Use preference order for real preference, not fear
The CAF is not a prediction form. It is a preference form. If the grammar school is genuinely the school you would choose if it could offer, it can belong on the CAF.
The risk is not that a grammar first preference automatically damages lower preferences. The risk is a thinner CAF: too many unlikely grammar choices and not enough schools that can realistically offer.
Example
A child sits an 11+ route and the family likes one grammar school. The result is uncertain. If the grammar school is first and cannot offer, the local authority can still consider lower preferences. But if the family has left off realistic local schools, the child may be allocated a school they did not name.
What to check before listing it
- Whether the child has sat or registered for the correct test.
- Whether the result will be known before the CAF deadline.
- Whether the school uses distance, priority area, score rank, or another rule after qualification.
- Whether the journey would work every day.
- Which non-grammar schools you would accept if the grammar route does not lead to an offer.
A practical rule
Name the grammar school if it is a real preference and still possible under the route rules. Then use the rest of the CAF carefully. A balanced CAF is not pessimistic; it protects the child from a single uncertain result.