Southampton City Council Composite Prospectus for Infant, Junior, Primary and Secondary Schools in Southampton
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SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL COMPOSITE PROSPECTUS FOR INFANT, JUNIOR, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL YEAR 2021/22 SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL Composite Prospectus for Admission to Infant, Junior, Primary and Secondary Schools in Southampton in Academic Year 2021-22 Information for ALL applicants Making an Application If you pay your Council Tax to Southampton City Council then you must apply for schools, wherever they are, through Southampton City Council Admissions Team. If you pay your Council Tax to Eastleigh, Test Valley, or other Council in Hampshire, you must apply through the Hampshire County Council Admissions Team, even if the school you want is in Southampton. You are strongly urged to make your application online. You can access the Southampton online application system via the Southampton City Council web site. Please read this composite prospectus carefully before making an application. The admission arrangements for many schools in the city are different from those for which the Council is the admission authority. You should read this prospectus carefully and make sure that you fully understand the admission criteria for the school(s) you apply for. Admission arrangements for schools outside the city are likely to be different from those for schools in the city. You are advised to read the composite prospectus of the Local Authority that covers the school you want to apply for. How to apply on line You will need to have a working email address in order to register with the online system before you start your application. If you do not already have one, these are easily set up via Google or your internet supplier. You can access the internet without charge at libraries if you do not have internet access at home. In addition, some schools may offer advice and assistance. You will need to register with the Citizen Portal before you make an application. You will need a valid email address to do this. You will need to do this even if you have applied online before September 2015 because previous registrations have NOT been carried over to the new portal. A parents’ guide to using the Citizen Portal is available on the Council’s website at http://www.southampton.gov.uk/schools-learning/find-school/apply-school/application- help/ If you are applying for the first time then once you have registered with the online site you will receive an email confirming your registration and asking you to click on the link in the email to confirm the registration. When you click on this link you will be taken straight to the online application site and you can begin your application. It is very important that you confirm your registration. It is important that you make sure you can remember your password and the answer to your security question so that you can access your account at any time. You may wish to make a note of your email address, password, and the answer to your security question and keep them somewhere safe so that you can refer to them again if you need to. At each page of the online application process there is guidance on what to do. Please read it carefully before completing the page and moving on. If you cannot find the schools you want to apply for, please read the guidance on how to search the system. You may need to enter Southampton rather than just a postcode in the search fields. After you have entered one preference please enter your second and third preferences before going on to the later sections of the application and do not go through to the end of the process and press “submit” until you have selected all preferences. You are strongly advised to use the PREVIEW button to check that the application you are going to submit is as you want it; i.e. that it shows the information you think you have entered in to your application. If you experience problems in making an online application you can ring 023 8083 3004 and seek advice. Some schools / nurseries may also be able to offer assistance. If, after seeking advice and assistance, you still cannot make an online application successfully, write to the Admissions Team at Southampton City Council and a paper form will be sent to you. Online applications are more secure for parents; you can change your preferences, the order of them, add information in the reasons for application, and upload supplementary evidence you wish to be considered. This can be done at any time up to the closing date, and you can be confident that your application has been received, because you will get an automatic e- mail response confirming your application stating the schools you have applied for. If you do make any amendments, or view your application, please make sure that you resubmit the application before leaving the site. When you resubmit your application you will again be sent a confirmation email. You can view the status of your application at any time up to the closing date by accessing your secure account to check any amendments you have submitted. Expressing a preference for a school The admission arrangements for schools in the city vary; you are very strongly advised to make sure you understand exactly how an application for a particular school will be considered by reading the admission criteria for that school. You should also look at the websites for each school which will give you detailed information about the school and any special information they need in order to process your application. Some schools that have faith based criteria may require you to complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) in order to consider your application fully against all the criteria for the school. SIFs can be downloaded from the SCC website or from the relevant schools’ websites or in paper form from the schools themselves. SIFs must be uploaded to your online application or returned directly to the school and not sent to the LA. You are strongly advised to visit schools at their open evenings/days before making your application. If you change your mind about which schools to apply for, or the order of your preferences, you can make changes online up to the closing date for applications. You must remember to “Submit” any changes you make in order for them to get through to the admissions team. You are very strongly advised to express preferences for three different primary or infant schools and four different secondary schools, ranked in the order you would want them to be offered to you. If you do not express three preferences, you reduce your chances of being offered a place at a school that is at least acceptable to you. Please do not name a school more than once as this will not increase your chances of obtaining a place at that school and wastes one of your preferences. Please be aware that if your catchment area school, (if your address has one), is not one of your preferences, you will NOT automatically be offered a place at that school if you are unsuccessful with your other preferences. This is because your catchment school may already be full with children whose parents did express a preference for it. Not all addresses in the city fall into the catchment area for a school – some schools have decided not to have catchment areas. Normally you will not be allowed to change your preferences after the closing date unless you have a genuine and exceptional reason; for example, if you have moved house as a result of relationship breakdown, fled domestic violence, experienced a major change in domestic circumstances or similar reasons. Applications to schools outside Southampton If you wish to apply to a school outside the Southampton local authority (LA) area, e.g a school that falls under Hampshire County Council or elsewhere, you must apply for it via Southampton City Council and include the school in your three preferences. If you are unsure which LA to apply to, please contact the Southampton Admissions Team. Applications to Southampton schools The online application site will be available from 9 September 2020. You are advised to select three different schools in your application to ensure you have the greatest chance of getting an offer at a school you have at least some preference for. Please ensure that you complete the application in full and click on the “submit” button before you exit your application. You are advised to use the PREVIEW button to make sure that your application is correct and says everything you want it to before you submit it. If you need any help in completing your application, or if you are unsure which school, if any, is your catchment school, please telephone the Admissions Team on 023 8083 3004. Some schools may be arranging drop-in sessions to assist you if you need help in completing an online application. You are advised to contact your local school to see if they are offering that facility. The closing date for applications Applications for Secondary School The closing date for applications for Secondary school applications is 23.59 on 31 October 2020. The online application system for secondary applications will close at that time. You will not be able to apply on line after that time. If you need to apply after that time you must contact the Admissions Team for a paper application form. Any such application will be regarded as a late application and will be processed after ALL on time applications have been dealt with.