Will going on waiting list affect current offer?

[Cobo]

We've been offered a place at our second choice school, which I've now accepted. I've also selected to go on the waiting list for our first choice school. But the more we think about it, the more we think we're actually happy with how it's turned out. I would quite like to stay on the first choice school waiting list to give us the option if a place comes up, but just want to check - if we're offered a place at our first choice further down the line, will that automatically remove our current offer of a place at the second choice? Or will we get to choose which we accept?

Thanks

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

You need to check how your area do it.

Mine does a secondary round of allocations where, if you qualify for one of your higher preference schools, you are automatically given it and your place at your previous offer is also reallocated .

I'm fairly sure that one of the admissions people has told me that they aren't supposed to do it like this, but it's there in black and white on their website today. Knowing how they are supposed to do it is helpful, but obviously you don't want to have the aggravation of fighting them if they do it 'our' way,

[temporarilyjerry]

I was in this position last year. When we were offered our first choice, having accepted the other offer, we were given the choice to accept the first choice school or stick with the first offer.

Does that make sense?

[Cobo]

Thanks, I'll check with the council.

[prh47bridge]

Herts are, in my view, breaking the Admissions Code by their actions. They cannot remove an offer, especially once you have accepted it. If a parent had changed their mind and really wanted their second choice school but Herts took the place away to offer their first choice school I would expect them to win an appeal. It is, however, better not to go down that route so check what your council do.

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

Just to say, I am not Herts and it happens here. At least, it does for the first round of reallocation, which happens about mid May I think.

[Cobo]

Well, it looks like Herts aren't the only ones - we're in Oxfordshire and it seems it's the same :

"In cases where the child at the top of the Continued Interest list is eligible to be given a place that has become available at a preferred school, the AA will automatically allocate a place at that school. The place at the school previously offered will be taken away so that it can be offered to another child. Your child cannot hold simultaneously the offer of a place at more than one school."

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

I'll PM you my area if you are interested Tiggy.

[ButterflyUpSoHigh]

Seems like Buckinghamshire do this too.

[ButterflyUpSoHigh]

Leeds too.

[TeddyBear5]

RBWM too

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

Oh don't worry - doesn't affect us and I didn't realise how widely spread it was when I said that! I more meant if you were interested somewhere was doing something odd and unusual. Seems we are very run of the mill.

[admission]

Is it not interesting how all these LAs are interpreting what they can do. What they are doing appears to be that they are taking what it says in 2.23A of the admission code, "only one offer per child is made by the local authority" and turning that into "Your child cannot hold simultaneously the offer of a place at more than one school."
They are different and their action in taking away one offer and substituting another offer seems to go completely against paragraph 2.12 around withdrawal of places, which says this can only happen in very limited circumstances nine of which remotely resemble what is happening.
As usual with these things until something goes to the courts there will confusion.

[MrsChocolateBrownie]

Just curious (as in Herts)...

Here when you accept a 2nd, 3rd or 4th place offer you opt to stay in continuing interest or not (two week window to decide). I'm not sure whether the automatically losing a place if higher preference school can offer at continuing interest run 1 or 2 then extends to in year admission waiting lists (I can't recall from friends experiences).

Are you saying this is against admission code? Just having a slight wobble when it comes to applying to ds2 place as there are going to be a large number of siblings applying and we're one of the furthest out!

[ButterflyUpSoHigh]

In my city you get offered your higher preference and have a choice to stick with your 2nd or 3rd choice or accept your new offer. In Herts it states you don't get a choice unless you ask to be removed from the waiting list.