You can add your child's name to the waiting list for any school you applied for - and your place on the list won't be affected by accepting the offer you've been given - which is what's recommended.
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00:00 If you haven't got your first choice, if you're not happy, actually what the government suggests
00:05 is that parents still accept that place, which I know sounds a bit sort of odd. You think,
00:09 well, I'm not happy why I'd accept it. But at least that way you're guaranteed a place
00:13 for your child at school in September. Worst case scenario, there's a place there you don't
00:17 have to worry and you can still appeal the decision and accepting the place doesn't mean
00:23 that appeal can't go ahead. So I think the first thing is to say is don't panic, look
00:27 what you've got, accept the place and then you can kind of think, OK, am I happy or not?
00:31 What do we need to do now? Well, that triggers an independent panel that will make an assessment
00:38 and it is independent. It's not with regard just to the school. The independent panel
00:43 will make a judgment based on the school's application and result and judgment and also
00:48 the parents as well. And they'll come to an independent decision and that decision is
00:52 their own. Is there anything that can be done to improve either the applications or appeals
00:58 process or do they work as well as they need to? I think the appeals post process can be
01:02 a bit more fruit, a bit more difficult, but that's probably because of the nature of things
01:07 are a bit more challenging at that stage. Emotions are heightened. Parents are unhappy.
01:11 They haven't got the place. They want a different decision and that can be a bit more difficult.
01:17 I think the process itself is relatively straightforward, but obviously it's a bit more challenging.
01:22 In terms of those conversations and people won't always get the outcome they want.
01:27 Every school has such benefits and such value to offer. Your child will be entering a very
01:34 exciting phase of education. And we are very, very fortunate in this country to have a top
01:38 class education that runs from early years right the way through to primary and secondary
01:42 school. Whatever type of school, whatever area you live in as well, whatever your child's
01:46 individual needs, they will be met as well. So I think it's an exciting day to look forward
01:50 to and I really hope that parents and carers tuning in today will get what they want from
01:56 today and it'll be a very positive and memorable experience.