Declining school place

[AHungryCaterpillar]

How do I decline a school place? I didn’t apply online so I’ve called them and council but they are unhelpful and telling me the line is closed? So I can’t speak to anyone and telling me to do it online but I didn’t apply online so I can’t

In that case, I would email them so there is a trail. Why are you declining the place? Do you have another one lined up?

No I don’t, she has autism and we was given mainstream despite me applying for sen schools, not going to debate about sending her there as there is no way she is going to a mainstream at all. I will see if I can email them thank you.

I think I remember your other thread and that you were given advice on how to pursue a place at a specialist school. Be aware that, if you don’t succeed in that, you may have no place for September and may have to home educate.

Hope you have an EHCP! It takes a loooooonnnnnnnggggg time !

Yes I did, not looking for advice on appealing as I’m most like home educating now, just don’t know how to decline the school place and I’m seeing online I need to decline it by the 15th of March. I’ve not had anything official from the school though so I can’t see how I decline especially as the council said the lines aren’t working and “just decline online” I explained to them I didn’t apply online so can’t!

You will have to write to the LA and section I will need amending to EHE.

It is a mistake not to try appealing, the majority of appeals to SENDIST are upheld. Schools and LAs often say a child is fine in school but the parents go on to successfully appeal for SS.

Most LAs surely nominate the school on the EHIC when dc leaves primary education. Special schools are only accessed by DC with statements. I’m not sure if this DC has one? It’s a different process regarding the secondary school placement when there’s a EHIC in place and places are allocated on need. In many areas there are not enough places so I assume your DC is deemed ok for mainstream. I’m not sure appeals for special schools win if they are full and there’s no plan naming this school. If he doesn’t have a EHIC, appeal against that decision.

Email the LA and decline the place. You can also email the school you don’t want. You need to ensure you have a mechanism for getting your DC into the school you do want. I wouldn’t home educate for secondary years unless you are very competent.

TizerorFizz statements don’t exist in England anymore. It is EHCPs now, and OP’s DD has one.

The majority of appeals to SNEDIST are upheld. Full is not defined in law, and being full is not enough of a reason on its own to refuse to name the parental preference. The LA have to prove the school is so full admitting DC is incompatible with the efficient education of others. The bar is relatively high, higher than an “adverse effect”, “impact on” or “prejudicial to”. Unless the LA can prove this they can’t use full as a reason to refuse admission even if the school argue they are full.

Yes she has an ehcp in her annual review they said mainstream was recommended and that she doesn’t need an sen school as she’s not behind enough academically, I’m going to home Ed, I will email the school thanks for the suggestion.

Not being academically behind enough is not a reason to refuse SS. There are a academically able DC that attend SS. It is a mistake not to try appealing.