Primary School Places - Applying Mid Year

Pupils/students of statutory school age can apply for a place at a Barnsley primary school during the school year.

How to apply for a school place

Parents/carers can apply for their child a school place by filling in a common transfer form and returning it to Education Services, for the attention of the Admissions Officer.

You can include up to three Barnsley schools on your common transfer 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 contact the school to obtain their Additional Information Form, fill it in and forward it to the Education Services' Admissions Officer along with the common transfer form. You must rank the schools, stating your first, second and third preference.

Education Services will consult with the schools to see if places are available in your child's age group. Factors that affect whether a child can be offered a place include whether admission would impact on the efficient education and efficient use of resources, for example, if admitting more pupils to a class would have a detrimental effect on the other pupils or if admitting would lead to infant class sizes of over 30.

If a family is applying for places at a school for more than one child even if one age group is full, the children might all be offered places, depending on the outcome of consultation with the headteacher, but this is not guaranteed.

If a place is not available at any of your preferred schools, an offer of a place will be made at the school nearest to your home that has places available.

To apply for a place at a primary school outside Barnsley you must contact the relevant Local Education Authority for details of their policies and procedures.

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 8.30 am-5 pm
Friday 8.30 am-4.30 pm

How the customer can help

• You can help by supplying accurate information and completing all sections of the common transfer 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 1TP - Common Transfer Form for Admission to Primary School

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

Leaflets

Admission to Primary School: Advice to Parents Academic Year 2006/07
Procedure for Independent Appeals - Information for Parents
Co-ordinated Scheme - Admission Arrangements to Primary School 2006/07
List of Barnsley Schools and Other Educational Establishments

Distribution Points

Schools

BMBC Education Services
Admissions Section
Berneslai Close
Barnsley
S70 2HS

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?

You will normally receive a letter within 3 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 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, which can be otained from, and and returned to, the Admissions Officer.

You will be informed in writing 14 days before of the date, time and place of the appeal. You will receive copies of documentation seven days beforehand. You should submit your written documents seven days beforehand.

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. What if I want to apply for a school outside Barnsley?
   Contact the local education authority where the school is located.
   
2. Can I apply for Barnsley schools and schools outside Barnsley?
   Yes you can, but not on the same common transfer form - see question 1.
   
3. How many Barnsley Schools can I apply for?
   You can apply for three schools on the Barnsley common transfer form.
   
4. What if I want to apply for a voluntary aided (VA) school?
   Complete the common transfer 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.
   
5. When do you apply the oversubscription criteria?
   The oversubscription criteria are applied when the number of applications exceed the admission number for the school.
   
6. 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.
   
7. 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.
   
8. 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.
   
9. 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.
   
10. Can I go on a waiting list for the schools where I wasn't offered a place?
    Waiting lists are only held for the Reception year group. Children born 1.9.01 to 31.8.02 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.
    
11. 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.
    
12. 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.
    
13. What if my appeal fails?
    You have no further right of appeal for your child's admission during the Academic Year 2005/2006. 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.