So, dd1 has been given the form for secondary applications today, but I have a few questions

[IllegallyBrunette]

Right, it says in the leaflet that we can apply for up to six schools, but doesn't mention if there is a minimum amount that you have to apply for. When I was at school, you had to put 3 choices.

I am assuming that as it hasn't suggested a minimum, then technically, I could just put one choice ??

Dd1 knows which school she wants, and luckily it is the same one that I want her to go to, however, I also want to put another school as back up, but dd1 doesn't want me to. Despite me telling her the rules of allocations, she thinks they will give her her second choice just to create another place at her top choice, but that wouldn't happen would it ??

Is putting just one choice too risky ?? Both schools are over subscribed. We live 0.33 miles away from first choice, and 0.96 miles away from second choice. Neither are our closest, which is only 0.25 miles away.

However, we may possibly be moving in the next 2/3 mths, and then our preference school would be ever so slightly further away, 0.43 miles, but it would then be our closest school. Second preference would be 1.05 miles away.

So, do I apply now, and put down both preferences or just the one, OR wait until we move and put down one or both schools ??

Reading this post back, it seems very long and rambly, sorry.

I won't be facing this for another three years yet, but I'd be hard-pressed, to be honest, to name six schools in this education authority which I'd be happy for DD to go to.

Well, I could probably name five, but four of them would involve a horrendous bus journey and are the kind where people just laugh in your face if you try to get in without living within spitting distance and in a £300,000 house.

I could also name five within travelling distance, but four of them would be schools where my DD would be eaten alive unless she had a pierced navel and a Croydon Facelift, listened to R'n'B and changed her name to Shaneece-Kelseeeey.

There's only one I'm happy with which is both near and good. It happens to be the catchment school.

Getting you to fill in multiple spaces is, I reckon, their way of steering people out of the popular schools - and of being able to keep their hands clean when you turn round and protest, so they can say "well, it was on your list!"

But then of course the caveats issued above make sense. So we can't win.

Putting just one school doesn't make it any more likely you will get in.

But it really depends on your position. With ds1 we put only one school on the form (we can put up to 3), because if he didn't get in we would have sent him private.