Applying for secondary school
- How can I apply?
- Who decides the rules for admissions?
- Is there an automatic right to a place in a specific school?
- Do schools have waiting lists?
- When will parents know if their application has been successful?
- What are the contact numbers and email addresses for applications?
Parents have a legal right to apply for a secondary school place for their child.
It is their responsibility to establish which is the catchment area school for their child before applying.
The admission authorities must meet the request wherever possible - as long as this doesn't make the school overcrowded.
A common application form must be filled in and sent to the local authority by the October half-term holiday each year for admission the following September.
On the form, parents can state up to three preferences for any secondary schools, putting them in priority order.
It is recommended that one of the preferences should be the catchment area school.
Applications can also be made on-line and by phone.
In community schools and voluntary controlled schools, Derby City and Derbyshire County councils decide the rules.
In voluntary aided Catholic schools and foundation schools, the governors decide admission rules for the school.
No. One place will be offered at the highest priority school for which a child is eligible.
If a place cannot be offered at any of the chosen schools, a child will be offered a place at the catchment area school or at the next nearest school with places available, if that is not possible.
Waiting lists are maintained by the city and county councils for over subscribed schools.
They are set up each March and run through to the end of September in the year a child wants to start secondary school.
Children's names will be automatically added to the lists where it is has not been possible to offer a place.
A vacancy arises only when the number of offers to a particular schools falls below the published admission number.
Letters are sent out first class on the first available working day after March 1. These contain the name of one school place. The offer can also be viewed online if parents have chosen that method to apply.
For Derby City Council, contact the admissions team on 01332 716938 or access www.derby.gov.uk/onlineadmissions
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