Secondary School Places

If you were born between 1 September 1995 and 31 August 1996, you can apply for a place at secondary school for the academic year starting September 2007.

You can apply to transfer from primary to secondary school online via our Online Admissions site, which will take you through the transfer process or by completing the Admission to Secondary School Form.

How to apply

Barnsley residents

If your child is currently in a primary school in Barnsley please complete the common application form and return it to the headteacher of his/her current school. The form is in the booklet: Admission to secondary school - advice to parents academic year 2007/2008. If your child does not attend a Barnsley primary school and you wish to apply for a Barnsley secondary school, return the completed common application form to the Admissions Officer, Berneslai Close, Barnsley S70 2HS.

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/
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 Education Services by the closing date: 20 October 2006 for a place from September 2007.

If one of your preferred schools is St Michael's Catholic and Church of England High School, you must also complete the additional information form (which is also included in the booklet) and staple it to your application. If you are applying for a place at a voluntary aided school in Doncaster/Rotherham/Sheffield/
Wakefield/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 in the Barnsley advice booklet.

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 October 2006 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 Education Services. Your application will be dealt with once the initial allocation of places is complete.

Transferring during the school year

This is disruptive to learning: 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 at Berneslai Close, Barnsley S70 2HS.

Please note:

• for families moving into the Barnsley area from another authority, you do not need to complete section 7 of the common transfer form;
  
• for all other applications, if section 7 of the common transfer form has not been completed and signed by the headteacher of your child's current school, the form will be returned to you - it 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 affect.

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 Section within 10 working days.

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 1S 2007/2008 - Common application form for admission to secondary school
Common Transfer Form 1TS
St Michael's Catholic and Church of England High School - additional information form to accompany the Authority's common application form for admission to secondary school in 2007/2008

Leaflets

• Admission to Secondary School 2007/08: 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 - Admission Arrangements to Secondary School 2007/2008
• Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Secondary Schools 2007/08
• List of Barnsley Schools and Other Educational Establishments

Distribution Points

Primary 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

For more information, visit the website of the Department for Education and Skills .

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 2006.

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 Education Services. You must ask for the form by 15 March 2006 and return it by 29 March 2006. Appeals will be held normally in April and May 2006.

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.

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. After the closing date, The Academy will send you an additional information form, which you must complete and return direct to them.

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.
a) if your common application form is received by 30 November 2005 it will be dealt with as if it was returned by the closing date;
b) if your common application form is received after 30 November 2005 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?
For community and voluntary controlled schools in Barnsley, 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).
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 childs admission during the Academic Year 2006/2007. 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.

 

Last modified on 12/11/2008