Waiting list offer

[Zingy123]

My friends son got 2nd choice school. They are on the waiting list for 1st school. If they get offered a place do they have to accept it or can they choose to stay with 2nd choice?

The child is now having second thoughts.

Thanks

They can stay with second choice!

They may have to accept the place by a certain deadline though, so make sure they have..

They can decline any further offers.

And if they are sure the no longer want original first choice school, they can take themselves off the waiting list (making it a bit quicker and less nail biting for whoever is next on the list).

Thanks. They are 2nd on the list so may hear soon.

Hi There,
A friend f mine were offered their second choice in first allocation. They went to the waiting list of their first choice and after a 3 weeks got offered their first choice. By then they were happy with the school allocated to them, had childcare organised etc... so when they phone the council declining the offer of theirchoice they were told that couldn't decline it. As it was their first choice it had "automatically" accepted it and the place in the other school had already been given to some one else in the waiting list. . It was for Primary school not secondary, and in Pinner (London), but they might want to check with the council just to know for sure.

I would also say its best to double check with your LA as i know some will send a letter asking you to accept or reject the place while others will give you the place on the waiting list and offer the place you first got to someone else on the waiting list

Any LA that does that is in clear breach of the admissions code. They cannot withdraw an offer simply because they have made you another offer even if it is at a higher preference school.