Soon after the 11 plus exams are over, parents need to fill in the Common Application Form (CAF).
The CAF is used to apply for your child’s secondary school place.
For parents in Welling, Blackfen, Sidcup, elsewhere in Bexley or the wider South East London area, this can be particularly important because many families are considering grammar schools alongside comprehensive and other secondary schools.
The 11+ test registration and the Common Application Form are two separate parts of the admissions process: a CAF needs to be filled in for every child – those hoping to get into grammar school and non-grammar schools alike.
Your child’s 11+ result may determine whether they are eligible for a grammar school, but the CAF is the form through which you tell your local authority which schools you want your child to be considered for.
This guide explains what the CAF is, how school preferences work, what happens if your child has passed the 11+, and some of the common mistakes parents should avoid.
Important: This article relates to children applying for Year 7 places for September 2027. Always check your own local authority and individual school’s current admissions arrangements before submitting your application as rules may change.
What is the Common Application Form?
The Common Application Form (CAF) is the application form used by parents to apply for a secondary school place.
Despite the name, there is no single national online form that every parent completes.
You apply through your home local authority — the council responsible for the area where your child lives.
GOV.UK states that parents apply through their local council, even if they want their child to attend a school in another local authority area. Parents list the schools they want to apply for in order of preference.
For example, if you live in Bexley but want your child to attend a grammar school elsewhere in London or Kent, you normally still complete your application through Bexley Council.
Bexley Council specifically states that Bexley residents should complete one application through Bexley, and that they can include schools outside Bexley on that application.
Is the 11+ registration and the CAF the same thing?
No.
The process broadly works like this:
11+ registration → 11+ test → test result → CAF application → school allocation
The 11+ test is used by selective schools to determine whether a child meets their academic selection requirements.
The CAF is then used to tell the local authority which schools you want your child to be considered for.
For example, Bexley Council states that children wishing to attend one of its grammar schools must meet the selective standard in the Bexley Selection Test and then list one or more Bexley grammar schools as preferences on the secondary school application.
Similarly, Medway Council states that children who want to attend a Medway grammar school must take the Medway Test, while the secondary school application is a separate process.
Registering for and sitting the 11+ does not automatically apply for a grammar school place; you still need to put the school on your CAF.
Who needs to complete the CAF?
The CAF should be completed by parents/ guardians through the local authority where your child lives.
This is important for families around South East London because your preferred schools may be located in different boroughs or even different counties.
For example:
- A family living in Bexley can apply for schools in Bexley and schools outside Bexley through the Bexley application.
- A family living in Bromley applies through Bromley, even if they are considering schools elsewhere.
- A family living in Medway applies through Medway Council.
- A family living in Kent applies through Kent County Council.
GOV.UK confirms that parents apply through their home local authority even when applying for schools in another area.
This means that the location of the school is not necessarily the same as the council through which you apply.
When do parents need to submit the CAF?
For September 2027 secondary school applications, the national closing date is 31 October 2026 in many local authorities.
GOV.UK states that secondary applications usually open on 1 September and must be submitted by 31 October.
For Bexley residents, the application opened on 1 September 2026 and closes at 11:59pm on 31 October 2026.
Medway’s 2027 admissions timetable also gives 31 October 2026 as the closing date.
However, parents should not assume that every local authority uses exactly the same date.
For example, Kent County Council’s current information for September 2027 gives 2 November 2026 as its application closing date.
Always check the deadline published by your own home local authority.
What schools should you put on the CAF?
This is where the CAF becomes particularly important for parents who have just been through the 11+.
You should consider all the schools that you genuinely want your child to attend and that your child is eligible to apply for.
Depending on where you live, this could include:
- Grammar schools
- Comprehensive schools
- Faith schools
- Academies
- Schools outside your local authority
- Other selective schools for which your child has completed the required entrance test
For families around Bexley, Welling, Blackfen and Sidcup, this could mean considering grammar schools in Bexley, Bromley, Kent or Medway, depending on the child’s circumstances and which tests they have taken.
However, each school has its own admissions arrangements.
GOV.UK explains that schools can use different admission criteria, including entrance tests, distance from the school, siblings, faith criteria and other published requirements.
This means that simply putting a school on the CAF does not guarantee that your child is eligible for, or will be offered, a place.
What does “preference order” mean?
The CAF normally asks you to put your preferred schools into order.
For example:
- School A
- School B
- School C
- School D
This tells the admissions system which school you would prefer if your child qualifies for more than one of them.
Importantly, putting a school first does not give your child priority over another child who has put that school lower down their list.
The Department for Education explains that applications are considered against each school’s published admission criteria. If a child could be offered more than one school, the child is offered the school that is highest in their preference order.
Bexley Council describes the process in similar terms: schools consider applicants against their own admission criteria, and where more than one school can offer a place, the child is offered the highest preference for which they qualify.
This is sometimes misunderstood by parents.
Does putting a school first improve your position under its admission criteria?
No.
Suppose two children both apply for the same grammar school.
One parent puts the grammar school first.
The other parent puts it third.
The school does not normally give the first child priority simply because it was listed first.
Instead, the school’s published admission criteria determine which applicants qualify for places. The admission criteria for grammar schools in Bexley is quite specific, but it is worth looking into.
The preference order becomes important when a child qualifies for more than one school.
How many schools can you put on the CAF?
The number of preferences available depends on your local authority.
For example, Bexley residents can currently list up to six preferences.
Medway residents can also list up to six preferences.
Kent currently allows parents to name up to four school preferences for secondary school applications.
Therefore, parents should check their own local authority’s rules rather than assuming that every CAF has the same number of spaces.
Should you use all your preferences?
There is no universal rule saying that every parent must use every available preference.
However, parents should understand the potential consequences of listing only highly competitive schools.
Bexley Council advises parents to be realistic about their preferences and recommends including at least one school that they can be confident will be able to offer a place.
This is particularly relevant after the 11+.
A child may have achieved the selective standard but still not be guaranteed a grammar school place.
Bexley Council explicitly states that being deemed selective does not guarantee a grammar school place. The school’s admission criteria still determine whether a place can be offered. Also, Bexley only has four grammar schools in the borough. Therefore it’d be wise to list three Bexley grammar schools and three Bexley non-grammar schols on the CAF
Similarly, Medway Council states that sitting the Medway Test does not guarantee a grammar school place.
Parents therefore need to think beyond the question:
“Has my child passed the 11+?”
The next question is:
“Which schools could my child actually be offered, based on their admissions criteria?”
What if my child has passed the 11+?
If your child has achieved the required standard for a grammar school, you can include the relevant grammar school or schools on your CAF.
However, you should still read the school’s admissions criteria carefully.
For example, Bexley has four grammar schools and admission depends not simply on achieving the selective standard but also on the individual school’s admission arrangements.
In Bexley, factors such as distance and other oversubscription criteria can affect who receives an offer.
This means that “passed the 11+” and “guaranteed a grammar school place” are not necessarily the same thing.
Atom Learning also highlights this distinction in its guidance on the secondary school CAF: grammar school applicants should check the individual school’s admissions policy and understand the criteria used when there are more applicants than places.
What if my child has not passed the 11+?
The sensible approach is to understand the admissions rules for each school and include appropriate alternatives. Ideally, parents should visit schools to determine which school best suits their child’s needs. This ensures that in the event of a child failing to pass the 11 plus, suitable alternative schools are ready to accept them into Year 7. In the case of Bexley, there are many non-selective schools available for parents to select from.
What about Bexley grammar schools?
For families in Bexley and surrounding areas, the Bexley Selection Test is particularly relevant.
For September 2027 entry, children took the Bexley Selection Test in September 2026.
Bexley Council states that the test results are made available before the secondary application deadline so that parents can make informed preferences.
The Council also states that children who achieve the selective standard can be considered for Bexley grammar schools, but a grammar school place is not guaranteed.
This makes the period between receiving the test result and submitting the CAF particularly important.
Parents should use the information available to them — including their child’s test result and the published admission arrangements — when deciding how to order their preferences.
What about St Olave’s and other grammar schools outside Bexley?
This is an important point for families in Sidcup, Welling, Bexley and the surrounding areas.
Your preferred grammar school does not have to be in your own borough.
Bexley Council confirms that residents can include schools outside Bexley on their application.
Bromley Council’s admissions information identifies St Olave’s Grammar School and Newstead Wood School as selective schools in Bromley. As such, a child must have sat the St Olaves’s or the Newstead Wood 11+ exam.
If your child has taken the relevant entrance test and meets the school’s requirements, you can consider the school when completing your CAF, otherwise selecting either of these schools is pointless.
Can you apply for schools outside London?
Yes.
The coordinated admissions system allows parents to apply for schools outside their home local authority.
This can be particularly relevant to families in South East London because schools in neighbouring areas of Kent and Medway may be within consideration.
GOV.UK confirms that you apply through your home local authority even when applying for schools in another area.
Kent’s admissions information also confirms that parents who are not resident in Kent should follow the admissions process of their own home local authority when applying for Kent schools.
What happens after you submit the CAF?
Once applications close, the admissions process takes place behind the scenes.
Your home local authority shares relevant application information with other local authorities and schools as part of the coordinated admissions process.
Each school considers applications according to its published admission criteria.
If your child qualifies for more than one school, the coordinated system uses your preference order to determine which offer you receive.
You normally receive one offer of a school place.
The Department for Education explains that where a child could be offered more than one preferred school, the offer is for the school listed highest in the parent’s preference order.
When will I find out which school my child has been offered?
For September 2027 entry, the national secondary school offer date is 1 March 2027.
GOV.UK states that secondary school offers are made on 1 March, or the next working day where applicable.
Bexley Council currently states that online applicants will receive their secondary school offer during the evening of 1 March 2027.
Medway Council also confirms that secondary school offers for September 2027 will be sent on 1 March 2027.
So, after the 11+ has been completed, there is still a considerable period between the test and finding out the final secondary school allocation.
What happens if you don’t get your first-choice school?
Not receiving your first preference does not necessarily mean the process is over.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to:
- remain on a waiting list;
- accept the school offered while pursuing another option;
- appeal where you have grounds to do so;
- receive a later offer if a place becomes available.
The exact process varies between local authorities and schools.
For example, Bexley states that where a child is offered a school lower down their preference list, they will normally be added to waiting lists for higher preferences. The Council also recommends accepting the offered place while pursuing an appeal or waiting-list position.
The key point is:
Do not reject a school place simply because it was not your first choice without understanding the consequences.
What if you’re considering an appeal?
An appeal is a separate part of the admissions process.
It is not the same as simply asking the council to reconsider your preferences.
If your child is refused a place at a school, you should read the school’s or local authority’s information about appeals carefully.
GOV.UK confirms that parents have a right to appeal against a refusal to offer a place to the relevant admission authority.
Grammar school appeals can have additional considerations because the child may also need to meet the school’s selection requirements.
If you are considering an appeal, read the individual school’s published guidance rather than relying on general 11+ advice.
Don’t confuse the CAF with a Supplementary Information Form
Some schools ask parents to complete an additional form.
This is often called a Supplementary Information Form (SIF).
A SIF might ask for additional information relevant to the school’s admission criteria.
However, completing a SIF does not replace the CAF.
Bexley Council specifically warns that where a school requires supplementary information, parents must still include that school on their main application.
Atom Learning also explains that SIFs may be required by some schools, particularly faith schools, and that parents should return them directly to the school according to its instructions.
So, if a school asks for both:
CAF + SIF
you generally need to complete both.
A simple CAF checklist for parents
Before submitting your secondary school application, check the following:
1. Have you applied through the correct local authority?
This should normally be the council for the area where your child lives.
2. Have you checked your child’s 11+ result?
If you are applying for selective schools, make sure you understand the relevant eligibility requirements.
3. Have you read each school’s admissions criteria?
Do not assume that the same rules apply to every grammar or secondary school.
4. Have you put the schools in your genuine order of preference?
Your preference order matters when your child could potentially be offered more than one school.
5. Have you included realistic alternatives?
Think carefully about what would happen if your child does not receive a grammar school offer.
6. Have you checked whether an SIF is required?
If so, complete and return it separately according to the school’s instructions.
7. Have you checked the application deadline?
For Bexley and Medway, the current deadline for September 2027 entry is 31 October 2026. Kent currently gives 2 November 2026. Check your own council’s current information.
8. Have you actually submitted the application?
Starting the online form is not enough.
Bexley Council specifically tells parents to press the submit button and check that they receive confirmation, including a unique reference number.
The biggest mistake to avoid: treating the CAF as an afterthought
After months of preparation for the 11+, it is understandable that parents may see the CAF as a simple administrative task.
It is not.
The 11+ may determine whether your child can be considered for a selective school, but the CAF determines which schools you are asking the admissions system to consider for your child and the order in which you prefer them.
For families in Bexley, Welling, Blackfen, Sidcup and the wider South East London area, this can involve several different grammar school systems, each with its own testing arrangements and admission criteria.
The safest approach is to treat the CAF as a separate stage of the 11+ journey.
What should parents do now?
If your child has just completed the 11+, the immediate priorities are relatively straightforward:
1. Check when your child’s result will be released.
2. Research the admission criteria for each school you are considering.
3. Check the schools’ distance, catchment or other relevant admission requirements where applicable.
4. Decide which schools you genuinely want to apply for.
5. Put your preferences in the correct order.
6. Check whether any school requires a supplementary form.
7. Submit the CAF before your local authority’s deadline.
And remember: passing an 11+ test and securing a grammar school place are not necessarily the same thing.
The result is one part of the process. The admissions criteria, available places and your CAF preferences also matter.
Final thoughts for South East London parents
For parents who have just completed the 11+ journey, the CAF is the next major step.
Whether you live in Bexley, Welling, Blackfen, Sidcup or elsewhere in South East London, the basic principle is the same:
The 11+ determines eligibility for selective schools; the CAF is how you apply for the secondary school place.
Take time to understand the admission arrangements for every school you are considering rather than simply choosing schools based on reputation or the 11+ result alone.
And above all, don’t leave the CAF until the last minute.
A carefully completed application gives you the clearest possible route through the admissions process and avoids preventable administrative problems.
Official sources and further reading
GOV.UK – How to apply for a school place
GOV.UK: How to apply for a school place
GOV.UK – School admission criteria
GOV.UK: School admission criteria
GOV.UK – School Admissions Code
GOV.UK: School Admissions Code
Bexley Council – Applying online for a secondary school
Bexley Council: Applying online for a secondary school
Bexley Council – Before applying for a secondary school
Bexley Council: Before applying for a secondary school
Bexley Council – Bexley Selection Test
Bexley Council: About the Bexley Selection Test
Medway Council – Secondary school admissions
Medway Council: Secondary school admissions
Kent County Council – Secondary school places
Kent County Council: Secondary school places
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