A guide for parents and carers on admissions to Secondary School

Admission authorities will NOT givepriority to preference when determiningthe allocation of places.Naming more than one school does notreduce your chances of getting a place atyour first preference school.You do not have to list four preferences butyou are advised to list more than one.If you list the same school more than once itdoes not mean you will have a strongerchance of getting a place. If it is not possibleto offer a place at the school it will meanyour child will not have been considered <strong>for</strong>any other school.You are advised to consider naming yourdesignated area school as one of yourpreferences.Designated AreaA map of Reading Borough Council area onpage 51 shows the designated of schoolsthat include addresses in the Borough. Ifyou need advice about the designated areaschool <strong>for</strong> your home address pleasecontact the Admissions Team.Living in the designated area of a schooldoes not guarantee admission to thatschool. It will depend on how manyapplications are received <strong>and</strong> whether thereare enough places at the school. It may benecessary to use the tie-breaker publishedby the admission authority.Strong medical or social groundsThis category only applies to some schools.You will need to check if it applies to yourpreferred school. You will need to send inevidence from the professional supportingyour family or child. The professional muststate why it is the only school that cansupport the medical or social needs of yourchild.SiblingsIf your child has a sibling (see page 5) whowill be attending a preferred school inSeptember 2013, please provide his/hername <strong>and</strong> date of birth. Siblings who will bein Years 12 or 13 are not always counted assiblings in over-subscription criteria so youwill need to check the admission policy ofyour preferred school.Religious or philosophical reasonsIf you have selected a school <strong>for</strong> religiousreasons <strong>for</strong> example Blessed Hugh FaringdonSchool or The Piggott School you areadvised to complete the school’ssupplementary <strong>for</strong>m.3. Parents/Carers detailsPlease ensure you complete the section(s)on <strong>parents</strong>/<strong>carers</strong> details <strong>and</strong> remember toprovide a daytime telephone number.4. Declaration <strong>and</strong> signaturePlease check all the sections of theapplication <strong>for</strong>m. If you have completed apaper <strong>for</strong>m please sign <strong>and</strong> date the <strong>for</strong>m.Your signature means you are declaring thatthe in<strong>for</strong>mation given on the ApplicationForm is correct. If incorrect in<strong>for</strong>mation isgiven, Reading Borough Council reserves theright to take away any place offered at anystage of the process.If you apply online you cannot submit theapplication unless you accept the terms <strong>and</strong>conditions box which is the declaration thatthe in<strong>for</strong>mation you have supplied is correct.5. Returning the Application FormIf you have chosen to complete the paperapplication <strong>for</strong>m <strong>and</strong> your child is currentlyattending a school in Reading you can returnthe <strong>for</strong>m to your child’s primary school. Theschool will <strong>for</strong>ward the <strong>for</strong>m to theAdmissions Team.11If you have any queries please contact the Admissions Team on 0118 937 2550 or email: admissions.team@reading.gov.ukApply online at www.reading.gov.uk/schooladmissions