We accepted our place but now not on list...

[smugbug]

My DD was offered our first choice of primary and I accepted this on the day the offers were made via the eAdmissions system (and received an email receipt that the place had been accepted). Fast forward to today and DH receives an email from the Head of 'our' primary asking if we had had a change of heart about the school as DD's name was not on the list of children due to start in September. Obviously we are very upset and not really sure what to do now, hoping it is just a glitch in the system somewhere but does anyone have any idea where we stand?

It's a glitch. email back asap.

Thanks - I have emailed the Head and included a copy of the receipt we received - should I get in touch with the LEA or leave it to the Head? (Probably a silly question - sorry this has been going round my head all evening and I know I won't sleep unless I get it all out!!)

copy the acknowledgement email to the head

If it's worrying you, email the LEA as well. Belt and braces and all that!

Deffo contact the LEA as they make the decisions on places not the school (unless it's a foundation/religious school).

If you have your e-mail receipt hopefully you will be OK.

What a nightmare, though!

Thanks both, I'll email in the morning to clarify things - I just keep thinking that if they already have 30 children and DD's name isn't on the list how will they find her a place (I know they can't bump someone else off the bottom!!). I'm off to bed now to overthink things some more!!

Thanks CV, just saw your reply too - I thought it was all sorted and now this! Never mind, what will be will be (must keep repeating this to myself!)

Don't leave it to the headteacher unless this is a VA school which is its own admission authority.

This may be a miscommunication between the LEA and the school, so double-check with the LEA. If the LEA has made an error (which it certainly sounds like) then they should reinstate the place without you going to appeal. However, many LEAs insist on all their errors being taken before an appeal panel for them to adjudicate on. If you have to take this to appeal, your email receipt for your acceptance will be clear-cut evidence that the LEA has made an error which has deprived your child of a place and so you should win.

Thanks Panelmember (I just can't drag myself away from this computer) the school is a VA Church of England School, does this change things at all?

Hi smugbug

what happened to the letter your LEa sent to confirm your child offer? did u return it or just use the eadmission system?

Hi noko, I just used the eAdmissions - when I received the letter from our LEA the next day it said that there was no need to respond and that they would take the place as being accepted unless they received a letter from us to say that we were rejecting it. The School is in a neighbouring borough to ours so now wondering if that is where the confusion has arisen (although I thought accepting through eAdmissions would override everything else as they kept trying to push everyone to apply etc online).

it is definitely the LEA error, you have the right to appeal and your receipt will prove that your reply was in time.

Oh my. I accepted a place on line but didn't get any kind of e-receipt. Does this mean I didn't do it properly (haven't heard from the school either...).

Well, it gets a bit more complicated.

The School Admissions Code (available here) says -

1.50 Once an offer of a school place has been made it is only reasonable for an admission authority to withdraw that offer in very limited circumstances. These may include when a parent has failed to respond to an offer within a reasonable time or the admission authority offered the place on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application from a parent (for example, a false claim to residence in a catchment area) which effectively denied a place to another child; or where a place was offered under co-ordination by the local authority, not the admission authority, in error. If a parent has not responded to the offer of a place within a reasonable time, the admission authority must remind the parent of the need to respond within a further seven days and point out that the place may be withdrawn if they do not.

So, an offer of a place can be withdrawn where it's made in error by a body which isn't the admissions authority. The VA school is the admissions authority and the offer was made by another body (the LEA) but I still don't see any justification here for removing your place unless there was an error which meant you shouldn't have been offered the place in the first instance (which doesn't seem to be the case). It gets harder (as I see it) to get to the bottom of this because the miscommunication might be between the school, your LEA, the other LEA or some permutation of those.

Best starting point is to get back in touch with the LEA you sent the acceptance to (your own, I assume) and take it from there. Children who are admitted because a mistake is being put right are an exception to the limit on infant class sizes of 30 places, so stand your ground.

Thanks all, I really am going to bed now! I shall get on to the LEA first thing tomorrow. I'll let you know how I get on....

Thank you

Hi All, thanks so much for your reassurances last night, I have spoken to the school and LEA today - it seems it was a miscommunication between the two LEAs - all sorted now and no need for any further action!

Phew

Hooray!