Parents of children living in Gedling borough who are due to start secondary school in September 2019 can apply for a place from today.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
Residents in Gedling borough need to apply to Nottinghamshire County Council even if their preferred schools are in other areas such as Nottingham City or Derbyshire.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s service director for education, learning and skills, Marion Clay, said: “It probably seems no time at all since parents were looking for a reception place for their child and deciding which schools to apply for.
“However, if a child has just gone into Year 6 at primary school, it’s time to think about applying for a secondary school place for next September.
“This time around it might feel more complicated because your child may have strong ideas about which secondary school they want – or don’t want – to attend, and their ideas may not be the same as yours.
“The good news is that, last year, over 97% of families who applied for a secondary school place on time were offered one of their preferred schools. Applying within the deadline is key.”
The easiest way to apply is online at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/schooladmissions Parents who apply online will receive email confirmation that their application has been received.
Parents are strongly advised to:
- Apply on time – by Wednesday, October, 31, 2018. If parents do not apply on time, they substantially reduce the chances of getting a place at one their preferred schools. Late applications will only be processed after all on-time applications. By then, the schools parents would really like their child to attend might all be full, so the County Council will make an alternative offer of a place at a school which could be at a distance from the home address
- Use all four preferences – so that they are more likely to be offered a place at a school they are happy for their child to attend
- Check the admission oversubscription criteria – and include at least one school within the four preferences where their child will have high priority within the admission oversubscription criteria and will therefore be most likely to get a place. Information about the criteria can be found on the Council’s website. All secondary schools in Nottinghamshire are now own admission authority schools and have their own oversubscription criteria – this can vary from school to school.
- Include other relevant information – in the application, parents should mention any information which may affect how the admission oversubscription criteria are applied. They should also tell the Council if they are moving house as this may affect how their application is considered. It is important to read the relevant sections in Admissions to schools: Guide for parents 2019/20. Please visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissions
- Schools with an intake in Year 10 – parents of children due to move into Year 10 in September 2019 may wish to consider educational opportunities at schools which have an intake at Year 10. Nottinghamshire residents will have received a letter informing them of schools within neighbouring local authority areas and how to apply.
Last year, of the 212 families that were not successful for any of their preferences, 69% had expressed only one preference.
Secondary school offers will be made on Friday, March 1, 2019. If parents apply online an email will be sent on this day and parents can log in to the online application service to view the outcome of their application.
For parents who apply by telephone or by completing a paper application, the outcome of preferences will be posted second class on Friday, March 1, 2019.
For more information about the application process, schools, the number of places available or how places are allocated, please visit the website a www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissions or call 0300 500 80 80.
- Gedling Eye now has a Whatsapp group so you can keep up to date with the latest news from across the borough. We will send you one message a day with our main headlines, as well as the big breaking news alerts. To sign up text NEWS to 07958532672. Make sure you add the number to your contacts as ‘Gedling Eye’. We won’t share your phone number or use it anywhere else.
