention appears to be in Fareham – is that your local catchment state comprehensive? If so then I have to say surely you will be offered that one. Unless you are planning to move. Your son is keen on the Bournemouth schools – but does he realise what the commute would entail?

Plus I imagine it would be expensive – Trainline suggests £8 each way for a child's ticket so £80pw/£3,200 pa.