A Guide for Parents and Carers on Applying for a Primary School Place
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A guide for parents and carers on applying for a primary school place for the school year 2016–2017 If your child was born between 1 September 2011 – 31 August 2012 you need to apply for a school place by 15 January 2016. HE R T DE E A B D M 31 L I E N M October E E R 2012 A E PP IN LY ONL HE R T DE E A B D M 15 L I E N M January E E R 2016 A E PP IN LY ONL Applywww.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions online www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions 1 Bristol primary schools location map Can be download from here: www.bristol.gov.uk/primaryadmissions 2 Apply online www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions HE DE T AD R L E I B N 31 E M E M October E E R 2012 N I A L PPLY ON HE DE T AD R L E I B N 15 E M E M January Contents E E R 2016 N I Bristol primary schools location map A L 2 PPLY ON Welcome 4 Important dates for your diary 5 Terms and abbreviations 6 Types of schools 7 How do I apply for a primary school place 8 Oversubscription criteria – primary education 13 Transfer from Infant to Junior school 14 Frequently asked questions 16 Appeals arrangements 21 Admissions during the school year (in-year admissions) 23 Bristol primary schools listings 24 Bristol primary schools 26 Specialist provision for primary age 124 Pupil referral unit 128 Support with travel between home and school 130 Free School Meals 132 School attendance 134 Term and holiday dates 2016/2017 136 Useful contacts 137 Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this booklet. Some details may have changed since publication. Printed September 2015 Apply online www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions 3 Welcome Selecting the school you would prefer your child to attend is an important and sometimes difficult decision. This booklet provides you with information to help you make your decision and guides you to sources of further information. We have included details about the process to ensure that you can apply on-time, guidance on Important dates for your diary the admissions criteria used for oversubscribed schools, information about each school in Early September 2015 Bristol with links to the school websites and The online application will be available guidance on the types of things you should for completion at www.bristol.gov.uk/ consider when applying for a place. schooladmissions We recommend that you visit the schools you are interested in to find out more. You can Midnight 15 January 2016 also find out useful information from school Closing date for applications. If you prospectuses and websites. miss this date your application will be considered as ‘late’ and the likelihood of being offered a place at one of your How to contact us preferred schools will be reduced. You can always contact the School Admissions 18 April 2016 Team for advice or visit the website www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions Offers of a primary/infant school place made to parents/carers resident in Bristol School Admissions (Romney House) will be sent by first class post. If you applied PO Box 3176 online you will also be sent an email on the Bristol BS3 9FS 18 April 2016 t 0117 903 7694 f 0117 903 7710 e [email protected] 3 May 2016 Parents and carers must reply to offers by Please note: this date. The educational landscape of Bristol’s The table on page 6 gives more details of schools is changing fast. For the most up the process. to date status of a school we recommend checking the individual school’s website. 4 Apply online www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions FRIDAY Important dates for your diary Date Key dates for parents What the council is doing Beginning of September Admissions system opens Beginning of September Publicise the admissions deadline and who needs to apply September/October Schools hold open days Council receives applications Midnight 15 January 2016 Closing date for reception applications By 1 February 2016 LA sends a report of applications received to other authorities By 8 February 2016 LA sends a report of applications received to Academies, Voluntary Aided and Foundation schools By 29 February 2016 Academies, Voluntary Aided and Foundation schools send a list of pupils offered/refused a place to LA By 28 March 2016 Bristol LA informs other LAs of the initial outcome of applications made by their residents for schools in Bristol, and other LAs will give the outcome of Bristol residents being offered places in schools in their area By 14 April 2016 All schools informed by LA of all final offers up to admission number and of refusals for oversubscribed schools 18 April 2016 Results of all on-time applications sent to parent/carers by 1st class post and email 3 May 2016 Deadline for parents to respond to offer By 3 May and 17 May 2016 LA exchanges info with Academies, Aided and Foundation schools and Deadline for on-time appeals for other LAs on late applications, on- By 23 May 2016 community and controlled schools to time applications still seeking a be lodged place and places not accepted Early June 2016 Parents hear about re-allocated places Places which become available are re-allocated to children still End of June onwards Appeals are heard seeking a place Apply online www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions 5 Terms and Abbreviations The terms and abbreviations used in this booklet can be unfamiliar to those not previously involved in the education system. These explanations may help. Term Description Parent/carer This includes all those people who have parental responsibility for a child who fall under the definition of “parent” as set out in Section 576 of the Education Act 1996. Child’s home This is the child’s permanent address where he or she resides with a address person with parental responsibility or with a parent (as defined in Section 576 of the Education Act 1996). School Admissions Document giving legislative framework together with other statutory Code instruments admission authorities follow. Produced by the Department for Education. Admission The admission number is the number of places that must be offered in number each year group if there is sufficient demand for places. The number is calculated according to the physical capacity of the school. Once the admission number is reached, any further admissions would normally be by appeal. Oversubscribed This means that there have been more applications than there are schools available places. Undersubscribed This means that there have been fewer applications than there are schools available places within the admission number. Oversubscription These are the policies that decide which children will be given priority criteria where there are more applications than places. Local Authority (LA) Bristol City Council is the LA. “Home” LA This is the LA in which the child lives. Applications for Reception 2016/2017 must be made on the home LA common application form regardless of the school(s) applied for. Children in Care/ This means children who are in public care. The School Admissions Code Looked after has been amended to include children previously in care, defined as children children who were previously in care, but immediately after being in care became subject to an Adoption Order, Child Arrangements Order or Special Guardianship Order. The School Admissions Code now gives both categories of children highest priority. Private Fostering A child, under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled) who is cared for and provided Arrangements with accommodation by someone other than: A parent of his/hers; A person who is not a parent of his/hers but who has Parental Responsibility for him/ her; A sibling; A close relative of his/hers, for example, aunt, uncle, stepparent or grandparent. 6 Apply online www.bristol.gov.uk/schooladmissions Types of School School Description Admission authority Academies/ These schools are independent The Board of Trustees is the admission Free schools from the LA and are funded authority and is responsible for directly by Central Government. determining the admission arrangements. These may differ from those used by the LA. Academies/Free schools participate in Co-ordinated admission arrangements within the area of their home LA. Community These schools are maintained The LA is the admission authority and it schools fully by the LA. is responsible for determining the admission arrangements and for allocating school places. Voluntary Sometimes referred to as As with community schools, the LA is the controlled controlled schools, management admission authority and it is responsible schools is shared between the LA and the for determining the admission Church of England. arrangements and for allocating school places. Voluntary Sometimes referred to as aided The governing body is the admission aided schools, these schools are either authority and it is responsible for schools Church of England or Catholic, determining the admission arrangements. and responsibility for These will be different from those used management is shared between by the LA. The governors are also the LA and the church but responsible for allocating school places. with the church playing a greater role. Trust schools/ These are state funded The school’s governing body is responsible Foundation Foundation schools supported for setting their own admission schools by a charitable trust. It is made arrangements and allocating places. up of the school partners, working together for the benefit of the school. Infant These schools cover the Reception to Year 2 age groups.