To decline my school place?

[LG123]

I'm so cross, just want to yell at admissions (I won't).

My daughter got offered a place outside of catchment as my catchment school os oversubscribed. They wouldn't have to provide transport because she's under compulsory school age so my tiny 4 year old would be expected to walk 2 miles each way everyday.

Bet all the ones that drive got their place at a school round the corner.

AIBU to tell them to jog the fuck on?

Decline it if you're prepared to hone educate or go private. Declining ends their obligation to find you a place. Otherwise accept and go on the WL for all the schools you'd prefer.

And ask MN to move this to primary education where you'll get good advice

If you decline the place you are opting out of the system. It would be foolish.
Accept the place and appeal.

Do you mean 2 miles a day or 4? I personally think a mile to school and back should be ok for a 4 year old regardless of size.

If you decline it you’ll just end up with no place at all.

@Hollyhead 4 miles a day, 2 days a week. She is late August born too so only just 4.

Accept the place and go on the waiting list for the others you put down. (Are there others closer you also applied for? You can go on the waiting lists for all the schools you put on the form)

There will be a lot of movement in the next few weeks. Don't opt out of the system.

@comealongponds

Seriously considering delaying her start. Wanted to anyway.

@passport123

I will be declining I think.

@MargosKaftan I think I will delay until next year now. Decline the place and move on.

YABU

Unless you fully understand that this means you will have no state school place, and having offered you one (no matter how unwelcome) your council has no obligation to offer you another.

If you have a private school lined up, or can genuinely HE, then of course that isn't an issue.

But if you need a state school place, it's the worst possible course of activity n.

Accepting the place makes no difference whatsoever to your place on waiting lists for schools you prefer (which have to be ranked by how well you fit the entrance criteria, and nothing else) or at appeal

It isn't the school's fault you can't drive, that isn't a criteria they considered when allocating the places.
Can you catch a bus?

[quote LG123]@MargosKaftan I think I will delay until next year now. Decline the place and move on.[/quote]
Then you should accept and defer.

@LG123 I'm aware of this but considering she's summer born, I don't have to send her to school this year and can request to delay.

That’s the perfect distance for a cargo bike!

She can go on a scooter to school.

Don't decline the place. If you drop out of the system, what will you do when she is 5? There might not be anything anywhere at that point.

@Oysterbabe the school offered is in a small village with very little public transport. I agree it's not their fault, it's just my luck really!

I would accept the place, remain on the waiting list for your preferred school and tell current school you wish to defer her entry until the term after she turns 5, or summer term (depending on her birthday) as is your right from the Rose Report. She must be in school or receiving education after Easter next year though, hopefully a place will come up on the waiting list in the mean time. Would her current nursery/childminder keep her on until she's turning 5?
Or look into what bus routes there are - I know it sucks that it won't be paid for but the LAs have to be consistent about who transport is available for, it costs them millions per year.

You do realise she will enter Yr1 and have missed out on her EY provision.

Oysterbabe doing a public transport journey at that hour will make it impossible to get to work.

The problem here OP is the transport rule. While your daughter isn't required to be in school she is entitled to be in school, so the I would be challenging hard against that - contact MP, local press etc.

Otherwise you are just delaying the problem to next year.

@OrangeBlossom28 you can request Yr R admission, I also live in a county that is supportive of this.

Public transport? Two miles would not be considered an excessive distance for a school place.

What about cycling/scootering? Or put a bike seat on your bike and she can sit whilst you cycle or a combination? Then put her on a waiting list in schools closer. Probably easier to get her in when it isn't the start of school.

That's fortunate. I agree with others about accepting and going into a waiting list. There will be changes between now and Sept.

@Hollyhead

Do you mean 2 miles a day or 4? I personally think a mile to school and back should be ok for a 4 year old regardless of size.

She says 2 miles each way. I think that’s quite a lot isn’t it? We are 1 mile from school and do it on foot and that’s fine. I don’t think it would be so doable if it were doubled.