Secondary co-ordinated admission scheme for September 2010

This scheme will apply to all admission authorities in the area in relation to children wishing to join the normal year of entry at a maintained secondary-phase school in Gloucestershire from September 2010.

This scheme will apply to all admission authorities in the area in relation to children wishing to join the normal year of entry at a maintained secondary-phase school in Gloucestershire from September 2010.

All parents will be invited to state up to a maximum of four ranked preferences on a common application form, regardless of the status of the schools for which they wish to apply. The form will provide an opportunity for parents to give reasons for their preferences. All completed secondary transfer forms should be returned directly to the County Council, even if it includes a preference for a school in another County. Any parent who lives outside Gloucestershire but wants to be considered for a Gloucestershire school must complete a common application form including the school(s) and return it to their home Local Authority by their deadline (this may be different to the Gloucestershire closing date). That Local Authority will then liaise with Gloucestershire County Council to determine whether a place can be offered.

Individual school admission authorities (Voluntary Aided and Foundation) may use separate supplementary forms to collect additional information, but all applicants must complete a Common Application Form. The only additional information obtained by schools should be that referred to in the School Admissions Code of Practice, i.e. that which has a direct bearing on decisions about acceptable oversubscription criteria; for example, asking for a reference from a priest or other religious matter for a faith school. Schools that receive applications in error, will forward them to the home local authority.

Parents, who wish to enter their children for a grammar school, must also complete a separate Standard Grammar Test Registration Form. This should be returned to the school where they wish the test to be taken and indicate whether there are any other grammar schools they are considering applying for. Failure to register for a grammar school by the closing date will render invalid any subsequent preference detailed on the Common Application Form.

Children who wish to be considered for a place at Cleeve School must also contact the school to register for their Fair Banding Test and, if applicable, their Language Aptitude Test. Failure to register for the Fair Banding Test by the School's closing date will render invalid any subsequent preference detailed on the Common Application Form.

Normally, pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs will be admitted to the school named on their statement. Wherever possible, such allocation will be made before any other places are offered. Once a statement reaches the formal proposed stage, this scheme ceases to apply.

Early secondary transfer

Children may transfer early to a secondary school, only if it can be demonstrated that they display exceptional maturity. Each request will involve consultation with the current school, the school to which the child wishes to transfer and, where appropriate, the admission authority's professional adviser. The application will be considered only if all parties consider it would be appropriate.

Delayed secondary transfer

Children may remain for a further year in a primary-phase school only in exceptional circumstances, where there has been previous involvement with the Special Needs Service and/or Educational Psychology. Each request will involve consultation with the current school, the school to which the child wishes to transfer and, where appropriate, the admission authority's professional adviser. If one or more parties do not agree that the delay would be appropriate, the request will be refused and the child will transfer at the normal time.

Consideration of Applications and Allocation of Places

All preferences will be given equal consideration. Ranking will take effect if more than one preference can be met. In this instance the highest ranked place available will be allocated. If none of the parent's preferences can be met, the County Council will ensure, as far as is reasonably possible, that an offer can be made. The County Council will not release information as to which position on the preference list, a school is placed.

The closing date for the first round of applications is 4 December 2009 and written notification of the outcome of each application will be given via the County Council on 1 March 2010.

The Council will have regard to any offer made by another local authority. If the other local authority can offer a higher ranked school, Gloucestershire will not make an offer.

Late applications or changes of order of preference can be considered as part of the first stage, only in circumstances where the application could not have been made at the appropriate time e.g. in the case of a house move or prolonged illness. The decision as to whether a late application is to be considered as part of the first round will be made by the Director of Children and Young People's Services or her nominated officer.

Stage 2

Following the first round of allocations late applications will be considered and slotted in where possible using the admissions criteria or offered alternative schools if necessary. There is no guarantee that late applications will be dealt with before 1 March. Since all children will receive only one offer of a place, the need for slotting in is quite small.

It is at this stage that applications from parents, who have moved into the area after the closing date of 4 December and those who did not submit their preference forms on time, will be considered.

Any parent will be able to apply for reconsideration at this stage as long as they return their reply form by 15 March stating which schools they would like to be reconsidered for. It is at this stage parents can apply for a school placed lower in their original preference list than the one offered or add a new school.

The Local Authority continues to be responsible for the co-ordination of responses to offers and reconsiderations until the end of this second stage and after 31 March 2010 individual Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools will manage their own appeals. After this stage, all oversubscribed schools are required to keep a waiting list until atleast the October half-term and maintain these in accordance with the school's admissions criteria.

Appeals

All refusal letters will include details of how to appeal and will make clear to whom the appeal should be addressed i.e. to Foundation or Voluntary Aided schools or the County Council. The results of all appeals should be forwarded to the Council by parents and the schools, as this may affect the availability of places for other applicants. Appeals should be heard as soon as is practicable but within 30 school days of the specified closing date for receipt of appeals by the admissions authority.

Casual Admissions

In September 2010, the County Council becomes responsible for co-ordinating all admissions of children who move into the area outside the normal admissions round and require a school place. The parent will be required to complete an application for in-year admission for their child and return it to the Council who will liaise with the individual schools to determine whether a place can be offered. The Council will be responsible for offering children a place at a school on behalf of the Governing Body. Parents may wish to pursue their right of appeal and this will be handled by the County Council or by the school if it is a Foundation or Voluntary Aided school.

Full details of the in-year co-ordinated scheme will be devised by the County Council and be subject to full public consultation in January 2010.