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If you are a Cheshire resident, you will need to complete the application form provided by the Local Authority. Application forms are sent out to parents and carers during September in the year before your child is due to start school.
Having read all the information in the Admissions Information Booklet and from information provided by individual schools, and, if possible, having visited schools by attending open evenings or by making other arrangements with the headteachers, you should then indicate three preferences in priority order on Cheshire's application form.
If you have an e-mail account you can apply online for school admissions in Cheshire. This facility will be available from 1 September 2008 when the paper application forms are sent out, until the closing date of 31 October 2008.
Applying online is quicker and easier and you will be able to receive your offer by e-mail or by logging onto your account on 2 March 2009.
The law does not give you the right to choose a school for your child. However, it does allow you to express a preference as to which school you would like your child to attend. The Council must try to meet that preference. The same applies to the governing bodies of voluntary aided 'church' schools or foundation schools, who are responsible for admissions to their schools rather than the Council.
Your preference will be met, unless, as the law says, to do so would 'prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources'. This simply means that, as long as there are places available at the school, preferences will be met. For many schools, including aided and foundation, more applications can be received than the number of places available. Therefore, you should give careful consideration before stating your preferences.
At the end of the Admissions Information Booklet there is a section that gives you information on schools in Cheshire. Under each school you will see the published admission number (PAN), this is the number of places available.
The published oversubscription criteria for the school will be applied to determine who will be offered the places. If potentially we can offer you a place at more than one of your preferred schools, we will make you a single offer which will be for the school that you ranked the highest. If you are a Cheshire resident and we are unable to offer any of your preferences, we will allocate you a place at the nearest Cheshire school which has places available. This will not affect your right of appeal.
All preferences are considered against the published oversubscription criteria. Aided and Foundation schools have their own criteria and these are listed under each school in the schools section of the Admissions Information Booklet (page 40-45).
No. We advise that you express three preferences in priority order for schools of your choice. Some schools will have more children wanting a place than there are places available and your first preference may be unsuccessful.
If you only state one school preference and we are unable to offer you a place at this school, the Local Authority will offer you a place at the nearest with vacancies (Cheshire residents only). If you state more preferences and your highest (first) preference is unsuccessful, the Local Authority can consider your other choices, rather than 'choosing' one for you. In addition, if all your local schools are filled up with preferences, you may be allocated a place at a school some distance away as the 'nearest school with vacancies' after all preferences have been considered. Also, if you name the same school more than once on the application form this will not increase your chances of being successful, but will mean that you will only have one preference to be considered.
No. Each school is served by a geographical area called its catchment area, from which it generally admits pupils. However, a change in the law means that the Council is no longer allowed to guarantee places at the catchment area school. Neither can we reserve any such places.
Will the catchment area school be able to accommodate all application form parents and carers resident in the catchment area?
Not necessarily. Generally, there are enough places for all children living in the schools catchment area as well as places for children living outside the catchment area, but for some schools, changes in the population and the pattern of parental preference can result in applications from within the catchment area exceeding the number of places available. Please refer to the information in the schools section of the Admissions Information Booklets about the allocations last year as an indication.
If you move house after submitting your application you must notify the Admissions and Transfer Team in writing. Proof of residency will be required. Information received after 31 December will not result in a change to the criteria for admission as after this date the allocation process will be underway. However, it is important that the authority is advised of a change in residency to ensure that the offer is sent to the correct address and so that your child's record is updated once the allocation process has been completed.
Yes - The co-ordinated admission scheme allows you to express a preference for any maintained school including those administered by another English authority. If you wish your child to be considered for a school in another authority, please include the name of the school and its ranked position on the application form.
Yes - Any applications for the admission of pupils who live outside the County are always considered on an equal basis. However, in the case of secondary transfer for children at age 11, you must apply to your home authority who will then send the details to Cheshire County Council.
Yes. Provided that you name the school you will be considered for a place at the local school. However, we are unable to guarantee a place for your child. If you know that you will be moving into a different catchment area prior to completing the application form, you should name your new local school on your form and state the new address and date of proposed move on the application form. You must notify the Authority when you have actually moved in as this may change your criteria for admission. Proof of residency will be required which must be received by 31 December. Information received after this date will be too late for consideration, as previously stated.
Not necessarily - If there are not enough places to accommodate all parents' preferences, priority will be given in line with the relevant oversubscription criteria.
You should name the school as one of your preferences on Cheshire's application form. In church aided and foundation schools, the governors are responsible for the admission of pupils into the school. Therefore, you should also approach the school directly as further information may be required (e.g. In Roman Catholic Schools, a baptismal certificate may be required). The criteria used for admission are outlined in the Admissions Information Booklet under the school name (pages 49-58)
Yes. For Community and Controlled schools you can appeal against the Local Authority's decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. For Aided and Foundation schools you can appeal against the Governing Body's decision to an Independent Appeal Panel.
Appeals for admission in September 2009 will be heard by 6 July 2009 for on time application (i.e. those relating to decisions sent on the national offer day), or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged for late applications.
If you are resident in Cheshire, we will offer you a place at the nearest school with vacancies. This will not affect your right of appeal.
If you change your mind about the schools you have named, you will need to write to Authority stating your reasons for your change of preferences. There is, however, no guarantee that your revised preference will be met. Any changes made after the closing date will result in your application being treated as a late application, unless the Authority accepts that there are genuine reasons for the change, e.g. a house move, which must be stated at the time of the application.
Offers for Year 7 places in secondary will be posted out on the 2 March 2009 by second class post. If you apply online at www.cheshire.gov.uk/admissions you can receive your offer by e-mail or you can log on to your account to find out the school place offered on 2 March 2009.
With your offer letter you will be sent a form to complete which asks you to notify the authority if you wish to accept or decline the school place allocated for your son or daughter. You must complete the form and send it back to the authority by the closing date of 23 March 2009. Any places not accepted may be withdrawn and reallocated to the next person on the school's waiting list. If you are declining the place offered, you must notify the authority of the alternative arrangements for your child's education. If you wish to discuss alternative maintained schools with vacancies, please contact the authority on 0845 111 0304.
Failure to notify the Authority by this date will result in the Authority withdrawing the place offered where places have been allocated at a school with a waiting list. The place will then be reallocated to the next person on the school's waiting list. You will receive a letter informing you that the place has been withdrawn.
If I decline the school place offered without making alternative arrangements, will the Local Authority find me a school for my child?
We do not advise that you decline the place offered unless you have already made alternative arrangements. If you choose to decline the place offered, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child receives an education. Cheshire County Council can advise you of alternative schools with vacancies for September. Please telephone 0845 111 0304 for more information. This will not affect your right of appeal.
What if I need some advice or assistance with my application?
Cheshire's Parent Partnership Service offers independent and impartial advice. A Choice Adviser can help you make informed and realistic choices to best meet your child's needs. Please refer to the Admissions Information Booklet for more information (page 12)
You can e-mail your query to admissions@cheshire.gov.uk or you can telephone on 0845 111 0304 (calls charged at local rate). |