Primary School Places

Children of statutory school age (born 1 September 2002 to 31 August 2003) are eligible to a place at primary school for the academic year starting September 2007 (admission in September 2007 or January 2008)

You can now apply for a place for your child at our Online Admissions site, which will take you through the admissions process, or you can complete the Admission to Reception Class at Primary School Form .

Procedure

Parents/carers can apply for a school place by filling in a common application form and returning it to the headteacher of their first preference school. This information is in the booklet: Admission to Primary School: Advice to Parents 2007/08 .

You can include up to three schools on your common application form. These can be any community, voluntary controlled or voluntary aided schools in the Barnsley area. If you are applying to a voluntary aided school, you must also ask the school for their Additional Information Form and complete and return it to the voluntary aided school. You must ensure that the school completes and gives you the receipt for your common application form, which must be retained. To apply for a primary school in another authority you must contact that authority for details of their admission policies and procedures.

You must rank the schools, stating your first, second and third preference.

The completed form must be handed in at your first preference school by the closing date: 17 November 2006 for a place from September 2007 or January 2008.

Applying for a place after the November 2006 deadline

If you missed the deadline for applying for a place you should complete a common application form and send it to the Admissions Officer at Education Services. Your application will be dealt with once the initial allocation of places is complete.

Helplines

Barnsley admissions contacts:
01226 773689
01226 773588
01226 773677
01226 773506

Independent appeal process:
01226 773064

Other local education authorities:
Doncaster: 01302 737204/737234
Kirklees: 01484 225007/8/9
Rotherham: 01709 822505
Sheffield: 0114 2735766
Wakefield: 01924 305616/17/18/19/20

Opening Times/Locations

School Admissions
Education Services
Berneslai Close
Barnsley
S70 2HS

Monday - Thursday 8.30am - 5.00pm
Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm

How the customer 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 2 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.

Application Form References

Form IP 2007/2008 - Common Application Form for Admission to Reception .

Additional information form to also be completed if applying for a voluntary aided school. This form is obtained from, and returned to, the school.

Leaflets

• Admission to Primary School: Advice to Parents 2007/08
• Appeals Procedure for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools
• Appeals Procedure for Voluntary Aided Primary Schools
• Co-ordinated Scheme - Admission Arrangements to Primary School 2007/08
• List of Barnsley Schools and Other Educational Establishments
  

Distribution Points

Schools

BMBC Education Services
Admissions Service,
Education Services,
Berneslai Close,
Barnsley,
S70 2HS

For queries relating to:

Doncaster Schools:
Admissions and Pupil Services
The Directorate of Education and Culture
PO Box 266
The Council House
College Road
Doncaster
DN1 3AD

Kirklees Schools:
School Admissions
Oldgate House
2 Oldgate
Huddersfield
HD1 6QW

Rotherham Schools:
Admissions and Appeals Section
Education Culture and Leisure Services
Norfolk House
Walker Place
Rotherham
S65 1AS

Sheffield Schools:
Pupil Support
Floor 3
Howden House
Union Street
Sheffield
S1 2SH

Wakefield Schools:
School Admissions
City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Education, Libraries and Museums Department
County Hall
Wakefield
WF1 2QL

Legislation

School Standards and Framework Act 1998
Schedule 4 of Education Act 2002
School Admissions code of practice
School admissions appeals code of practice

Websites

Department for Education and Skills: Parents

What happens next?

The Admissions Section 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 4 April 2007.

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. Your child's name 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 Section 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, which can be obtained from, and returned to, the Admissions Officer. You must ask for the form by 18 April 2007 and return it by 2 May 2007. Appeals will be held in May and June 2007. The Authority must comply with infant class size legislation, and this may determine the type of appeal.

Owner Officer Contact Details

Admissions Officer
Tel: 01226 773689
Fax: 01226 773682
Email: admissions@barnsley.gov.uk

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.

1. How do I apply for a primary school place?
   To apply for Barnsley schools complete the common application form and return it to the Headteacher of your first preference school.
   
2. What if I want to apply for a school outside Barnsley?
   Contact the local education authority where the school is located.
   
3. Can I apply for Barnsley schools and schools outside Barnsley?
   Yes you can, but not on the same common application form - see questions 1 and 2.
   
4. How many Barnsley Schools can I apply for?
   You can apply for three schools on the Barnsley common application form.
   
5. 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.
   
6. When can I hand in my common application form?
   You can hand it in anytime after receiving this booklet, but no later than the closing date of 17 November 2006.
   
7. 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 increase your chances of being offered a place at that school.
   
8. When will my child start school?
   Children born between 1 September 2002 and 31 December 2002 start at community and voluntary controlled schools in September 2007.
   Children born between 1 January 2003 and 31 August 2003 start at community and voluntary controlled schools in January 2008.
   Please note that part time admission to school is no longer available.
   Some voluntary aided (VA) schools have different start dates - contact individual schools for further details.
   
9. What if I want to apply for a voluntary aided (VA) school?
   Complete the common application form with your three preferences including the VA school and return it to the Headteacher of your first preference school.
   You must also obtain an 'additional information' form from the individual Voluntary Aided school, complete the form, and return it to them by the closing date.
   
10. 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 at Berneslai Close. It will be dealt with after all applications received by the closing date.
    
11. What happens if I don't complete the Barnsley common application form?
    You will not be offered a school place in Barnsley
    
12. Can I change my mind after I have sent my common application form in?
    Yes, but what you need to do depends on whether you change your mind before or after the closing date. Contact the Admissions Team.
    
13. When do you apply the oversubscription criteria?
    The oversubscription criteria are applied when the number of applications exceed the admission number for the school.
    
14. How is it decided that the year group is full?
    When the number of offers reaches the admission number. A full list of admission numbers can be found in the Advice to Parents booklet.
    
15. How will you decide at which school I am offered a place?
    You will be offered a place at the highest ranked school where your child is eligible for admission.
    
16. What are the oversubscription criteria for Barnsley schools?
    For community and voluntary controlled schools, priority will be given in the following order:
    (i) children with a statement of special educational needs where the school is named on the statement
    (ii) children in public care
    (iii) children who will have brothers or sisters in school at the time of admission
    (iv) children living nearest to school (distance measured in a straight line).
    
    Voluntary aided schools have different admissions criteria, see the Advice to Parents Booklet.
    
17. 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.
    If your child lives outside Barnsley, you will not be offered an alternative school. You should contact your local Admissions Section to find out which schools have vacancies.
    
18. 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 at which they were offered a place unless a written request is made to the Admissions Officer.
    
19. Is there anything I can do if I am not offered a place any of my preferred schools?
    You can appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel.
    
20. 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.
    
21. What if my appeal fails?
    You have no further right of appeal for your child's admission during the Academic Year 2007/2008. If you are unhappy with the school that you have been offered you can contact the School Admissions Section for details of other schools with vacancies.