Article: Admissions - secondary school places Article Body Secondary school places for September 2012 If your child was born between 1 September 2000 and 31 August 2001, you can apply in September 2011 for them a place at secondary school for the academic year starting September 2012. How to apply for a place You can apply online to transfer from primary to secondary school via our Online Admissions site or by completing the Admission to Secondary School Form by the deadline of 31 October 2011 (see advice below if applying for a place after the deadline). Barnsley residents If your child is currently in a primary school in Barnsley please complete the Admission to Secondary Application Form and return it to the headteacher of his/her current school. If your child does not attend a Barnsley primary school and you wish to apply for a Barnsley secondary school, return the completed application form to the Admissions Officer, PO Box 634, Barnsley S70 9GG Please refer to information in the booklet: Admission to School - Academic Year 2012-13 - Advice to Parents. You can include up to three schools on your common application form. These can be any community, voluntary controlled or voluntary aided schools in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield or Kirklees. You must rank the schools, stating your first, second and third preference. The completed form must be handed in at your child's current primary school or sent to the Directorate for Children, Young People and Families by the closing date: 31 October 2011 for a place from September 2012. If one of your preferred schools is Holy Trinity (formerly St Michael's Catholic and Church of England High School), you must also complete the supplementary information form and staple it to your application. If you are applying for a place at a voluntary aided school in Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield or Kirklees you must staple a copy of your child's baptism certificate to the common application form. Non-Barnsley residents Contact your local admissions section for a copy of its advice booklet and complete the form in this booklet. Do not use the form issued by Barnsley. To apply for a place in any authority other than Barnsley you must contact that authority for details of their admission policies and procedures. Applying for a place after the 31 October 2011 closing date If you missed the closing date for applying for a place you should complete a common application form and send it to the Admissions Officer at the Directorate for Children, Young People and Families. Your application will be dealt with once the initial allocation of places is complete. Transferring during the school year Transferring schools can be disruptive to learning so parents are asked to avoid in-year transfers wherever possible. If you want to transfer because of difficulties at your child's current school, please contact the school first to see if the problem can be tackled another way. If you want to continue, please complete the Common Transfer Form: Secondary and return it to the Admissions Officer PO box 634, Barnsley S70 9GG. Section 7 of the common transfer form must be completed and signed by the headteacher of your child's current school. If Section 7 is not completed, the form will be returned to you and will not be processed until all sections are completed. The authority can refuse an application if admission would impact on efficient education and efficient use of resources, for example, if the admission number of pupils had been reached for a year group and admitting more pupils to a class would have a detrimental effect. You will normally receive a letter within three school weeks, informing you whether or not your transfer request has been successful. If you do not wish to accept an offered place you must write and tell the Admissions Section within 10 working days. What happens next The Admissions Service will process your common application form in accordance with over subscription criteria and identify whether there are places at your preferred schools. If places are available at more than one school on your form, you will be offered a place at the school ranked highest on the common application form. You will be sent a letter offering a place on 1 March 2012. Your child's name will also be placed on the waiting list of any school you ranked higher than the school offered but where a place is not immediately available. You must also inform the Admissions section if you wish your child's name to be placed on the waiting list of any schools ranked lower than the offered school. If a place is not available at any of the three schools you listed and your child lives in Barnsley, you will be allocated a place at the community of voluntary controlled school with places available, nearest to your child's regular address. You will also be placed on the waiting list for your preferred schools. If you do not wish to accept an offered place you must write and tell the Admissions Service within 10 working days. Appeals If you are not offered a place at any of your preferred schools, you can appeal to an independent appeal panel. To do this you have to complete a Notice of Appeal form and return it to the Directorate for Children, Young People and Families. You must ask for the form by 15 March 2012 and return it by 31 March 2012. Appeals will be held normally in April and May 2012. How to contact us Admissions Officer Directorate for Children, Young People and Families Postal address: PO Box 634, Barnsley S70 9GG Telephone: 01226 773689 / 773588 / 773677 / 773506 Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm Fax: 01226 773682 Email: admissions@barnsley.gov.uk Independent appeal process: 01226 773451 For queries relating to: Doncaster schools Admissions and Pupil Services PO Box 266, The Council House, College Road, Doncaster DN1 3AD Telephone: 01302 737204 / 737234 Kirklees schools School Admissions Second Floor, High Street Buildings, High Street, Huddersfield HD1 2NF Telephone: 01484 225007 / 225008 / 225009 Rotherham schools Admissions and Appeals Section Children and Young People's Services, Norfolk House, Walker Place, Rotherham S65 1AS Telephone: 01709 822508/ 822626 Sheffield schools Admissions Team Floor 3, Howden House, 1 Union Street, Sheffield S1 2SH Telephone: 0114 2735790 Wakefield schools School Admissions City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, Family Services, Room 62, County Hall, Wakefield WF1 2QL Telephone: 01924 305616 / 305617 / 305789 /306766 Application forms Form 1S - Common application form for admission to secondary school Common Transfer Form (1TS): Secondary Holy Trinity CE - supplementary information form - to accompany the authority's common application form for admission to school in 2012/2013. Admission to schools 2011-12 Admission Arrangements for Community/Voluntary Aided Secondary Schools Admission Arrangements for Penistone Sixth Form Admission Arrangements for St Michael's Catholice & CE High Admission Arrangements for Holy Trinity 3-16 Admission to Secondary School - Advice to Parents Appeals Procedure for Secondary Community Schools - Information for Parents Appeals Procedure for St Michael's Catholic High School - Information for Parents Co-ordinated Scheme for Admission to Secondary School Co-ordinated Scheme for Admission to Secondary School List of Barnsley Schools Admission to schools 2012-13 Admission Arrangements for Community/Voluntary Aided Secondary Schools Admission Arrangements for Penistone Sixth Form Admission to School - Advice to Parents Admission to Secondary School - Quick Reference Guide Admission to schools 2013-14 Admission Arrangements for Carlton and Royston Learning Co-operative Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools Admission Arrangements for Holy Trinity 3-16 Admission Arrangements for Penistone Sixth Form Co-ordinated Scheme for Admission to Schools Determination Notice 2013-14 Legislation School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Education Act 2002 School Admissions Code of Practice School Admissions Appeals Code of Practice Equalities impact assessment Equalities impact assessment of admissions to secondondary school Websites For more information, visit the website of the Department for Education How you can help You can help by supplying accurate information and completing all sections of the common application form. Forms and letters should be signed by parent/guardian. Proof of guardianship may be required. You may be asked to provide proof that you have changed your address. Documents may include: a tenancy agreement; a solicitor's letter confirming exchange of contract. You may be asked to provide copies of at least two documents confirming that your child is registered at your address. Documents may include: child benefit book; information relating to Working Tax Credit/Childcare Tax Credit; letter from a local doctor; hospital appointment letter; letter from dentist; child's bank statement; medical card. Frequently Asked Questions Here are some of the more frequently asked questions with a brief answer. A more detailed answer can be found within the different sections of the Advice to Parents booklet. I live in Barnsley, how do I apply for a secondary school place? To apply for a school in Barnsley and/or any other authority complete the common application form. If your child currently attends a Barnsley primary school, you should return the common application form to the headteacher of your child's current school. If your child attends a school outside Barnsley, you should return the common application form to the Admissions Officer. I do not live in Barnsley, how do I apply for a secondary school place? To apply for a Barnsley school, complete the common application form in your own local education authority's Admission Booklet. How many schools can I apply for? You can apply for three schools within Barnsley and/or schools in any other authority on the common application form. How do I complete the common application form? Once you've decided on your three schools, you then need to decide which is your preferred school, and write it in the 1st preference box, write your second preference school in the 2nd preference box, and your third preference school in the 3rd preference box. Can I apply for just one school? Yes you can, BUT it is strongly recommended by the authority that you apply for three schools. Naming only one school or writing the same school three times will not necessarily increase your chances of being offered a place at that school. What if I want to apply for a voluntary aided (VA) school in Barnsley or Wakefield/Sheffield/Rotherham/Doncaster/ Kirklees? Complete the common application form with your three preferences including the voluntary aided school. You must also obtain an 'additional information' form from the school, complete the form, and staple it to your common application form. If your child currently attends a Barnsley primary school, you should return the common application form to the headteacher of your child's current school. If your child attends a school outside Barnsley, you should return the common application form to the Admissions Officer. What if I want to apply for the Barnsley Academy? Complete the common application form with your three preferences including the Academy. What if I miss the closing date for handing in my common application form? You must submit your common application form directly to the Admissions Officer: if your common application form is received by 30 November 2011 it will be dealt with as if it was returned by the closing date; if your common application form is received after 30 November 2011 it will be dealt with after all applications received by the closing date. What happens if I don't complete the Barnsley common application form? You will not be offered a school place in Barnsley. When do you apply the oversubscription criteria? The oversubscription criteria are applied when the number of applications exceed the admission number for the school. What are the oversubscription criteria for Barnsley schools? Children who have a statement of special educational needs which names the school are required to be admitted. For community and voluntary controlled schools, priority will be given in the following order: 1 children in public care 2 children who will have brothers or sisters in school at the time of admission 3 children living nearest to school (distance measured in a straight line). Please note - voluntary aided schools and schools in neighbouring authorities will have different admissions criteria. How is it decided that the year group is full? When the number of offers reaches the admission number. How will you decide at which school I am offered a place? You will be offered a place at the highest ranked school named on your common application form where your child is eligible for admission. What happens if you cannot offer a place at any of my preferred schools? If your child lives in Barnsley, a place will be offered at the nearest community or voluntary controlled school, to your ordinary place of residence, with places available. Can I go on a waiting list for the schools where I wasn't offered a place? Children will automatically be placed on a waiting list for any school which is ranked higher than the school for which an offer has been made. No child will be placed on the waiting list of any school ranked lower than the school for which an offer of a place has been made unless you make a written request. Is there anything I can do if I am not offered a place at any of my preferred schools? You can appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. How do I make an appeal? You need to request, complete and return a Notice of Appeal. Once you've informed us of your intention to appeal we will send you a separate booklet - 'Procedure for Admissions to School Appeals Information to Parents' - giving you all the information you need. What if my appeal fails? You have no further right of appeal for your child's admission during the Academic Year 2012/2013. If you are unhappy with the school that you have been offered you can contact the Admissions Officer for details of other local schools with vacancies.