No school place offered - what next ?!

[forfucksakejanet]

Opened the admissions email and really wish I hadn't. Ignorance was bliss and all that

None of our 3 allowed preferences have been allocated and no named school in the email

I've been lying here for an hour trying not to panic but I have no idea what happens next

Any advice or experience gratefully received!!!

[youngnomore]

I’m really sorry no advice. But didn’t even realise this could happen.
Appeal the decision?

[forfucksakejanet]

I'll be appealing definitely but I thought they had to offer a school?

Doesn't help that it's stupid o'clock in the morning and I'm stressing

In the email it says 'there are options available to you and we have resources to support you' but no links or directions on what this is or what the options are

Very upsetting and stressful times

[BalloonFlowers]

This happened to a friend. Whilst no offer was made, that didn't mean there were no school places. Just that none of the named schools could be offered, and they want to talk to you about spaces, rather than just assign one. The process obviously varies by LEA.
So, ring them as soon as the office opens.
You HAVE to be offered a place.
Stay calm.
First things - get a place at the best of the possible remaining places (assuming there are some- if none, you need to know what they are going to do) Get yourself on as many wait lists as you can for acceptable schools, and look at if an error has been made to get you an appeal.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

The LEA has to find you a place, but not necessarily one of your choices. There will be movement in the system. Some parents apply for state schools although they know that they are going private, others apply hoping that they get St Naice school but go private when they get Bog standard school. Some people will move. You also need to check whether there has been a mistake, are you close to any schools or should you be at the top of the faith list? Get on the waiting list for all three schools (sometimes this is automatic sometimes you need to do something). Ring around other schools you might consider. Ring village schools slightly further out. Ring schools in neighbouring counties. Get on any other waiting lists you can find. Did you apply to your nearest / catchment school? If not get on the list for there too. Talk to LEA and ask what there plan is. Talk to current nursery/preschool to see if dc can stay there until 5th birthday if no space sooner - funding should continue. Good luck.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Their plan not there plan (I have been to school, honest!)

[Itscolderoutside]

I am sure you will be ringing LA first thing. This seems reslly unusual. Was your catchment school one of your preferences? Do you know any other 4/5 year olds that ive nearby and could find out whether/where they got allocated a place?

[Itscolderoutside]

Also, there will be a fair bit of movement as things settle down after the offers. Maybe some of your preferences will offer a waiting list -if you are quite high up the list for any of them, that will feel a lot more positive.

[Itscolderoutside]

really unusual, not reslly. ...honestly, technology!

[forfucksakejanet]

Thanks everyone. I will be on the phone as soon as I get home from dropping dd at nursery and baby is napping

So when we bought the house we naively assumed we were in catchment for our preferred school. It's a 5 minute walk from us

Closer inspection shows the catchment line runs down the middle of the road. So odd numbers in catchment and even are out. Crazy business

We didn't put the catchment school down as I didn't want her to go there. It's physically further walking or driving and in the opposite direction to work.

I am shocked they haven't put a school down for us on the email, it makes it all worse!

I am prepared to move house to get a decent school place but I feel like the last 3 months of my maternity leave may well be sucked up with the stress of all this.

Arrrgh this is horrible

[AutoFilled]

You should have put your catchment school down as third choice. If your area is quite full, you are going to end up at a school worse than your catchment one and further away. Unless your catchment school is the one that no one applied to. What parents do is put their kid down on wait list of the desired school if they didn’t get it, while going to the catchment school first. Do you have money to go private?

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

It was a huge gamble not to put the catchment school down. You need to push to get her a place there whilst adding yourself to every waiting list you can. If you find a school that you like with a place and you're serious about moving, accept it and get into rental. Or look at private.

I'd be on the phone as soon as it opens.

[Rainbowqueeen]

My plan in your situation would be:

1. Ring the LA and see what they say. It may be that they are thinking of putting on a bulge class in one of the schools but are waiting to see what offers are accepted first to see if there is a need
   
2. Get yourself in the waiting list of every school that you are happy with. I would also include the catchment school in that. Yes it may be in the wrong direction and need you to drive there but you may end up at a school further away also in the wrong direction. Once the LA offers you a place somewhere they have fulfilled their obligation to you
   

Good luck I hope you have good news tomorrow

[thecherryontop]

Feel for you OP. Ive been offered a place at a school I didn't put down. Would rather have had no place as the school is that bad. I'm at my wits end. Someone mentioned funding until 5 -is this def the case does anyone know?

[user2929]

Cherry yes my kids are in private, dd2 is starying reception in September and we get 15hours government allowance deducted off fees until her 5th birthday which fortunately gives us two full terms.

[thecherryontop]

Thanks -it's either this or she goes to stay with relatives. I'm actually crying cross tears.

[BertrandRussell]

How would going to stay with relatives help?

[meditrina]

Oh dear - this is a horrible and stressful time for you.

Bottom line is that they must offer you a place before September, so finding out how they plan to make this happen will be important.

As PP said, if there are about DC with no place at all, then they might be contemplating a bulge class, and might already have some idea where it could be created. Or if there are fewer than that, then they might just be waiting until acceptances/rejections/appeals have settled down to see if any schools end up with vacancies, or if now to decide how to use the Fair Access Protocol to force a school to go over numbers.

Right now I'm afraid this almost certainly means there is no school within a reasonable distance which has a vacancy at the moment. But that can change, and even if it doesn't the LEA still has to come up with something.

[thecherryontop]

@BertrandRussell Stating with relatives would help as as she could be home schooled and no fines would be incurred.

[BertrandRussell]

You won't be fined if you home school wherever she lives.

[Quickerthanavicar]

Ring LA and ask if you are automatically placed on waiting lists or if you have to do it yourself.
Do they know your position on the waiting list or do you need to contact the schools directly.
At the end of that process you'll know your child's position on three waiting lists.
Have a conversation about what happens as they haven't offered you a place and go from there.

[prh47bridge]

They do have to offer you a school. The fact they haven't offered one yet suggests they don't have any places within a reasonable distance. It may be that they need to persuade a school to take a bulge class. Or it may sort itself out as people reject places.

You should check that you are on the waiting list for your preferred schools and ask the local authority what will happen next. You may have to keep chasing them but they will come up with a place eventually.

[MrsHathaway]

You won't be fined if you home school wherever she lives.

I assume cherry means DD could be homeschooled by relatives - earlier reference to funding suggests she's currently in a childcare setting so presumably there isn't a SAHP available.

Very best wishes, ffsjanet.

[Addictedtohavingbabies]

I didn't get a school in my catchment area. Been allocated a school three miles away and panicking as I don't drive and daughter has a physical disability and this school is not within her capable walking distance. I've been advised to appeal but to accept the place I've been given as if I turn it down I could be given a school anywhere in the city even further away.It's a total nightmare and I understand your stress.

[prh47bridge]

If the school is more than 2 miles by the shortest walking distance the local authority must provide free transport for your daughter. As your daughter has a disability and cannot reasonably be expected to walk to this school they must provide free transport even if there is a walking route shorter than 2 miles.

[Addictedtohavingbabies]

Thank you I will definitely look into that. She has hypermobile joints and global development delay and potential autism. I'm devastated that she has come so far in nursery class in this school and to then have to leave and go miles away.