080 Contents School Terms and Holdays 2008/09 Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme 3 Bank Holidays 2007/2008 Information on Admissions Criteria 5 Good Friday 10 April 2009 Applying for a school place on-line 6 Easter Monday 13 April 2009 How to apply 7 May Day 4 May 2009 Assistance for Children who live in Hillingdon 13 Spring Bank Holiday 25 May 2009 Secondary Schools in Hillingdon 14 Questionnaire 35 Autumn Term 2008 75 Days Other useful contacts 37 Term Starts Monday 1 September 2008* Half Term Holiday 27 - 31 October 2008 Term Ends Friday 19 December 2008 Further information Further information and advice is available Spring Term 2009 60 Days during normal offi ce hours on 01895 556644 Term Starts Monday 5 January 2009 www.hillingdon.gov.uk Half Term Holiday 16 - 20 February 2009 admissionsbenefi [email protected] Term Ends Friday 3 April 2009 Summer Term 2009 61 Days Term Starts Monday 20 April 2009 Half Term Holiday 25 - 29 May 2009 Term Ends Wednesday 21 July 2009 Total 196 Days *NB: Monday 1 September 2008 – training day; 4 further training days to be determined by schools within the dates established **Please note although the total number of days is 196 there should be 190 pupil days and 5 training days the extra day simply gives schools the fl exibility to schedule their training days throughout the year. The term dates for some Voluntary and Foundation schools may vary slightly from those shown above. Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme Every year around 60,000 pupils living in How the system works The councils will hold the offer for the London transfer to secondary school, many Under the Pan-London Co-ordinated highest preference on the parent’s form crossing borough boundaries to do so. In Admissions Scheme, all parents will list and release all other lower preference 2005 all 33 London Boroughs together with the schools that they want to apply for offers, so that these places can be offered some councils bordering the capital signed on one form, ranking them in order of to other applicants. Potential offers are up to a system to co-ordinate admissions preference. (This is important as only one then exchanged between councils until to their secondary schools. offer will be made and this will be from they are in a position to make the single the highest ranked school able to make best offer to parents using all available The co-ordinated admissions system is an offer). This form will then be returned places. All offers will be sent out on the fairer, with more parents being offered one to the council in which the child lives. same day – 3 March 2008. If you have of their preferred schools earlier and fewer made an on-line application the offer getting no initial offer at all. It is easier for All the councils taking part in the made to your child will be available on parents to manage, reducing anxiety for Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions the website from 8.30am on 4 March 2008 them and their children, and also reducing Scheme will then use a computerised (see page 6 for details of how to make an the workload for schools. system to pass on details of applications on-line application). for schools in other areas and to co- ordinate the offer of places to make sure In the London Borough of Hillingdon each that nobody gets offered more than one Hillingdon secondary school will consider school place. themselves as a fi rst preference. The decision on whether a place can be offered will continue to be made by the admission authority for each school listed. Where a school is over subscribed, its published admission criteria will be used to decide the order in which applicants will be offered places. Unless specifi cally required to do so by the published admissions criteria of the school, councils will not pass on details of where the school was ranked, and no school will be told about other schools a parent has applied for. 3 Each secondary school has an open evening during the Autumn Term for parents and pupils to visit the school. These evenings usually include a talk by the headteacher and a tour of the school. Often it will be possible to see current pupils at work and meet staff. We suggest you visit the secondary schools on their open evenings if you can: Date School Time If you are unable to attend an open Tuesday 18 September Bishopshalt School 6:30pm evening, please contact the school for Tuesday 18 September Ruislip High School 5:00pm alternative arrangements Wednesday 19 September Northwood School 6:00pm Thursday 20 September The Douay Martyrs School (Catholic) 6:30pm Monday 24 September Uxbridge High School 6:30pm Tuesday 25 September Vyners School 6:30pm Tuesday 25 September Rosedale College 7:00pm Wednesday 26 September Queensmead School 6:00pm Wednesday 26 September Abbotsfi eld School (boys) 6:30pm Thursday 27 September Swakeleys School (girls) 6:30pm Thursday 27 September Haydon School 7:00pm Tuesday 2 October Bishop Ramsey School (Church of England) 6:00pm Wednesday 3 October Barnhill School 6:30pm Wednesday 3 October Northwood School 6:00pm Thursday 4 October Mellow Lane School 6:30pm Tuesday 9 October Guru Nanak Sikh School 5:00pm Tuesday 9 October The Harefi eld Academy 6:30pm Wednesday 10 October Stockley Academy 6:00pm Thursday 11 October Harlington Community School 6:30pm These times were correct at time of publication. Important Dates to Remember To fi nd out the dates of the open September/October 2007 School open evenings evenings for schools outside of 19 October 2007** Closing date for applications Hillingdon, you must contact the local 3 March 2008 Offers sent to parents authority in which the schools are located or alternatively contact the 18 March 2008 Acceptance deadline schools direct (see page 38 19 March 2008 Appeals deadline for LA contact numbers). ** If your child attends a Hillingdon Primary School then you must return the paper application form to the Hillingdon Primary School by noon on 17 October 2007. If you apply on line this must be submitted by midnight on 19 October 2007. 4 Information on Admission Criteria You will be able to obtain an individual Distance As distance from home to school is prospectus, at each of the schools’ open The criteria for home to school distance a main criterion, for Hillingdon non- evenings (see page 4) or by contacting for all schools in Hillingdon is as the crow religious secondary schools, it is the school direct, after the open evening. fl ies (or straight line). This is calculated important that you apply to your nearest This will give you the criteria in full. using Ordinance Survey co-ordinates for secondary schools, as well as others the school and the home address. The further afi eld. To obtain the published criteria for measurement is accurate to the nearest schools outside of Hillingdon you must metre. The point of measurement is the A summary of each school’s criteria can contact the Authority in which they are centre of the home address and to a be found on pages 15 to 33. More detailed located (see page 38 for LA contact designated point at the school (This will information about schools’ criteria can be details). be published in each school’s prospectus). obtained from each secondary school at their open evening. Additional information to be returned Selective Schools (Schools requiring to schools. an 11+ test) There are selective schools in some Siblings Authorities (there are none in Hillingdon). You may have to send birth certifi cates You must ensure that you complete any to your preferred schools to satisfy the necessary documentation required by governors that the child is a valid sibling. the date set by them. Medical You may have to send medical evidence Confi rmation of Address to your preferred schools in order for Hillingdon Residents will be asked to the governors to consider the medical provide proof of address at the time of condition cited. acceptance of the school offer. This will be in the form of: Evidence of Faith Faith schools require parents to complete • a copy of your current council tax an additional form which is available from schedule or a copy of the page of your the school and must be returned to them tenancy agreement that shows your by the stated date (ie: the closing date or address and the date you moved (the in the case of some schools outside of moving date is required if you moved the London Borough of Hillingdon by an within the last 6 months)* earlier date). and • a copy of your child benefi t schedule Each school will state in their prospectus or a copy of the front page of your if any additional information is required child benefi t book.* to support the application. For Hillingdon Secondary Schools you will fi nd this at the Failure to provide adequate proof of end of each school’s details on pages 15 address may result in the offer being to 33. withdrawn by the school. *If you do not have these items, please see page 37 for details of where to obtain them. 5 INFORMATION FOR HILLINGDON RESIDENTS ONLY Applying for a school place on-line You can apply for a school place on-line *Internet access is free at your local library, however PCs are Some of the benefi ts of applying for your child’s Secondary in high demand so it is advisable to book PC access in advance School place on-line for September 2008 are: and you should call the library you wish to visit directly to do this.