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We're in the thick of it - the deadline is 31 October and I'm going round in circles. We've got six slots and I keep changing the order.
Our nearest school is fine but not exciting. The one we love is a bit further out and we might not get in on distance. Then there's a faith school we'd need to start going to church for (not happening).
How did you decide? And how much did open evenings actually tell you?
The single biggest thing: rank them in your genuine order of preference. It doesn't hurt your chances to put a long shot first. Schools don't see where you ranked them, the council just works down your list.
I genuinely didn't know that! I thought putting a reach school first could lose me the safe one.
That's the most common misconception. Put your dream first, but make sure there's a realistic one in there you'd be happy with, ideally your nearest.
Check last year's allocation distances on the council website. They're published by school. It gave us a reality check about one we were very keen on - last place offered was 0.6 miles and we're 1.4.
Open evenings are a show. Go on a school day tour if they do them, you see what the corridors are actually like at changeover.
also ask your kid. ours chose differently to us and frankly she was right. the one we liked had amazing results but she said the kids "looked sad"
Final list submitted. Dream school first, nearest second, then four others in order. Now we wait until March. Thanks all.
Good luck! National offer day is 1 March, the email comes through in the evening or the next morning depending on your borough. Don't refresh the portal at 6am like I did.
And if you don't get what you want, get on the waiting lists straight away. Lists move a LOT between March and September in London - families move out, go private, take grammar places. We got our first choice in late May.
That's really good to know, Nappy. Fingers crossed we won't need it but I'll remember.
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