School Distance

[nata2010]

If we decline a Primary school and appeal for a child who is only 4 years old, what is the travel distance by Law the school admissions can send us.

Thanks

Nata

in theory i believe, you can be offered any place in the LEA that is available, so it could be the school furthest away from you (if that was the only school with spaces)

Most advice given on here is to accept the place given because the lea do not legally have to offer another you another place if you decline it. Then contact the other schools that you are intersetesd and enquire about any vacancies or add your name to waiting list.

Whatever you do, don't decline the place! If you do and lose the appeal, you will end up with whatever's left after everyone else has been found a place.

If you decline a place, then the LEA is not obliged to offer you another at all.

If you choose (and secure) a place at a greater distance, I do not think LEA is obliged to provide transport at all. In practice, you may find that yours does; but pressure on budgets means that this is becoming less common.

There is no specific legal limit on the distance to the offered school. Up to an hour's journey either way is considered reasonable. If you reject schools nearby then an even longer journey would be reasonable. It doesn't even have to be a school in the same LA.

As EdithWeston says, if you reject the offered place they are not obliged to offer you another place at all. Many LAs do but many do not. Edith is also correct that the LA would not be under any obligation to provide free school transport if you have rejected a school nearer home. These days most will not provide free transport unless they have to.

Rejecting the offered place will not improve your position on waiting lists nor will it help your appeal. Indeed, it can damage your appeal if the panel think you are trying to bully them (or the LA) into admitting your child into your preferred school by rejecting every alternative. I would strongly recommend accepting the offered place.

Our LA states 45minutes travel (each way) is reasonable at the age of 4, which is what DD does now. She is on the school bus, though, and the first pick-up/last drop off and actually only 2 mile away - she is at our catchment school and we live in a very rural area. Theoretically you could be allocated a school 30-40mile away.

Please do not refuse your allocated school as the LA will not be under any obligation to offer you another school, nor will it stand in your favour in an appeal.

Think of the children on the islands off Scotland and in the remote areas - they have long journeys for school!