Starting School” Booklet Published Online
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Oxfordshire County Council’s information for parents and carers of children due to start infant or primary school in September 2020 Don’t Forget Deadline for on-time application is 15 January 2020 Apply on-line www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/primaryadmissions Apply online at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/primaryadmissions Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Key Dates .............................................................................................................................. 2 Section 1 – Application Process............................................................................................. 3 Applying ............................................................................................................................. 3 Applying on-time ................................................................................................................. 3 Preferences ........................................................................................................................ 3 Applying for a place at a school in England but outside Oxfordshire .................................. 4 Applying for a place at a school in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales ............................ 4 Supplementary Information Forms (SIFs) .......................................................................... 4 Applying late ....................................................................................................................... 4 The Allocation Process ....................................................................................................... 5 The Equal Preference System ........................................................................................ 5 The Admission Rules ...................................................................................................... 6 What happens on National Offer Day – 16 April? ............................................................... 6 The Leaflet - “What to do next” ....................................................................................... 6 Responding to an Offer ................................................................................................... 7 If a preference cannot be offered .................................................................................... 7 Continued Interest (Waiting) Lists ................................................................................... 7 Changes of preference ................................................................................................... 7 Admission appeals ............................................................................................................. 9 What happens between 16 April and 5 May 2020? .......................................................... 11 What happens between 11 May and 9 June 2020? ......................................................... 11 Second (or Late) Allocation Round on 9 June 2020 ......................................................... 11 When do children start school? ........................................................................................ 12 Deferred entry to school – Admission of summer-born children outside their normal age group ................................................................................................................................ 13 Future implications of admitting a child to Reception group when the child is of Year 1 age ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Remaining in nursery provision ........................................................................................ 15 Section 2 – Oxfordshire Primary and Infant Schools and Admission Arrangements ............ 16 New primary and infant schools in Oxfordshire ................................................................ 16 Standard Oversubscription Criteria for Reception year group at Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools in Oxfordshire ....................................................................... 16 Non-Standard Oversubscription Criteria for Reception year group at Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools in Oxfordshire ....................................................... 24 i Apply online at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/primaryadmissions Looked After and Previously Looked After Children ..................................................... 27 Disabilities – the Equality Act 2010 ............................................................................... 27 Designated areas .......................................................................................................... 28 Time of entry ................................................................................................................. 28 Addresses ..................................................................................................................... 28 Home address .............................................................................................................. 28 Change of address ....................................................................................................... 29 Multiple addresses ........................................................................................................ 29 Fraudulent Applications ................................................................................................ 30 Measuring Home to School Distances for admissions purposes .................................. 30 Measuring Home to School Distances for admissions purposes for Own Admission Authority Schools (OAA) that use straight-line distance ............................................... 32 Measuring Home to School Distances for transport purposes ...................................... 32 Own Admission Authority (OAA) schools in Oxfordshire .................................................. 33 Section 3 – Travel to School ................................................................................................ 44 Free transport for those of school age (Reception to Year 11) ......................................... 44 The “Spare Seat” Scheme ................................................................................................ 44 Home to School Transport Appeals .................................................................................. 64 Section 4 – Miscellaneous ................................................................................................... 72 Definition of a Parent ........................................................................................................ 72 Definition of a “Baptised Catholic” .................................................................................... 73 Guidance on educational provision for children from overseas ........................................ 74 Children with Education, Health and Care Plans .............................................................. 74 Private Fostering .............................................................................................................. 75 Charging for school activities ........................................................................................... 75 Charging for public examinations ..................................................................................... 76 Free School Meals ........................................................................................................... 76 Independent (Fee-Paying) Schools .................................................................................. 76 School Uniforms ............................................................................................................... 77 Term dates ....................................................................................................................... 77 Supplementary Information Forms ................................................................................... 77 ii Apply online at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/primaryadmissions Introduction Starting primary or infant school is an important time for your child and Oxfordshire County Council wants to make sure that this first step is as smooth as possible. We would also like to ensure that your child is offered a place at one of the schools that you prefer. Fortunately, we were able to do this for 98.8% of Oxfordshire children starting the Reception year group in the 2019/20 academic year – a total of 7,040 children. Only 85 children, 1.2% of the cohort, whose parents had applied on time and who live in Oxfordshire were offered an alternative school that hadn’t been requested. For some schools, we may have more applications than there are places and we have to have a process that will enable admission authorities to decide which children can be offered a place and which children will need to go to other schools. This process must be fair and unbiased and follow the procedures laid down nationally as well as locally. Most applications are now made online. Applying in this way offers the benefits of being able to start, save, change and complete your application at any time right up to the closing date of 15 January 2020. Those who apply online will also be able to respond online to the offer after 16 April 2020. It is a good idea to list four preferences. This does not make it less likely