In year admissions

From 10 September 2010 the Admissions and Transport Team will co-ordinate in-year admissions.

In-year Procedure September 2010-2011 Guidance for Parents

In-year admissions are for those children looking for a Buckinghamshire school place in the academic year commencing September 2010.

If you are moving to Buckinghamshire from an address within England and are applying to Buckinghamshire schools in advance of that move then you should apply via your current home authority who will liaise with us. If you are moving to Buckinghamshire from outside that area then you should apply to us direct, and can do so in advance of your move. We will need to see proof of your move:

Confirmation that your house purchase is legally binding (in other words, you have already exchanged and completed and are living in your new home); or
A formal lease agreement
Council Tax bill for new property
Evidence that you have sold, or are in the process of selling, your previous property, or that a previous lease agreement has expired.

If you are moving within Buckinghasmhire please indicate your anticipated new address and proposed date of move. We will ask for confirmation of your new address as above.

We will usually offer a school place for immediate admission within 15 working days, or we may delay it to fit in with your anticipated move date. The furthest ahead we will offer a place is half a term in advance.

If your child already attends a Buckinghamshire school and the reason for changing schools is not as a result of an address move, please give us your reasons for moving your child. If this is due to problems at your child's current school we would expect you to have tried to resolve these difficulties with the school, and will contact your child's current headteacher. We will usually expect any transfer to be scheduled for the beginning of a term or half term unless a more immediate move is supported by your child's current headteacher/head of year. We may contact them regarding your move.

The Application Process

If you are a Buckinghamshire resident and wish to apply for a primary or secondary upper school place then please complete the in-year application form below. If you would like your child considered for a Buckinghamshire grammar school he/she will need to be tested to determine suitability for a grammar school place. In this case you will need to register for the test by completing the form below as well as the in-year application form. All completed forms should be returned to the Admissions and Transport Team, County Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP20 1UZ.

A hard copy may be requested from the Admissions and Transport Team 01296 383250 or email admissions@buckscc.gov.uk

What happens next?

We aim to offer school places within 15 working days of receiving an application. Where a school is not over subscribed we would process the application immediately. In certain instances we need to request information from your child's current school which may result in a delay. Applications may also be delayed if we are unable to confirm, with individual schools or other local authorities, accurate information about school vacancies.

Whilst every effort is made to quickly allocate places to children without a current school, where a child is moving from one school to another within Buckinghasmhire these moves can happen at the beginning of a term or half-term to aid smooth integration.

Buckinghamshire County Council will send you an offer letter which will include an allocation response form which you must return to the Admissions and Transport Team within 10 working days. If you do not return the allocation response form the place may be withdrawn.

In many cases voluntary aided, foundation schools and academies will also contact families direct when an allocation has been made.

Sixth Form admission

All secondary schools manage their own admissions into the sixth form. Schools have a published admission number and admission rules for sixth form admission, which often reflect a child achieving a certain number of points at GCSE. All children must be qualified for admission before the school considers whether there are sufficient places. Schools must use the same points profile to consider applications from their existing pupils and new applicants. If a school refuses to admit any child to its sixth form, there is a right of appeal on two grounds

Qualification (insufficient points achieved).
Space (more qualified children are seeking a place than there are places available).

Fair Access Protocol

Buckinghamshire County Council has a Fair Access Protocol which ensures that vulnerable groups of children can quickly access school places and that all schools take an equal number of children who may for a variety of reasons, need more support. These children can take precedence over all other children on a school's waiting list. Please note that removing your child from their current school when you do not have an alternative school place for them will not give them priority under Fair Access.

Some of the questions on the in-year application form are included to identify more vulnerable children and to try and ensure appropriate support is put in place for them at their new school. More information about the Fair Access Protocol is available on our website.

For more information call 01296 383250 or email admissions@buckscc.gov.uk

Related files (you may need Acrobat Reader to open)

Related pages