A guide for parents and carers on admissions to Secondary School

HOW OFFERS ARE DECIDEDAfter the closing date Reading BoroughCouncil will pass on the details of yourapplication to the relevant admissionauthority. Reading Borough Council will alsopass on applications received from other LAs<strong>for</strong> schools in Reading. As all applicationsare considered on an equal preferencebasis the schools will not be told wherethe <strong>parents</strong>/<strong>carers</strong> have ranked theapplication because this in<strong>for</strong>mation is notrequired to consider an application.The admission authority <strong>for</strong> each schooldecides whether it can offer a place. If thereare more applicants than places available itdoes so by applying the over subscriptioncriteria. Over-subscription criteria <strong>for</strong>schools in Reading are given in the detailsabout the individual schools on pages 20to 54.If you are applying <strong>for</strong> schools outsideReading you can get in<strong>for</strong>mation on theirover-subscription criteria from theadmission authority. Contact details can befound on page 61.Avoiding multiple offers rulesThe main purpose of the co-ordinatedadmission scheme is that each child will onlybe offered a place at one school.Once each admission authority has decidedwhich children can be offered places, thatin<strong>for</strong>mation is passed to Reading BoroughCouncil’s Admissions Team. Reading BoroughCouncil then looks at the offers that can bemade to each child who lives in Reading. If achild can be offered more than one schoolplace then the <strong>parents</strong>’/<strong>carers</strong>’ order ofpreference is used to decide which school isoffered.The place you are offered will be at theschool that has a place <strong>and</strong> you haveranked highest on your application. If it isnot possible to offer a place at any of yourpreferred schools, a place will normally beoffered at the nearest Reading school witha place available. You are not guaranteed aplace at one of your preferred schools.The diagram opposite shows this process:Offer letters will be sent by ReadingBorough Council to all on time applicants on1 March 2013.The school place offered in the letter isbased on the address on the letter. If thataddress is not the permanent home addressof the child, the place may be withdrawn.Schools may send you in<strong>for</strong>mation aboutthe school. Letters from schools are notoffers only the home local authority canmake a school offer.13If 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