Two systems are running side by side
Grammar school admissions often look confusing because parents are dealing with two connected but separate systems.
The first is the test route. This might be run by a local authority, a consortium, or a group of schools. It decides whether the child can sit the relevant assessment and receive a result.
The second is the common application form, often called the CAF. This is the local authority school preference form. It is where you name the schools you want and put them in order.
Example
A child might register for the Bexley Selection Test in spring, sit the test in September, receive a result in October, and still need to list Beths, Bexley Grammar, Chislehurst and Sidcup, or Townley on the secondary application if the family wants those schools considered.
The test result tells the admissions system whether the child can be considered for selective places. The CAF tells the local authority which schools the family is applying for.
What to check
- Who runs the test registration.
- Whether there is a separate school supplementary form.
- Which local authority receives your CAF.
- Whether your home authority is different from the school authority.
- Whether results arrive before the CAF deadline.
- Whether the school must still be named even if the child is waiting for a review or appeal route.
Do not leave this to memory
Put both dates in one place: the test registration deadline and the CAF deadline. If you are looking across more than one route, add each route separately. The easiest mistake is assuming that because one form has been completed, the other part of the process has been covered too.