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?

Great idea as summer-born to keep her back - just take advice on how re-application works if you decline.

There can be lots of movement in waiting lists, I'd hang on and see where the lists move. If you ring admissions today you can find out where she currently is on each list and therefore how likely it is she might get a place with natural movement. The lists can look very different in a few weeks time.

Is she currently at nursery? How far is that?

On the flip side I know a lot of children who only got their first preference school via waiting list. Your first choice might be someone else’s 5th choice and as they are offered other schools you might be offered their place. Also there are always people holding places who will move house/end up accepting places at private school.

Did you not have any idea that the school you applied for was popular and likely to be oversubscribed?

We specifically chose our property because we looked at past admission acceptance distances and made sure we were within the distance that had always been accepted in previous years

Accept. Waiting list. Get a buggy.

You'd be shooting yourself in the foot otherwise.

But I’d seriously consider what you are going to do next year. It’s a low birth year & if you didn’t get into your catchment school, you must live in a very populated area. Is it going to be the same next year? Are you unlikely to get in?

I think this is a very important point to consider. You can defer, but the situation may be the same next year. I understand you would get transport next year if your child was offered a place at the same school, but if you're hoping for a place at the closer school then going on the waiting list this year might be your best chance.

@Hallyup89 I have one, wasn't sure if it was socially acceptable.

@OrangeBlossom28

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

Exactly. I dont know why you would do this.

@Whinge the school isn't a bad school. It's just very awkward to get to.

I am sorry but it seems you are suggesting that your daughter should be given priory over others to be at a closer school because you don’t drive?

@54ballsdeep people should educate themselves on summer born legislation before chiming in on this matter.

@Fem1985

If you’re in the schools catchment area appeal the decision

If the school has classes of 30 at any point in the infants, which most schools do, an appeal is extremely unlikely to succeed due to Infant Class Size regulations. The appeal wouldn't be just on the balance of prejudice, as it is for junior or secondary school appeals, but would effectively only be likely to succeed if an error has been made with admission. It's worth checking that there hasn't been an error, but the OP is far more likely to get into preferred schools via waiting lists.

@ballsdeep, no she would enter reception year.

[quote LG123]@ManUforthewin I know my child, I know how far she walks, she wouldn't even understand the question anyway.[/quote]
Ok. I work with pre schoolers. It would be unusual (but not impossible obviously) for a child of her age to not understand at all. Do you mean she won’t understand if you ask her if she’d prefer to go to big school in September with her current friends or wait a year and go with the younger group, or that she won’t understand if you ask her if she could manage scooting / buggy / combo etc to further away school? I realise I quoted your post about her walking but I meant overall have you asked her opinion?

We have kids with July and August birthdays and they would definitely understand going to big school or not this year. Although they all play together in the pre school room all the kids (excl maybe any with SEN) know who is due to go to school this year.

I just meant have you at any point discussed how she feels about the options. It’s an adult decision to make obviously but I’d definitely listen to how she feels and if she has any strong feelings on it. Assuming she just “can’t” do that journey is doing her a disservice. You’ve got months to get her more and more used to walking and scooting further. You can get the tag things so you can pull her along for some of the way. However if the main issue is that you think she’s not going to be ready for school anyway then the distance is irrelevant really.

@ittakes2 my gripe is that they won't offer her transport because of her age.

I wouldn't appeal theres no point. The only way you'll win an infant class size appeal is if you can prove a mistake was made. From what you've said no mistake has been made.

Tough one.

You can decline keep her back a year but then you may have the exact same problem next year? I would appeal it first, see what happens.

I would ask if they would consider providing transport even though she's below CSA. It might be that they'll already be putting a number of children close to you in a taxi so are happy to add her on.

Have you checked where you are on the waiting lists?

Don't decline. Things change.
Use a buggy, you could whizz along in a 3 wheeler. Mine had buggies at 4.

[quote LG123]@Whinge the school isn't a bad school. It's just very awkward to get to.[/quote]
Would you prefer for her to go to the local school? If so there's no harm in accepting the place offered and then going on the preferred school's waiting list. There's usually a lot of movement before the start of term.

If it's a class of 30, let's say, could most be siblings? From there, could it just be geography and you lucked out?

Sorry it's not ideal. I assume you're in a city or built up area?

As a teacher, if you can defer - do.
The gap is usually massive between those born in August to the other children.

Op

Is the fact the school you wanted her to go to oversubscribed a complete surprise to you? Ie usually those where you live would have got a place?

Is your daughter currently at nursery?