The Common Application Form, or CAF, is the secondary school application you submit to your local authority. It is separate from the 11+ itself, and it is the step that actually puts your child in the running for a place. It is due on 31 October, and it lets you list up to six schools in order of preference. Everyone applying for a secondary place uses it, whether or not their child sat the 11+, so getting it right and on time really matters.
- The CAF is your secondary school application to the local authority.
- It is due on 31 October and is separate from registering for the 11+.
- You list up to six schools in genuine order of preference.
- Everyone uses it, whether or not their child sat the 11+.
What the CAF is
The CAF is the official way you apply for a Year 7 place. You submit one form to your local authority, listing the schools you want, and they coordinate offers with all the schools involved.
It is easy to assume that passing the 11+ enrols your child somewhere. It does not. The CAF is the bridge between a result and a place, which is why it sits at the heart of what happens after your child passes.
The 31 October deadline
The deadline is 31 October, the autumn before your child starts secondary school. Miss it and you risk being treated as a late applicant, which weakens your chances at popular schools.
Crucially, this is a different date from registering for the 11+, which happens much earlier in the year. Results usually arrive just before the CAF deadline, so knowing when results are released helps you plan the final choices.
Registering to sit the 11+ and submitting the CAF are separate steps with separate dates. Keep both in your calendar, because doing well in the exam counts for nothing if the CAF is late.
Listing preferences in order
You rank your chosen schools, usually up to six, in genuine order of preference. The system tries to offer you the highest-ranked school you qualify for and that has room.
Put your true first choice first, and include some realistic options lower down. Ranking honestly does not harm your chances at your top pick, and it protects you if the first choice does not come through.
How grammar fits in
List any grammar school you are eligible for, but remember a pass does not reserve a seat. Balance your list with options you are confident about, because a child can pass and still not get a place at an oversubscribed grammar.
This is where the thinking in our guide to choosing which schools to apply to pays off, helping you build a list that is ambitious and sensible at once.
What happens next
Once the form is in, you wait for offers, which all arrive together rather than one at a time. There is nothing more to do but prepare for the result.
Offers land on National Offer Day, so it is worth knowing how National Offer Day works. In the meantime, keeping skills warm with a few minutes of daily practice with Pip means your child is ready for the step up whatever the answer.