Everything Parents Should Know About the Equal Preference System for Secondary School

Choosing a secondary school for your child is a big decision, and understanding how offers are made can make the process feel less overwhelming. 

One term you’ll come across is the equal preference system—a crucial part of how school places are allocated. While it might sound complex at first, the system is designed to ensure fairness, giving every application an equal chance regardless of how schools are ranked. 

In this guide, we’ll explain everything parents need to know about how the system for secondary school admissions works, how to improve your child’s chances of getting into a preferred school, your right of appeal, and what steps to take if things don’t go to plan.

What is the Equal Preference System Secondary Schools Use for Admissions?

The equal preference system for secondary school admissions is a method used by local authorities to ensure fairness when allocating school places. Parents can list up to three schools (sometimes more) on their application form, ranked in order of preference. 

Each of the three schools on your application is considered independently of your preference order. That means your child is considered for all the schools listed, and only once all applications have been processed is the highest preference school, for which your child qualifies, offered.

This system aims to prevent families from being penalised for being ambitious in their school preferences, allowing them to apply for schools they may not otherwise risk including.

How the System Works

When you apply, you’ll rank up to three preferred schools (or more in some areas). These become your first preference, second and third preferences, and so on.

Here’s how the system works step by step:

1. Each of the three schools on your list is assessed independently based on whether your child qualifies under their published admission criteria, including distance from home, sibling priority, and more.
   
2. If your child has qualified for more than one school, you’ll be offered the one ranked highest, following preference order.
   
3. If your child only qualifies for one of your choices, that’s the school offered, even if it was second or third in your preference order.
   

If none of your preferences can offer your child a place, the local authority will try to place them at the nearest school with available places—often called your catchment school or local school.

Do Secondary Schools Know the Order of School Preference?

No. Under the system, secondary schools do not know the preference order in which you listed them. The school admissions code requires that schools cannot discriminate or give extra priority based on how highly they are ranked by parents. 

This ensures fairness. A C school (community school) cannot refuse to admit your child simply because it wasn’t ranked highest in your preference school list.

What Determines If Your Child Gets a Place?

Admission to each preference school depends on whether your child is qualified, according to that school’s oversubscription criteria. These can include:

• Straight line distance from your home address
• Whether they have a sibling at the school
• Special educational needs
• Looked after children or other priority cases
• Score in the 11 Plus Exam (in case of grammar schools)

Each preference school on your application applies its criteria separately, and then the highest preference school for which your child qualifies is selected.

What Happens If You Don’t Get School Places in Any of Your Secondary School Choices?

If none of your school preferences are able to offer your child a place, the local authority will allocate a place at the nearest school with available space. This might not be on your schools list, but it ensures your child still has access to education.

You also have the right of appeal for each preference school that rejected your application. Additionally, your child can be placed on a waiting list for any of the school places where they were not initially successful. 

Making the Most of the System

To maximise your child’s chances:

• Include a local or catchment school among your preferences. 
• Always use all three preferences (or however many your authority allows).
• Understand the published admission criteria of each school.
• Be realistic about your child’s eligibility, especially when listing your first preference, but also feel free to include aspirational choices. 
• Submit your application on time. Late applications may be treated as a separate application and considered only after all on-time applications.

Final Thoughts on Equal Preference

Understanding the equal preference system is essential for making informed choices. Take time to research each preference school, assess your child’s chances realistically, and use all your preferences wisely. The system is designed to be fair, but how well you navigate it can make all the difference. 

Frequently Asked Questions