Process after the offer of a school place
After a school place has been offered you can choose to accept the place, decline the place or appeal the decision.
Declining places offered
If the place is declined, it is important to notify the admissions team as soon as possible in writing or by email to admissions@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.
This allows the admissions team to re-allocate the place to a child on the school/academy’s waiting list. The school place offered will be accepted unless applicants notify the admissions team otherwise.
If your child is resident in the borough and we are unable to meet any of the preferences stated on your application form, we will allocate a place at the next nearest school with a place available. This will be done using a straight line distance measurement from the centrally plotted Basic Land and Property Unit point (BLPU) of the child’s home address to the centrally plotted BLPU point of the school as defined by Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG).
Where an application has been received for a child resident in another authority or resident outside of England and a place cannot be offered, we will not allocate a place.
Any child refused a place at any of the preferred schools within the borough will automatically be placed on the school’s waiting list. After offers have been made the waiting lists for oversubscribed schools will start to be prepared and will consist of those children who have been refused a place at the school, those for whom an appeal form has been received, together with any late applications.
We anticipate that by the end of May, any places that have become available after offers were made on 1 March 2023 will be re-allocated to children on the waiting list together with late applications received. Waiting lists are collated in over-subscription priority order and places are allocated accordingly in line with the oversubscription criteria.
We do not advise that you decline the school place offered unless you have already made alternative arrangements for the education of your child. If you choose to decline the place offered it is your responsibility to ensure that your child receives an education. Cheshire West and Chester Council can advise you of alternative schools with vacancies for September.
Yes. For community and voluntary controlled schools you can appeal by completing an appeal form which can be found on our website.