Still Hoping for Your First Choice School ? Places Can Still Change
Families who have not secured their first choice school place are being reminded that opportunities can still open up in the coming weeks.
April 18, 2026 17:03
(Image: C Lino)After school offers are issued, some parents choose to accept, decline or move between options. As this happens, places at oversubscribed schools can become available and waiting lists may shift as a result.
In some cases, children who were further down a waiting list have later been offered places, depending on how many spaces reopen and the demand for each school.
Parents are being advised to ensure they have joined the waiting list for any school they are still hoping for. Waiting lists are managed by Wiltshire Council, and families can contact the admissions team or their preferred school to confirm their position.
However, officials stress that movement is not guaranteed and can vary significantly between schools.
Appeals process
Parents also have the right to appeal if their child is refused a place at a preferred school, but only once a formal refusal has been issued.
Appeals are heard by an independent panel, which considers whether the admissions process has been correctly followed and whether the individual circumstances of the child justify an additional place.
Full guidance on how to appeal, including forms and deadlines, is available via Wiltshire Council’s website:
https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/1686/Appealing-against-a-decision
https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/1686/Appealing-against-a-decision
Parents are usually advised to accept the place they have been offered while remaining on waiting lists and, if necessary, submitting an appeal.
With changes continuing over the coming weeks, some families may still see their school place change before the start of the new academic year.
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