Today is the day that parents will find out which schools their primary school aged children will be attending come September.
The application process closed in January, meaning some parents have been anxiously awaiting to find out ever since. Not everyone is lucky enough to land their first choice of kid's school, reported The Mirror.
However, there is a chance to appeal the board's decision if unhappy. But there is a deadline so you need to act quickly.
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So what time will you expect the decision and how can you appeal it? Here is everything you need to know.
When is National Offer Day Primary 2022?
National Offer Day 2022 in England is today - Tuesday, April 19. Offers are usually sent out on April 16, but it is different this year because it comes after the long Easter bank holiday weekend.
How do I receive the primary school offer?
Parents and guardians will find out where their child has been offered a place online via email. This will be sent by your local education authority and people should remember to check their spam folders. Authorities also have an online portal that can be checked, or some people will receive letters.
What to do if your child didn’t get their preferred primary school place
Parents and guardians have a number of steps and processes to take if their child didn't get their preferred place at school on National Offer Day. Your first step should be to accept the offers from the schools your child did get into. From this point on your child will be automatically enrolled on the waiting lists for the schools they didn't get into that you'd ranked higher on the application form.
You can appeal to the local authority if you aren't happy with the school you have been allocated - but be wary that these cut-off dates vary from council to council. Generally speaking though, it is roughly 10 days from when the offers get handed out.
The government says: "If a parent wants to appeal, they should first contact the school’s admission authority. The school’s admission authority is responsible for establishing the appeal panel, but the panel itself is an independent body. The appeal panel must come to its own independent conclusion as to whether the school should admit the child, having regard to the case presented by both the admission authority and the parent."
According to School Guide: "In most cases, your offer will be your number one preference." In a piece for School Guide, Emma Lewry, former head teacher and school readiness specialist, pointed to three key things you can do if you find that you haven't been given the school you had been hoping for:
- Check out the primary school you have been allocated - use resources like School Guide to find out the school your child has been given a place and try and talk to families who are already at the school.
- Call your first choice school - ask if there is a waiting list and whether your child could be put on it is a good idea. They will be busy, but a quick enquiry for this information and the chances of getting a place later won’t do any harm.
- Look into the primary school appeals process - please note these only tend to be granted if there is a specific need that the school you have been allocated cannot fulfil.
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