Year 6Apply by 31 October

How to rank your secondary school choices

Written by A Dagdelen · Reviewed 17 October 2026

The form asks for a ranked list, and most parents worry about getting the order wrong. There is one rule behind it, and a five-minute method that works for most families.

Photo: Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

31 Oct 2026last day to apply on time
1 Mar 2027offer day, a Monday
One offerfor the highest school on your list that can take your child
Nearestschool with a place, if none of your choices can offer one

What you need to know

One rule sits behind the order. Each school ranks its applicants with its own rules and is not told where it sits on your list. The council then offers the highest school on your list where your child qualifies. So a popular school in first place costs you nothing: if you qualify you get it, and if not you fall to the next.
Rank by what you want, not by what you expect. Do not push a school you love down because the odds look poor, and do not put a safe school first just to be sensible. Your true order is the best order. The one thing to avoid is leaving off a school you could live with.
Include one choice you can be confident about. If none of your choices can offer a place, the council must find one. GOV.UK says that is usually the nearest school with places left, which may be a school you never visited. One confident choice protects you from that.
Use every space your council gives you. GOV.UK is clear that listing only one school will not increase your chances there. Councils set the number of choices, usually at least three, so fill them all.
Some steps sit outside the form. A grammar school needs a separate 11+ registration as well as a place on your form, and a faith school may ask for its own supplementary form. Missing either can cancel a choice you thought you had made.

A five-minute method

1. Write your true order

Imagine every school could offer you a place. Which would you choose first, second and third? Write that down before you look at any odds.

2. Check the odds for each

Do you meet a priority such as a sibling, faith or catchment? How far did last year's furthest offer go? Past figures are a guide, not a promise.

3. Check the daily reality

Walk or ride the 8am journey once. Secondary children often travel alone, and a long trip every day wears everyone down.

4. Place your confident choice

Make sure at least one school passes step 2 comfortably, then put it where it fits your order. It only matters if the schools above it say no, so it is often low on the list.

Practise and explore on Quizo School

Applying for secondary school The full guide: dates, admission rules and offer day.
The 11+ and grammar schools Registration, test dates and why a pass is not a guaranteed place.
Year 6 Maths Keep a short routine going through the application season.
Year 7 Maths Look ahead with your child so Year 7 feels familiar.
Appealing a school's decision How appeals work, on GOV.UK.

Questions parents ask

Our favourite is a long shot. Should I still put it first?

Yes, if it is your real first choice. Putting it first does not reduce your chances at the schools below it.

Should I put the nearest school first to be safe?

Only if it is your true first choice. If you would prefer another school, list that one higher. The nearest school can sit lower and still protect you.

What if the 11+ results are not back by 31 October?

In some areas results arrive before the deadline and in others after. You still need to apply on time. Ask the grammar school and your council how your area handles it.

Can I change the list after I submit it?

Most councils let you change it up to the closing date. After that it is usually only possible for a change of circumstances, so check your council's rules.

What if I am unhappy on 1 March?

Accept the place you are offered by the date in the letter, or it may be withdrawn. You can also join waiting lists, which stay open for at least the first term, and you can appeal.

Was this page helpful?