Archived decisions
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS - 2010/11
CO-ORDINATED IN-YEAR SCHEME
Introduction
1. This scheme is based on the underlying principle that all children requiring admission to a school during a school year, including September if it is not a normal year of entry, apply through their home authority and receive one and only one offer of a school place.
2. The scheme applies to applications from Hampshire residents, including those who have documentary evidence of a move to Hampshire, i.e. exchange of contracts, signed tenancy agreement, or, for service families or other Crown servants, posting order.
3. Parents must be advised to read the guidance notes accompanying the application form and the full Parents' Guide for points of clarification, information and advice before applying.
4. Children will only be admitted by their chronological age unless they are already in a different year group in a Hampshire school and/or with the agreement of the receiving headteacher.
5. Support and/or independent advice is available for vulnerable families from the Choice Advice Service. Help can be given with completion of applications where necessary.
6. The offer of a place must normally be taken up within four school weeks of the offer date. Where an application is made more than four weeks in advance of the date that the family will be able to take up the place, the application will not be processed until four weeks before the date when it can be taken up and the family informed of this.
7. Applications for admission at the start of term in September in other year groups than the normal year of entry can be considered six school weeks before the end of the summer term and held open until the start of the autumn term.
8. In the case of families of UK service personnel and other Crown Servants the County Council will adhere to the mandatory requirements of the Code (3.27- 3.28).
Applications
9. To be considered for any school place, no matter where, Hampshire parents must make a valid application to the local authority (LA). Parents must apply online or complete and return an Out of Round application form to the LA. Applications forms and guidance notes may be obtained from
· the County website; or
· the County Admissions Team; or
· schools.
10. In the application, up to three preferred schools may be named. Reasons for moving school may be given.
11. All completed application forms must be returned to the home LA. The date of receipt by the LA determines the date of application. In the case of forms handed in to schools for forwarding to the Admissions Team, the date of receipt by the school is the relevant date.
12. Supplementary Information Forms (SIFs) are required by some voluntary controlled, voluntary aided, foundation and trust schools and academies to gather supplementary information needed to determine priority for admission. These are available from:
· the County's website; or
· the County Admissions Team; or
· the school.
A SIF must be returned directly to the relevant school. Parents must complete a separate SIF for each school which requires one.
Availability of places
13. In the case of community and voluntary controlled schools the LA will assess the availability of places either through internal records or through communication with schools. In the case of voluntary aided, foundation and trust schools and academies the availability of places will be communicated to the LA by the schools on request (see 22 below).
14. Applications received on the same day will be considered together. Where there are more applications for a place at a school than places available, the school's published oversubscription criteria will be used to determine the allocation of places.
15. Applications for community and voluntary controlled schools will be determined by the LA; applications for voluntary aided, foundation and trust schools and academies will be determined by the respective governing bodies unless there is an agreement with the governing body that the LA acts on their behalf.
16. In the event that an offer could be made for a place at one or more of the preferred schools, the parent's highest preference school with a place available will be offered.
17. For Hampshire residents, in the event that none of the preferred schools have places available, the catchment or next nearest Hampshire school with a place available (which could be the child's current school) will be offered. Where this school is an admission authority school confirmation from the school will be sought.
Offer letters
18. Offer letters, including those to Hampshire residents who have secured a place at a school in another authority's area (see 23 below), will normally be sent out by the home LA by second class post within ten school days of receipt of the application (subject to 6 and 7 above) or confirmation from a neighbouring LA of that a place can be offered, whichever is the later.
19. The offer letter will request acceptance of the offer within ten school days, explaining waiting list and appeal rights in the event of refusal of any preferred school and any entitlement to assistance with transport.
20. The allocated school will be advised of the admission by the LA (by way of copy of the letter to the parent). If it has been agreed by the Admissions Team, the child may start on roll before the formal offer letter has been received. In any event the child will be required to be on roll and attending as soon as possible. Where additional support is required that is not available, and/or there are significant special/medical needs, there may be a delay. The child should however normally be attending within 3 school weeks of the date of the letter. The school will inform the Admissions Team when the child is on roll.
21. In the event that an applicant does not respond to an offer from the LA within the ten school days specified, a final reminder letter will be sent giving a further seven days to respond to the offer. If no response is received with seven days, a second letter will be sent stating that the offer has been withdrawn. In any event, if the child has not taken up the place within four school weeks of the offer (or six from the specified date in June - see 6 and 7 above), and this is not due to school action, the place will be withdrawn.
Applications to admission authority schools
22. Within two school days of receipt of an application which names a Hampshire voluntary aided, foundation or trust school or an academy as a preference, the LA will send details either manually or electronically to that school for consideration. Within two further school days of receipt of the application, the school will advise the LA of the availability of places, and, if applicable, the ranking of applications and an update on the waiting list.
Applications to schools in other LAs
23. Within two school days of receipt of an application which names a school in another authority's area the LA will send details either manually or electronically to that authority, unless a place can be offered at a higher preference Hampshire school.
Applications for a Hampshire school by a resident of another LA
24. When the LA is notified by another authority (either manually or electronically) that a resident of that LA has named a Hampshire school in an application, the LA will advise that authority of the availability of places within:
· two school days for a community or voluntary controlled school; or
· six school days for a voluntary aided, foundation or trust school or academy.
Looked after children
25. Applications on behalf of looked after children will be given the highest priority. On receipt of appropriately detailed representations from those with legal responsibility for the child supporting the view that admission to a specified school is in the child's best interests, the LA will normally require the admission even where this takes the school over its published admission number (PAN).
Fair Access Admissions
26. By law, each LA is required to publish a Fair Access protocol which includes statutorily determined categories of vulnerable children. The Fair Access protocol allows an admission to be made which takes a school over its PAN in the relevant year group. Should it be determined that an application can be considered under the Fair Access Protocol, the LA will discuss the admission with the carer or guardian or those working with the child to establish the school which it would be in the child's best interests to attend. The Admissions Team will discuss the placement with the school in question to determine whether there are any reasons for not placing the child at the school. The placement may need to be resolved by referral to the area placement panel. In this case, the LA will inform applicants of the outcome of their application within three days of being notified of the decision.
Waiting lists
27. Parents wishing their child to be included on the waiting list of a school for which an application has been refused must inform the local authority in writing. For a period of two weeks after the date of the allocation letter a child will be deemed to be on the waiting list of any refusing higher preference school than the one to which they have been allocated. In the absence of written confirmation the child's name will be removed from the waiting list after that period of time.
28. The LA will write periodically to all those on waiting lists to ask if they wish to remain on the list.
29. If they wish, voluntary aided, foundation and trust schools and academies will operate their own waiting lists and will inform the LA when a place becomes available.
30. A waiting list cannot include a child for whom an application for the relevant school has not been made to the LA.
31. When a place becomes available at a school with a waiting list for the relevant year group, it will be offered by the LA to the child at the top of the waiting list at the end of the day on which the place became available. The LA will offer the applicant the place in writing. A school must not inform the family of the child they believe to be at the top of the waiting list that a place has become available unless this has been agreed by the Admissions Team.