1 Participants in scheme
The Relevant Area for all Bath and North East Somerset schools is the Bath and North East Somerset LA administrative area.
This scheme will apply to all applications from parents/carers resident in Bath and North East Somerset or with a confirmed move to Bath and North East Somerset at the time of application.
2 Applications
2.1 Parents/Carers of children resident in Bath and North East Somerset or with a confirmed move to Bath and North East Somerset must complete the Bath and North East Somerset in year application form to apply for a maintained school place. The application must be made on the Bath and North East Somerset common application form even if you wish to apply to a school outside of the Bath and North East Somerset area. The application form is available to download from the Council’s website www.bathnes.gov.uk then click on Schools and Colleges followed by School Admissions. Alternatively contact Admissions & Transport on 01225 394312.
2.2 All parents/carers must complete the common application form. For parent’s resident in or with a confirmed move to Bath and North East Somerset the form should be returned to the Admissions & Transport Unit at the address shown on the form. Parent/Carers may name up to 3 schools in rank order on the application form.
2.3 Forms for children resident in another Local Authority area should be completed and returned to the “Home” Authority. Parent/Carers can express a preference for a school in their own authority or another authority.
2.4 Should any parents include on their application form a preference for an independent school the independent school preference will be disregarded and remaining preferences for schools will be given a higher preference than that shown on the original application form.
2.5 In fairness to all parents, the Council reserves the right to require documentary evidence of the genuineness of a family address and if this is not produced the Council reserves the right to make its own enquiries with, for example, the Council Tax Office.
2.6 The child’s normal permanent home address where he or she lives with his or her parents or legal guardians will be used to decide where the child lives. Temporary addresses cannot be used to obtain school places. If parents or guardians plan to move documentary evidence will be required.
Examples of evidence that may be acceptable to determine a child’s address are: -
· A solicitor’s letter confirming completion of contracts for a property which is being purchased or a property which is being sold.
· A copy of a signed rental agreement or a solicitor’s letter if moving to a council or rented property and proof of your sale or Notice to Quit on your current/previous property.
· A copy of a council tax bill or utility bill such as water, gas or electricity in your name for your newly owned or rented property together with proof of your sale or Notice to Quit on your current/previous property.
· A child benefit book.
· If you are moving in with a relative a letter from them will be required confirming the date you will be moving in together with a copy utility bill showing their name and address. A solicitor’s letter will also be required confirming that completion of contracts has taken place on your sale or Notice to Quit on your current/previous property.
2.7 The LA reserves the right to withdraw an offer of a school place in certain limited circumstances. Examples include:
· Where a parent has given fraudulent or intentionally misleading information such as a false address.
· Where a parent has not responded to an offer within the deadline set by the LA.
· Where a higher preference school has been offered or where the highest preference school on the latest application has been able to be met.
· Where the offer was made as a result of an administrative error.
3 Consideration of Applications and Allocation of Places
3.1 Applications for all schools will be considered under an ‘equal preference’ system. All preferences (1st, 2nd or 3rd) will initially be considered equally regardless of ranking.
3.2 Within five school days of receipt of an application, Bath and North East Somerset will send details of any application received for another Admission Authority to that Authority. This will apply equally to an application for a school in another Local Authority or an application for a school which is its own admission authority in Bath and North East Somerset.
3.3 Where the application to another Local Authority is for a Community or Voluntary Controlled school, it is expected that the relevant Local Authority will be able to notify Bath and North East Somerset of potential offers and refusals within five school days.
3.4 Schools who are their own admission authority within Bath and North East Somerset will notify Bath and North East Somerset Council of potential offers and refusals within five school days.
3.5 Schools who are their own admission authority in other Local Authorities will notify their Local Authority of potential offers and refusals within five school days and that the relevant Local Authority will notify Bath and North East Somerset Council of the decision within a further five school days.
3.6 For applications where Bath and North East Somerset Council is able to offer a place at the first preference Bath and North East Somerset Community or Voluntary Controlled School, there will be no need to notify other admission authorities where their school is a lower preference.
3.7 Bath and North East Somerset Council will consider all potential offers in order to determine the single offer of a school place to be made to the parent/carer. Where the potential offer of a school place can be discarded as a higher preference can be met, Bath and North East Somerset Council will inform the relevant admission authority.
3.8 Parents will be notified of the result of their application within 20 school days.
3.9 If a suitable place cannot be secured using the normal admission arrangements and the child meets the Council’s Fair Access criteria, a school place will be identified for the child by the Area Placement Panel in accordance with Bath and North East Somerset’s Fair Access Protocol. The Fair Access Protocol does not override the right of Parents/Carers to state a preference for a school place.
3.10 Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs will be placed in schools through the arrangements set out in the SEN Code of Practice and not through the in year coordinated scheme.
4 Offers of a school place
4.1 Where a child can be offered a place at more than one school the final offer will be the highest ranked school with a place available.
4.2 In the case of parents/carers of children resident in Bath and North East Somerset or with a confirmed move to Bath and North East Somerset being refused a place at their preferred school(s), an alternative school place will be offered to their child and they will be informed of the options available at that stage including their right of appeal. Parents/carers will be advised as to who to contact to make an appeal (whether this is Bath and North East Somerset Council or another admission authority).
4.3 Parents/Carers must respond to the offer directly to Bath and North East Somerset Council within 2 weeks. Parents/Carers will be expected to respond within 2 school weeks of the offer of a place otherwise the offer of a school place may be withdrawn. Where a place is withdrawn this will be confirmed in writing.
4.4 When allocating places it is essential that the parent is clear that any place offered must be taken up within 28 school days or the place is withdrawn.
5 Waiting Lists
5.1 Where a place at a preferred school cannot be offered, parents/carers will be able to request that their child’s name is placed on a waiting list. All admission authorities will maintain a waiting list.
5.2 Where an application is received the child’s name will be retained on the waiting list until the end of the academic year. If a place becomes available at a school, the place will be offered in accordance with the published oversubscription criteria and not the length of time a child’s name has been on a waiting list. Parents will be expected to notify the appropriate admission authority if they wish for their child to remain on the waiting list in the following academic year. Every effort will be made to contact applicants on the waiting list using the last contact details provided by the applicant, but, where a response to an offer has not been received within 10 school days, the offer will be withdrawn and the available place offered to the next child on the waiting list to qualify for the available place.
5.3 Own Admission Authority Schools (Foundation /Voluntary Aided) will be asked to provide information about the availability of school places to the LA on request.
5.4. Own Admission Authority schools will provide details of their waiting lists to the LA. Governing bodies of own admission authority schools may if they wish delegate responsibility for maintaining their waiting list to the Local Authority however legal responsibility for it would remain with the Governing Body.
6 General Information
Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs [SEN] are dealt with through the SEN Code of Practice and their placement is determined through the statutory assessment process or an annual review of their statement. All schools are consulted before being named on a pupil's Statement and schools have the opportunity to draw attention to any difficulties arising from oversubscribed year groups. If a particular school is named on a Statement this will take priority over the Admissions Criteria, although, wherever possible the place will be offered within the Admission Number for the school.
Parents/Carers who make a formal appeal against their allocated school will have their child's name kept on a waiting list for any places which may become available. They may also ask for their child to remain on the waiting list without making a formal appeal. Any places which do become available will be reallocated using the Admissions Criteria, taking into account those parents who have asked to remain on the waiting list or who have lodged a formal appeal. However children who are the subject of a direction by a local authority to admit or who are allocated to a school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those on a waiting list.
Every effort will be made to contact applicants on the waiting list using the last contact details provided by the applicant, but, where a response to an offer has not been received within 10 school days, the offer will be withdrawn and the available place offered to the next child on the waiting list to qualify for the available place.
The child's home address is defined as the permanent address where he or she generally resides with their parent. Temporary addresses may not be used to obtain school places.
Where parents share parental responsibility for a child but live separately if two applications are received from the child’s parents the LA will ask them to determine which application it should consider and which application should be withdrawn. This is because the LA will offer only one school place to a child at any one time. If parents cannot agree they should resolve the issue through the court system. However in the absence of a Court Order the application received from the parent who receives Child Benefit for the child will be the only one considered. Parents may be asked to provide supporting documentation such as a copy of the child benefit book or letter confirming receipt of child benefit.
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