No school place in September

[Malla08]

Our daughter didnt get a place at any of our preferences for Sept (on the waiting list for two but low on the list). So our options now seem to be home tutoring (where to start?), private education (very expensive!) or moving (equally expensive!!). We are based in North London and have declined the offer of a local school as it is renowned for its failings and doesnt suit her anyway. Any advice?

Are you considering submitting an Appeal ?
For home education you could try Education otherwise. I also think there is a thread on MN for home education.

A cross between home tutoring and private education would be online schools - there are 3 that I know of -
www.interhigh.co.uk/
www.briteschool.co.uk/
www.firstcollege.co.uk/

Not sure if that's an idea that would suit you or your daughter, but you might want to take a look!

She has a place. Just not one you want. Big difference.

Yes - submitting an appeal is also an option. Thanks for the feedback, going to check out the online links now.

I think you need to rethink your options and give your poor dd some definate plan. Are there any other local(ish) schools with places? Worth having a look at them to see if anything would do as a short term measure? Or if you're going private - get on with it! You can't leave her hanging on whilst you decide if you maybe can do home schooling.

malla,
You need to get a place for your daughter urgently, so I would recommend that you ask the LA admission office, which schools currently have places available. Have a quick look at them and make a decision to accept a place at one of them. That is then your fall back position.
I would then suggest that you ensure that you are on the waiting list for each of your preferences and then appeal for each of them. You need to keep all your options open but given you are in north London, the best option is possibly going to end up which schools currently have places. Regretably the school you turned down may be the best you will ever be offered.

She has got a place. You turned it down. Not the same as not having a place!

Agree with Admission.

I would always recommend accepting the offered school no matter how bad it is. Then at least you have a fall back while you look for alternatives and go through appeals. However, what is done is done and you need to find a place for your daughter somewhere and then appeal for your preferred schools. You can appeal for all of them if you want.

Don't give up hope, Dd1 didn't get a place either, we appealed to one LA and lost and to another and got a place, however the first school offered her a place during the summer hols, so effectivly she ended up with 2 places, we took the one from the appeal and she was very happy there.