Read the actual offer, not just the school name
Check the council portal or message using the release arrangements published by your home local authority. The time of day and method vary. A friend’s earlier notification does not mean your application has been missed.
Save the full letter. It should explain the offered school, how to respond and how to pursue schools that refused a place. Confirm that your contact details and the recorded preference order are correct.
An 11+ pass received in the autumn was an academic outcome. This March decision is the allocation of a school place.
Understand how the single offer was chosen
Each school considers applicants under its admission rules. The council then identifies the highest school on your CAF that can offer. Listing a school lower does not reduce the priority your child has under that school’s criteria.
For example, if the first grammar school cannot offer but the second preference can, the second preference is normally the coordinated offer. You do not receive both that place and a separate offer from a lower preference.
The CAF preference example shows how priority and preference work together. If none of your preferences can offer, read your council’s explanation of the alternative allocation.
Keep the offered place while considering other options
Follow the acceptance instructions and response deadline. Do not reject a place simply to demonstrate that you want another school: rejection does not improve your child’s priority elsewhere.
If you want a school that refused a place:
- Check whether its waiting list is automatic or needs a request.
- Read the refusal reason and the admission policy it refers to.
- Note the separate appeal deadline and where to submit it.
- Ask the admissions team about any apparent factual error promptly.
An enquiry about an error should not be assumed to pause an appeal deadline. Keep confirmation of each request.
Prepare for the offered school as well
Take part in transition events and read its joining information while other processes continue. There is no guarantee of a waiting-list place or successful appeal, and your child still needs a positive introduction to the school they have.
If a later formal offer arrives, follow the instructions for accepting it and releasing the existing place. See how waiting lists work for ranking, movement and contact details.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Still wondering?
Will we receive separate offers from every grammar school we qualify for?
No. The coordinated state secondary admission process produces one offer through your home council, based on the highest preference available under the rules.
Does accepting the offer stop an appeal for another school?
No. Accepting the allocated place does not affect your right to appeal against a refusal at another school. Check waiting-list instructions separately.
What if no school on our CAF can offer?
Your council should offer an alternative school place under its coordinated arrangements. Contact the admissions team if you have no outcome or need the allocation explained.
Official sources
Checked 28 Sept 2026