Accept the place you were offered
This is the mistake that costs families a school place every single year
What this is
Parents turn down the school they were given, because they think accepting it weakens their appeal or takes them off the waiting list. It does not do either. Accepting is just a safety net. Your appeal carries on exactly as it was. Your waiting list place carries on exactly as it was.
What to do
- Accept the place you were offered, today, in writing or on the council portal.
- Then appeal for the school you want.
- Then join the waiting list for the school you want.
- Keep all three running at the same time. They do not cancel each other out.
How you know it worked
Your child has a school place in September no matter what any panel decides.
Easy to get wrong
- Refusing the offer as a protest. Nobody notices, and your child can end up with no place at all.
- Thinking the council will see you as not really wanting the other school. They will not. It is routine.
- Missing the acceptance deadline while you argue about the appeal.
If that does not work
If you already turned it down, ring admissions today and ask to accept it after all. Usually they can still do it.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Written against the School Admission Appeals Code 2022 and the School Admissions Code 2021. This is information, not legal advice.