A PARENT’S GUIDE TO IN-YEAR SCHOOL ADMISSIONS 2018/2019 Published September 2018 1 INTRODUCTION This guide is designed to assist you in applying for a school place in the Wokingham borough in-year. An ‘in-year application’ is used when you are applying for an already established year group i.e. years 1 - 6 and 8 – 11. This also includes F2 Reception, year 3 in a junior school and Year 7 for applications made after 1 September when the co-ordinated admissions scheme for the allocation to these year groups has closed. This is also known as ‘mid-phase’ or ‘casual’ admissions by some schools and local authorities. In-year applications are centrally co-ordinated by the School Admissions Team at Wokingham Borough Council. If you wish to apply for a school in the Wokingham borough, please complete the in-year application form available at www.wokingham.gov.uk/admissions. Exceptions apply; if parents wish to apply for a place at Earley St Peter’s CE Aided Primary School, Nine Mile Ride Primary School, St Crispin’s School or Bohunt School, parents should apply direct to the school using the single preference application form available from the school, as the school has opted to manage its own in-year applications. The school will notify the school admissions team that an application has been received and the outcome of that application. If you are moving to the borough, we will require sight of evidence of the move e.g. signed rental agreement or exchange of contract, plus evidence of disposal of the previous property if a local move (within approximately 20 miles) as this can affect the criterion your application is considered under. It will also determine whether an alternative offer should be made, if your application is unsuccessful. If you are applying for schools outside the Wokingham borough, parents should apply direct to that local authority or to the individual school concerned depending on the arrangements in place in that area. Wokingham Borough Council will not accept applications from other local authorities where a resident applies direct to them. Residents of other local authorities wanting to apply for a Wokingham Borough school should apply directly to Wokingham Borough Council, unless applying for Earley St Peter’s CE Aided Primary School, Nine Mile Ride Primary School, St Crispin’s School or Bohunt School (see exceptions above) on the in-year application form. Wokingham Borough Council will respond to the parent, in writing, with the outcome of their application. If the place is declined, the parent will be advised of their right of appeal but no alternative school will be offered. Applications for Wokingham borough schools will only be considered half-a-term in advance of the school place being required as indicated in the following table: When you want your child to start Earliest you can apply First school day in September – start of the From May half-term academic year to October half-term After the October half-term to winter break From the start of the academic year in September After winter break to February half-term From October half-term After February half-term to spring break From January From spring break to May half-term From February half-term From May half-term to end of academic year From Easter break For entry to a school at the start of a term or half-term, an application will need to be received by the School Admissions Team, 20 school days in advance of the commencement date. It is likely in this instance, that your child will start a short time after the start of the term or half- 2 term. Any applications received in advance of this will be held on file until the appropriate time, with the exception of Crown Service personnel, service families or looked-after or previous looked-after children. It is our intention that all applications should be processed, and the outcome of the application notified, within 20 school days from receipt of the application. This is subject to confirmation from own admission authority schools that a place can be offered. Applications which may qualify under the Fair Access Protocol will receive consideration at a Fair Access Protocol Panel meeting held monthly in term-time to determine the allocation. Allocation or refusal letters will be sent by second class post. Any offer of a place must normally be taken up within the declared half-term. Failure to take up the offer of a place during this time will mean that the offer is withdrawn and the place released. Exceptions can only be made where the parent provides documentary evidence that the delay is unavoidable, through no fault of their own, or in the case of Crown Service, service families, looked-after or previously look-after children moving to the Wokingham borough. Admission will be deferred to the start of term or half-term for the following categories of in- year admission: for those which do not require a house move or where there is no reasonable need for an immediate move or those allocated from waiting lists It is envisaged that children would normally be admitted to school during a school term in the following circumstances only: a) those applying as a result of a house move i.e. unable to take up a place earlier due to living at a distance from the school b) those applying and unable to take up a place earlier due to ill health or other reasons beyond the parent’s control c) those whose application qualifies under the Fair Access Protocol The benefit of the admission of children at the start of term or half-term is to minimise the disruption to their own and other children’s education. Places will be offered on the basis of the child’s chronological age. This will apply to all children, including those moving from abroad with little or no English. Children working out of the normal year group Whilst places will normally be offered on the basis of the child’s chronological age, requests from parents for school places outside a normal age group will be considered carefully, whether for gifted and talented pupils or for those who have experienced problems, e.g. having missed education due to ill health. Each case will be considered on its own merits and circumstances, but will not be agreed by Wokingham Borough Council without a consensus that to do so would be in the pupil’s interests. Such a consensus would be reached between the parents, schools concerned (both current and preferred) and any relevant professionals asked for their opinion on the case by Children’s Services. Parents will be informed of their statutory right of appeal. This right does not apply if a place is offered in another year group at the school. 3 CONTACT DETAILS: You are welcome to visit our schools but to obtain a school place, please contact the School Admissions Team for an application form and guide. The guide and application form is also available at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/admissions together with supplementary information forms if you applying for a Wokingham Borough aided school, if required. Parents may also apply using our web-based application form (not available for applications to Earley St Peter’s CE Aided Primary School, Nine Mile Ride Primary School, St Crispin’s School or Bohunt School.). Website: www.wokingham.gov.uk/admissions Email: [email protected] Telephone: Primary – (0118) 974 6000 Post: School Admissions Team Children’s Services Wokingham Borough Council PO Box 156 Shute End WOKINGHAM RG40 1WN Advice on applying for a school place The School Admissions Team is happy to help you with the completion of your application. 4 CONTENTS Introduction 2 - children working out of normal year group 3 Contact details 4 Education in the Wokingham borough 6 General information on the allocation of school places in-year - in-year applications 9 - out of borough applications 10 - additional information to support applications 10 - receipts for/acknowledgement of applications 10 - offers 10 - acceptance of school place 11 - availability of school places 12 - admission numbers 12 - waiting lists 13 - appeals 14 - moving to the area 14 - multiple births or children with dates of birth in the same academic year 15 How places are allocated at community and voluntary controlled schools - primary oversubscription criteria 15 - primary tie breaker 18 - secondary oversubscription criteria 19 - secondary tiebreaker 21 - residency requirements 21 Council’s whistle blowing policy 23 Own admission authority school admission arrangements 23 How to complete your application form 24 School information 29 Secondary schools in the Wokingham borough 30 Primary, infant and junior schools in the Wokingham borough 34 Assistance available to you - children with a statement of special education need (SEN) 49 - school uniforms 49 - charges for school activities 49 - long term illness 49 - transport 49 - entitlement to free school meals 49 Designated area maps 50 Useful contacts 57 Please note that the information contained in this guide is correct at the time of drafting this publication. Admission arrangements may be subject to amendment or modification during the school year 2018/2019 and there will be changes to the existing arrangements for admissions beyond September 2019, subject to consultation. Any changes will be notified at: www.wokingham.gov.uk/admissions. 5 EDUCATION IN THE WOKINGHAM BOROUGH An academic or school year runs from 1 September to 31 August. The academic year is split into three terms – autumn (followed by the winter holiday of approximately 2 weeks), spring (followed by the spring holiday of approximately 2 weeks) and summer (followed by a holiday period of approximately 6 weeks) and each term is split into half-terms (with a one week holiday at the end of the first half-term).