Turning down a place in a great school

[Luckything50]

Dd has been offered a place in a great upper school Y9. She currently attends a secondary and is not sure if she wants to move. Deadline for refusing place is today. What does LA do, if anything, ff I don’t refuse now and continue to discuss it with her, but eventually turn it down? How long have I got, realistically, and are there any repercussions of delaying refusal?

Speak to the council or the school. No one on here can hotel you realistically what to do.
Presumably you spoke to your dd about applying for the school in the first place? So has she changed her mind?
If another family is waiting your decision for either a place at the new school or your dds old place it’s not fair to delay it.

Surely if the deadline for accepting or refusing a place is today then they'll withdraw the offer and offer it to someone else on Monday

I understand that the place is being held for you, but it is not yours yet. If you do not accept the place by the deadline, it is withdrawn and given to someone else. You do not have the place until you actually accept it.

Therefore you need to either accept it today, or you lose it.

The email says I don’t need to do anything if I want the place, I just need to refuse if I don’t want it, and refuse by today, hence my question re: repercussions.

When are they expecting her to start there?

Will they withdraw her from her current school if you don't reject the place?

Why did you apply in the first place? Obv you felt it would’ve been good, not anymore so give it to someone else. How can anyone here advise you on this not knowing the school or the child?

If you do nothing and therefore by default accept the new place, they will presumably allocate the place at your current school to someone else ASAP, which could be immediately if there is a waiting list or someone has just moved into the area.