Declined primary school place

[Ginagjora]

My son was offered a place for Primary School 25 min away from my daughters school... To get to my daughters school We have to walk every day for 20 min... Which means one of my children would have to walk 45 min or more every day...I've declined yesterday my son's school... The reason I've declined the place is because there is no way I can drop or pick up my children at required time because of the distance between schools. I can't put any of my children in this situation. Plus I can not see myself walking every day for 3 hours...
Bus could be an option but considering that I live in London and the traffic is horrendous at this time one of my children would be late all the time. I put my son on waiting list for the school my daughter is going but because he would be in reception year from September there is little possibility he will get a place... My question would be do I have to appeal? Is it not too late because I already declined a place?I've already send an email to admissions team explaining why I declined a place. If LA would refuse my appeal can my son stay at home until next year April? March his turning five... And still if the place is not available at my daughters school by the time he is five, can I still keep him on the waiting list but homeschool until he'll get to that school?
The only thing I don't understand why LA didn't consider the fact that sibling is already attending preferable school and that if two children attending two different schools with such a distance between them,one of children would constantly be late, or I would be late to pick up one of my children at the end of the school day...

You can appeal to any school you have applied to and been denied a place at, though if it is an infant class size appeal (30 children per reception class) your chances of winning are very small. So presumably you applied to your daughters school but didn't get a place, so you can appeal. However, you would need to prove the LEA made an error, or the decision was so legally unreasonable no sensible person would have made it - very very hard to do.

Have you looked at the admissions regulations for your daughters school? Its less common not to prioritise siblings, but some don't - are you sure you were placed in the right admissions category?

You can keep your son at home until the term after he turns 5, yes, and yes you can continue home educating him whilst on waiting lists as long as you like.

Oh dear, that's not ideal. Is either school your catchment school?

Agree with PatriciaHolm. If the school gives priority to siblings and your daughter was not placed in that category you have a case. However, schools don't have to give priority to siblings. If they don't and there was no other mistake your chances of success at appeal are minimal.

I'm afraid your argument that one child will be constantly late won't get you anywhere. You will be expected to get both children to school on time, whether by using pre-school clubs (if there is one available at either school), dropping one of them off 25 minutes early (there would almost certainly be other children in the playground and adult supervision at that time), use of a child minder or whatever.

Your son does not have to start school until the term following his fifth birthday. You are entitled to keep him at home until then. You can, if you wish, home educate once he reaches five. However, the fact he would not be attending a school will not give him any priority on the waiting list. It depends on where you are in London but being 20 minutes from your daughter's school in many areas would leave you waiting a long time for a place. Are you prepared and able to home educate him throughout the primary school years?

Can I ask why this is only just being sorted out now? School places were allocated back in April. Most appeals for places will have been heard and decided on by now.
By declining the place offered you have potentially left your son with no place at all for September. The Local authority have discharged their duty by offering a place and now have no responsibility to find you another one. You can appeal (I think, may be too late) but I'm not sure you'd win. Unless you have unfairly missed out on a place - ie others being placed higher up the admissions criteria for the wrong reasons, someone lying about where they live etc...
I don't believe that your reasons for declining the place would be considered ground for an appeal. Many parents find themselves in the same situation.
You can of course keep him at home and hope a place comes available. I believe it is perfectly legal to home school for as long as you wish.

Did you apply for a sibling place? I assume there were more siblings closer than you? The system does not take personal circumstances into account at all

I responded on your other thread. You don't seem to have fully grasped how the admission system works, the LA cannot override published admissions criteria due to individual logistical issues. If those with sibling link was placed below in-catchment applications or within the sibling link criteria put in order of distance and you live further away than others, then the places may well have been filled ahead of your ds. Waiting lists operate to the same criteria, ask where is he on it but bear in mind he could go down if another child moved into the area and lived closer? Are there any other nearer schools you could also go on the waiting list for ? Alternatively could you move your dd to the school you have been offered (assuming that place is still available for your ds). I'm not clear as to how far the school you have declined is from your home, could it be less than 45 minutes away if you don't have to make a detour.

You say DS is going into reception. What age is DD?

A 20 minute walk is probably under a mile, so she won't qualify even if KS1 (qualifying distance 2 miles) never mind older (3 miles).

Yes, you can HE until a place comes up a a school you are happy with (and there's always a lot of movement in and out of schools in London).

Does the school you most want have formal catchment, or is it a case of distance to the school by category? Did you apply on time? Was your DS placed in the correct category (did they disregard a sibling link?) Does the distance from you home to the school look right? Do you know where you are on the waiting list?

What other schools are there closer to you? What about your catchment school?

Sorry, I somehow skipped a few years. In my second paragraph, I was talking about entitlement to free transport to school (for some reason I thought it had been mentioned on this thread, and perhaps I am muddling it with another).

You query why the LA didn't consider the sibling link, did you actually apply for a sibling place?

Goats - how come you weren't provided with free transport as it sounds like your DD's allocated school was over statutory walking distance.

ProudAS, if the OP is in London, then more often than not 'free transport' tends to consist of 'public buses are free for children, use them.' It ignores the fact that a) you can't really send your 4 year old to school unaccompanied and b) its not free for the accompanying adult.

Which London borough are you in OP?

Rafals Goats said there wasn't a bus route so wouldn't have thought that was the reason.

Plus if the LA allocated Kid a school over 3 miles away there probably wasn't a nearer one with spaces. Doesn't sound like Goats simply didn't want to send Kid to school round corner.