A guide for parents and carers on admissions to Secondary School

esources. Although we expect to offer themajority of applicants one of their preferences,it depends on the preferences you name <strong>and</strong>whether the schools are over-subscribed.If a school is over-subscribed then thepublished over-subscription criteria <strong>for</strong> thatschool will apply. If you are not granted aplace at a preferred school then you have aright of appeal. See page 16 on Appeals.My child has a statement of SpecialEducational Needs. Will I need tocomplete the Application Form?Although you will have discussed your child’ssecondary school placement in their Year 5annual review, you must complete theapplication <strong>for</strong>m in the pack sent to you.Please note that help with transport costs maynot be provided if appropriate provision isavailable at a nearer school.What if I do not apply by the deadlinebecause I was not living in the area?If you move into Reading be<strong>for</strong>e 1 January 2013then your application will be treated as an ontime application. If however, you only wantyour child to be considered <strong>for</strong> Readingschools then an application will be accepted ason time if you move by the 31 January 2013. Ifyou move after these dates then yourapplication will be treated as a late application<strong>and</strong> not processed until after the 15 March2013. If there are places available then a placewill be allocated to your child. If the school isover-subscribed your child’s name will beadded to the waiting list according to the oversubscriptioncriteria. In these circumstances aplace will be offered at an alternative school.Can a place be withdrawn?Yes – a place can be withdrawn <strong>for</strong> thefollowing reasons:a) Any place is offered on the basis that thein<strong>for</strong>mation you give on the application<strong>for</strong>m is correct <strong>and</strong> up to date on the 1March 2013. If you give incorrect orintentionally misleading in<strong>for</strong>mation ReadingBorough Council may withdraw the offer ofa place. The address you give MUST be yourchild's only permanent home address. If yougive an incorrect address or do not updateus with the changes <strong>and</strong> we offer a place onthe basis of that address then the offer maybe withdrawn. See page 3 on home address.b) Where a place has been offered, in errorunder co-ordination by the local authority,not the admission authority, then the placemay be withdrawn.c) If a parent/carer has not responded to theoffer of a place after receiving a reminderthen the place may be withdrawn.Does living in a designated areaguarantee I will get a place <strong>for</strong> mychild at that school?Children living in the designated area of aschool are given priority <strong>for</strong> admission but itdoes not guarantee admission. It will dependon the number of applicants from thedesignated area. If there are more applicantsfrom the designated area than places availablea place will only be offered if your child meetshigher over-subscription criteria than otherapplicants. In Reading, Highdown School hasbeen unable to admit all applicants from thedesignated area <strong>for</strong> several years <strong>and</strong> placeshave been allocated using the tiebreaker. Morein<strong>for</strong>mation about how places were offered inthese schools can be found on the schoolspages 25, 28 <strong>and</strong> 38.Can my child move to secondaryschool outside their normal yeargroup?Parents of gifted <strong>and</strong> talented children, orthose who have experienced problems ormissed part of year, <strong>for</strong> example due to illhealth, can seek places outside their normalyear group, Admission authorities must makedecision on the basis of the circumstances ofeach case. Please check the policy of theadmission authority <strong>for</strong> the school you wishyour child to attend.If 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 18