Starting Secondary School in Hillingdon > >
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Starting Secondary School in Hillingdon > > Contents Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme 3 Information on Admissions Criteria 5 How to apply 6 Applying for a school place on-line 11 Assistance for Children who live in Hillingdon 13 Secondary Schools in Hillingdon 14 Questionnaire 35 Other useful contacts 37 > Further information Further information and advice is available during normal offi ce hours on 01895 556644 www.hillingdon.gov.uk admissionsbenefi [email protected] > School Terms and Holdays 2007/08 Bank Holidays 2007/2008 Good Friday 21 March 2008 Easter Monday 24 March 2008 May Day 5 May 2008 Spring Bank Holiday 26 May 2008 Autumn Term 2007 74 Days Term Starts Monday 3 September 2007* Half Term Holiday 22 – 26 October 2007 Term Ends Thursday 20 December 2007 Spring Term 2008 58 Days Term Starts Monday 7 January 2008 Half Term Holiday 18 – 22 February 2008 Term Ends Friday 4 April 2008 Summer Term 2008 62 Days Term Starts Monday 21 April 2008 Half Term Holiday 26 – 30 May 2008 Term Ends Wednesday 23 July 2008 Total 194 Days *Note: Monday 3 September 2007 – INSET Day; 3 further training days to be determined by schools within the dates established 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 London transfer to secondary school, many crossing borough boundaries to do so. In 2005 all 33 London Boroughs together with some councils bordering the capital signed up to a system to co-ordinate admissions to their secondary schools. The co-ordinated admissions system was fairer, with more parents being offered one of their preferred schools earlier and fewer getting no initial offer at all. It was easier for parents to manage, reducing anxiety for them and their children, and also reduced the workload for schools. How the new system works Under the Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme, all parents will list the schools that they want to apply for on one form, ranking them in order of preference. (This is important as only one offer will be made and this will be from the highest ranked school able to make an offer). This form will then be returned to the council in which the child lives. All the councils taking part in the Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme will then use a computerised system to pass on details of applications for schools in other areas and to co-ordinate the offer of places to make sure that nobody gets offered more than one school place. 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. The councils will hold the offer for the highest preference on the parent’s form and release all other lower preference offers, so that these places can be offered to other applicants. Potential offers are then exchanged between councils until they are in a position to make the single best offer to parents using all available places. All offers will be sent out on the same day – 1 March 2007. If you have made an on-line application the offer made to your child will be available on the website from 9am on 2 March 2007 (see page 11 for details of how to make an on-line application). In the London Borough of Hillingdon each Hillingdon secondary school will consider themselves as a fi rst preference. 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 19 September Bishopshalt School 7:30pm evening, please contact the school Wednesday 20 September Ruislip High School 5:00pm for alternative arrangements Thursday 21 September The Douay Martyrs School (Roman Catholic) 6:30pm Monday 25 September Uxbridge High School 6:30pm Tuesday 26 September Vyners School 6:30pm Tuesday 26 September Rosedale College 7:00pm Wednesday 27 September Abbotsfi eld School (boys) 6:30pm Wednesday 27 September Queensmead School 6:00pm Thursday 28 September Swakeleys School (girls) 6:30pm Thursday 28 September Haydon School 7:00pm Tuesday 3 October Bishop Ramsey School (Church of England) 6:00pm Wednesday 4 October Barnhill School 6:30pm Thursday 5 October Mellow Lane School 6:30pm Tuesday 10 October Guru Nanak Sikh School 6:30pm Tuesday 10 October The Harefi eld Academy 7:00pm Wednesday 11 October Northwood School 6:00pm Wednesday 11 October Stockley Academy 6:00pm Thursday 12 October Harlington Community School 6:30pm These times were correct at time of publication. > Important Dates to Remember September/October 2006 School open evenings To fi nd out the dates of the open 20 October 2006** Closing date for applications evenings for schools outside of Hillingdon, you must contact the 1 March 2007 Offers sent to parents local authority in which the schools 15 March 2007 Acceptance deadline are located or alternatively contact 20 March 2007 Appeals deadline the schools direct (see page 38 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 18 October 2006. If you apply on line this must be submitted by midnight on 20 October 2006. 4 Information on Admission Criteria> > You will be able to obtain an individual Distance As distance from home to school prospectus, at each of the schools’ open The criteria for home to school distance is a main criterion, for Hillingdon evenings (see page 4) or by contacting for all schools in Hillingdon is as the crow non-religious secondary schools, it the school direct, after the open evening. fl ies (or straight line). This is calculated is important that you apply to your This will give you the criteria in full. using Ordinance Survey co-ordinates for nearest secondary schools, as well the school and the home address. The as others further afi eld. To obtain the published criteria for schools measurement is accurate to the nearest outside of Hillingdon you must contact the metre. The point of measurement is the A summary of each school’s criteria can Authority in which they are located (see centre of the home address and to a be found on pages 15 to 33. More detailed page 38 for LA contact details). designated point at the school (This will be information about schools’ criteria can be published in each school’s prospectus). obtained from each secondary school at Additional information to be returned their open evening. to schools. Selective Schools (Schools requiring an 11+ test) Siblings There are selective schools in some You may have to send birth certifi cates Authorities (there are none in Hillingdon). to your preferred schools to satisfy the You must ensure that you complete any governors that the child is a valid sibling. necessary documentation required by the date set by them. Medical You may have to send medical evidence to your preferred schools in order for Confi rmation of Address the governors to consider the medical Hillingdon Residents will be asked to condition cited. provide proof of address at the time of acceptance of the school offer. This will Evidence of Faith be in the form of: Faith schools require parents to complete an additional form which is available from > a copy of your current council tax the school and must be returned to them schedule or a copy of the page of your by the stated date (ie: the closing date or tenancy agreement that shows your in the case of some schools outside of the address and the date you moved (the London Borough of Hillingdon by an earlier moving date is required if you moved date). within the last 6 months)* and Each school will state in their prospectus > a copy of your child benefi t schedule or if any additional information is required a copy of the front page of your child to support the application. For Hillingdon benefi t book.* Secondary Schools you will fi nd this at the end of each school’s details on pages 15 Failure to provide adequate proof of to 33. address may result in the offer being 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 How to apply> Hillingdon Residents Only The following pages give you details of Did you know you can now apply on 20 October 2006 or you must submit how to apply to a Secondary School on-line by visiting the website your on-line application no later than both within and outside of the London www.hillingdon.gov.uk/schools? Many midnight on 20 October 2006. Borough of Hillingdon. There are 18 state parents will fi nd this a more convenient funded schools in the London Borough method of application and you can fi nd Any late applications, either paper or of Hillingdon.