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Transition to Secondary School

When should I apply?

You apply when your child is in Year 6, you can apply for a place for September 2012 from the 1st August 2011 by using the online system.

Do I have to give a preference?

Yes, if you want your child to be considered for a place at a school. Even if you want a place at your local school or you already have a child at the school, you should fill in the preference form. If you do not give a preference, your child may not be offered a place at a school. Parents who give a preference for their child will be considered for a place at a school before those who do not.

What should I be doing to help me make a realistic preference?

Go to the open evenings at secondary schools. These are held during September and October. If you cannot attend due to other commitments then contact the school to make an appointment when it is convenient for you.
Research the schools to see what they can offer. Most of the secondary schools have websites.

Will my child be accepted for a place at my preferred school?

This will depend upon the number of applications and the number of places available.

What happens if there are too many applications for the number of places available?

Priority places are given by the admission criteria for the school in question. You can find the admission policy for community, voluntary-controlled, voluntary-aided (Catholic or Church of England Schools), academies, foundation schools in the "Starting Secondary School in Leeds" by clicking on the link below.

http://www.educationleeds.co.uk/Admissions/Current%20year/Admissions%20Secondary.pdf

Do I just complete a secondary school common preference form?

If you are applying for a community, voluntary-controlled school, academy or a foundation school, then YES. If you are applying for a voluntary-aided school you will need to complete their supplementary information form. This must be completed and sent back to the school as well as the secondary common preference form which must be completed and sent back to the admissions department.
Please click the link below for the supplementary information form, or contact the school directly.

http://www.educationleeds.co.uk/displaytext.aspx?section=8&pageno=431

 

Appeals

If I don't get the school I want, can I appeal?

If you are not allocated your preferred school you will be given the right to appeal in front of an independent panel.

What is the School Admission Appeals Panel?

The panel is independent of the council, schools, or governing bodies. It hears appeals against decisions made to refuse admission to school. In dealing with appeals the panel follows guidance in a Code of Practice drawn up by the DFE and advice from the Local Government Ombudsman.

What sort of information should I provide?

Whatever your reason for appealing, you should provide in advance as much information in support of your appeal as you can. This might include particular personal circumstances including, for example, medical advice. Please note that the late introduction of evidence on the day of the appeal may cause a delay as all parties need to read the new evidence.

Who will hear my appeal?

The appeal will be heard by three people drawn from a panel of members, which is made up of parents, governors of other schools, teachers, other persons with experience of education, and "lay" members (people who have no experience of education). The panel hearing the appeal will introduce themselves to you immediately before the hearing starts. At the hearing the panel will have copies of both the written submission prepared by admissions and the information which you have provided. A member should not normally hear your appeal if he or she knows you directly, is a governor of your preferred school or has been involved in your case previously.

Where and when will my appeal be heard?

The section that arranges appeals and sends you an invite letter is called The Governance Service Unit - Appeals. The appeals are held in the Civic Hall in Leeds.
You are told the date and time of your appeal 10 school days in advance. You will be sent a written statement 7 days before your appeal is heard. Any information which you have provided in advance will also be sent to the panel members.

Who will be present at the appeal hearing?

It is important that, wherever possible, you attend the hearing - it is very helpful for the panel hearing your appeal to hear first hand why you want your child to attend a particular school. You can also bring along someone to help you make your case, such as a friend, relative or other adviser, such as an Independent Parental Adviser (IPA). You are encouraged to attend the hearing, although it is possible for an appeal to be heard in your absence.
An admissions officer will  attend to explain the position of the Local Authority. The headteacher of the school might attend to clarify and factual matters about the circumstances at the school.
A clerk is present at all times during the hearing. Their job is solely to keep notes of the hearing for the use of the panel only and to advise the panel on matters of procedure. They will play no part in deciding your appeal and will remain with the panel when they make their decision. At no time will either you or the admissions representative be left alone with the panel.

How will the appeal be conducted?

There are two types of appeals. If you are appealing for a place for your child in year groups 3-11 your appeal will follow the stage two process explained below.
If your appeal is for reception, year 1 or year 2 the process is different, this is known as an "Class Size Appeal". You can download a leaflet about Class Size Appeals from the Admissions Website "School Admissions Appeals" document from the link below;

http://www.educationleeds.co.uk/documents/download.aspx?fid=40023

The order of proceedings for a two stage appeal will be as follows;

Stage One (about the school's circumstances)

• The Chair will welcome both parties and introduce those present.
• The clerk then explains the procedure to be followed and what will happen next.
• An admissions officer will present the case explaining why they did not offer you a place at your preferred school.
• Panel members and you may ask questions about what has been said.

Stage Two (about your circumstances)

• The Chair will then ask you to give your case.
• The panel and admissions may ask you questions on what you have said about your personal circumstances and reasons for admitting your child.
• The admissions officer will sum up the case.
• You will then be asked to sum up and you will always have the last word.

"Grouped Appeals" what does it mean?

Where several parents appeal for the same school a grouped appeal will take place. This means all parents together hear the case from the admissions officer. All parents and the panel can ask questions. After this stage parents then have an individual meeting with the panel where they can put their case.

When will I know the decision of the panel?

You will be notified in writing of the decision within a few days of the hearing.

Class size of 30 legislation

The Government has introduced a law which means that classes in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 cannot go over 30 children per teacher. The Appeal Panel will not break this law and grant your appeal except in the following very specific circumstances. In each of the following cases it is up to you to prove your case to the panel;

1. You must show that the local authority broke their own rules which are published in the "Starting School" booklet linked below, either deliberately or by mistake. If your child would have gained a place had the rules been correctly applied then the Appeal Panel can allow your appeal.
2. You must prove that the rules that the local authority have published in the "Starting School" booklet are contrary to mandatory provisions in the "School Admissions Code" and the "School Standards and Framework Act 1998". If your child would have been offered a place had the admission arrangements complied with the mandatory provisions then the Appeal Panel can allow your appeal.
3. You must prove that the local authority acted unreasonably. For a decision to be unreasonable it must be as quoted by the local authority "Illogical or perverse".

If you cannot prove any of the above then your appeal will not be successful.

The procedure is slightly different from a two stage appeal described above.

• Introductions
• Admissions officer explains their case
• You and the panel will be able to ask questions
• You may put your case as it relates to the criteria the panel have to consider
• The panel will come to a decision and you will be notified as previously mentioned.

 

In-Year Transfers

It is very important for children to remain in their current school unless there are specific reasons why this cannot happen. For example, you may have moved into Leeds from another part of the UK or from another country, or you may have moved within Leeds and you cannot travel back to your old school because of the distance.
For more information on how to transfer your child to another school, please click on the following link;

Transfer Letter- Download the transfer leaflet
In-Year Common Preference Form- Download the transfer form
 

Transition to Primary School

 When should my child start school?

Your child must be in school the term following their 5th birthday. This is unless you decide to educate them at home, in which case you must contact the local authority Admissions Team who will advise you on what to do.
Some schools admit children in September, others admit them over a number of weeks, and others in January.

When should I apply?

You can apply for a place for September 2012 from the 1st August 2011 by using the online system. The paper forms will be available from September for you to collect either from you local primary school or contact the local authority, Admissions team.
It is your responsibility to make sure you get a form and send it back.

Can I choose more than one school?

You can request a place at three schools listed in order of preference.

Do I have to give a preference?

Yes, if you want your child to be considered for a place. Even if you want a place at you local school or your child already attends the nursery or if you already have another child at the school you must fill in the common preference form. If you do not give a preference your child may not be offered a place as parents who give a preference for their child, will be considered over those who do not.

How do I do it?

You can save time by using the online application system. Or you can complete the form and hand it in to the school listed as number one.

Will my child be accepted for a place at my preferred school?

This will depend upon the number of applications and the number of places available. Priority for places will be determined by the admission criteria for the school in question.

If you have any questions about the information above, please do not hesitate to contact the Choice Advice Service on 0113 3950596.

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