Page 2 | whether to accept or reject non ranked allocation

sunnmoon · 2026-03-07T18:33:33+00:00

Hi all, My daughter didnot get into any of the preferred choice. We are planning to appeal for first choice and continue on waiting list for others. Now, I am in dilemma whether to accept or reject the offer. Couple of people I know rejected the non ranked school offer already and believing their kids need to be placed somehow. Does rejecting the offer gives priotiy over accepting the offer when a place available after 9th March. How the CI list works. Any suggestion would be greatful. Thanks

Original poster

sunnmoon · 07/03/2026 23:34

viques · 07/03/2026 21:40

You have had some harsh but realistic responses OP. As others have said, accept the offer, it is an insurance that your child will have a school place in September, it is not mandatory that she takes the place in September if the waiting lists gain you another offer. And if all you know about the offered school is hearsay then do your own investigation, the school may have qualities you don’t know about.

In the meanwhile it is worth checking that the LA has all your address details recorded accurately, that you were considered under the correct criteria ( eg linked school,sibling link, LAC, baptism and attendance criteria if a faith school ) and that if you were refused on distance that the distance measured is accurate. None of the above are likely to have happened, but they could have so you might as well make sure.

Edited

Hi Viques,
Sure,thank you.

OP posts:

Original poster

sunnmoon · 07/03/2026 23:36

FlockofSquirrels · 07/03/2026 22:38

Do not reject the offer.

There is no upside to rejecting the offer. It will not improve the odds of your daughter getting a more preferred place and could leave you in an even worse position.

School place allocation isn't a negotiation process; there's no option to pressure the LA to make you a better offer by refusing their initial one.

Make sure your DD is on the waiting list for the preferred schools you listed and also do the same for other area schools that you didn't list but might prefer over the one you were offered. You can certainly file an appeal, but to have a chance of success you will need to develop a far more specific argument than what you presented here. "It's a better school" isn't an appeal-winning argument; you need to find specific things about the school you're appealing for that your daughter specifically needs.

Hi Flockofsquirrels,
Yes,we will work on the points to consider for the appeal.

OP posts:

Original poster

sunnmoon · 07/03/2026 23:38

Ohcrap082024 · 07/03/2026 22:46

As others have said, do not reject the offer.

There are always some people who reject the offer because they think it gives them a better chance of getting a preferred school. The ones who say “Well, they won’t leave my kid without a school, will they?” This is foolish. No, the LA will leave the kid without a school place because they have already offered a place. It is the parent who is actually leaving the kid without a school place. The kid will go to the back of the queue.

Hi Ohcrap082024,
Sure,will consider that. Thank you.

OP posts:

Original poster

sunnmoon · 07/03/2026 23:40

Lightuptheroom · 07/03/2026 22:54

As others have all said, rejecting the offered school doesn't force the local authority to offer an alternative, it just potentially leaves you with no school at all. The schools you list on the form are preferences not choices (might sound like semantics but we don't have a choice based admissions system)
Your appeal reasons won't carry any weight at all unless there are very specific curriculum offers at the preferred school (and not based on what the preferred school offers at GCSE because that can change over time anyway) you need to prove that your child being offered a place outweighs the detriment to the school and always remember you are appealing for the school not against the school you've been offered.

Hi Lightuptheroom,
Thank you for your kind suggestion. We will definitely think about all advise given.

OP posts:

Original poster

sunnmoon · 07/03/2026 23:43

Thank you all We will accept the offer and consider the points for appeal. We will keep an eys on the waiting list. Hope for the best.

I will be closing the thread now.
Thank you everyone

OP posts:

CactusSwoonedEnding · 07/03/2026 23:44

Do not reject the offer unless you would genuinely rather homeschool or pay for private (and have the time/money to do so). Accepting or rejecting the offer does not make any difference whatsoever for either appeals or waiting lists.

There is no upper limit to the number of waiting lists you can join so if there are any schools that are more preferable than your allocated school and were not on your original preference list you can join those too.

There are going to be a lot of changes between now and September. There will be a good chance that you get an improved offer at some point.

Original poster

sunnmoon · 07/03/2026 23:47

CactusSwoonedEnding · 07/03/2026 23:44

Do not reject the offer unless you would genuinely rather homeschool or pay for private (and have the time/money to do so). Accepting or rejecting the offer does not make any difference whatsoever for either appeals or waiting lists.

There is no upper limit to the number of waiting lists you can join so if there are any schools that are more preferable than your allocated school and were not on your original preference list you can join those too.

There are going to be a lot of changes between now and September. There will be a good chance that you get an improved offer at some point.

Thanks cactusSwoonedEnding. I didnot know about adding more schools to the WL.

OP posts:

Funkylights · 08/03/2026 00:36

Do not reject

Original poster

sunnmoon · 08/03/2026 08:33

Funkylights · 08/03/2026 00:36

Do not reject

We decided to accept the offer. thank you

OP posts:

11811B · 08/03/2026 08:43

I think someone has mentioned but in case not as I've only skimmed and was jn this position 2 yes ago. Accept, appeal and add yourself to other waif lists. We are only able to have 3 preferences, our 4th would have been catchment and we didn't get into any of those nor 2 closer schools than the offered place. I got him on the wait lists and he got offered what would have been 5th then 4th before September.

Nottodaty · 08/03/2026 08:44

We similarly got allocated the school we didn’t pick and wouldn’t have been right for our daughter.
As hard as it was we had to accept the place, as recommended, at least had a place somewhere. We went through the appeal for the school we wanted for her, and made sure we on the waiting lists.

The day before we due to go appeal panel we finally got allocated the school we wanted.

Original poster

sunnmoon · 08/03/2026 19:24

11811B · 08/03/2026 08:43

I think someone has mentioned but in case not as I've only skimmed and was jn this position 2 yes ago. Accept, appeal and add yourself to other waif lists. We are only able to have 3 preferences, our 4th would have been catchment and we didn't get into any of those nor 2 closer schools than the offered place. I got him on the wait lists and he got offered what would have been 5th then 4th before September.

This gives a hope for me. Thanks.

OP posts:

Original poster

sunnmoon · 08/03/2026 19:26

Nottodaty · 08/03/2026 08:44

We similarly got allocated the school we didn’t pick and wouldn’t have been right for our daughter.
As hard as it was we had to accept the place, as recommended, at least had a place somewhere. We went through the appeal for the school we wanted for her, and made sure we on the waiting lists.

The day before we due to go appeal panel we finally got allocated the school we wanted.

Edited

Thanks for sharing your experience. Hope we get our preferred school before the start. fingers crossed.

OP posts:

stichguru · 08/03/2026 19:56

Accept the offer. If you don't, you would have to prove, beyond any doubt that if would be impossible for your child to be educated at the school you have been offered. Otherwise the authority can say that they have offered to educate your child and you have refused, so your child's education is purely your responsibility. This would mean you had to home educate or pay for private.

" In terms of ground for appeal I was going to say my child is not happy and would not be able to use her full potential due to the curriculum choices. An that it would be a disadvantage to if she didn't get her choice of preference"

Those aren't grounds for appeal really. They aren't going to be able to move every child who didn't get their choice into a their preferred school. It is basically certain that some children won't get a choice they wanted. To win an appeal, you need to say why your child is more disadvantaged than other children who didn't get their prefered school.