FAQs

Can I apply to schools outside of the borough I live in?
Yes. You can apply to up to six state schools outside of your borough. They should be indicated on your Common Application Form in exactly the same way you would nominate a school in your borough. Whilst no LEA is allowed to refuse an application to one of its schools, most schools will use distance as one of their admissions criteria and are within their rights to refuse the application on these grounds.

How do I know my application has been received?
Both online and paper applicants will have a confirmation letter sent by post to their address as proof of receipt. Allow around 3 weeks for this to arrive before chasing it up with your LEA.

Am I disadvantaged if I use a paper form?
No. All applications are of equal standing provided they are received in advance of the published deadline. Applying online does have some superficial advantages though. It is easier to make sure the form gets there on time as it doesn't have to travel by post and you can see your result on National Offer Day immediately at 9am.

Am I guaranteed an offer from at least one of my preferences?
The LEA is under no obligation to offer any of your preferred schools. The new system does not guarantee that an offer will be received, but your chances of doing so are much larger than they were before its introduction. One figure quoted a lot by the London authorities is that 93% of parents got one of there preferred choices in 2006.

Can parents who have been offered a place at one of their preferred schools, appeal against refusal of a place at a school that they ranked lower?
Parents have the right to appeal against any admission decision. If a child has been offered a place at a school, any lower ranked offer will be automatically withdrawn under the co-ordinated scheme. However, it is technically possible for a parent to appeal against not being offered a place at a lower ranked school, in the event that they now prefer this to the higher ranked school already offered. For example, the family may have moved during the process and now live nearer to a lower ranked school. In such cases, the appeal panel will need to be informed that a place was offered at a higher ranked school when they come to consider the case.

Is a place at my local school guaranteed?
In line with the fact that the LEA is under no obligation to provide any school, the answer is no. They are obliged to offer a school, but by law this does not even have to be in the borough. It should be remembered though that applications to local non-selective schools are very rarely refused.

I want to place a selective school as my first preference. If my child fails the 11 plus, will my chances at other schools be jeopardised?
Under the new co-ordinated system, the answer to this is quite simple. If the other school (not the selective school) operates under the Equal Preference System then it will not make any difference which other schools you have applied to - even if they have a higher preference on your CAF. If they operate outside the EPS and directly instruct the LEA to inform them of preferences, it is highly likely that putting the selective school first will jeopardise your chances. As the vast majority of schools do use the EPS, any that do not are likely to give a lot of importance to where they are on your preference list; otherwise they would not have made this request to the LEA. An example situation is that of faith schools. Faith schools tend to have very good results. Subsequently many parents will apply to a selective school and then place their local faith school as a back-up option. Many faith schools have now taken a stand against this as it disadvantages the applicants that the school originally intended to provide for. Those who want to name the school as their fist choice for religious reasons would have no advantage over those who want the school only as a back up unless the school opts out of the EPS. Always check with the LEA whether the school in question is part of the Equal Preference System.

Are my preferences confidential?
By default, no. However, the reality is that the majority of schools choose not to be notified of preferences through their participation in the Equal (sometimes known as Confidential) Preference System. Contact the LEA in which the school in question resides to find out whether or not they participate in this scheme.

Do I have the right to a school place within my local authority?
No. It is the mandatory duty of your LEA to provide a school place for your child but the 1996 Act which states this does not express a need for that school place to be located within the local authority's jurisdiction.

Can my LA give me priority over applicants from other boroughs?
The Greenwich Judgment of 1989 states that 'local education authority-maintained schools may not give priority to children simply because they live in the council’s geographical area'. So no, it can't.

My neighbour got into a school last year that I am interested in. Will I get a place?
It is likely that you will, as long as distance has a significant ranking of importance in the school's published admissions criteria. Check to see if these have changes, inquire with your neighbour if there were any other reasons for their application's success and check that your house is located within this year's published threshold distance, measured as specified in their criteria.

Can children living further away get a place ahead of me?
Yes, this situation is quite common. Admissions criteria rank applicants based on a number of factors. Sometimes distance may be of no consideration at all! These factors are wide-ranging and include: number of siblings, participation in school activities, exam results, musical ability, special needs etc.

What should I do if I feel my child must go to this school because of 'special reasons'?
These should be made clear on the Common Application Form and must be supported with professional evidence, which you should send with you CAF. If the application is subsequently unsuccessful and you feel that these concerns were not given due consideration, you should lodge an appeal with the school's governing body so that your case can be heard.

Are places reserved for children moving into the area?
It is illegal for the LEA to do so. Parents moving into the area will have there applications decided by either the home LA or by another authority appointed at the home LA's discretion. Thanks to the new Pan-London system this should simply mean that your details are passed onto your new LA, provided you have sufficient evidence of the move and you notified them in time.

How many places are reserved for successful appeals?
Schools reserve NO places for successful appeals. Instead, "an independent appeal panel is empowered to direct (force) the admissions authority to make an additional place available for a succes
sful appellant."

When will I know the outcome of my application?
On National Offer Day, in this cycle Monday 3rd March 2008.

What is the next step if I do not receive an offer?
You should receive instructions from the LA on National Offer Day. If this does not occur, contact them immediately. Whilst it remains their responsibility to find a place for your child, there is no time limit in which they must fulfill this obligation and additionally the offer they eventually make could be at a poor school. Consequently it is advised that the parent personally chases up other schools directly, trying to secure any newly available places. Appeals and waiting lists can also be a solution but do not rely solely on them to provide an acceptable outcome as they are unlikely to bear any fruit in the majority of cases.

What if I am offered a place I don't want?
It is explicitly advised by LEAs that you accept any offer given and only then proceed with trying to improve upon it. This is due to the fact that as soon as you are made an offer the LEA has fulfilled all the legal obligations it has to you. As such, it is then your sole responsibility to secure an alternative place for your child, leaving a very real chance that your child has no school place come September. Whilst LEAs may help you secure a new placement, do not assume that this will be the case. Some will help, others will quite simply wash their hands of the situation. In addition, accepting the offer does not influence the outcome of any waiting list placements or appeals that may be pending for your higher preference choices.

How do I get my child on the waiting list?
In most boroughs you will be placed automatically on the waiting list of all the schools on your CAF that were listed higher than the offer you received. If they have not already sent word of the situation by post, check with the school directly to confirm you are on their list. Please note that only children that have met the school's admissions criteria will be placed on the waiting list. For example, some selective schools place the 100 highest scoring unsuccessful applicants on their list. Meanwhile others may have a pass mark above which applicants can be put on the waiting list. Other criteria will establish the order in which these places are then given out, e.g. distance.

If I accept an offer from a school either not listed on my CAF or listed as a lower preference, will it affect my waiting list positions for other schools or any appeal I make?
No. Accepting an alternative place is without prejudice to waiting lists and appeals.

Can I choose to educate my child at home?
To do this the parent must send a written request to the relevant LEA. It is well within your rights to do so but it will be necessary to provide the child with an adequate eduction. Your ability and continuation to do so will have to be established by the Local Authority and this will involve regular visits to your home by council officials.

Can I move my child to another school after they start in September?
Parents may transfer their children to any school at any time providing the relevant education authority and schools agree.