Oxfordshire County Council’s information for parents and carers of children due to transfer to secondary school in September 2016 Apply online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ secondaryadmissions Deadline for applications: 2 November 2015 Apply on-line www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions Moving on 2016/17 Apply online at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions Apply by: 2 November 2015 Offer Day: 1 March 2016 Secondary Schools Map Warwickshire 1 Banbury Northamptonshire 2 3 4 Bloxham 6 5 Chipping Gloucestershire Norton A44 Bicester 7 8 Charlbury M40 Woodstock 9 A34 Kidlington 15 Buckinghamshire 10 A40 13 Burford Eynsham Witney 14 16 11 12 18 Carterton Oxford 22 19 Wheatley 20 23 17 Thame 21 Abingdon 24 26 25 Watlington 28 27 Faringdon 32 30 31 29 Wallingford Didcot Swindon Wantage Woodcote Henley-on- Windsor and 33 Thames West Berkshire Maidenhead Sonning 34 35 Common Wiltshire Reading Wokingham Key to map is on pages 24 and 25. Introduction Transferring from It is a good idea to list three preferences. This primary to secondary does not make it less likely that your child will be school is an offered the school you most want (your first important moment preference) but it does make it less likely that a for any child and place will be offered at a school you do not want. Oxfordshire County In order to decide which school you would like Council wants the your child to attend, I would advise you to read application process to the school prospectuses and admissions rules be as straightforward and our new Home to School Transport Policy as we can make it. which came into effect in September 2015. It We would also like to may also be possible to visit schools. ensure that your child is offered a place at one of Most importantly, I would also advise you to the three schools that you prefer and on apply on time. Applying on time is likely to National Offer Day for entry to secondary school maximise your chance of your child being offered in September 2015 we were able to do this for a place at one of your preferred schools. This approximately 98% of those who applied on means you need to submit your application by time and live in Oxfordshire – a total of 6,112 2 November 2015. children. You can apply online at: Most applications are now made online. Applying in this way offers the benefit of being able to www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions start, save, change and complete your application at any time right up to the closing date of 2 Jim Leivers November 2015. Those who apply online will Director for Children’s Services also be able to respond online to the offer after 1 March 2016. 1 School Admissions Team 01865 815175 Moving on 2016/2017 Contents Introduction 01 Key Admission Dates 05 Admissions Process The school application process 06 Late applications 07 What happens after the first offer of places in March 2016? 07 The second allocation (late allocation) round from March to May 2016 08 Continued interest lists policy 08 Changes of preference 10 Travel arrangements 11 School open day events 2015 12 Admissions Rules The admission arrangements for Years 7 to 11 for community schools for entry in 2016/17 15 Time of entry 16 Continued interest lists 16 Admission to an older or younger year group 16 Random Allocation 17 Siblings/brother or sister 17 Twins and children of multiple births 17 Looked after children 17 Previously looked after children 17 Fair access protocol 18 Fraudulent applications 18 Coordination of admissions for the normal admissions round 18 In year admissions (Years 7 to 11) 18 Designated areas (catchment areas) 19 Home to school transport 20 Home address 20 Changes of address 20 Multiple addresses 21 Parents unable to agree on the schools to be listed on the CAF 21 A child with a disability as defined in the Equality Act (2010) 21 The Children and Families Act 2014 21 School Entries Alphabetical list of all secondary schools 22 Abingdon-on-Thames area 24 Banbury/Bloxham area 27 2 Apply online www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions Contents Bicester area 31 Burford area 35 Carterton area 36 Chipping Norton area 37 Cumnor area 38 Didcot area 39 Eynsham area 41 Faringdon area 42 Henley-on-Thames area 44 Kidlington area 45 Oxford City area 47 Sonning Common area 53 Thame area 54 Wallingford area 55 Wantage area 56 Watlington area 57 Wheatley area 58 Witney area 59 Woodcote (Reading) area 61 Woodstock area 62 Travel Home to school transport policy 2016/17 63 16-19 home to school/college transport 68 Miscellaneous The fair access protocol 2015/16 75 Guidance on educational provision for children from overseas 76 Children with statements of Special Educational Need or Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans 77 Private fostering 77 School uniform policy 77 Term dates 78 Definition of a ‘Baptised Catholic’ 79 Jargon Buster 80 Applying How to fill in the Common Application Form (CAF form) 88 Common Application Form (Secondary) 97 Feedback form 99 3 School Admissions Team 01865 815175 Moving on 2016/2017 Apply online for your school place You will also be able to find all the information you need to apply for From 8 September 2015 your child’s school place. you can apply online at: Benefits are that it’s: Easy www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions Convenient Secure You can get access to the internet at many of our libraries and children’s centres. www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions 4 Apply online www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions Key Admission Dates Admissions Timetable September 2015 “Moving On” available for viewing online. Online and paper applications accepted from this date. “Moving On” 8 September 2015 information available on request from schools and the LA. 2 November 2015 Closing date for on-time applications. Last date for confirmation of change of address and for late applications with 16 November 2015 extenuating circumstances to be considered as on-time. 20 November 2015 LA to send application data to other LAs for schools in that LA’s area. LA to send application data to other admission authorites in Oxfordshire by 11 December 2015 this date. Last date for return of data to LA from own admission authorities in 15 January 2016 Oxfordshire. Offer letters sent by first-class post and emails sent to those who 1 March 2016 applied online. Accept place, apply for continued interest list, as appropriate; also last date for 21 March 2016 late applications and changes of preference to be considered in the second round of the allocation process (first run of the continued interest lists). Start to consider late applications, changes of preference and continuing 29 March 2016 interest requests. 6 May 2016 Offer letters sent after first run of continued interest list. Accept place, apply for continued interest list, as appropriate, on offers made 23 May 2016 on 6 May. September 2016 Start of academic year for above phases. 30 June 2017 Date on which the continued interest list will be discontinued. 5 School Admissions Team 01865 815175 Moving on 2016/2017 Admissions Process The school application process If you find that a school requests the submission of a supplementary form or extra evidence (e.g. Parents of children born between 1 September baptism certificate) it is important to remember 2004 and 31 August 2005 (inclusive) need to that submitting a supplementary form does apply for a secondary school place for their not amount to an application – you have to children. The closing date for on time complete the CAF as well – but it is also worth applications is 2 November 2015. remembering that, where schools use these You can apply online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ forms, it is in your interests to complete and admissions. This is the main means of return them. application. However, if you are unable to apply In England schools use an “Equal Preference online you can apply using the Common System”. This was introduced to prevent Application Form (CAF). A copy of this form is admission authorities giving a higher priority to enclosed at the end of this publication. parents who make a particular school their first When applying for a school place you need to preference. Every school listed on the CAF as a use one method only. Please do not apply both preference is treated as a separate application, online and on paper as this may delay the each one is equal, and the priority for admission processing of your application. is established using the admission rules for the relevant school. Once this information is You can list up to 3 schools on the application available the preferences are then considered by (online or paper). You are asked to list these in the Local Authority acting as the “clearing order of preference and, in order to maximise house”. For example, if at this stage it was your chances of obtaining one of your preferred theoretically possible to offer a place at all three schools, it is very important to apply on time, i.e. of the schools listed, the school offered would be by 2 November 2015. the one listed as the highest preference. If a place Admissions to state funded secondary schools in cannot be offered at any of the schools listed as England are coordinated across local authority a preference a place is offered at the nearest boundaries. This means that, if you live in school with an available place. Oxfordshire and want to apply for a place at a If a place cannot be offered to your child at one school that is in a different local authority, you of your preferred schools you may place your need to apply through Oxfordshire.