Starting school in September 2008
This section gives answers to questions that the Children and Young People Information Service staff are often asked. Some questions cover similar areas and are not given in a particular order. Parents are requested to read this section before completing the application form.
Does every parent/carer who wants a school place for their child have to apply?
Yes. Even if you already have an older child at school you must make an application for the younger child who is due to start school in September 2008. It is the parent’s/carer’s responsibility to apply and you should not assume we know you have a child who needs a school place. If you do not make an application, you will not be offered a place at any school.
Who can apply?
Children born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 may start school in September 2008. Although children are not legally required to attend school until the term following their fifth birthday, in South Gloucestershire children can begin school in a Reception Class in the September following their fourth birthday.
When is the closing date for applications?
The closing date for applications is 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007. Applications must be received by the Student Access & Support Team by this time.
I have an older child attending school already and I want my younger child to go to the same school. Can they be guaranteed a place?
No, there is no guarantee. Local siblings are given a high priority for the allocation of places. (For a full explanation of the local sibling criterion, please see Explanation of Terms used in the admission booklet at section 3). If you do not make an application by the closing date, places at your preferred school will have to be offered to “on-time” applicants, which may mean the school is full.
I want to apply for places for both my twins at the same school. Will they both be offered a place?
No, there is no guarantee that we will be able to offer a place at the same preferred school for both twins. You will need to complete a separate application form for each twin and each application will be considered under the published criteria. If a place can be offered only to one twin at the preferred school parents/carers will be asked whether they wish to accept this place and consider an appeal for the other twin or continue with an application for places for both twins at another preferred school.
All children from my road and the immediate area I live in, attend my preferred school. Will my child get a place also?
No, there is no guarantee. Just because many of the children living locally to you all go to a particular school, this does not mean your child will automatically be offered a place. All places are allocated strictly according to the published over¬subscription criteria set out in section 8.
How do I get information about schools?
A full list of schools in South Gloucestershire is contained in the admissions booklet. Every school produces a prospectus which is available directly from the school free of charge. This will give you information on the school. You may also wish to contact/visit schools. Some hold open days and evenings or you can arrange an appointment to see the school.
Do schools have catchment areas?
Some schools have Areas of Prime Responsibility (APR) which indicate to parents/carers the school(s) at which they can normally expect a place to be available, if they make their application before the closing date. However, living in an APR does not guarantee a place at a particular school or schools. For guidance, APRs are shown on the maps in the admissions booklet in section 5. If you are in any doubt as to which APR serves your home address please contact the Children & Young People Information Service (details given at the bottom of this page).
Can I apply to schools outside the APR in which I live?
Yes, you may state a preference for any school(s), but please refer to the next question and answer.
What happens if I state a preference only for schools outside the APR in which I live?
If you apply for a school outside the APR in which you live, we strongly recommend that you also indicate a preference for a school that normally serves your home address. This will increase your chances of getting a place at a local school, in the event that your highest ranking preference cannot be met (your highest ranking school may well be over-subscribed from applicants living within that school’s APR and/or any higher priority applications).
What does “nearest to and/or furthest from an alternative school” mean?
This applies only to places allocated under the geographical criterion. Places may be allocated on the basis of those living closest to the school, but also taking into account those who would have the furthest distance to travel to an alternative school with a place available.
The following example illustrates how this may be taken into account:
Child A lives 0.4 miles from School Y and 0.6 miles from School Z
Child B lives 0.4 miles from School Y and 1.5 miles from School Z
Child C lives 0.9 miles from School Y and 1.3 miles from School Z
In this example:
Priority for a place would be given ? rst to Child B, then Child A, then Child C.
Am I able to choose which school my child will attend?
South Gloucestershire Council would like to offer parents/carers the school of their choice; however this may not always be possible.
What do I do when I have decided which school I prefer?
When you have decided which school(s) you prefer you should complete the form on-line available at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions or complete the form in the back of the admissions booklet. We would suggest that you indicate a second and third preference school in case your highest ranking preference cannot be offered to you.
Do I have to give more than one preference?
You do not have to state a second or third preference, however we strongly recommend you list three schools. There is no advantage in listing fewer than three schools or including the same school more than once. If you choose to list just one (or two) and are unsuccessful, you could be allocated a school some distance from your home if nearer schools have received more applications than there are places. South Gloucestershire Council will seek to meet as many parental/carer preferences as possible.
Will I get a place at my preferred school?
Most parents/carers are offered places at one of their preferred schools. However, some will be disappointed where it is not possible to meet all the requests for places at particular schools. Your chances of being offered a place depend on a number of factors such as: the number of people applying that year; where the applicants live; and how many have children already at the school who can be considered as local siblings.
What happens if I change my preferred school before 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007 (closing date for applications)?
You should write to the Student Access & Support Team clearly stating your new order of preference. Parents/Carers can state three preferences and these should all be different.
What happens if I change my preferred school after 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007 (closing date for applications)?
A change of preference received after the closing date of 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007 will not be allowed and will be considered as a late application. This means your application will not be dealt with until all applications received by the closing date have been processed. Where the reason for the change of preference is considered exceptional (as determined by South Gloucestershire Council) and depending on the timing of the application, South Gloucestershire Council will aim to consider the application along with the on-time applicants. Where an offer of a school place has been made initially and the parent/ carer then subsequently changes their mind and applies for a place at a different school, the original offer may be held as one of the three preferences. The original offer of a school place will not be withdrawn unless a place is offered at a new preferred school. If parents/carers do not wish to accept the original offer of a school place they are requested to inform the Student Access & Support Team in writing.
What happens if my child is not offered a place at my highest ranking school?
If you live in South Gloucestershire you will be offered a place for your child at an alternative school. If you are not offered a place at your highest ranking school, the alternative school may be one of your other preferences or the nearest appropriate school with an available place.
What happens if I do not wish to accept the offered school?
All offers are accompanied with details explaining the next stage of the process. Briefly, you may:
- Accept the place offered; and/or
- Ask about the availability of places at other South Gloucestershire schools; and/or
- Appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel against the decision to refuse a place at your preferred school(s).
What happens if I move house?
You should write to the Student Access & Support Team as soon as possible, attaching proof of the change of address. It is the address of the child as at the closing date of Friday 19 October 2007, that determines the priority given to their application for the first round of allocations. However, you will still need to tell us of any change of address, so letters are sent to the correct place. If you wish to change your preferences after the closing date these will normally be considered as late applications for these schools.
What if my child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs?
Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs are placed in schools through the arrangements set out in the SEN Code of Practice and not through the admission criteria. All governing bodies are required by Section 324 of the Education Act 1996 to admit to the school a child with a Statement of SEN that names the school. Schools must admit such children whether they have places or not. Any appeal concerning the Statement or the admission is to the independent Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. Parents/ Carers of children with Statements of SEN should contact their child’s case officer for any further information.
There is a separate form for children with Statements of Special Educational Needs which will be provided to parents/carers by the relevant Case Officer. If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs do not complete the form in the admissions booklet, however, you may find some of the information useful. If your child is undergoing statutory assessment please contact your Case Officer for further advice before completing a form.
What if my child has Special Educational Needs but does not currently have a Statement?
Applications for children without a Statement of Special Educational Needs should be made in the normal way, i.e. parents/carers may either complete the form on-line available at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions or complete the form at the back of the admissions booklet.
How should I apply for a church school in South Gloucestershire?
Please refer to the list of schools in the admissions booklet. You should also either complete the form on-line available at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions or the form at the back of the admissions booklet and return it to the Student Access & Support Team. Details of the admission arrangements for each of the Voluntary Aided schools are given in the admissions booklet. Additional information may be requested by the individual school in order for your application to be considered. Places will be offered by South Gloucestershire Council on behalf of the Governing Body of a Voluntary Aided school under the co¬ordinated admission arrangements for schools within the South Gloucestershire area.
How many school places are available at each school?
The Admission Number for each school is given with the list of schools in section 5 of the admissions booklet.
Is there a limit to the number of children admitted to infant classes?
Classes for children in the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 age groups must not exceed a ratio of 30 pupils to 1 teacher. The legal requirement for classes to contain no more than 30 pupils for an ordinary teaching session with a single teacher may mean that some children will be refused places to avoid having classes with over 30 pupils. Where schools have an Admission Number of 45 or 75, some classes within these year groups may have single teacher classes with fewer than 30 children. In any case the Admission Number of the school must not be exceeded.
Does the Council use a first come, first served process?
No. However, parents/carers should be aware that the first round of allocations will involve only those applications received by the closing date of 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007.
What happens if my application is received after the closing date?
Your application must be returned to the Student Access & Support Team by 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007. If it is not received by that date your application will only be dealt with after all the ‘on-time’ applications have been considered. Places are not reserved and cannot be held back for those who, for whatever reason, apply late. This rule applies even if there is a local sibling link. Should places become available later in the allocation process and before the start of Term 1, places will be allocated using the over-subscription criteria.
My child already attends the Nursery class at a school. Can he/she join the Reception Class at the same school?
There is no automatic right for your child to continue at the same school. A list of nursery classes attached to South Gloucestershire infant/primary schools, is given in the admissions booklet. South Gloucestershire does not operate a feeder system. No reference is made to which nursery/playgroup a child has been attending when Reception places are allocated.
When will I know what place my child has been given?
Everyone will receive a letter from South Gloucestershire Council. Please see the co¬ordinated admission scheme (section 4) in the admissions booklet detailing the expected timescale for allocations.
Does my child start school on a full-time basis straight away?
Attendance for Term 1 varies from school to school (see explanation of terms - phasing full time admission). Full details are available from individual schools, but all children on roll must be in attendance for a full school day by the beginning of Term 2 at the latest.
What if I don’t want my child to start school in September?
Your child does not legally have to start school until the term following their fifth birthday. If you wish to delay your child’s entry to school until January or April 2009 (depending on the child’s date of birth) you should still complete the form either on¬line at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions or on the form in the back of the admissions booklet. Admission cannot be deferred beyond the end of the academic year. If, because of your child’s age, you delay admission until September 2009 please be aware that you will need to make an application for a Year 1 place (this means that your child will bypass the Reception Year). Applicants who are deferring are strongly advised to contact the Student Access & Support Team for advice not later than the 20 April 2009. Parents/ Carers will need to take into consideration the possibility that the preferred school might be full in this age group with pupils whose parents/carers applied for a place in September 2008.
Can the offer of a place be withdrawn?
Once an offer of a school place has been made through the co-ordinated scheme it is reasonable for an Admissions Authority to withdraw that offer only in very limited circumstances. These may include when a parent/carer has failed to respond to an offer within a reasonable time or the Admission Authority offered the place on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application from a parent/carer (for example, a false claim to residence in an area) which effectively denied the place to a child with a stronger claim; or where a place was offered by the Local Authority, not the Admission Authority, in error. If a parent/carer has not responded to the offer of a place within a reasonable time (such as 21 days), the Admission Authority must remind the parent/carer of the need to respond and point out that the place may be withdrawn if they do not. Please refer to section 18 for further details.
What if I don’t live in South Gloucestershire, but want to apply for a school which is in South Gloucestershire?
Applications should be submitted using the form either on-line at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions or on the form in the back of the admissions booklet. You are advised also to apply to your own Local Authority in case it is not possible for South Gloucestershire Council to offer you a place at a South Gloucestershire school.
What if I live in South Gloucestershire and want to apply for a school which is not in South Gloucestershire?
You should contact the Local Authority where the school is situated. The other Local Authority will deal with your application. You are advised also to apply for a place within South Gloucestershire, because the other Local Authority may not be able to offer you a place at your preferred school. If you have applied for a place at a South Gloucestershire school but have accepted a place in a non-South Gloucestershire school it is important to let us know as soon as possible.
What happens if there are more applications than places available (i.e. over-subscribed)?
Each school has a set admission number and if there are more applications than places available, some children will not be offered a place at that school. When a school is over-subscribed, places will be offered in accordance with the published admission criteria, given in order of priority in the admissions booklet and which will be applied to all applications for Community and Controlled schools received by 4.30pm on Friday 19 October 2007. The admission criteria for Voluntary Aided schools are included on this website.