How to apply for a place if your child is due to start in reception
As required by law, all children must be admitted into full-time education
by the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. This will be either
at the beginning of the autumn, spring or summer terms.
For admission to the first year of primary school (reception class) parents
are requested to contact the school they wish their child to attend. This will
enable the school to issue you with all relevant information on how to apply
for a school place.
The co-ordinated scheme will allow you to name your preferred school within
North Lincolnshire by applying either online or by completing a common application
form. Applying for a school place can be done by either applying online or by
completing a common application form. Which ever method you choose, applications
must be submitted by2 March 2009.
Coordinated scheme for infant and primary schools will follow the process
outlined below:
The
co-ordinated scheme for North Lincolnshire will follow the process outlined
below: -
- All parents must either apply online or complete the common application
form naming the school they wish their child to attend;
- The LA will then determine whether or not the child is eligible for admission.
If the governing body is responsible for admission they will determine who
is eligible and then will inform the LA;
- Where an offer of a place at the named school can be met the parent will
be offered a place;
- Where the LA cannot offer a place at the named school the parent will be
offered a place at the next nearest school with places available;
- All parents will be given their statutory right to appeal against any decision
the LA makes and information about how to appeal against any decision made
by a governing body.
Important dates
| Date by which parents must apply online or return their common application
form. |
2 March 2009 |
| Date by which parents will be notified if they have been allocated a
place at their preferred school. |
Letters will be posted by 1 May 2009 |
| Deadline for parents to accept the place offered. If you do not respond
it will be assumed you have accepted the place. |
15 May 2009 |
| Date by which appeals should be returned |
18 May 2009 |
Late applications
Applications
must be submitted by the 2
March 2009.
Where a parent submits a late application, and the lateness has been unavoidable
in the opinion of the admissions authority, (e.g house move) North Lincolnshire
Education Authority will be willing to consider it up to 25
March 2009.
Applications received after the 25 March 2009, or without a good reason for
not meeting the deadline, pupils will be allocated a place using the following
criterion:
·
Those
who have completed the common application form by the closing date will be allocated
places first. If a place is available at the preferred school, the parent
will be offered that place but if all places have been taken, the parent will
be refused and offered the right to appeal.
Infant class sizes
The
Government has determined that no infant class must have more than 30 children
to one teacher. This applies to all infant children (reception, year 1 and year
2) and parents should be aware that when they apply for a place in these year
groups, schools have to keep to the 30 limit (subject to legal exceptions).
Parents
therefore can be refused a place because of the class size issue; and although
this will be subject to an Appeal, the basis on which an appeal can be upheld
is very limited. (see section 5a (ii) Appeals for infant year groups).
Deferred entry
A parent
may defer entry of their child to school until they reach compulsory school
age i.e. the term after their fifth birthday provided that the place is taken
up within the same academic year.
For
example:
A
pupil whose fifth birthday falls between 1 September and 31 December could defer
admission until January.
A
pupil whose fifth birthday falls between 1 January and 31 March could defer
admission until Easter.
A
pupil whose fifth birthday falls between 1 April and 31 August could not
defer admission until the following September as that would be a new academic
year. (These pupils will start either at Easter or could start in September,
but in September the pupil would start in year 1 and not the reception class
subject to a place being available).