Secondary school transfer FAQs - 2012
When will I know the outcome of my
secondary school application?
On 1 March 2012
we wrote to Kent parents offering secondary school
places. Letters were posted 1st class on 1 March.
Parents who applied online were sent details of the school they
have been offered, by email, after 4pm on 1 March.
Emails can take an extended period of time to be delivered to
mailboxes. This is an issue with how individual email
suppliers deal with delivery and we have no control over
emails once they have left our servers.
Why was my first choice /
preference school not given?
This was because your
preferred school had more applications than the number of places
available. Unfortunately, other pupils had a higher priority over
your child when ranked against the school’s oversubscription
criteria. Details of each school's criteria can be found on our
admissions arrangements page.
My child has passed the grammar
tests. Why hasn’t he / she got a grammar school
place?
Either:
- Because your preferred school had more preferences than the
number of places available and other pupils had a higher priority
over your child when ranked against the school’s oversubscription
criteria.
Or:
- Because you’ve been offered a school you named higher on your
form.
Why has my child been given a place
at a school I didn’t name on my form?Because all of the
other schools that you named on your form had more applications
than the number of places available and other pupils had higher
priority over your child when ranked against the school’s
oversubscription criteria. The School Admissions Code says that we
must then offer a place at another school.
My child did not get a place at a school
I applied for. Can I go on a waiting list?Yes.
Complete the Waiting List Form enclosed with your letter of 1 March
and return it to the Local Authority by 19 March. You can
request to go on the waiting list for schools you applied for but
were not offered but you cannot go on the waiting list for a
grammar school if your child has not passed the entry test.
How does the Waiting List
work?
Pupils will be ranked according to the schools’ oversubscription
criteria. Should places become available, they will be
allocated to children on the waiting list. Offers will be
made on 10 April and then as vacancies arise.
When do I hear if I’ve been
offered a place through the waiting list?
The first
reallocation of places will take place on 10 April and if we can
offer a place you will receive a letter in the next few days.
After 10 April, schools will offer places when they arise and will
contact you direct if a place can be offered.
I have been offered my first
preference but I really want my second preference now. Can I change
my mind?
You can go on the waiting list for your
second preference (but if this was a grammar school your child must
have passed the entry test) and you can make an appeal to the
Independent Appeal Panel.
When will the school I
have been offered write to me?
Schools have agreed to
send out welcome letters from 6 March, so this should be within the
next few days.
How do I appeal against a secondary
school decision?
You can appeal by completing the
Secondary School Appeal Form. You can
download an appeal form and guide for parents or ring the
Admissions Team on 01622 696565 for a copy. You can
appeal for more than one school, but you will need a separate form
for each appeal. You should send your completed appeal form
to the admission authority for the school by 19 March.
Since our paperwork was published, the School Admission Appeals
Code 2012 has come into effect, and allows appeals received up to
30 March 2012 to be treated as “on time”.
If I accept the place offered does
it prejudice any appeal I might make?
No, it will
not, but it will help make sure that your child is not left without
a place for September in case your appeal does not succeed.
What should I put in my
appeal?
You should explain clearly the reasons why
you wish your child to attend your preferred school. Please
see the guide for parents for further help.
My situation is complicated –
where can I get further advice?
You may obtain advice
from the Secondary Admissions Team on 01622 696565 or e mail
kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk.
I have heard
there are changes to transport to church and grammar schools.
What is the current situation?
From September 2012 Kent County Council no longer provides
discretionary transport to grammar schools or denominational
schools in the same way it has done in previous years. This
means that you may have an older child entitled to transport that
will continue subject to your circumstances not changing (eg moving
house or changing school) but younger sibling children may not be
eligible in the same way to the same school.
Other than for some children from low income families or some
children in the care of Kent County Council, children admitted to a
new school from September 2012 will no longer have an automatic
entitlement under Kent County Council’s transport policy to free
home to school transport to their nearest denominational school or
nearest grammar school if there are other secondary schools closer
to home.
Will I get transport to the
secondary school named in my letter?
To be eligible
for home to school transport you must
- attend your “nearest appropriate school for transport
purposes” and
- live more than 3 miles from your secondary school using the
shortest available walking route.
The “nearest appropriate school for transport purposes” is the
nearest geographical school that is suitable for your child’s age
and ability. Age appropriate relates to attendance at primary
or secondary school and ability appropriate relates to attendance
at a mainstream or special school.
Further details can be found on pages 29 -37 of the
booklet “Admission to Secondary School in Kent 2012”
and you can also seek advice from the Transport Team on 01622
696565.
If I want to turn down the
place I have been offered what action do I need to
take?
You will need to let the school you have been
offered know by 22 March. You can do this by completing and
returning the acceptance/refusal form.
I want to accept the offer of a
place that I have been given. What do I need to
do?
You will need to let the school you have been
offered know by 22 March. You can do this by completing and
returning the acceptance/refusal form.
I’ve moved house and the school my
child’s got is miles away. What should I do?Contact the
Admissions & Transport team for advice on 01622
696565
Can I apply for a
place at a school I did not name on my SCAF? What should I
do?
If you are a Kent resident and you are not happy
with the school you have been offered, you can apply for a place at
a Kent secondary school that you did not name on your SCAF by
completing an extended preference form, sending it direct to the
school.
- Download the
form (Extended Preference Form) or call the
Admissions Team 01622 696565
If your child does not get a place you will have the right
of appeal and you can ask for your child to be placed on the
waiting list.
If you do not live in Kent you should contact your home
authority about making further school applications.
If I’m offered a place
from a school’s waiting list what should I do?
You
must let the school know whether you wish to accept the place you
have been offered. If you do not your offer may be withdrawn
so that it can be offered to another child.
I'm moving to Kent shortly. How
do I apply for a secondary school place?
If you move
to Kent after 10 April you should complete a Late Secondary
Admissions Form.
If your child does not get a place you will have the right
of appeal and you can ask for your child to be placed on the
waiting list. For further information, please contact the
Admissions Team on 01622 696565.