Archived decisions
Co-ordinated scheme for admissions to secondary schools in September 2007
1 Principles and scope of the scheme
1.1 The scheme has been drawn up to fulfil the requirements set out in chapter 2 of the Code of Practice on admissions (Department for Education and Skills 2003), in particular:
· School admission arrangements should work for the benefit of all parents and children in an area. The arrangements should be as simple as possible for parents to use, and help them to take the best decisions about the preferred school for their children (2.2).
In drawing up admission arrangements, admission authorities should aim to ensure that:
· The arrangements enable parents' preferences for the schools of their choice to be met to the maximum extent possible;
· Admission criteria are clear, fair and objective, for the benefit of all children, including those with special educational needs, disabilities or in public care (2.3)
· (2.3)
1.2 The scheme aims to ensure that parents will be treated fairly and consistently regardless of the status or location of the school for which they make an application.
1.3 The Hampshire scheme takes into account all relevant legislation including the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, the Education Act 2002, legislation on sex discrimination, race relations, disability (particularly the Code of Practice for schools), and relevant regulations, in particular the Education (Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (Secondary Schools) (England) Regulations 2002.
1.4 The scheme applies to all secondary schools in Hampshire, including foundation and voluntary aided schools.
1.5 The Hampshire scheme is a "first preference first" scheme which aims to allocate a place at parents' highest preference school with a place available.
1.6 The scheme sets out key actions and general principles rather than detail. Administrative procedures will be made available to schools as at present via the manual of guidance issued in the second half of the summer term each year by the county admissions team.
2 The co-ordinated scheme for secondary admissions - September 2007
2.1 Terminology
LA - local authority (for Hampshire residents this is the County Council)
Home LA - the LA in which the child lives
Maintaining LA - the LA responsible for the preferred school(s)
Admissions team - refers to the Hampshire county admissions team unless specifically stated otherwise
Common application form (CAF) - the application form issued by the home LA to be used by the residents of that LA when applying for a school place
First preference policy - first preference applications are considered before other preferences.
Equal preference policy - places are allocated on the basis of the published criteria, regardless of how parents have ranked their preferences
Hampshire parent - a parent living in Hampshire (but whose child[ren] may not necessarily attend a Hampshire maintained school).
2.2 Information for parents
The Code sets out clearly the information which should be made available to parents before they decide on their preferences (4.14 - 4.18). The Education (School Information) (England) Regulations 2002 (as amended) set out these requirements in detail in Schedules 2 and 3.
Sufficient copies of the County admissions brochure, including common application forms, will be sent to all Hampshire primary and junior schools so that they are available for Hampshire parents "no later than six weeks before the date up to which parents may express a preference for a school in respect of the admission school year" (Regulation 7(2)). Copies will also be sent to all Hampshire secondary schools and neighbouring LAs.
Information about Y5 out-county pupils will be exchanged between LAs during the summer term preceding the application year.
Hampshire parents with children attending schools in other LAs will be sent the County brochure and CAF direct by the Hampshire admissions team.
Parents of children attending Hampshire schools but living in other LAs will receive information, including a CAF, direct from their home LA. They will also receive a copy of the Hampshire brochure supplied by Hampshire County Council via their child's primary school.
Parents of Hampshire children attending independent schools may obtain CAFs from the admissions team.
2.3 Common application form (CAF)
All Hampshire parents will be required to complete a CAF, regardless of the status or LA of the schools for which they wish to apply. In addition to the CAF, the governors of some voluntary aided and foundation schools may require a supplementary form to be completed (to ensure they have sufficient criteria-related information to be able to allocate places correctly). This form is additional to, and does not replace, the CAF, which must be completed for every application.
2.4 Applications by Hampshire residents for schools within Hampshire
Applications must be made on the CAF and returned to the child's current Hampshire primary school by the deadline: midday on Friday 20 October 2006.
Hampshire parents whose child attends a maintained school in another LA or an independent school will send the CAF direct to the county admissions team, to arrive by the Hampshire deadline.
Primary schools will send CAFs to first preference Hampshire secondary schools by Friday 3 November 2006.
2.5 Applications by Hampshire residents for schools outside Hampshire
Applications must be made on the Hampshire CAF. Completed forms should be sent to the child's current Hampshire primary school who will send the forms to the admissions team by Friday 3 November 2006.
Hampshire parents whose child currently attends a maintained school in another LA or an independent school will send the application form direct to the admissions team, to arrive by the Hampshire deadline.
All applications for schools in neighbouring LAs will be recorded by the admissions team and then sent to the maintaining LA of the first preference school on Friday 10 November 2006.
2.6 Applications from non-Hampshire residents for Hampshire schools
These will be submitted on the home LA's CAF. Use of the Hampshire CAF is not permitted. Parents will send their application form direct to their home LA who, in turn, will pass relevant information to the Hampshire admissions team on 10 November 2006 . The application will be recorded by the admissions team and the form sent to the first preference Hampshire school on Friday 17 November 2006.
2.7 The Hampshire scheme and `Equal Preference' schools
Hampshire's scheme aims to offer a place in the parents' first preference school. If a school is over-subscribed by first preferences, the admission criteria will be strictly applied. Some voluntary aided and foundation schools may use an `equal preference' method for assessing applications. If they can offer a place to a first preference applicant, this place will be allocated. If they can offer a place to a second or third preference applicant, this place can only be allocated if there is no place in the parents' first or second preference school.
2.8 First preference decisions
As soon as all applications have been received, including those from outside Hampshire, schools will rank their first preference applications and will inform the admissions team of those pupils who can be admitted. Schools operating an equal preference system will consider all applications, regardless of preference and send a ranked list to the admissions team.
Community schools will forward CAFs for all unsuccessful first preferences to the admissions team.
2.9 Second and third preference applications and unallocated pupils
The admissions team will administer the allocation of second and third preference places and allocate places in the nearest available school to pupils who have been unsuccessful in all their preferences.
2.10 Notification
On 1 March 2007 the admissions team will send letters to all Hampshire parents informing them of the outcome of their applications. Under no circumstances may any governing body, headteacher or anyone else associated with the school or the County Council offer a place, or give any indication that a place might be available, before the official offer date. Neither should details of discussion about the number of applications or offers be included in those governing body minutes available to the public.
2.11 Late Applications
All late applications to community and voluntary controlled schools received after the deadline on 20 October 2006 and by 16 February 2007 will be referred to the admissions team and will normally be considered after third preferences unless exceptional circumstances, agreed by the admissions team, merit earlier consideration. Admission authority schools will consult the admissions team before deciding whether to give earlier consideration to a late application.
Parents wishing to change their preferences must formally withdraw their original CAF and complete a second CAF which will be treated as a late application without exception.
Late applications received after 16 February 2007 will not be considered until after the main admission round has been completed. They will then be accepted or refused by individual schools, according to whether places are available.
2.12 Waiting Lists
Waiting lists are established at the end of each admission round. The exact start date for each cohort's waiting list is given in the manual of guidance issued each year.
All community and voluntary controlled schools in Hampshire will maintain up to date waiting lists. Admission authority schools are expected to do likewise. Any parent who wishes their child to be included on the waiting list must inform the school in writing. Any places that become available will be allocated according to the criteria of the admission policy with no account being taken of the length of time on the waiting list or of any priority order expressed during the main admissions round.
2.13 Appeals
Parents may appeal for any school where their application has been unsuccessful. The County Council arranges independent appeals in relation to community and voluntary controlled schools; individual governing bodies are responsible for appeal arrangements in foundation and voluntary aided schools. Voluntary aided schools receive advice from their respective dioceses which will often make the appeal arrangements on schools' behalf.
Parents should be aware that the appeal process is entirely separate from the management of the waiting lists. The fact that parents may wish to appeal will have no effect on their child's position on the waiting list.
2 General information affecting all admissions
(This section contains specific information and advice to be followed by all schools in the interests of fairness and transparency.)
3.1 Timescales for offers
During the main admission round, timescales are clearly set out and places are offered well before the place will be taken up.
In all other cases, places can be offered up to four weeks in advance (six weeks at the end of the summer term). Parents should be told that, if the pupil has not taken up the place within this timescale, it may be withdrawn and offered to the next pupil on the waiting list.
3.2 Families living some distance from the school
If a place is available, this must be offered to the child at the top of the waiting list in accordance with the published criteria, even if this child lives some distance from the school. It cannot be a condition of offering a place that a family move into the catchment area or nearer the school provided they can assure the school that the child will arrive on time and attend regularly. Each case must be treated on its merits. If schools are doubtful whether parents will be able to ensure a child's punctuality and regular attendance, this must be discussed directly with them.
3.3 Pupils with challenging behaviour
The Code (7.5) states:
It is normally unacceptable for a school to refuse to admit a child on the basis of their behaviour elsewhere (but see paragraph below for the limited exceptions to this rule .It is also unacceptable for a school to refuse to admit a child thought to be potentially disruptive, or who has exhibited challenging behaviour, on the grounds that that child ought first to be assessed for special educational needs. The law disapplies the normal principle that parents' preferences should be complied with only in the "twice excluded" situation ... If a pupil, once admitted, is found to be seriously and persistently disruptive, then the school may consider disciplinary action, including temporary and, ultimately, permanent exclusion procedures.
Hampshire schools and the County Council will follow this guidance.
3.4 Pupils with special educational needs but without statements
The Code states (7.19) that "children with special educational needs but without statements must be treated as fairly as other applicants. Admission authorities may not refuse to admit a pupil because they consider themselves unable to cater for his or her special educational needs".
Hampshire schools and the County Council will follow this guidance.
3.5 Pupils with statements of special educational needs
The Code states (7.20) that "children with statements of special educational needs that name a school in the statement are required to be admitted to the school that is named. The governing body (even where it is the admission authority) does not have the right to refuse admission....
Hampshire schools and the County Council will follow this guidance.
3.6 Pupils with disabilities
The Code (7.21) states that "children with disabilities must be treated no less favourably than other applicants for admissions. Schools are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that pupils with disabilities are not placed at a substantial disadvantage, although this does not apply to the provision of auxiliary aids and services or to physical adaptations to buildings." The DDA Code of Practice for schools recently sent to schools deals with this issue in greater detail.
Hampshire schools and the County Council will follow this guidance.
3.7 Home-school agreements
Admission may not be conditional on parents signing a home-school agreement. (3.33)
3.8 Fraud in applications
Admission authorities reserve the right to withdraw a place if it can be shown that it was obtained fraudulently. (7.26 - 7.27)
4 Out of Round Admissions
4.1 Parents may apply for a school place at any time. Outside the main admission round, applications for a Hampshire secondary school must be made on the out-of-round application form obtainable from the LEA or individual Hampshire schools. Application should be made direct to the preferred school(s) and a written response will be sent within five school days.
4.2 Applications by Hampshire parents for places in other LEAs will be made direct to those LEAs and dealt with in accordance with their policy on casual admissions.
4.3 If a place is available, the pupil will be admitted to the school as quickly as possible.
4.4 If the application is rejected, the letter from the governing body must explain clearly why the place is not available and include details of the appeal procedure.