So, does it matter how you grade your primary choices?

[midivydale]

It seems to be mixed messages here. If you live extremely close to one school but would like to take your chances on another one, will you have missed your chances at your closest school because you didnt put that as your first choice?

Any thoughts welcome, I have heard anecdotes both ways.

[etta166]

No. Definitely not. You should always put the schools in the actual order of preference as you will be given the highest preference that you are eligible for a place at..

If you put a further away school first, and don't get it, you still stand exactly the same chance of getting the place at the closer school as you would have done had you put it first.

If you are having trouble with the Byzantine application process, your council should run surgeries and also have preference advisors who can help you work through it all.

[KatDew]

Put your favourite first. Just make sure you have some realistic choices as well.

Each application is treated in isolation according to the individual school's application criteria. Of the schools that are going to offer your child a place the council will offer your child a place at whichever school is then highest on your list.

[Cora]

Put them in order you want, that way you remain on waiting lists for all those above the one you get.

All your choices go into a computer - It works out which schools can offer you a place based on all other applicants that year. Then the computer checks which one of these schools that can offer you a place is furthest up your list. Putting a school first doesn't make it any more likely you will get in.

[hellosailor]

As everyone above says, if you put a school 6th on your list and someone else puts it as 1st choice, you would still be offered the place before them if you were nearer. So no need to be tactical xx

[AnyaJoeli]

I put the school closest to us as 2nd choice as it wasn't my favourite, and we didn't get our first choice but did get the closest school to us.

[midivydale]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate your thoughts.

[hpsaucey]

hellosailor Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As everyone above says, if you put a school 6th on

> your list and someone else puts it as 1st choice,

> you would still be offered the place before them

> if you were nearer. So no need to be tactical xx

Is this how it works for secondaries too now??

[sunbob]

I think the only time it really matters is if there is a real chance you will be eligible for 2 schools. Then you need to think carefully which is your favourite and put it first.

[midivydale]

I think that there could be, there are a few of my close neighbours that have got into the school that I would prefer as my first choice but realistically we have a greater chance of getting into the school which is across the road from us. I would if possible like to try to get into the school further away but I would be crazy compromising the chances of the school directly opposite if that makes sense.

The other school is a long shot, but not unheard of.

[LondonMix]

No midivydale, you don't compromise anything. What everyone else has said up thread is 100% right. Your chances of getting into a school don't change because you put it first or last on the list. There is no need to be tactical. Put the long shot first on your list.

A central computer assesses based on the admission criteria of each school on your list which schools can make you an offer. It then looks to see of the schools that can make you an offer, which school is highest up on your list. You don't harm yourself in anyway by putting your most realistic option 6th and your long shot option 1st.

In fact, you remain on the waiting list of all schools you didn't get into that are higher up on your list than the one you offered on Offer Day.

[simonethebeaver]

HP, yes, secondaries are exactly the same.

Midivydale, I put our banker (95% certain) school fifth, and our really cast iron certain to get if 3679 people moved between us and banker school sixth. The first four schools were the ones I really wanted. We duly got an offer for the fifth school, although we then ended up getting our first choice from the waiting list.

[midivydale]

Thanks all for helping a first timer (add a forergin national to that) and it is bound to be confusing.

I was told a horror story where a lady put 3 preffered choices and then missed out on a place of her closest school. This has made me abit nervous in case I would jeopardise our closest simply by not ranking it first.

Does it matter if my first choice is in another borough (but still a chance to get in, however slight?).

Thanks again everyone,really kind of you to share your experiences on what is an often fraught topic.

[njc97]

The schools don't know where you put them on the list when they allocate places. And borough doesnt matter either. To repeat what everyone said above: put them in the order you like them (and always put 6 down, just in case).

Also, guessing what the schools involved are based on your name, go for the long shot: there's quite a lot of flux in places at the moment, so you might be surprised where you get in.

[simonethebeaver]

Midivydale, stories like you heard happen when people don't actually put the closest school on the form, assuming they'll just get it if the other choices don't work out. Or if their closest school still isn't close enough for them to get a place. Nothing to do with order of choice. Good luck!

And don't be afraid to sit on waiting lists. There is movement.

[midivydale]

Thanks again everyone really appreciate your replies.

[Carbonara]

The Equal Preference System (i.e where the school does not even know where you put them on the list, and does not use the position on the list in their decision making) is part of the Admissions Code, and this is statutory - i.e law.

Any 'mixed messages' and anecdote = MYTH.

People fall prey to myths such as 'if you put 3 choices down they have to give you one of them' and 'if you only put down one school you will get it'. Some people put down 3 'preferred choices' and according to the admissions criteria, they do not stand a chance of getting a place there. So, all of the 3 schools say 'no sorry, we can't offer a place' and the council then allocates a place at a school, any school, that can offer a place, once all the admissions done from the lists have been done. Had she put her closest school on the list in last place, that school could well have offered her a place (if she lived close enough) and she would have been allocated it.

There are some addresses that are between schools and not quite close enough to any, these areas are known on this board as 'black holes'. Do you think you live in a black hole?

Yes, you can put down schools in other boroughs - just put them on your list and submit it on your CAF.

Good luck!

[midivydale]

Thanks Carbonara, very informative. No, we seem very lucky that we do not live in a black hole (going by previous years admissions). My only question was if it was worth chancing ranking my preffered choice above my closest school, on the chance that we might get in. It would be a long shot but not unheard of and from the replies above it seems like we are not jeopordising our chances at our closest by ranking it second or even third if it comes to it. I have a couple of months, and a few more visits to figure it all out but wondered on principle what our position would be.

[Carbonara]

The only way you can jeopardise a place in your closest school is if a school higher up your list of preferences gives you a place - win:win!