accepting a primary school place.

[BearGryllsHasaBigRope]

Just a quick question, if you're offered a school that was either your top choice, or one of your choices, do you have to accept the place in order to secure it? My DS wasn't offered any of his choices but was offered another school. We don't have to actually say we accept, we can just wait it out and the space will remain available. Is this the case with all primary school offers?

It varies from area to area I think but generally you have to actively accept. Certainly we did (was one of our choices)

Thank you. I'm holding out hope that we will be high enough on waiting lists to secure a place at a local school by September, but I couldn't figure out how any reshuffling could happen if nobody ever had to confirm their place.

You have to say if you don't want your place in both boroughs I've lived in.

I had to accept my dc school place which was our 1st choice.

Our LA has a policy of assuming you will accept. They ask you to only contact them if you wish to turn down the place. I know this isn't the same everywhere though.

Our LA advises accept the place even if you are not happy and are going to appeal. That way at east you have a back up place.
If you want the place you definitely have to accept.

We have to contact the school to accept and only let the LA know if we decline ( and what our alternative is)

In our area they assume you want the place. If you don't get your first choice ou automatically get put on the waiting list for your higher up choices.

I have read my email about 5 times, we don't need to accept the place.

It only says about appealing.

Thank you, looks like it differs all over

I had to accept too (1st choice)

You can accept (if you need to accept) and then turn the place down at a later time point.

Ours say that the LEA don't require you to accept but some schools may and they advise you to respond to any contact from the school. I suspect it's only academies that actively want you to accept though.