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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

We've been offered 1st choice primary school but have changed our mind, what do we do?

12 replies

sandybee1 · 24/03/2008 21:36

We have been offered our 1st choice of primary school for DS1 which is where he is currently in the nursery class, but since we submitted the application we have changed our mind about the school and we don't want to send DS1 there.
The problem is that because we have been offered our first choice we have been taken off the lists for our 2nd and 3rd choices.
What do we do? We need to either reject or accept the place by the end of this week. We are afraid that if we accept the place we won't be considered a priority for any of the other schools, but we're also worried that if we reject the place he may have no school in september.

We have been put on the waiting list for our 2nd choice school and we are 2nd on the list, but my 3rd choice said they won't compile a list until october half term.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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sandyballs · 24/03/2008 21:38

Why have you changed your mind?

Sailingonthedresser · 24/03/2008 21:52

I don't think having declined a place elsewhere can ever make you a higher priority for a school whose waiting list you're on, compared with other people on that waiting list who may be in catchment/live closer, have siblings at the school, etc. So I wouldn't have thought accepting that place at your first choice school will end up making any difference to where you are on waiting lists for other schools.

LyraSilvertongue · 24/03/2008 21:54

I'd accept the place he's been offered and wait for one of the others to come up with a place. If you decline you'll probably end up with no school at all.

LyraSilvertongue · 24/03/2008 21:55

Rejecting the place he's been offered won't move him any higher up the waiting lists.

cat64 · 24/03/2008 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Sailingonthedresser · 24/03/2008 22:21

We asked about that when in a similar position and were told no can do. The place you free up by declining where you've been offered goes to whoever's next on that school's waiting list - someone offering you their child's place at another school can't queue-jump over them.

Original poster

sandybee1 · 24/03/2008 22:24

Thanks for the responses. We chose this school because after our meeting with the head teacher we were impressed with the school.
The reason that we've changed our mind is that since our DS has been going there he has had 3 different teachers, no consistency in the teaching, the security is also a bit of a concern, the school gates are always left open by parent and anyone can walk in off the street and then finally they had a new ofsted report and it was shocking!!

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LyraSilvertongue · 24/03/2008 22:31

Sounds like you're right to want a different school but do accept his place as back-up.

indiemummy · 25/03/2008 13:38

hi sandybee, the same thing happened to us. ds had been in nursery, got the place in reception at the same school, but by then we had changed our minds... we accepted the place, then put him on the waiting list for the other school (actually several other schools).

we were really lucky and a few weeks after starting reception he was offered a place at the school we wanted, because someone moved house. this is his second week! (he started reception in january 08).

so - call up the school(s) you like and ask to be on the waiting list. with any luck you'll be top of the list as you've got in so early. if the worst comes to the worst he'll have to start reception where he is now, but i am sure a place will become available. good luck! oh and keep ringing the school you want, and go in and meet the head, and make yourself known to them.

indiemummy · 25/03/2008 13:40

i should have said, don't bother with the official admissions stuff any more, just accept the place you've been offered, and now it is a matter for the individual schools, so just ring them directly.

RustyBear · 25/03/2008 13:44

That depends on the authority indiemummy - in ours it would still all be done by the local authority - the schools have to go through them.

Original poster

sandybee1 · 26/03/2008 20:39

thanks for the advice indiemummy. i went to see my 2 favorites and one of them (our favourite) has put us on their list but the 2nd favourite said that we needed to wait until October half term. So i have decided to accept the place and ask the admissions dept to put us on the list for the 2nd favourite shool and then i will be on both lists so hopefully we will get a place.

i don't mind if he has to start reception in his current school as i will just move him as soon as a place comes up. while the disruption isn't ideal i think it will be worth it in the long term.

Thanks again for all of the advice, it has really helped us make our decision. x

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