Common Application Form - c'mon, you're all meant to be filling it in RIGHT NOW - why do they ask for "Reason for preference"?

[Fauve]

We think Reason for Preference will only become relevant if things go to appeal - presumably your case will be stronger if you can say that you stated the compelling reason on your Common Application Form. Has anyone asked their LEA?

That makes perfect sense. Good luck on the talking beloved into working full time!

We are much the same tbh but without the guaranteed place so am worried about that, too.

Ah yes, I get it.

Have catted you, too.

Pamina, but everyone who has gone through it is very reassuring that it all ends ok. It's just the waiting and uncertainty. (Please let me start believing that now, please...)

OK. I've filled in the on-line application form. I've received a confirmation email. I've printed off a copy of my form for proof of application.
SO WHY AM I SO DAMNED NERVOUS? Have I missed something out? Is this enough? What if I'm mistaken and it hasn't gone through?
GAH!!! Wine, someone. Quickly!

Just submitted mine and Ds's...
I have lost count how many times I've read through the absolute crap you write in it ~ optional of course! . I wasn't sure what they wanted in that tbh, so I'm sure I've probably got it all wrong. Are you supposed to beg?

We have just done ours and felt so NERVOUS!

We had to share a bottle of wine to calm down!

(Me and dh, not ds!!)

Ok ladies so now i'm even more freaked out and probably should not be drinking this rioja.

I simply cannot find another 3 for my 4th, 5th and 6th choice. live in west london where everything is insanely over subscirbed. Are you saying that if I leave the last 3 blank I will simply be allocated the nearest failing disaster of a hell hole?

I thought they had to at least attempt to offer like for like evn way out of your borough?

Almost all my local schools are church or Independent.

So, if I fill the 3 empty spaces with church schools but have not submitted the additional info forms to those 3 schools, will they count?

Damn this is killing me.

gypsy, do the church schools have OTHER CHILDREN(no supplemetary form available) on the criteria? If so, thats you, so fill the spaces with the church schools(make sure you check the criteria before you do) to hopefully fill the gaps where they will throw the sink school at you.

God am a wreck going throught this;
ds sits his grammar test on the 8th of Nov, so have to wait to see how he does on that first.
Have seen one comp we both like but about 30mins away.

The local comp to us a hell hole.

Its so difficult ds would prefer to go to mixed school.
both grammars in the town are single sex.

There is a very good mixed grammar in the next town but they have to be virtually a child genius to get in there.

On the upside all this brain training on the 11+ is doing wonders for me .

Elsie, I'm out of vino...

Thanks UMM - church schools all require the additional form even for open places. Could do a last minute frenzied dash in person tomorrow.

The idea of leaving 3 blank spaces has suddenly provided a whole new and horribly depressing perspective.

Very glad I checked on here now.

There really are some dire schools that could be thrown at me as a last resort and a good chance that we wont make it into our top 3 anyway.

BEd calls.

Oh for a Marlboro Lite right now . . .

What exactly makes a school? is it the building, area, teachers, amount of money spent or is it the students?

Christie - yes, that does seem unfair - but in our case DD won't count as a sibling even though her older sister will still be at the same school. Why? Because sister will be entering the sixth form and the LA has changed its rules simply because it can't be *** to check with the school whether the older child is likely to be staying on in the handful of cases that this is likely to affect.

Best of luck to your DD in her tests.

PollyGlott, there was a big to-do in Hertfordshire 2 years ago about that very issue, and the LEA had to send an amendment out to its published rules after the deadline had passed saying that, due to government intervention, it now had to regard sixth-formers as siblings IF the school concerned had a 6th form department. It gave affected families the opportunity to re-submit their application.

Has everyone clicked sent/posted?