Chronological Peer/Age Groups In Year Admissions Cheshire East guide for parents 2014/15 www.cheshireeast.gov.uk Follow us on Twitter: @CE_Admissions 1 2 Apply online at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk Follow us on Twitter: @CE_Admissions Apply online at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk It’s quick and easy! Contents Application Process 4 General Information 7 Fair Access Protocol 11 School Transport 14 Admission Appeals 15 Application Form (Hard Copy) 18 Use of Information – Data Protection and Security 22 Contact: School Admissions Cheshire East Council Floor 7, c/o Municipal Buildings Earle Street Crewe CW1 2BJ Email: [email protected] Twitter: @CE_Admissions Telephone: 0300 123 5012 Fax: 01270 686491 Follow us on Twitter: @CE_Admissions 3 Application process Before you Apply ‘In year’ applications are those made during the school appointment to visit the school so that you can meet year into any year group other than the normal point of the headteacher, staff and pupils and have a look around entry to school. The normal point of entry to Cheshire the school. East schools is in September into the reception class for a primary school, year 7 to secondary school and year 12 You can also, to a sixth form. 1. Visit our website at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk for more We receive many ‘in year’ applications and these are information about schools in Cheshire East, including generally where families are moving into Cheshire East school contact details. or are moving from one part of the Authority’s area to another. If you are thinking about changing schools 2. Check our website for updated information showing for reasons other than a house move we strongly schools with vacancies. advise that you discuss the proposed transfer with your current school. 3. Follow links on our website to external websites including the latest Ofsted Reports. Applications for Cheshire East schools will not normally be accepted more than 6 school weeks prior to the 4. Find out more information about schools using the intended date of admission. An exception to this will be school’s own website. at the end of the summer term when applications can be made around 8 school weeks prior to the intended To apply for a place in a Cheshire East school you date of admission. This is to ensure that any appeals will be need to complete a written application and procedures can be implemented before the end of the the best way to do this is by completing the online school term in July. application form at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk Before making your application, you should contact your preferred school to enquire about admission and vacancies at the school. You may also want to make an 4 Apply online at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk Application process Ready to Apply You will be able to express three school preferences ranked in your order of priority. Preferences will be When you are ready to apply for a school place you will forwarded electronically to schools that you have named need to go online to complete our electronic application on your application form in the order of preference, and form. Alternatively, telephone 0300 123 5012 to make a to the Local Authority. On completing your application, telephone application. A hard copy of the application you will be notified on screen that your application has form is included with this booklet, should you prefer been received. We advise that you contact your first this, which you can complete and take to your preferred preference school to progress your application. If at school. any time during the application process you have any questions or require support, you can contact the Before proceeding with your application, you will be Local Authority on 0300 123 5012 to speak to an advised that your child’s current or most recent school Admissions Officer. may be contacted to request further information to assist the admissions process. Sharing information is Fair Access Protocol in the best interest of your child to ensure a successful admission. If you do not wish to proceed with your In order to ensure that a place is offered at a suitable application on this basis, the form will advise you to school as quickly as possible, some applications contact the Local Authority on 0300 123 5012 for more will be processed in accordance with the Local information about this process and your rights under the Authority’s agreed Fair Access Protocol. This will only be Data Protection Act 1998. implemented with the parent’s approval and therefore, in all cases, where this is deemed appropriate to ensure The form will ask you to provide your name, address a positive outcome for the family, parents will receive and contact details and to confirm your relationship to full information before this procedure is implemented. the child. You will also be asked to provide your child’s This process may take a little longer than the standard name, date of birth and address and information about 10 school days to ensure full support is given, albeit the any brothers or sisters. Details of your child’s current priority will be to secure a school place for your child or most recent education and any support that your within a reasonable time. All your school preferences child receives from other agencies will be requested. and the ranked order of these will be taken into account This information is collected to ensure that you receive when a decision is taken on the school place offered. This appropriate support with your child’s admission to process will not affect your legal right of appeal. Details another school. about this process are provided later in this booklet. If you express a preference for a school designated as having a religious character (faith school) you will be asked to state the religious denomination of your child. You may also be required by the faith school to complete a supplementary information form. Forms will be available from the school or on the Local Authority’s website but we advise that you discuss this with the school. Supplementary information forms will request information in addition to that provided on the common application form such as membership of, or relationship with the church or a reference from a priest or other religious minister as proof of religious commitment. Follow us on Twitter: @CE_Admissions 5 Application process After you Apply Once your offer is confirmed in writing, you will need to contact the school to accept or decline the school place Applications will normally be processed within no more within no more than 10 school days from the offer date. than 10 working days from the receipt of application and where there are spaces in the relevant year group a place If you are having difficulty securing a school place will normally be offered to you. you should contact the Local Authority for advice on 0300 123 5012, which can include information about In cases where a school is oversubscribed and cannot alternative schools with vacancies in your area. offer all applicants a place, the admission authority will rank the applications in accordance with their published oversubscription criteria. This is the same criteria used to prioritise applications at the normal point of admission in September. For more information about the normal admissions process and admission authority oversubscription criteria for 2014-15 academic year, please refer to the booklet, Applying for School Places – Cheshire East Guide for Parents and Carers 2014-15. Admissions Authority Category of School Cheshire East Council All Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools in Cheshire East Maintaining Local All non-Cheshire East Authority Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools. Academy Trust/Governing Other Schools Body of the School If a place can be offered, the school will confirm this to you in writing. If a place cannot be offered you will receive a letter from the school informing you of the decision of the admission authority and of your legal right of appeal. Admission to school will normally take place within 10 school days from the date of offer for primary schools and within 20 school days from the date of offer for secondary schools, although this cannot be guaranteed. You are advised to discuss the start date with the school and this can then be confirmed to you in your offer letter. The letter/e-mail will include information about your legal right of appeal and confirmation of the reason/s why your application is unsuccessful, if this is relevant 6 Apply online at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk General information Age Range – Primary Academic Year 2014-2015 Age Range Date of Birth Admission Year Group for 2014-15 4 - 5 01/09/2009 - 31/08/2010 Reception Class 5 - 6 01/09/2008 - 31/08/2009 Year 1 6 - 7 01/09/2007 - 31/08/2008 Year 2 7 - 8 01/09/2006 - 31/08/2007 Year 3 8 - 9 01/09/2005 - 31/08/2006 Year 4 9 - 10 01/09/2004 - 31/08/2005 Year 5 10 - 11 01/09/2003 - 31/08/2004 Year 6 Age Range – Secondary Academic Year 2014-2015 Age Range Date of Birth Admission Year Group for 2014-15 11 - 12 01/09/2002 - 31/08/2003 Year 7 12 - 13 01/09/2001 - 31/08/2002 Year 8 13 - 14 01/09/2000 - 31/08/2001 Year 9 14 - 15 01/09/1999 - 31/08/2000 Year 10 15 - 16 01/09/1998 - 31/08/1999 Year 11 Age Range – Sixth Form Academic Year 2014-2015 Age Range Date of Birth Admission Year Group for 2014-15 16 - 17 01/09/1997 - 31/08/1998 Year 12 17 - 18 01/09/1996 - 31/08/1997 Year 13 Chronological Peer/Age Groups moving from one school to another due to a house move, or for other reasons, and under exceptional As a general principle, children in Cheshire East are circumstances you will be applying for a place in a taught in the year group for their age range along with different year group to the one that your child would other children in the same age range.