In-year (casual) admissions
Please note that this is to be co-ordinated by the Local
Authority (LA) from September 2010.
These are the key messages for school in-year admissions,
waiting lists, referrals, appeals, policies and best practice:
- schools must act in accordance with the
school admissions code and the school admissions
appeals code
(links to DCSF website)
- any person wanting to submit an application must be enabled
to do so. Schools must offer all applicants a place if there are
more vacancies than applicants in that year group, and when
oversubscribed, must order applicants and make offers in line
with the published admission criteria for the current school
year. Best practice is for a formal written response to an
application should be made within two school weeks
- limited information can be requested before an offer is made
(SA Code s.1.80 -1.83) and offers must not (s.1.75) be
conditional on interviews or history (other than a pupil with
permanent exclusions (s.3.30). For high schools, if subsequent
information obtained pre-admission, e.g. from the previous
school, shows the criteria for the Fair Access Protocol are met,
referral can be made to the Fair Access Panel for allocation to a
school. Such information can also be submitted retrospectively to
the Panel, and quota/points given
- where a school cannot offer a place because they are full, a
letter must be sent, detailing the reason, the right of appeal,
and advising applicants to contact the LA in-year admissions team
for information and advice, and to check the published vacancies
on the Ealing website weekly
- the letter should include details of the school’s policy on
waiting lists. Where schools hold waiting lists, the letter
should advise that the child’s name will be placed on the waiting
list or clarify that the parent must request this if they so
wish. If there is any requirement to updatethe school e.g. termly
or annually, about wanting to remain on the waiting list, this
should be included. Where waiting lists are not held, applicants
should be advised of the school’s practice eg some schools advise
that when a vacancy arises, they look at all applications
received or resubmitted during the course of a week on a Friday
and offer then
- Best practice is for schools (when full) to advise applicants
of other local schools with vacancies and suggest they contact
them. Where schools are aware of an applicant who appears not be
considering alternative schools (eg repeated presentation at one
school only) referral should be made to the in-year admissions
and CME Team. While front line office staff often deal with
applications, this should be overseen by a named admissions lead
in the school
- the team checks all unsuccessful appeals and requests
information regularly from schools which deal with their own
appeals, in order to ensure all pupils have or access educational
provision
- primary schools should ensure that all Y6 pupils (including
any new admissions either before or after the closing date)
complete CAFs for secondary transfer (or ensure and record that
parents have other planned provision); should be aware of and
when needed refer to, the Choice Advice Service (to assist
parents who may have difficulty in negotiating the schools
admissions process); should refer any pupil where there is
indication that they may not take up a place offered for Y7 (eg
for some no-choice allocations) or where no application has been
made, to the CME team. (best practice)
- any child who has been made an offer of a place (in YR, Y7,
or in-year) is formally on the school’s register and roll and if
they do not arrive, must be followed up as a leaver and appear in
the school’s Leavers List