Wednesday 12 September 2012

Selecting the right school for 2013

My wife and I have the same decisions to make for our son who has just started his last year at Primary School so it seemed particularly appropriate to share this County Council Press Release as it is vital that parents fully understand how the process works and are able to access all relevant information before making their choices. We intend to visit all choices as well as you can get a much better feel for how the school works when you see it in action.


Press Release from ESCC

Parents of children due to start or change school in East Sussex next year are being asked to think about which school they would like their child to attend.
The admission process for children due to start primary, junior or secondary school in 2013 is starting this month and leaflets explaining how they go about making an application are now available for parents.
Parents are being encouraged to visit the County Council website to find out more about the process, the schools available and to make their school choices and applications.
All the relevant information is online here:
For those who don't have access to the Internet, printed copies of the admissions booklet are available on request, within schools and in libraries.

Cllr Nick Bennett, the County Council's Lead Member for Learning and School Effectiveness said: “It's crucial parents find out as much information as possible about the schools that are available before they apply. You can only get a certain amount of information about a school from Ofsted reports and exam results. It's also important to contact schools for their prospectus and to visit schools. That can be the best way of finding the right one.”

And he urged parents not to delay. “These are really important decisions to make and so I would really encourage parents to start considering their options now, not leave it to the last minute.”
Families with Internet access would also find the online application process the easiest way of making their choices, Cllr Bennett added. “All the information parents need is available on our website. It's laid out in a way that makes it easy to work through and the application process is very straightforward. We have found that the online application process is the most straightforward and efficient way.”

Parents who use the online service get an automatic acknowledgement that their application has been received and can also opt to hear by email which school has been allocated. They also know there's no risk their application might get lost in the post!

Advice and information is available from the County Council's admission team on 0345 6080190 or email admissions@eastsussex.gov.uk. Parents can also seek advice from the council's Information for Families service on 0345 60 80 192.

In making their school choices, parents can name three preferred schools on the application form and, whilst the admissions team makes every effort to try to meet parents' wishes, a place cannot be guaranteed at any particular school.

The closing date for applications for secondary school places is 31 October 2012 and decisions on the allocation of places will be posted to parents on 1 March 2013 which is the national allocation day. For primary school places the application deadline is 15 January 2013 and parents will be notified of allocations on 19 April 2013.

Any parent who is unhappy with the place that has been allocated can appeal to an independent admissions appeal panel.

Families who don't have Internet access at home can use the electronic information points provided by the County Council or Internet access in libraries.

Leaflets are already being circulated to prospective secondary school parents and separate leaflets for prospective primary and junior parents will be distributed later this month.

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