Schools in Suffolk Booklets 2013-2014 (Directory)

Admissions toSchools in Suffolk2013/2014Your guide on how and when to apply for a school place

IntroductionThis booklet provides information about applying for a primary, infant, junior, middle, upper orhigh school place in the 2013/2014 school year. It does not cover independent schools.

There are two Directories of Schools in Suffolk these include:• contact details for each school• how places are offered • the oversubscription criteria used to prioritise applications.

One directory is for primary, infant, junior and middle schoolsand one is for upper and high schools. These are available fromthe Admissions Team or online atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

Page 2 Admissions to Schools in Suffolk in 2013/2014

Contact us

Admissions Team Constantine House, Constantine Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DHPhone: 0845 600 0981 (local rate)Fax: 01473 260991Email: [email protected]

Map to show the seven localities of Suffolk

Key Town/Village

Town/Village with one or more upper or high schools

Introduction

Admissions to Schools in Suffolk in 2013/2014 Page 3

Child born between Childcare & Early Learning Closing dates to apply for a school place

1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013 To find childcare call the Suffolk Families Information

Service on 0845 60 800 331 September 2011 to 31 August 2012

1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011

Child may be eligible for 10 hours free earlylearning/childcare a week from the beginning of theterm after their 2nd birthday. This increases to 15hours from September 2013. To find out more call the Suffolk Families Information Service on 0845 60 800 33.


Child eligible for 15 hours free early learning/childcarea week from the beginning of the term after their 3rdbirthday. To find out more call the Suffolk FamiliesInformation Service on 0845 60 800 33.


Child eligible for 15 hours free early learning/childcarea week from the beginning of the term after their 4thbirthday. To find out more call the Suffolk FamiliesInformation Service on 0845 60 800 33.

Apply for a place in the Reception year of an infant,or primary school by the closing date of 15 January2013, even if your child is already attending aschool nursery or other pre-school provision.




Apply for a place in the intake year of a juniorschool by the closing date of 15 January 2013



Apply for a place in the intake year of a middleschool by the closing date of 15 January 2013



Apply for a place in the intake year of a highschool by the closing date of 31 October 2012


If your child attends a middle school that isclosing in August 2013, apply for a Year 8 highschool place by 31 October 2012

1 September 1999 to31 August 2000

Apply for a place in the intake year of anupper/high school the closing date of 31 October 2012




Contact sixth forms and colleges in September2012 for information on how and when to applyfor a place.


Timeline from birth to high school

Timeline

Key Admission dates

IMPORTANT: If we do not receive your application by the closing date it will not normally be considered until all otheron time applicants have been offered a school place. This will limit the number of schools that will still have placesavailable. We recommend you apply online at www.suffolk.gov.uk/onlineadmissions


Timetable for upper and high school applications for September 2013

From Wednesday 12 September 2012

If you are a Suffolk resident you can apply online or fill in a CAF1 paper application form for a school place

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Closing date for upper and high school applications for September 2013

Monday 14 January 2013

If we agree that there are very exceptional reasons for an application being late we will consider it as on time if it is received by this date and evidence is provided with your application

Friday 1 March 2013

We will post you an offer of a school place. If you applied online you will also receive an email on this date offering a school place.

After Friday 1 March 2013

We will consider all other late applications

Friday 15 March 2013

We will assume that you have accepted the place offered unless you let us know in writing by this date

Timetable for primary, infant, junior and middle school applications forSeptember 2013

From Wednesday 12 September 2012

If you are a Suffolk resident you can apply online or fill in a CAF1 paper application form for a school place

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Closing date for primary, infant, junior and middle school applications for September 2013

You must apply for a primary school place even if your child is already attending a schoolnursery class or other pre-school provision

Friday 22 February 2013

If we agree that there are very exceptional reasons for an application being late we will consider it ason time if it is received by this date and evidence is provided with your application

Tuesday 16 April 2013

We will post you an offer of a school place. If you applied online you will also receive an email on thisdate offering a school place.

After Tuesday 16 April 2013

We will consider all other late applications

Tuesday 30 April 2013

We will assume that you have accepted the place offered unless you let us know in writing by this date

Key Admission date

Introduction 2Contact details 2

Timeline from birth to high school 3

Key Admission Dates: Timetables for applications for September 2013 4

Section 1 Introduction to Schools in Suffolk 7

How will schools be organised from September 2013? 7

What are the different types of schools? 7

How do I know which schools are available in my area? 7

Do I have a choice of schools? 8

How can I find out more about schools? 8

Section 2School Organisation Review 9

Timetable for the Review 9

How to find out more 9

Section 3 Applying for a place 10

When can my child start school full-time at a Suffolk infant or primary school? 10

When do I need to apply for a full-time school place at an infant or primary school? 10

Does my child have to start full-time in the September following their fourth birthday? 10

When do I need to apply for a place at a junior or middle school? 10

When do I need to apply for a school place in the first year of entry at upper/high school? 10

How do I apply for a school place in the first year of entry at a primary, infant, junior, middle, upper or high school? 11

How do I apply online for a school place in the normal entry year 2013/2014? 12

What happens if I send in my application after the closing date? 12

What will happen if I don’t make an application? 12

How do I apply for a school place at other times of the year (in-year applications)? 13

When can my in-year application be considered? 13

How will you deal with my in-year application? 13

Essential Information about applying for a school place: 14

How do I apply for a voluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy or free school? 14

How do I apply if my child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs? 14

My child is currently undergoing Statutory Assessment; this assessment will not be completed before the closing date for returning the CAF1. What should I do? 14

What should I do if I’m looking after someone else’s child? 14

How do I apply for a school outside of Suffolk? 14

What happens if I move house when applying for a school place in the first year of entry to a school? 14

My child lives at two addresses – which one will you consider? 15

I want to apply for a school outside Suffolk 15

I live outside Suffolk or am moving to Suffolk – how do I apply for a place in a Suffolk school? 15

Contact details for neighbouring county councils 16

How do I apply for a school place from outside the UK? 16

Applying for an early full-time place or a place in a different age group 16

Section 4Application checklist 17

Section 5 Fair Access Protocol 18

Children with Challenging Behaviour and Managed Moves Protocol 18

Looked After Children Protocol 18

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children 18

Section 6School Preference Advice Service 19

Parent Partnership Service 19

Section 7How we offer school places 20

Waiting lists 20

Making another application for a place at the same school 20


Contents

Contents

Section 8How to make an Appeal 21

Is there a deadline to appeal by? 21

Applications received on time for admission to the entry year of an upper or high school 21

Applications received on time for admission to the entry year of a primary, infant, junior or middle school 21

In-Year appeals 21

Sixth Form Appeals 21

What happens at an appeal hearing? 21

Where can I get further information? 21

My child has been permanently excluded from two schools 22

My child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs 22

Section 9Early Learning 22

What is free early learning? 22

When can my child receive free early learning? 22

Part-time entitlement 22

Where can my child access their free early learning? 22

How can my child get a place at a maintained school nursery class? 23

Nursery classes in community and voluntary controlled schools 23

Nursery classes in voluntary aided schools 23

How long can my child stay in a nursery class? 23

How we offer places in a nursery class 23

Children wanting 5 sessions a week 23

Children wanting fewer than 5 sessions a week 24

Full-time entitlement 24

Section 10Choices for 14 to 19 year olds in Suffolk 24

Learning options after 16 24

Sixth form/Sixth form college 24

Further Education colleges (FE) 24

Work-based learning 24

Aiming higher 24

Where to get help 24

Section 11Special Educational Needs (SEN) 25

What should I do if my child has learning difficulties? 25

What are special educational needs? 25

Statutory Assessment and Statement of SEN 25

If my child has SEN, do I have a choice about which school they attend? 25

Are there any special schools and specialist units in Suffolk? 26

What are Suffolk County Council’s arrangements for providing assistance with transport for children and young people with SEN and disabilities? 26

Travel assistance for students with learning difficulties and disabilities 26

Section 12School Transport 27

Will my child get help with transport to school? 27

Can I pay for my child to use the school transport? 27

Travelling to school by Sustainable Means 27

Section 13Useful information 29

Term Dates 2013/2014 29

Charging and Remissions Policy 29

School Meals: Primary School Lunches 29

Upper/High School Lunches 29

Free school meals 30

School clothing 30

Getting involved with school 30

Members of the PTA 30

How can I become a parent governor? 30

Attending school 30

Children who have been excluded from school 31

Children who find it difficult to cope at school 31

Section 14Primary Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Primary and Middle Schools in Suffolk 32

Section 15 Secondary Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Upper/High Schools in Suffolk 39

Section 16What does the jargon mean? 46

Common Application Form (CAF1) Guidance 48

Common Application Form (CAF1) 49

Common Application Form (CAF2) Guidance 51

Common Application Form (CAF2) 53

Section 17How to complain or compliment 55


Contents

All schools in Suffolk are day schools for both boys and girls of all abilities.

How will schools be organised from September 2013?

The age range of pupils at schools varies, depending on whichpart of Suffolk they are in.

For the majority of Suffolk:

• Infant schools offer places for children aged 4 to 7

(Year Groups Reception, 1 and 2)

• Junior schools offer places for children aged 7 to 11

(Year Groups 3-6)

• Primary schools offer places for children aged 4 to 11

(Year Groups Reception and 1-6)

• High schools offer places for children aged 11 to 16 or 11 to18 (Year Groups 7-11 or 7-13).

In Stowmarket, Stowupland, Thurston and Bury St Edmunds areas:

• Primary schools offer places for children aged 4 to 9

(Year Groups Reception and 1-4)

Thurston area primary schools will retain Year 5 pupils in September 2013

• Middle schools offer places for children aged 9 to 13

(Year Groups 5-8)

There will be no admissions to the entry year at middleschools in the Thurston area in September 2013

• Upper and high schools offer places for children aged 13 to 18 (Year Groups 9-13).

Please note we are changing how our schools are organised toreduce the number of times pupils have to transfer to anotherschool. This is called the School Organisation Review (seeSection 2 on page 9 for more information). School details are inthe separate Directories of Schools in Suffolk.

What are the different types of schools?

There are five types of schools in Suffolk, which are maintainedby Suffolk County Council. In addition, the Academies Act 2010makes provision for schools to convert to academy status andfor free schools to be opened in the county.

Community schools are owned and run by the county councilwhich decides the admissions policy.

Foundation schools are run by the school governors and theydecide the school’s admissions policy.

Trust schools are foundation schools which are supported by a charitable Trust. The school governors decide the school’sadmissions policy.

Voluntary controlled schools were originally provided by theChurch of England and educational trusts. They have religiouslinks but Suffolk County Council decides the policy foradmissions.

Voluntary aided schools are run by the school governors inpartnership with the Church of England or Roman CatholicChurch. The governors decide how religious education is taughtand they are responsible for the school’s admissions policy.

Academies are publicly funded independent schools. They are outside of county council control and run bygovernors. The governors decide their admissions policy andremain part of the county council’s co-ordinated admissionsarrangements. We anticipate that a number of schools willbecome academies during the school year.

Free schools are new academies established by proposerssuch as charities, universities, businesses, educational groups,teachers and groups of parents. They are therefore outside ofcounty council’s control and run by governors. The governorsdecide their admissions policy and they are part of the countycouncil’s co-ordinated admissions arrangements. It is possiblethat further free schools may be established during the courseof the year.

Suffolk County Council deals with applications for all types ofschools, acting on behalf of the governors in the case ofvoluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy and free schools.Suffolk’s co-ordinated admissions schemes are set out in full inSection 14 for primary and middle schools and Section 15 forupper/high schools on pages 32 and 39 of this booklet and areavailable online atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

How do I know which schools are available in my area?

• There are two separate Directories of Schools in Suffolkwhich include school details and oversubscription criteria,one for primary, infant, junior and middle schools and onefor upper and high schools.


Section 1Introduction to Schools in Suffolk

Section 1

• You can also use the national website www.direct.gov.ukto find out which schools are close to you.

• To find out which is your catchment area school please callthe Admissions Team. Every school serves an area of streetsor villages, but sometimes this is different for voluntaryaided, academy and free schools.

• Catchment area maps are available atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/catchmentmaps. If you would like toreceive the map of a school’s catchment area, please email,phone or write to us, stating the name of the school andgiving us your contact details.

You will find contact details for the Admissions Team on page 2.

Do I have a choice of schools?

In Suffolk all parents and carers can express up to threepreferences when applying for a school place. We will offer youa place at your first preference school wherever possible. Westrongly advise parents to apply for more than one schoolbecause we cannot guarantee school places, not even at acatchment area school.

You may wish your child to go to your local school, which wecall the catchment area school. This may not be the nearestschool to your home address.

If you do not want your child to go to the catchment areaschool, you can apply for a place at a different school. We callthis school an out-catchment school. If you prefer your child togo to an out-catchment school it is important that you read thetransport section on page 27 because we would not normallyprovide transport to meet parental preference.

You can, if you wish, apply for a school place outside Suffolk or,if you live in another county, for one of our schools in Suffolk.See Section 3 on page 10 for further details.

How can I find out more about schools?

• As a first step, contact the schools you are interested in andask for a free copy of their prospectus. The prospectuscontains useful information about the school.

• Look at the school’s own website, if it has one.

• There may be open evenings that you can go to. You willneed to contact each school directly for details.

• Look at the latest Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education)inspection report, which you can get from the Ofstedwebsite at www.ofsted.gov.uk

• You may also want to seek help from a School PreferenceAdviser, contact details can be found in Section 6 on page 19.

• It is a good idea to arrange to visit any schools you arethinking about applying for before you make a decision. You can contact the school office to make an appointment.The headteacher will be happy to make arrangements toshow you around and answer your questions.

First impressions can count when you visit a school butdon’t just rely on appearances. Bright, modern or recentlydecorated classrooms can give a good impression but whatcan you see of the work that the children do there? Is it wellpresented and up-to-date, for example? You may have anumber of questions you want to ask the headteacher ormember of staff who shows you round the school such as:

• What is the atmosphere of the school like?

• How does the school teach reading, writing and maths?

• What have pupils achieved in their key stage assessmentsor public exams?

• What arrangements does the school have for helpingchildren with special educational needs?

• Does the school offer music lessons, after-school sportsand clubs or other extended school activities?

To help you judge whether or not your application for a school place in the entry year might be successful, we haveincluded in the Directories of Schools in Suffolk details of ontime applications for the 2012/2013 school year. Please notethat if you only apply for schools that have previously hadmore applications than places, there is a possibility that youwill not be offered a place at any of them. You should alsocompare the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 Published AdmissionNumbers (PAN). If the 2013/2014 number is lower, it could leadto a school having more applications than places available. Inthese circumstances, it is possible that some applications couldbe refused.


Section 1

Schools in Suffolk are organised in two different ways. In mostof Suffolk there is a two-tier system where children attendprimary schools until they are 11 and then transfer tosecondary schools. In the rest of the county there is a three-tiersystem where children attend primary schools until they are 9,when they move to middle schools. They are at middle schoolsuntil they are 13 when they transfer to upper schools.

Over 95% of schools in England are organised into a two-tiersystem. There is evidence that children make better progress inthe two-tier system. In common with most other localauthorities which still have schools organised in three-tiers,Suffolk is reviewing this arrangement.

Timetable for the Review

School reorganisation allows sufficient time to consult parents,members of school staff, school governors and others aboutthe proposed changes. Time must also be allowed to makechanges to school buildings, train staff and prepare for thetransfer of children to their new schools. The planned timetablefor this process is as follows:

In August 2013, middle schools will close in the Sudbury andGreat Cornard areas. Children attending these schools will beable to transfer into Year 7, Year 8 or Year 9 at upper and highschools. You will need to apply for a place for September2013 by Wednesday 31 October 2012.

There will be Year 7 places available at St Benedicts CatholicSchool in Bury St Edmunds from September 2013. You need toapply for a place by Wednesday 31 October 2012.

In the Thurston area, Thurston Community College will admit Year9 students in September 2013. There will be no admission to Year5 at Beyton, Ixworth and Blackbourne middle schools inSeptember 2013. These middle schools will close in summer 2014when all the pupils will transfer to the upper and high schools.

There will be public consultations on possible changes in theStowmarket and Stowupland area during the autumn term2012. Consultation on possible changes in Bury St Edmunds isplanned for autumn 2013.

How to find out more

If you would like to know more about how SOR will affect yourchild please email the SOR team at [email protected] ortelephone 01473 260779.


Section 2School Organisation Review (SOR)

Section 2

Section 3Applying for a school placeWhen can my child start school full-time at a Suffolk infant orprimary school?

All children can attend school full-time in the Septemberfollowing their fourth birthday.

We anticipate that most parents or carers will accept this full-time offer. However, children do not have to go to school full-time until the term after their fifth birthday if their parents orcarers do not want them to, as this is the compulsory schoolage. Whatever you decide, it is important that you apply for aninfant or primary school place by the closing date.

When do I need to apply for a full-time school place at an infant or primary school?

You must apply for a school place if your child will be fivebetween 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014. This meansthey will have been born between 1 September 2008 and 31August 2009.

You must make an application, even if you want a place at thecatchment area school.

Applications must be received by Tuesday 15 January2013 for primary and infant school applications forSeptember 2013.

Does my child have to start schoolfull-time in the September followingtheir fourth birthday?

When you receive the offer of a school place, you will be askedto inform the school whether you wish to take up the placefull-time, part-time, or whether you wish to defer entry.

You are able to ask the school, if you wish to defer your child’sfull-time admission until the beginning of the term after his orher fifth birthday, at the latest.

Please note that if your child was born between April andAugust and you have already been offered a place in a schoolbut then wish to delay your child starting until the followingSeptember, the place will be withdrawn and you must re-applyfor a place on a Common Application Form (CAF2) for Year 1.This is because September is the start of a different academicyear. You should be aware that there may no longer be a placeavailable. If it can be offered your child would move straightinto Year 1 of the school rather than into the Reception Year.Before making this decision we strongly recommend that youseek advice from the Admissions Team in order to check theavailability of places at the school for entry into Year 1.

If you do not advise the school when you intend to take up theplace, or you advise the school when you intend to take up theplace but then do not do so, the place may be withdrawn andmay be reallocated. If you need to delay your child’s admissionfor a good reason you must let us know before the term begins.

More information about early education is available in Section9 on page 22 of this booklet.

When do I need to apply for a placeat a junior or middle school?

If you live in Suffolk and your child is in their final year at aSuffolk infant or primary school, you will be sent a letter and aCommon Application Form (CAF1) in the September before it istime to move schools. The letter will tell you:

• how to apply for a school place

• your child’s Unique Identifier (UID), which will help you ifyou prefer to apply online

Applications must be received by Tuesday 15 January2013 for junior and middle school applications forSeptember 2013.

When do I need to apply for a schoolplace in the first year of entry atupper or high school?

If you live in Suffolk and your child is in their final year at aprimary school for 5 to 11 year-olds or a junior or middleschool in Suffolk, you will be sent a letter and Common


IMPORTANTYou must make an application for a full-time placeeven if your child is already attending a nursery classin an infant or primary school, a pre-school or achildren’s centre next to a school site. This is becausea place in a nursery class, pre-school or children’scentre does not guarantee your child a full-time placeat that school.

Section 3

Application Form (CAF1) in the September before it is time tomove schools.

The letter will tell you:

• how to apply for a school place

• your child’s Unique Identifier (UID), which will help you if you prefer to apply online

If you live in Suffolk and your child is not currently attending aSuffolk maintained school, academy or free school we will nothave your details and so are unable to send you a letter. You willneed to apply as set out below.

You must make an application, even if you want a place at thecatchment area school.

Applications must be received by Wednesday 31 October2012 for upper and high school applications forSeptember 2013.

How do I apply for a school place in the first year of entry at a primary, infant, junior, middle,upper or high school?

You can apply for a school place

• online (We recommend you to apply online for a schoolplace as you will receive an automaticacknowledgement of your application.) See page 12

• by filling in the Common Application Form (CAF1) on page49 of this booklet

• by downloading and filling in a CAF1 fromwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools

• by filling in a CAF1 from your local school or the AdmissionsTeam (contact details on page 2 of this booklet)

If you have filled in a CAF1, send it to the Admissions Team by the closing dates below. You should not send it directly to a school. Contact details are on the CAF1 and on page 2 ofthis booklet.

We do not acknowledge receipt of paper applicationsand strongly suggest that you get proof of postage. The Admissions Team is not responsible for forms lost in the post.

If one of your preferences is for a voluntary aided,foundation/trust, academy or free school please see page 14and the Directories of Schools in Suffolk for how places areoffered, as you may need to fill in a SupplementaryInformation Form (SIF). Please note that the SIF is not anapplication form, but it is used to provide extra information tohelp the school apply their admissions oversubscription criteriain order to rank your application.

Applications to primary, infant, junior and middle schoolsfor September 2013 must be received by Tuesday 15January 2013.

Applications to upper and high schools for September2013 must be received by Wednesday 31 October 2012.

If you make an online application please do not send ina duplicate CAF1 by post or by hand.

If you make a second application because you want to changeyour preferences before the closing date, the last applicationreceived by the closing date will be taken as your final decision.

Please see the Directories of Schools in Suffolk forschool details, oversubscription criteria and how weoffer school places.

There is an application checklist to help you in Section 4 onpage 17.

You need to think about how you are going to get your childto school when making your application – please read Section12 on page 27 for information about school transport.

You must make an application for a full-time place evenif your child is already attending a nursery class in aninfant or primary school, a pre-school or a children’scentre next to a school site. This is because a place in anursery class, pre-school or children’s centre does notguarantee your child a full-time place at that school.

You must make an application, even if you want a placeat the catchment area school.

Please note that we cannot guarantee a place for yourchild at your catchment area school. We recommend thatyou apply for more than one school because of this. It isimportant to note that if you apply for your catchment areaschool as your 1st preference and we cannot meet yourrequest, we would only provide transport to another preferredschool if it is the next nearest school to your home addresswith places available with regard to the efficient use ofresources and your child is either (a) under eight years of ageand you live two miles or more from that school or (b) is eightor over and you live at least three miles. More informationabout school transport is on page 27.


We will check allegations of false addresses or otherfalse information given on the CAF1 or SIF and willwithdraw offers of places if we find that details weredeliberately false or misleading.

Section 3

How do I apply online for a school place in the normal entry year 2013/2014?

You can apply online from 12 September 2012 atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/onlineadmissions.

We urge you to apply online for a school place as you will receive an automatic acknowledgement of your application.

There are many benefits to applying online for a school place:

• it is safe and secure

• you will get an email confirmation that your application hasbeen received

• there is no risk that your application will get lost in the post

• you can apply or change the details on your application onany day of the week. You must have completed andsubmitted your application before 10pm on theclosing date.

• the system has a series of security procedures, which willprevent anyone seeing information they are not entitled to see

• you can find out the outcome of your applicationelectronically on the offer date instead of waiting for aletter in the post

• if you do not have internet access at home you can use acomputer at any Suffolk library where help will be available.

If you need any help or have any questions about the onlineadmissions process you can phone 0845 600 0981 (local rate)or email [email protected].

If you live in Suffolk and your child is already at a Suffolkschool you should have been sent a letter with a UniqueIdentifier (UID). This is helpful when you apply online (whenyou use it the computer fills in your child’s details for you) butyou can still apply online without one. If your details areincorrect please contact your child’s current school.

At the start of the online admissions process you will be askedto register and set up a password to allow access.

You should keep this information so you can check or changeyour online application at any time until the closing date.

If you wish to view this booklet online, go towww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

Note: If you are applying for a new school that has not yetreceived a unique number from the Department for Educationyou will have to fill in a CAF1 which should include all of yourpreferences. We regret you will be unable to apply online.

Use this space to record the unique identifier (UID), emailaddress and password you have used to make your application.

Unique Identifier .....................................................................

Email address .........................................................................

Password .................................................................................

Applications to primary, infant, junior and middle schoolsfor September 2013 must be received by Tuesday 15January 2013.

Applications to upper and high schools for September2013 must be received by Wednesday 31 October 2012.


What happens if I send in myapplication after the closing date?

Sometimes there are good reasons why an application is madeafter the closing date. For example, a family may have justmoved into the area or are returning from abroad, or theremay be very exceptional reasons, which have made itimpossible to apply by the closing date. We will deal withthese applications as if they were on time if we get them byMonday 14 January 2013 for upper and high schoolapplications and Friday 22 February 2013 for primary,infant, junior and middle school applications, as long aswe are provided with written evidence at the same time andagree that exceptional reasons apply.

Otherwise if we get your application after the closing date, itwill be considered after we have offered school places for theapplications we received on time. This will be after Friday 1March 2013 for upper and high school applications andafter Tuesday 16 April 2013 for primary, infant, juniorand middle school applications. If the school you haveapplied for is very popular, this could mean all the places havebeen offered already. If so, we will try to meet your second orthird preference, or we will offer you a place at your catchmentarea school if a place is available. If there are no placesavailable at your preferred schools or in your catchment areaschool we will offer you a place at the next nearest school thathas places available with regard to the efficient use ofresources. We will use the admissions oversubscription criteriawhich can be found in the Directories of Schools in Suffolk.

What will happen if I don’t make an application?

If your child is starting school for the first time and you do notmake an application for a full-time place in the Reception yeargroup at a primary or infant school we are unable to allocate aplace. You must make an application as set out above.

If you do not make an application for a place at a junior,middle, upper or high school, then we will decide where tooffer your child a school place after we have looked at allother applications. This will be in the catchment area school, if there is still a place available there or at the next nearestschool which has a place available with regard to the efficientuse of resources.


Section 3

How do I apply for a school place at other times of the year (In-Year Applications)?

Sometimes parents or carers apply for their child to go to anew school during the school year, or at the start of the schoolyear but in a different age group from the school’s normalentry year. We call these in-year applications.

If you are a Suffolk resident you can apply for a school place:

• by filling in the Common Application Form (CAF2) on page53 of this booklet

• by downloading and filling in a CAF2 fromwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools

• by filling in a CAF2 from the Admissions Team (contactdetails on page 2 of this booklet).

If you have filled in a CAF2, send it to the Admissions Team.

You can apply for up to three schools on this form in order ofpreference, naming the school you most want your child to goto as the first preference.

If one or more of your preferences is for a school that is not inSuffolk, you must include it on the CAF2 and return it to theAdmissions Team.

You cannot apply online for an in-year school place.

There is an application checklist to help you in Section 4 onpage 17.


If you are not moving house but want your child to go toanother school, we strongly recommend that you give this veryserious consideration as it might not be in your child’s bestinterests to go to another school. We urge you to first discussthis with the headteacher of your child’s current school and tomake any such change at the beginning of a school term sothat your child’s education is disrupted as little as possible.

If you still want to move your child to another school you willneed to fill in a CAF2 and send it to the Admissions Team.

We do not acknowledge receipt of paper applicationsand strongly suggest that you get proof of postage. The Admissions Team is not responsible for forms lost in the post.

You need to think about how you are going to get your childto school when making your application – please read Section12 on page 27 for information about school transport.

When can my in-year application be considered?

The Admissions Team aims to process your application within10 school days of receiving it. Please note we will not normallyconsider your application more than one term ahead of thedate when you want your child to start at the school. However,if your child is in the final year of his or her current school, wewill consider your application in line with the timetable for thenormal admissions round on page 4.

How will you deal with my in-year application?

We will consider your application and let you know whetherwe can offer you a place at the school. If there are moreapplications than places available, we will use the admissionsoversubscription criteria in the Directories of Schools in Suffolkto see who can and cannot be offered a place.

More information about how places are offered can befound in the Directories of Schools in Suffolk.

We will let you know how to appeal against the refusal of aplace at your preferred schools.

We do not hold waiting lists for in-year applicants.

If a place becomes available in a year group that has been fullwe will consider all new applications, any that have beenrefused in the last 15 school days and any applicants for whoman appeal has been lodged and is still to be heard.

If you are offered a place at one of your preferred schools andit is not your catchment area school, you will usually have toget your child to and from school and pay for any transportneeded. Please read the information on transport in Section 12on page 27.

You should also be aware that a place may not be available atthat school for a younger sibling in the future or at a particularschool at later stages of transfer.

Once a place has been made available for your child you musttake up that place by the date given in your offer letter. Theschool will put your child on roll by this date. If you fail to takeup the place it will be withdrawn and may be reallocated.


We will check allegations of false addresses or otherfalse information given on the CAF2 or SIF and willwithdraw offers of places if we find that details weredeliberately false or misleading.

Section 3

Essential Information about applyingfor a school place

How do I apply for a voluntary aided,foundation/trust, academy or free school?If one of your preferences is for a voluntary aided,foundation/trust, academy or free school, this must be includedon your application. For the normal year of entry to the schoolyou can apply online or on a CAF1 and for in-year applicationson a CAF2.

For voluntary aided schools and some academies and freeschools (see the Directories of Schools in Suffolk for howplaces are offered) you should also fill in the SupplementaryInformation Form (SIF) and take it to or send the SIF back tothe voluntary aided school, academy or free school.

Please note that the SIF is not an application form. It is used toprovide extra information to help the school apply theiradmissions oversubscription criteria in order to rank yourapplication. It is important to make sure that the schoolreceives a SIF as without it your application for a school placemay be considered after all other applications with a SIF. Thismeans your child may not get a place at the school.

If you need a SIF you can:

• download one fromwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools

• contact the school

• contact the Admissions Team.

The SIF should be sent directly to the school.

How do I apply if my child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs?If your child’s needs can be met in a mainstream school, youshould apply for a school place on the CAF1 by the closingdate for the normal year of admission or on the CAF2 for in-year applications. If you would like to discuss the options,please speak to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator atyour child’s current school, or if your child is starting schoolplease contact the Suffolk Families Information Service on0845 60 800 33. You may also contact the Schools PreferenceAdviser, see Section 6 on page 19 for more information. We would normally expect any primary, infant, junior, middle,upper or high school to be able to meet a child’s specialeducational needs when a mainstream place is required.

My child is currently undergoing StatutoryAssessment; this assessment will not becompleted before the closing date forreturning the CAF1. What should I do?You should complete a CAF1 by the closing date for the normaladmissions round. You will have the opportunity to discussyour child’s needs during the statutory assessment process.

What should I do if I am looking after someone else’s child?If you are caring for someone else’s child for more than 28days, you do not have parental responsibility for them and youare not a relative such as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncleor aunt (whether full blood, half blood or by marriage or civilpartnership) or step-parent you may be private fostering and itis a legal requirement that you contact the county council on0808 800 4005 or email [email protected].

How do I apply for a school outside of Suffolk?If one or more of your preferences is for a school that is not inSuffolk, you must include it on your Suffolk CAF1 or CAF2. Youmust not fill in a separate application form for another council.

We will liaise with the relevant authority in which yourpreferred school is situated and we will write to let you knowtheir decision.

What happens if I move house when applying for a school place in the first year of entry to a school?If you are moving to a new address and want that address tobe considered as your child’s ‘ordinarily resident’ address, youmust give us written evidence by the closing date that you arelegally committed to the move and that it will take placebefore your child is due to start at the school you have appliedfor. Examples of this evidence could be proof of exchange ofcontracts, a signed letting/tenancy agreement, a letter fromyour commanding officer confirming your new address, or, forreturning UK Service/Crown Servant families, proof of theposting. Please contact the Admissions Team for more details.

If you are planning to move house it is still important that youmake an application by the closing date. If your new addresscannot be confirmed by the closing date, you should applyusing your current address. You will be able to make a furtherapplication when your moving arrangements are confirmed,and as long as we receive written evidence of your move byMonday 14 January 2013 for upper and high schoolapplications and Friday 22 February 2013 for primary,infant, junior and middle school applications, we will useyour new address to allocate a school place.

You should be aware that if it is received after this date yournew address will not be considered for a school place until allallocations have been made for on time applications.

If you own two properties and will be moving from one to theother, or you are moving in with a partner or family and so areunable to provide exchange of contracts or a signed tenancyagreement, you must explain this to us in writing and we willrequire evidence to support this at the time of application.Please contact the Admissions Team for further advice (seecontact details on page 2).


Section 3

Before your child takes up a place at their new school, youmust provide us with evidence to confirm your new address.This could be, for example, a copy of a personal bill such asmobile phone, salary or wage slip, DVLA registration or drivinglicence, or correspondence from HM Revenue & Customs.There is no need to include financial information in anyevidence you send us.

If you make a catchment area application, then move out ofthe catchment area before the closing date and still want thesame school, you must let us know, as your application willthen have to be dealt with as an out-catchment application. If we find out that you have moved house before theclosing date but had not informed us, and your change of address would have affected your application for a school place, we are entitled to withdraw the offer of a school place.

If you have made an application for your catchment areaschool by the closing date and then move out of the catchmentarea after the closing date, your application will still beconsidered as a catchment area application. If you accept theoffer of this place you will usually have to get your child toand from school and pay for any transport needed. Please readthe school transport information in Section 12 on page 27 formore information.

My child lives at two addresses – which one will you consider?Where a child lives with separated parents who have sharedresponsibility, each for part of the week, the address at whichthe child is ordinarily resident will be considered to be theaddress that the child lives at for most of the week (excludingweekends and school holidays). Both parents must provideevidence in writing to confirm the child’s livingarrangements at the time of the application.

In cases where the child spends an equal proportion of theschool week with both parents, evidence of the main contactaddress will be required to support the application. Bothparents must agree in writing which address is to be used asthe ‘ordinarily resident’ address. This address will then be usedwhen processing all school preferences expressed. It is notacceptable to use one address for one school preference andanother address for another school preference.

If we are aware of a parental dispute affecting your application,we may not be able to deal with your application and you mayneed to seek legal advice in order to resolve the matter.

I want to apply for a school outside SuffolkIf one or more of your preferences for the entry year group isfor a school that is not in Suffolk, you must include it on yourSuffolk online application or CAF1. You should not fill in aseparate application form for another council. Suffolk CountyCouncil will liaise with the council in which your preferredschool is situated and will write to let you know the decisionof that council.

If one of your preferences is for a selective school in Essex, you must:

• put the school as a preference on your online application orCAF1 and return the CAF1 to the Admissions Team

• contact the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE)on 01245 348257 or at www.csse.org.uk without delay.

If you are making an in-year application, you must include anypreference for a school outside Suffolk on a CAF2.

I live outside Suffolk or am moving to Suffolk – how do I apply for a place in a Suffolk school?If you wish to apply for a school place in Suffolk and you donot live in Suffolk you should contact the council where youlive for information on how to apply. If your home councilallows you to express more than three preferences, we willconsider them all by reference to the admissionsoversubscription criteria, not the ranking of the preference.

If your child is resident in the UK we can offer him or her aschool place before you have moved into Suffolk, but you mustgive us written evidence that you are legally committed to themove. This could be a solicitor’s letter confirming exchange ofcontracts, a signed letting/tenancy agreement or a letter fromyour commanding officer confirming your new address or, forreturning UK Service/Crown Servant families, proof of theposting. If your child is not yet resident in the UK please seepage 16.

If you are applying for the first year of entry to a school, pleaserefer to the contact details and closing dates for applicationsfor our neighbouring county councils, which are shown on thenext page.


Section 3

How do I apply for a school place from outside the UK?If your child is not yet resident in the UK, you can apply for aplace at a mainstream school or academy, provided that yourchild is either:

• a British Citizen

• a Citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), whichcomprises the Member States of the European Uniontogether with Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or Iceland

• accompanying you as a member of the United States Air Force.

If your child is accompanying you on a Teacher ExchangeScheme the LA has a duty to find a school place once we arenotified that you are resident in the area.

We will require a copy of the child’s current passport asevidence of citizenship, or a copy of the documentationconfirming your placement. We may also require evidence ofyour new address in Suffolk.

If your child does not fall into any of the above categories,then you should not make an application for a school placeuntil your child has arrived in the UK.

Applying for an early full-time place or a place in a different age groupSometimes parents or carers ask if their child can be admittedearly to full-time school, to a year group with children who areyounger or older than their child or if transfer to the nextschool could be delayed or accelerated. We don’t normallyagree to this, as we believe all schools are experienced ineducating and caring for children with a range of differentneeds and abilities and will be able to provide a suitableeducation. If you are thinking about an early or delayedadmission or transfer to a school for your child, you shouldcontact the Admissions Team by the end of the autumn termthe year before the transfer is required/due for advice andmore information. If you decide to make a formal request youwill need to meet certain criteria before a request can beagreed. We look at the circumstances of each case verycarefully before coming to a decision.

If your request is refused you will be given the right to appealto an independent panel, unless a place has been offered inthe preferred school but not in the desired age group in whichcase there is no right of appeal.


Essex County CouncilSchool Planning and Admissions, Schools, Children and Families Directorate, PO Box 4261, Chelmsford, CM1 1GS

Phone: 0845 603 2200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.essex.gov.uk/admissions

Closing dates: 31 October 2012 for high schoolapplications and 15 January 2013 for primary schoolapplications.

Norfolk County CouncilChildren’s Services, Admissions, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH

Phone: 0344 800 8001


Website: www.norfolk.gov.uk/schooladmissions


Cambridgeshire County CouncilThe Admissions Team, Box No: CC1206, Castle Court, Castle Hill, Cambridge, CB3 0AP

Phone: Transitions Team on 01223 699200 or

In Year Team on 01223 699662


Website: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions


Section 3


Section 4Application checklist

Please see the Directories of Schools in Suffolk for oversubscription criteria and how we offer school places.

Check your application carefully to make sure you have:

• Ticked the box if your child is in care (a Looked After Child or previously Looked After Child who ceased to be so becausethey were adopted, or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order)

• Ticked the box if your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs

• Named your preferred schools and given reasons for your preferences if you want to

• Written the names and dates of birth of any siblings at your preferred schools. Failure to provide this information on yourapplication may affect the offer of a school place. Please refer to the individual policies and definitions of your preferredschools to clarify the meaning of sibling and when this criterion may apply. Definitions of siblings for all community andvoluntary controlled schools can be found in the Directories of Schools in Suffolk

• Ticked the box if you are applying for a Church of England voluntary controlled school for religious reasons, and have senta letter from a priest or minister which states that you and/or your child is a practising member of the Church of Englandand that you and/or your child go to church regularly, that is to say, at least once a month

• Ticked the box if you are applying for a voluntary aided school/academy or free school and have sent your SupplementaryInformation Form (SIF) to the school direct

• Attached evidence of a legally binding commitment to a house move if you want a future address to be considered.Please refer to pages 14 and 15

• Attached evidence of your child’s living arrangements if he or she lives at two addresses. Please refer to page 15

• If you are using a paper CAF1 or CAF2, sign and date it.

Keep a record of the schools you have expressed a preference for on your application.

School 1

School 2

School 3

For the normal admissions round you must submit your online application or return the CAF1 to the Admissions Team by theclosing date of Tuesday 15 January 2013 for primary, infant, junior and middle school applications or Wednesday 31October 2012 for upper and high school applications for September 2013.

Section 4

Section 5Fair Access ProtocolSuffolk County Council has a Fair Access Protocol to ensurethat access to education is secured quickly for children whohave no school place. The aim of the protocol is to encourageclose co-operation between schools, when allocating places forpupils who are ‘hard to place’ that balances the needs ofparents, children and schools. Suffolk County Council has a FairAccess Panel to consider and oversee the admission of pupilswho are hard to place.

It is normally unacceptable for schools:

• to refuse to admit children on the basis of their behaviour elsewhere

• to refuse admission to a child thought to be potentially disruptive, or who has exhibited challenging behaviour

• to refuse to admit children on the basis of their special educational needs

• to refuse a place when the year group is not full.

The fair access protocol is published online atwww.suffolk.gov.uk.

Children with Challenging Behaviourand Managed Moves Protocol

Some children in Years 7 to 11 who have been permanentlyexcluded or have a recent history of challenging behaviourmay be admitted to a school above the Published AdmissionNumber in accordance with an agreed protocol. The SuffolkAdmission Forum has approved the ‘Managed Moves Schemefor the Transfer of Secondary Aged Pupils at Risk of Exclusionand the Placement of Permanently Excluded Pupils’, which hasthe agreement of all secondary schools in Suffolk. For moredetails look at the fair access protocol online atwww.suffolk.gov.uk.

In the autumn of 2012 we will begin consulting on extendingthe Managed Move Protocol to also include pupils in theprimary phase.

Looked After Children Protocol

Looked After Children (Children in Care) or previously LookedAfter Children who ceased to be so because they wereadopted, or became subject to a residence order or specialguardianship order, have been identified as a vulnerable groupof children who should not be placed at a disadvantage whenchanges in care placement mean a change of school. There arecurrently about 700 children in the care of Suffolk CountyCouncil. We want these children to make the best possibleprogress. It is important that these children have stability andmove into new schools as quickly as possible.

Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children aregiven priority in the admissions oversubscription criteria of allschools including academies in Suffolk for the normaladmission round. The Suffolk Admission Forum has agreed aprotocol for the in-year admission of Looked After Children,where necessary, above the Published Admission Number(PAN) for the school. Please contact the Admissions Team formore details.

Staff from Children and Young People’s Services will workclosely together to help support these children. A child’s socialworker also gives the foster carers support and advice. TheLooked After Children Education Support Service (helpline:01379 668820) can provide extra assistance if this is needed atthe time of a move.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children

We will consider Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children movinginto an area as ‘ordinarily resident’ in that area when theyapply for a school place.


Section 5

School Preference Advisers are available during term time tohelp you find out about schools in Suffolk, how to make anapplication or how to appeal for a school place. Their aim is tohelp you make informed and realistic decisions about whichschools to apply for to best meet your child’s needs.

The service advises parents but does not make decisions forthem. School Preference Advisers are managed by the ParentPartnership Service and act independently of the Local Authority.

The service provides key information about schools for parentsand carers. Some examples of the information that you will beable to discuss with an adviser are:

• how the admissions system works, including online applications

• admissions policies for different types of schools

• admissions oversubscription criteria

• information about the admissions appeals process

• school Ofsted reports, performance and value-added data

• the range of relevant professionals, specialists andorganisations available to support children with specialeducational needs (SEN)

• time of the school day and term dates

• school transport details

You can contact an Adviser through the Parent PartnershipHelpline on 01473 265210 or by email [email protected].

Further details can be found on the Parent Partnership websitewww.suffolk.gov.uk/parentpartnership.


Section 6School Preference Advice Service

Suffolk Parent Partnership Service aims to promote effectivepartnerships between parents or carers of children withspecial educational needs, schools and the county council.

The service provides support and information for you if yourchild has special educational needs to help you to play anactive and informed role in your children's education,enabling you to make decisions with confidence.

Parent Partnership staff and volunteers can support you fromthe time that your child’s needs are first identified, and theywill work with you whatever your child’s age or specialeducational need. The service is available to parents ofchildren attending Suffolk County Council maintained schools,academies and free schools.

The service also works with schools and the county council toincrease awareness of parental perspectives and encourageschools and parents to work together more effectively.

The Parent Partnership service includes:

• support for parents and carers from an IndependentParental Supporter

• information sessions and support groups for parents and carers

• training for volunteers, professional staff and school governors

• help with educational reports and paperwork

• consultation and Focus Group work with parents and carers

• a telephone help line – 01473 265210

• local drop-in sessions

• access to independent mediation service.

For further details of the service phone 01473 260026 oremail [email protected] or visitwww.suffolk.gov.uk/parentpartnership orwww.parentpartnership.org.uk.

Parent Partnership Service

Section 6

Section 7How we offer school placesIt is important that all schools are able to provide an educationfor their pupils in suitable accommodation, which is notovercrowded. This means that schools can only offer a setnumber of places in any one year. This number is called thePublished Admission Number (PAN), which is based on anational formula for deciding how many children can go to aschool without causing overcrowding. Also infant classes mustnot have more than 30 pupils with a single qualified teacher.

If the number of applicants is less than the PAN all applicantswill be admitted. For any of your preferred schools, there may bemore applications for that school than there are places available.

Suffolk County Council make decisions about admissions forcommunity and voluntary controlled schools. If the number ofapplications for a school is greater than its PAN, we use ouradmissions oversubscription criteria to decide who gets a place.

In the case of voluntary aided schools, foundation/trustschools, academies and free schools governing bodiesdetermine the order in which applications should be rankedaccording to their oversubscription criteria and the offer ofplaces is made on their behalf by Suffolk County Council. Forin-year applications the governing body will also advise uswhether a place can be made available in the relevant yeargroup. We will use this information to make the offer of aplace to parents.

The admissions oversubscription criteria for schools areset out in the Directories of Schools in Suffolk. There aretwo directories, one for primary, infant, junior andmiddle schools and one for upper and high schools.

The wording in the Directories of Schools in Suffolk may be asummary of the full admission policy and therefore you mustrefer to the school’s own full admissions policy which sets outhow places will be prioritised.

You can get a copy of the full policy from the school or onlineat www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

If you are applying for a place at a voluntary aidedschool, foundation/trust school, academy or free schoolyou may also need to complete a SupplementaryInformation Form (SIF) and send it directly to the school.

Waiting lists

If you apply for a school place in the normal admissions round andone or more of your preferences are refused, your child’s namewill automatically be placed on a waiting list for these schools.

Names are placed on the waiting list in the priority order withreference to the relevant admissions oversubscription criteria.For further information refer to the relevant Directories ofSchools in Suffolk.

The order of children does not remain static – as circumstanceschange, a child’s place on the waiting list can go up or down,for example due to withdrawals or additional applications.

If you change your address while your child is on a waiting listyou must let us know. Please be aware that this may changeyour child’s position on the waiting list, particularly if youmove into or out of the school’s catchment area. Writtenevidence of this will be required.

Having your child’s name on a waiting list will not affect yourright to appeal for a school place in any of the schools youhave applied for. See Section 8 about making an appeal.

When we are unable to meet parental preferences, lateapplicants will be added to waiting lists in oversubscriptionpriority order.

If a place becomes available, we will offer it to children on thewaiting list for that school in priority order. We do not offerplaces on the basis of the date on which names were placedon the list.

The waiting lists will cease to operate at the end of the firstfull week of the Spring term (Friday 10 January 2014).

We do not hold waiting lists for school places for in-year applications.

Making another application for a place at the same school

A parent can apply for a place for their child at any time to anyschool outside of the normal admissions round. However, ifyour application for a school place is refused, we will notdetermine a further application for a place in the same schoolin the same academic year unless there has been a significantchange in the circumstances of the parent, child or school.Such circumstances might be a house move or a placebecoming available at the school.

If there is no significant change in circumstances, you canmake another application for the following academic year butthis will not normally be considered more than one term aheadof the date when you want your child to start at the school.


Section 7

You have the right to appeal for places at all schools for whichyou have applied and been refused a place.

If you have been refused a school place for your child at yourpreferred school you will receive a letter from the countycouncil which will offer you the right of appeal. The letter willinclude information with a link to an appeal application formand the Guide to School Admission Appeals. You must fill in aseparate form for each school you wish to appeal for.

The appeal process and its administration are independent ofthe admission authority, the school and its governing body. Theindependent appeal panel has no previous knowledge of yourchild’s case, nor have they had any contact with the school,governing body or admission authority. They will make adecision based only on the evidence presented to them.

If you are appealing for a Suffolk school, please return the appealform directly to the Education Appeals Office, PO Box 579,Ipswich, IP1 2BX marked Private and Confidential. We stronglysuggest that you get proof of postage. The Education AppealsOffice is not responsible for forms that are lost in the post.

Is there a deadline to appeal by?

If you are planning to appeal it is very important that yourappeal application form is received in good time by theEducation Appeals Office. The key dates are set out below.

Applications received on time for admissionto the entry year of an upper or high schoolIf you applied on time and wish to appeal, you should sendyour appeal application form to the Education Appeals Officeby Monday 15 April 2013. Appeals received on or before thisdate will be heard within 40 school days.

If you made a late application, your appeal should be heardwithin 40 school days from the deadline for lodging an appealof Monday 15 April 2013, where possible, or within 30school days of the appeal being lodged.

Applications received on time for admission to the entry year of a primary, infant, junior or middle schoolIf you applied on time and wish to appeal, you should sendyour appeal application form to the Education Appeals Officeby Wednesday 15 May 2013. Appeals received on or beforethis date will be heard within 40 school days.

If you made a late application, your appeal should be heardwithin 40 school days from the deadline for lodging an appealof Wednesday 15 May 2013, where possible, or within 30school days of the appeal being lodged.

In-Year appealsIf your application is refused for an in-year admission or for thefirst year of entry and it is submitted on or after the first day ofthe first school term of the admission year, your appeal will beheard within 30 school days of the form being received by us.

Sixth Form AppealsWhere the offer of a place would have been conditional uponexam results, appeal applications must be received by Tuesday1 October 2013 and heard within 30 schools days.

Where the offer of a place would not have been conditionalupon exam results, appeal applications must be received byTuesday 1 October 2013 and heard within 40 school days.

What happens at an appeal hearing? An independent appeal panel will review the decision of theadmission authority to refuse your child a place at yourpreferred school.

During the appeal hearing the admission authority will explainwhy your preference was not met and why it is not possible tooffer your child a place at your preferred school. You will begiven the opportunity to explain why you think that it is in thebest interests of your child to attend your preferred school.

The panel will look at your written case but it is stronglysuggested that you go to the appeal hearing to help clarify,explain and expand upon your written reasons for appealing.

The Clerk will let you know the decision of the panel in writingwithin 5 school days. If the panel make a place available foryour child after a successful appeal you should contact theheadteacher who will arrange for your child to be admitted assoon as is practicable.

Where can I get further information? Please read the Guide to School Admission Appeals, a link willbe included in your refusal letter. You can also contact TheAdvisory Centre for Education (ACE) on 0808 800 5793 forfurther help, or call the Education Appeals Office directly on01473 264088 or 264219.


Section 8How to make an appeal

Section 8

This guidance has been written with the knowledge availableat the time of going to print. It is possible that changes at anational or local level could affect this guidance and if this isthe case parents will receive updated information via theSuffolk County Council website.

What is free early learning?

Early learning is the first stage of education for all children. It starts part-time at the beginning of the term after a child’s3rd birthday.

When can my child receive free early learning?

Part-time entitlementAll children are entitled to part-time free early learning fromthe beginning of the term following their 3rd birthday. Theyare entitled to 15 hours a week free early learning for 38weeks a year. In Suffolk:

Children born between 1 May and 31 August 2010 can start their early learning at the beginning of the autumn term2013 (September).

Children born between 1 September and 31 December2010 can start their early learning at the beginning of thespring term 2014 (January).

Children born between 1 January and 31 March 2011 canstart their early learning at the beginning of the summer term2014 (April).

Please note: Children born in April 2011: In accordance withthe Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities on the Delivery ofFree Early Education for Three and Four Year Olds (Sept 2012)children born in April are entitled to their free early educationfrom the beginning of the autumn term. This means thatchildren born in April 2011 will become eligible for free earlyeducation from 1 September 2014.

Where can my child access their free early learning? Your child can receive free early learning wherever places areavailable in a maintained school nursery class or any private,voluntary or independent ‘setting’ that is included in SuffolkCounty Council’s Directory of Approved Providers. To find outwhether the setting you are interested in is in Suffolk’sDirectory of Approved Providers, call the Suffolk FamiliesInformation Service on 0845 60 800 33.

Your child’s free early learning could be in:

• a pre-school playgroup

• a private nursery

• a day nursery (as part of full day care)

• a children’s centre which provides day care

• an accredited childminder

• an independent school

• a maintained school nursery class.

Different settings will be offering different patterns ofattendance. Please speak to the setting of your choice or theSuffolk Families Information Service on 0845 60 800 33 to findout more about this.

Most of the above options are settings run by private orvoluntary organisations and have their own admissions policy.Suffolk County Council has an admission policy for our schoolbased nursery classes and this is set out below.

If your child already attends a day nursery, pre-schoolplaygroup or childminder you can choose to keep them thereuntil your child is of compulsory school age. Compulsory schoolage is the beginning of the term after a child’s 5th birthday.

Section 9 - Early Learning

If you require any specific information for your appeal, pleasecontact the Admissions Team (see page 2). They will try tomeet any reasonable request for information but on someoccasions this may not be possible due to time constraints orbecause they do not hold the information.

My child has been permanently excluded from two schoolsIf your child has been permanently excluded from two schoolsand the most recent exclusion occurred within the past twoyears, the right of appeal does not apply.

My child has a Statement of Special Educational NeedsIf your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs yourappeal needs to be directed to the Special Educational Needs& Disability Tribunal (SENDIST). Please visit their website atwww.sendist.gov.uk or ring the helpline on 01325 392760.


IMPORTANTA place in a maintained school nursery class does notguarantee a place in the reception year of that school andyou must make a separate application by the closingdate of Tuesday 15 January 2013.

Section 9


You can get more information about early learning:

• from your local school or pre-school playgroup

• from the Suffolk Families Information Service on 0845 60 800 33

• online at www.suffolk.gov.uk/childcare

• at public libraries.

How can my child get a place at amaintained school nursery class?

You can find out which schools have nursery classes and theadmissions criteria for Highfield Nursery School in the Directoryof Schools in Suffolk for primary, infant, junior and middleschools for the 2013/2014 school year. The admission criteriafor maintained school nursery classes are in the next column.Ask the school for an application form.

Nursery classes in community and voluntary controlled schoolsA Suffolk County Council Nursery Admissions Panel monitorsthe allocation of nursery places to make sure the agreedadmission procedures are consistently applied. You should askthe headteacher for an application form and return it to theschool. The headteacher will let you know when you will hearthe outcome of your application.

Wherever possible, we will try to give your child a place at thenursery school or nursery class you ask for. Sometimes there areno places available or there are fewer places than the numberof children wanting them. If this happens, we have admissionscriteria to help us decide who will be offered places.

Nursery classes in voluntary aided schoolsThe governors decide who can go to this type of school so youshould ask the headteacher for an application form and returnit to the school.

How long can my child stay in a nursery class?Your child can stay in a maintained school nursery class untilthe September following their 4th birthday. You must make aseparate application for a full-time place by the closing date of Tuesday 15 January 2013.

Please remember that a place in a maintained school nurseryclass does not guarantee a place in the reception year (see Section 3 on page 10).

How we offer places in a nursery classThere are special rules for deciding which children should getpriority for a place in a nursery class and they are set outbelow for community and voluntary controlled schools.

The Nursery Admissions Panel will consider applications foreach nursery class and will offer places first to any child aged3 or 4 years old who has a Statement of Special EducationalNeeds (SEN) which names a specific school.

As Early Years funding to schools is based on the number ofsessions attended we allocate places first to childrenwanting five sessions per week.

Children wanting 5 sessions a weekWe will list applicants wanting 5 sessions in date of birth order(oldest to youngest).

We will then consider children in each academic year groupaccording to the following criteria:

1. Children living in the school’s catchment area.

We will offer places to children in the school’s catchmentarea according to the following priorities:

a) Children who are the subject of a recognised childprotection plan (under current legislation) where aspecific school nursery placement is identified.

b) Children in Care (Looked After Children) and childrenwho were looked after, but ceased to be so because theywere adopted (or became subject to a residence order orspecial guardianship order).

c) Children who have a sibling at the school when they canstart in the nursery

d) Other children in date of birth order (oldest to youngest).

2. Children who live outside the catchment area:

We will then offer places to children who live outside theschool’s catchment area according to the following priorities.

a) Children who are the subject of a recognised childprotection plan (under current legislation) where aspecific school nursery placement is identified.

b) Children in Care (Looked After Children) and childrenwho were looked after, but ceased to be so because theywere adopted (or became subject to a residence order orspecial guardianship order).

c) Children who have a sibling at the school when they canstart in the nursery;

d) Other children in date of birth order (oldest to youngest).

Where a child has a dual placement at a specialist nursery (TheBridge, Thomas Wolsey, Hillside, Riverwalk, Warren) then they mayrequire less than five sessions. These children will be consideredindividually, at each nursery admission panel meeting, inconsultation with the Early Years and Childcare team.

Siblings: children who are brothers and sisters of, or who liveas a family at the same address as, pupils who are already atthe school or who have already been offered a place, and whowill still be there at the time of admission. Priority will begiven, where necessary, to applications where there is thesmallest age gap.

Section 9

The education and training opportunities open to young peopleaged 14 to 19 are changing fast to equip them with the skillsthey need for life and work in a global marketplace.

This is because they will be continuing in education andtraining for longer when the participation in learning age risesto 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015.

In Suffolk, secondary schools, further education colleges andtraining providers are working together to provide learningopportunities for all learners up to the age of 18 or 25 forthose learners with Special Educational Needs or Learners withLearning Difficulties and or Disabilities. These learningopportunities include:

Academic subjects such as GCSEs, BTECs, iGCSEs, A levels andInternational Baccalaureates.

Vocational routes such as Apprenticeships and other skillsrelated learning as well as increasing the number of workexperience opportunities for young people aged 16 to 25.

Learning options after 16

Pupils will continue in learning or training until they are 17,and will need to make a choice between sixth form/sixth formcollege, further education college or a vocational opportunitysuch as an apprenticeship or employment with training.

Sixth form/Sixth form college

If your son or daughter is already at a school that has a sixthform they could choose to stay on there, or they could go tosixth form at another school. School sixth forms vary widelyfrom each other in terms of size and range of courses, and thiscould affect their choice. Details of the courses available andwhen to apply can be obtained from the schools. Somestudents also have access to a sixth form college providingcourses and training for 16 to 19 year olds; Suffolk One inIpswich and The Lowestoft Sixth Form College in Waveney.

Further Education colleges (FE)

Most students in colleges are over 16, so in some ways it is avery different environment from school. There are four FEcolleges in Suffolk, offering a wide range of courses andqualifications. Students can study full-time, part-time or in theevening. All colleges provide young people with the supportand help of a personal tutor.

Work-based learning

Your son or daughter may prefer to learn in a more practicalway, or want a job that will provide relevant training anddevelopment opportunities. Apprenticeships give young peoplethe chance to work for an employer, learn on the job, improvetheir skills and earn a wage. For details on the availability ofapprenticeships and how to apply go to the nationalapprenticeship website www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Aiming higher

All the above learning routes provide courses that are part of anational qualifications and credit framework. This makes iteasier to see what level of course a young person may want todo next and then, if they choose, to progress into highereducation from sixth form/sixth form college, FE college or anadvanced level apprenticeship.

Where to get help

Personal tutors and Heads of Year or Pastoral Support at yourson’s or daughter’s current school will be able to providefurther advice and information. You can also find out moreabout courses, qualifications, vocational routes includingapprenticeships for 14 to 19 year olds in Suffolk atwww.Future4Me.org.uk.

Section 10Choices for 14 to 19 year olds in Suffolk


Children wanting fewer than 5 sessions a week

Once all children wanting five sessions or more have beenallocated a place we will use the same procedures to allocateany remaining places to children wanting fewer than fivesessions. We will give priority to those wanting most sessions.

Full-time entitlement

All children are entitled to full-time early education in theSeptember following their 4th birthday.

Section 10


Section 11Special Educational Needs (SEN)What should I do if my child has learning difficulties?

Some children have learning difficulties when they are atschool (these difficulties may be in one or more subjects). Inmost cases, the difficulties will not last long. Teachers in schoolare alert to the needs of children who are having someproblems and will give extra help.

If your child has started school and you think that they arehaving problems with their work then talk to your child’s teacherfirst. If your child needs help, the school can arrange it. Ifconcerns persist, parents and carers should ask to speak withthe school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo).The Headteacher or SEN governor are also available to speakwith parents and carers about any such concerns or worries theymight have. In addition there are people outside of the schoolwho can be contacted to give support and assistance. Familiescan get in touch with the Parent Partnership Service (this is animpartial, ‘arms-length’ service run by Suffolk County Council toassist and support parents and family carers) or they can ask tospeak with an adviser for learning support. The advisers can becontacted through the SEN team based in Endeavour House.

What are special educational needs?

Some children have more difficulties with their learning. Thesedifficulties may last longer, sometimes for the whole time thatthe child is at school. These difficulties are often called SENbecause the child is not making the same kind of progress asother children of the same age.

Children may have SEN for a number of reasons. These include:

• learning difficulties

• specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia

• speech and language or other communication difficulties

• social, emotional or behavioural difficulties

• physical difficulties or disabilities

• a problem with hearing or sight.

Children have SEN if their difficulties affect their learning and progress.

In nearly all cases, it will be the teachers at the school whonotice that a child is not making the progress that is expected.The teachers will talk to you about what they think thedifficulties are and what they are going to do to help yourchild. Schools can also ask for advice from an educationalpsychologist or an Adviser for Learning Support, if they haveconcerns about a child’s SEN.

Statutory Assessment and Statement of SEN

Some children do not make the progress that parents andteachers expect, and they may need a very detailed assessmentof their needs. If this is the case, the county council will arrangefor a Statutory Assessment to be carried out. Parents and carersare fully consulted and are involved in this process. The resultsof this assessment may lead to a Statement of SEN. This is adocument that describes your child’s learning and how they aregetting on at school. It also says what the school will do to helpyour child and what extra support they will get. If a Statementis not necessary, parents and carers will receive a detailed ‘notein lieu’ which explains what was discovered about their child’slearning needs during the statutory assessment.

You can find out more about Statutory Assessments andStatements of SEN by contacting your school or the ParentPartnership Service (see Section 6 on page 19 for contactdetails). More information is included in the Suffolk SEN andDisability Policy and Practice handbook, available on theSuffolk County Council website www.suffolk.gov.uk.

If my child has SEN, do I have a choice about which school they attend?

Yours views will be considered when we decide which schoolyour child will go to. Staff from Suffolk County Council will talkwith you and listen to your views about where you would likeyour child to go to school. Our staff have to be sure that:

• the school will be able to help your child learn

• the other children will be able to learn

• it is a sensible way of using the funding available.

In nearly all cases, parents and staff from Children and Young People’s Services will agree about which school is best for the child.

For advice or support call the Parent Partnership Service on01473 265210. More details of what this service offers can befound in Section 6.

Section 11

Are there any special schools and specialist units in Suffolk?

There are eight special schools in Suffolk. The special schoolsoffer a high-quality education for children who have morecomplex difficulties. If a special school is felt to be the bestoption for your child, the decision to offer a place is made bycounty council staff, following discussion and agreement withparents and carers. Sometimes children may be offered a dualplacement, this means pupils may spend some days of the weekat a special school and some days in their local mainstreamschool. The special school teachers will help staff in other Suffolkschools by sharing expertise, ideas and equipment.

There are also a number of specialist units for children withhearing difficulties and three units for young children withspeech and language problems. Suffolk also provides servicesto support children with specific learning difficulties includingdyslexia. Children may receive intensive support by attending aspecial unit or sometimes, they receive support in their localschool on an outreach basis.

Most children who go to a special school or unit have aStatement of SEN.

In some schools there are small classes for children withcomplex learning difficulties these are called specialist supportcentres. Most children who attend these classes have aStatement of SEN. The support to meet a child’s particularneeds will always be discussed with parents and carers.

Very occasionally, when a child or young person’s needs cannotbe met in a Suffolk maintained school, a place may be arrangedat an independent, non-maintained special school; this could beoutside of Suffolk – again, any such decision would only bemade with the full consent of parents and carers.

The county council also makes provision for a small number ofyoung people who are not in school. Education other than atschool (EOTAS) is arranged through the local teams inconsultation with parents and carers. A personalised packageof support is put in place to meet children’s individual needsand ensure their entitlement to full-time education.

Admissions to special schools and specialist units are handledby the Suffolk County Council SEN team and are outside thenormal admission arrangements.

What are Suffolk County Council’sarrangements for providingassistance with transport for children and young people with SEN and disabilities?

Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that theirchildren attend school. Sometimes, families need assistancewith transport, particularly where young people may beattending a special school or specialist unit some distanceaway from home. The county council has a clear policy aboutthe arrangements for special needs transport and assistancethat can be given for children and young people with SEN anddisabilities. The policy can be accessed on our website atwww.suffolk.gov.uk or from the local office; a parent’sinformation leaflet is also available. You may also email us [email protected].

Transport for learners at special schools and for other learnerswith SEN may exceptionally be provided irrespective of theminimum distance and other criteria set out in this policy,where it is accepted by the county council that transport isessential to enable them to have access to the education theyrequire. In other cases the advice about transport needs mayalso come from the Youth Support Service, Social Care Services,schools or other agencies.

Travel assistance for students withlearning difficulties and disabilities

Travel assistance may also be available for students withlearning difficulties and disabilities undertaking a course at afurther education college or a school sixth form after year 11.In some circumstances this support can continue up to the ageof 21. This support is not automatic, families must apply forpost-16 travel assistance for their child. For more details go tothe County Council travel websitewww.suffolkonboard.com/school_transport.


Section 11


Section 12School Transport Will my child get help with transport to school?

Children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) areentitled to free school transport if they are attending theircatchment area school or their nearest school and are:

• aged under 8 and live two miles or more from school, or

• 8 or over and live at least three miles from the school.

The ages are taken at 1 September in each school year.

The walking distance (called the statutory walking distance) ismeasured using the nearest walking route for a pupil,accompanied as necessary.

Free transport may mean travelling on a closed contractvehicle, or on public transport.

Any child starting at a Roman Catholic School in September2013 will not receive transport assistance.

Children who are already attending a Roman Catholic Schooland have transport assistance will continue to receive it whilstthey remain at that school. To find out more call 0845 606 6173.

You do not need to apply for free school transport. If you areentitled, we will automatically send your child a travel passphoto application form before the start of the school year inSeptember. However, if you have recently moved to the area orthink your child might be entitled to free transport and want tofind out more call 0845 606 6173.

If we advise you that you are not eligible for free transport youmay have the right to appeal. Please telephone 0845 6066173, and we will explain the procedure and send you furtherinformation.

Free transport is not usually available for pupils whose parentor carer chooses to send him or her to an out of catchmentschool or who are not of compulsory school age.

However, we may also offer free transport:

• if the catchment area school is full and we have offered aplace at another school which is over the statutorywalking distance and it is the nearest school to yourhome with places available

• if your child is aged between 8 and 11 years and you liveover two miles but under three miles from the catchmentor nearest school, and you are on a low income. To findout more call 0845 606 6173.

• if your child is aged between 11 and 16 years, isattending one of three nearest schools from your homeaddress, the distance between home and school is morethan two but less than six miles, and you are on a lowincome. To find out more call 0845 606 6173.

• if your child is aged between 11 and 16 years and isattending a school that is between two and fifteen milesfrom home on the grounds of religion or belief and youare on low income. To find out more call 0845 606 6173.

• in certain circumstances and with the agreement ofparents, we would consider paying a mileage allowance toparents in place of providing free transport. This wouldonly be when transport is not already available in the area

• for some pupils with a Statement of Special EducationalNeeds, if it is agreed that transport is essential (even ifthe child lives within the statutory walking distance ofthe school). To find out more call 0845 606 6173.

We only provide Passenger Assistants on school transport insupporting children with very exceptional needs.

Can I pay for my child to use the school transport?

Those pupils who are not eligible for free transport may beable to get a place on school transport that we have arrangedif a spare seat is available (this does not apply to publictransport services), but you will have to make a contributiontowards the cost of this. In certain circumstances you may beexempt from this contribution. For further information or tofind out more call 0845 606 6173.

You can express an interest for discretionary school transportat www.csduk.com/csd.

Travelling to school by Sustainable Means

The Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMoTS) sets outhow students who attend schools in Suffolk can be assisted totravel sustainably and safely to and from school, as required bythe Education & Inspections Act 2006. A full copy of thestrategy can be requested from www.suffolkroadsafe.net.

The strategy has four key elements to it:

• assessing the travel and transport needs of students

• auditing the sustainable travel and transport infrastructure

Section 12

• developing the sustainable travel and transportinfrastructure

• promoting sustainable travel and transport to, from andbetween places of learning.

Why is this being done?There are a number of reasons why we are doing this:

• over the past few years the number of children beingtaken to school by car has increased

• the levels of obesity in children is rising and will have anadverse impact on long term health and lifestyle issues

• CO2 levels are having a detrimental effect on globalwarming not only nationally but at a local level too.

Suffolk’s Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement haveidentified carbon reductions and health inequalities as keyissues in the county and this strategy will help to deliversolutions to this.

What are our priorities?We want to reduce the levels of unnecessary car use on theschool journey and minimise the need to travel to accesseducation, where it is possible to do so.

We want to ensure that there is a cohesive approach to schooltravel across the council and its partners and raise the profileof sustainable travel within key projects that are beingdelivered by the council.

We need to make parents and schools aware of the varioustravel options that are available to students and activelypromote sustainable travel options to them.

How will it be delivered?The SCC Travel Planners have worked with all the schools inthe county to write School Travel Plans (STPs). The STPs informus of the existing key issues on routes to schools that havebeen identified through the travel plan consultation and bycontinuing to review plans will ensure that the processcaptures emerging issues.

What are we already doing? We publish cycle route maps for towns which are freelyavailable on the Suffolk County Council website, and the RoadSafety Team provides road safety education and trainingservices to schools. Our travel planners support schools inwriting and reviewing their travel plans and organise regularevents and campaigns to promote sustainable travel.

Where to find out more informationMore information about road safety education and schooltravel plans can be found at www.suffolkroadsafe.net.

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0845 606 6067.


Section 12


Section 13Useful informationTerm Dates 2013/2014

The school term dates for all Suffolk County Council’s schoolsfor 2013/2014 are:

Autumn TermTuesday 3 September 2013* to Friday 20 December 2013

Half term is Monday 28 October 2013 to Friday 1 November 2013

Spring TermMonday 6 January 2014* to Friday 4 April 2014

Half term is Monday 17 February 2014 to Friday 21 February 2014

Summer TermTuesday 22 April 2014 (Monday 21 April Easter Monday) toWednesday 23 July 2014

Half term is Tuesday 27 May 2014 (Monday 26 May BankHoliday) to Friday 30 May 2014

* Recommended PD Day

The total number of days for the school year is 195. All schoolsset 5 teacher training days called Professional Development(PD) days. Two of these PD days are recommended by SuffolkCounty Council at the start of the Autumn (September) andSpring (January) terms. The remaining three PD days are set bythe schools in agreement with other schools in their pyramid.You can get the extra dates from your school.

There are 190 actual teaching days in the academic year.

All term dates are on the county council’s website atwww.suffolk.gov.uk.

Please Note: Academies and Free Schools can set their ownterm dates. At this time, the county council has not been madeaware of any changes to the above dates by these schools.

Charging and Remissions Policy

Schools have their own Charging and Remissions Policy foractivities such as music tuition, school journeys in schoolhours, activities outside of school hours or purchase ofmaterials. For more information contact the school direct.

School Meals

Primary School Lunches – provided by Eats CateringOur primary school menus are carefully compiled by a smallgroup of experts who are passionate about preparingwholesome food that children love. Many of the group cook forchildren on a daily basis within our kitchens. Each day weoffer a freshly prepared two course meal which is sold at thecurrent free school meal value.

New recipes are tried and tested by students and only makethe menu once they have been approved by our taste teams.You will find our latest menu, along with nutrient and allergendata, on our website www.eats-catering.co.uk.

Our menus fully comply with the latest school food regulations,and also meet the criteria for the Bronze Standard of Food ForLife. By meeting these standards we help schools develop theirown food culture, in addition to the following practical benefits:

• At least 75% of the dishes on our menu are freshlyprepared in our kitchens.

• All the meat we use is farm assured as a welfare minimum.

• The eggs we use are from cage-free hens (in fact ours arelocal and free range too).

• Our staff are supported with professional developmentincluding training in fresh food preparation.

• Food on the menu does not contain any hydrogenated fatsor undesirable additives.

Eats is an acronym for East Anglia Taste for Schools – we workwith many local food producers throughout the region.

Upper/High School Lunches – provided by Eats CateringWe offer a fantastic range of freshly prepared food which iseither individually priced or offered as a set price ‘compleats’meal deal. A ‘compleats’ meal deal is sold at the current freeschool meal value and comprises a main course meal and adessert or drink.

All our secondary school menus are carefully compiled by asmall group of experts who are passionate about preparingdelicious, wholesome food that students love. Many of thegroup cook for students on a daily basis within our kitchens.

New recipes are tried and tested by students and only makethe menu once they have been approved by our taste teams.

Section 13

You will find our latest menu, along with nutrient and allergendata online at www.eats-catering.co.uk. In schools weencourage food forums, where we work with students and theschool to develop their catering service, by improving diningareas and cutting queues.

Eats is an acronym for East Anglia Taste for Schools – we workwith many local food producers throughout the region.

Free school meals

These are available for any pupil whose parents or carers are inreceipt of:

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related)

• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to WorkingTax Credit) and have an annual income that does notexceed £16,190 (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue andCustoms) *

• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act1999 and have a NASS number.

* where a parent or carer is entitled to Working Tax Creditduring the four-week period immediately after theiremployment ceases, or after they start to work less than 16hours a week, their children are entitled to free school meals.

This information is correct as at June 2012 but is subject to change.

A form can be downloaded from www.suffolk.gov.uk. For any other information or a paper application form pleasecontact 0845 606 6173.

School clothing

Suffolk County Council no longer provides a grant towards the provision of school clothing. Parents who are experiencingdifficulties regarding school clothing should speak to theirchild’s school as they may be able to offer some help and assistance.

Getting involved with school

How can I use some of my free time to help with school activities?

Most schools have a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to helpwith the wide range of activities on offer at the school.

Members of the PTA: • help to decide about the type of events that should be held

• how the money raised should be spent

• help to run the activities.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a memberof the PTA, please ask the school.

How can I become a parent governor?Parents can stand for election as a Parent Governor once theirchild is at the school. The school should let you know when aParent Governor leaves and that there needs to be an electionto find a new governor. The size of a governing body varies.

Governors are usually elected for four years and are expectedto go to at least one meeting each term. Meetings are usuallyheld at the school.

You do not need to have any special qualifications orexperience in teaching or education to be a governor. Manygovernors have different skills or knowledge, which the schoolis able to use.

Most of the governors work in groups or committees so peoplecan share their experiences. The county council has a trainingprogramme which many governors find helpful and enjoyable.

The governors have important jobs to do including:

• helping the school to decide what it needs to improve

• deciding how to spend the school budget

• helping to interview new staff

• ensuring the pupils get the best education possible

• deciding about pupil discipline and school uniform

• making sure that children get help with any specialeducational needs

• deciding how the school buildings can be used outsideschool hours.

Once you have been elected, you can finish your term of officeeven if your child has left the school.

If you are interested in becoming a Parent Governor, theheadteacher of your child’s school will be able to tell you more.

Attending school

Good school attendance is essential for your child’s success.There are clear links between good attendance and futureexamination success.

Most children enjoy their years at school and look forward togoing every day, even though there will be things they like anddislike. However, if you are worried about anything you shoulddiscuss the matter with the school straightaway so that anydifficulties can be sorted out as soon as possible. The importantthing is for children to go to school regularly so that they canbenefit from the education provided and be in the bestposition to choose their future careers.

By law, you are responsible for making sure that your childreceives an education. This means that, once children areregistered at school, they must go regularly. If they are not wellenough to do so, you should contact the school immediately toexplain the situation.


Section 13


Holidays during term time should only happen in exceptionalcircumstances and require the permission of the headteacher.

There are national guidelines about what constitutesexceptional circumstances. Essentially, leave of absence for aholiday during term time can be granted at the discretion of aheadteacher where parents’ or carers’ employment does notallow holiday time to be taken during school holiday periodsbecause of non-negotiable rotas. This applies to some factoryworkers, workers in uniformed services and agriculturalworkers, although this is not an exhaustive list.

The cost or availability of a holiday does not constitute anexceptional circumstance and cannot be used as a reason for aholiday request.

If your child is absent from school without a good reason, theschool may ask the Education Attendance Service to becomeinvolved. Education Welfare Officers will work with you andsupport you in making sure your child goes to school.

Parents and carers who do not ensure that their childrenattend school regularly can be taken to court. However, wehope that any difficulties can be sorted out long before theyreach this stage and that all children will want to go to schooland be happy there.

If you have any questions about school attendance, you canspeak with the Education Welfare Officer through the localschool or telephone the Lead Attendance Officer or SeniorEducation Welfare Officer on 01473 265348.

Children who have been excluded from school

Sometimes children and young people are excluded fromschool. This is usually for a fixed period of time or in somecircumstances an exclusion can be permanent.

National legislation makes parents responsible for ensuringthat during the first five days of a fixed term exclusion theirchild is not in a public place during school hours. Schools willset work for a fixed term excluded pupil to undertake duringthis period and parents or carers need to ensure this work isundertaken.

Where a pupil is excluded from school for more than five daysschools will provide full-time education for fixed term excludedpupils from and including the sixth day of the exclusion untilthe pupil returns to school.

In some cases, a Managed Move to another school may besuggested before circumstances get to the point of apermanent exclusion. A Managed Move can provide a freshstart for a pupil but it is only possible with the parents’ orcarers’ agreement.

In a very few cases, a pupil may be excluded from a schoolpermanently. If your child is permanently excluded from school:

• you have the right to appeal against the decision

• staff from the county council and from the ParentPartnership Service can give you advice

• the county council will also discuss future educationprovision with you.

Arrangements will be made by the Social Inclusion team toprovide education for pupils who are permanently excludedwhilst a new placement is arranged.

Children who find it difficult to cope at school

Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) usually work with young peoplewho have been excluded from school, or who are at risk ofexclusion. Some also help children and young people who findit difficult to cope in a local school. Staff in the PRUs supportchildren and young people to develop a range of skills so thatthey can manage with the demands of school as well assupporting them with their learning.

Our First Base PRUs (for 3 to 8 year olds) are based inLowestoft, Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds.

Our Key Stage 2/3 PRUs (for 8 to 13 year olds) offer help forchildren in their mainstream school and many children are dualregistered so that they remain on the roll of their local schoolbut spend a short period of time in the PRU. This means pupilsare provided with special help and support, includingbehaviour management and strategies on how to better copewhen they are back in school.

Our Key Stage 2/3 PRUs are:

• The Harbour, Lowestoft

• Kingsfield Centre, Stowmarket

• Mill Meadow, Gazeley, Newmarket

• Alderwood, Ipswich

• St Christopher’s, Ipswich.

Hampden House in Great Cornard caters for Key Stage 2/3boys and has residential facilities.

Our Key Stage 4 PRUs (for 14 to 16 year olds) help pupilsprepare for college, training and employment and for life whenthey leave school. Some pupils often spend some of their weekin the unit and some at school, at a further education collegeor doing work experience. These units are:

• Old Warren House, Lowestoft

• Albany Centre, Bury St Edmunds

• Parkside, Ipswich

• Westbridge, Ipswich.

Staff from the county council and your child’s school will talk toyou if they think a PRU will help your child.

Section 13

Introduction

1. This Scheme has been drawn up in order to ensure that allapplications for the admission of statutory aged pupils toa maintained primary or middle school or an academy inSuffolk are handled fairly, consistently and efficiently.

2. The Scheme complies with all relevant legislation and withthe guidance contained in the School Admissions Code.

3. Regulations stipulate that admissions to middle schools(even where, as in Suffolk, the middle schools are deemedto be secondary) must be included in the primary scheme.This is because, at the time of application for a place at amiddle school, the children are of primary age.

4. The Scheme applies to all infant, junior, primary andmiddle schools in Suffolk, that is the community andVoluntary controlled primary and middle schools for whichthe LA is the admissions authority. It also applies toVoluntary aided, Foundation/Trust, Academies and Freeschools which are Own Admission Authority schools. A listof these schools is attached in Annex One.

5. Where reference is made to primary and middle schools inthis document this will be taken to mean those schoolsdescribed in paragraph 4.

6. Details of this Scheme are included in the compositebooklet for parents (i.e. Admissions to Schools in Suffolkin 2013/2014 and the Directories of Schools) togetherwith other relevant information for parents seeking aschool place for their children.

7. The governing bodies of Voluntary aided,Foundation/Trust, Academies and Free Schools will alsoinclude relevant details of the Scheme in the admissionsinformation they provide to prospective parents.

Terminology

8. In this Scheme: -

(a) Local Authority (LA) refers to Suffolk County Councilexcept where otherwise stated.

(b) Admission authority means the LA in respect ofcommunity and Voluntary controlled schools.

(c) Own Admission Authority (OAA) means the governingbody or Academy Trust in respect of a Voluntary aided,Foundation/Trust, Academy or Free school.

(d) Home LA refers to the LA in which the child lives.

(e) Admissions Team refers to the local authority staff whohandle admissions.

(f) Maintaining LA refers to the LA in which the school islocated.

(g) In-Year applications are those applications made atdifferent times of the year to the normal admissions round.

(h) Normal admissions round refers to the set period of timewhen applications and decisions are made for children tostart school full time, or to move on to their next school,in the following year.

(i) Applications and Admissions refer, except whereotherwise stated, to applications and admissions for thenormal year of entry (i.e. Year R in respect of primary andinfant schools, Year 3 in respect of junior schools and Year5 in respect of middle schools).

(j) Common Application Form (CAF) refers to the paperapplication form made available by the home LA for useby all the residents in that LA when applying for a schoolplace. This is a CAF1 for the normal admissions round anda CAF2 for in-year applications.

(k) Online application refers to an electronic applicationmade via the Internet atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/onlineadmissions for a schoolplace as part of the normal admissions round. The onlinefacility is not available for in-year applications.

(l) Parent means any parent, carer or guardian (including alocal authority in the case of a child in care) who hasparental responsibility for the child.

(m) Suffolk Parent refers to a parent, carer or guardian livingin Suffolk (whose child or children may or may not beattending a school maintained by Suffolk LA and whomay or may not be applying for a school place in Suffolk).

Applications Made for the NormalAdmissions Round

Information for Parents

9. Copies of the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk Booklet andthe Directories of Schools, as well as the CommonApplication Form, will be sent to primary and middleschools so that they are available for Suffolk parents nolater than 12 September, in advance of the closing date forapplications for entry to school in the following September.

Section 14Primary Co-ordinated AdmissionsScheme for Primary and MiddleSchools in Suffolk


Section 14


Copies will also be sent to all upper/high schools and toneighbouring LAs. The booklet and the directories willalso be available on the county council’s websitewww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

10. Suffolk parents with children who do not attend a schoolmaintained by Suffolk LA may obtain a copy of theAdmissions to Schools in Suffolk Booklet and theDirectories of Schools from the Admissions Team orschool. Copies are also available at local libraries andonline at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

11. The LA will issue a press release in advance of the closingdate for applications, reminding parents of the need tomake an application by the closing date and explaininghow they may obtain further information and assistance.

The Role of the LA12. The LA is required by law to co-ordinate and administer

the admissions process for the normal round, that isapplications received by the 15 January 2013 closing datefor admission in the same year (usually September), onbehalf of all maintained schools in its area.

13. The LA will co-ordinate all applications made for a schoolplace as part of the normal admissions round includingfor Own Admission Authority schools. The process will becarried out in accordance with the timetable andprocedures as set out in Annex Two.

14. The LA will ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that asingle offer of a place at a primary or middle school ismade to all parents on the same day.

15. Where the LA is the relevant admission authority (i.e. forcommunity and Voluntary controlled schools), or where ithas been agreed that the LA will manage applications foradmission to the school, it will be responsible for makingthe decision with respect to the offer or refusal of a place.The Scheme does not affect the rights and duties of thegoverning body or Academy Trust of an Own AdmissionAuthority school to set and apply its own admissionspolicy and over-subscription criteria. In the case of anOwn Admission Authority School the LA will make it clearto parents that it is making an offer on behalf of thegoverning body or Academy Trust (as the Own AdmissionAuthority). In cases where the relevant admissionauthority is another maintaining LA, Suffolk LA will makeit clear that it is making the offer on behalf of thatmaintaining LA.

16. In order to determine whether places could be madeavailable to parents, admissions authorities have agreedand published criteria that will be used to rank allapplications received, in the event of there being moreapplications than there are places available. In the case ofsome Own Admission Authority schools the LA has agreedto manage their admissions arrangements using the sameoversubscription criteria as for community and Voluntarycontrolled schools.

Applications for a School Place

17. All Suffolk parents seeking a place at a primary or middleschool will be required to submit an application to the LAon which they will be invited to express up to threepreferences and to give their reasons for each preference.

18. Any applications received directly by a Primary or MiddleSchool for the first year of entry should be sentimmediately to the LA for processing in accordance withthe Co-ordinated Scheme.

19. All preferences expressed on the application must be forexisting schools (except special schools) and for newschools that have been approved by the Department forEducation. Parents will be asked to place theirpreferences, where they wish to nominate more than oneschool, in rank order (i.e. in the order in which they wouldlike their child to receive an offer of a place at therespective schools). If parents separately completedifferent application forms for the same child the localauthority will contact both parents to provide writtenagreement on the preference or preferences made.

20. The online application or CAF1 will be used forapplications to all primary and middle schools (includingOwn Admission Authority schools) as well as communityand Voluntary controlled schools). Where parents wish toexpress a preference for a Voluntary aided school, theywill also need to complete a ‘Supplementary InformationForm‘ (SIF) and send it directly to the Voluntary aidedschool(s) concerned. The SIF will enable the governors (asthe admissions authority) to assess the nature of thedenominational commitment against the school’sadmissions oversubscription criteria. An Own AdmissionAuthority school may also require a SIF to be completedin respect of those schools who are able to select on thegrounds of aptitude (up to 10% of their intake) inaccordance with a limited number of specialisms, e.g.Music and Sports. Any additional information required byan Own Admissions Authority school must be sent directlyto the school.

21. A SIF is not in itself an application form. Applications fora school place must be made by means of the onlinefacility or CAF1.

22. After the closing date, the LA will forward relevant details ofthe applications received together with any supportinginformation to the governors or Academy Trust of the OwnAdmission Authority school concerned when they aremanaging their own admission arrangements. The governorsor Academy Trust will apply their oversubscription criteriaand place the preferences for their school in rank order.These must be returned to the LA by the date set out inAnnex Two so that it can use the information in making theoffer of a single place to the parents.

Section 14

23. Where an Own Admission Authority school is usingSuffolk County Council’s Admissions Policy and theGovernors or Academy Trust have agreed with the LA thatthe LA will process the admissions applications on itsbehalf, the LA will use its published oversubscriptioncriteria to rank the children. The LA will inform thegoverning body or Academy Trust that it has done so bythe date set out in Annex Two. It will then use thatinformation to make the offer of a single place to parents.Annex One includes a list of Own Admission Authorityschools and the body that is responsible for managingtheir applications.

24. All applications must be ranked in accordance withoversubscription criteria.

Applications by Suffolk Parents for Schools in Other Authorities25. Applications from Suffolk parents must be made to

Suffolk LA either via Suffolk’s online facility or onSuffolk’s CAF1 by the closing date.

26. Details of applications made for schools outside Suffolkwill be sent to the maintaining LA electronically andprocessed in accordance with the timetable set out inAnnex Two. If a place is to be offered at a school outsideSuffolk, the LA will inform the parent on behalf of themaintaining LA.

27. If Suffolk LA is aware that a place is to be offered by themaintaining LA at a school with a higher rankedpreference, no further consideration will be given to anylower ranked preferences. Where this information is notavailable, multiple offers of a place may occur.

28. Where a preference is refused, Suffolk LA will adviseparents of their statutory right of appeal and how they canexercise it. Suffolk LA will make it clear that it is providingthis information on behalf of the maintaining LA.

Applications for Schools in Suffolk fromParents Living in Another Authority29. If Suffolk LA, as a maintaining authority, is notified by

another LA of a parent’s application for a place in aSuffolk primary / middle school, Suffolk LA will notify thehome LA of its decision to offer or refuse a place and thehome LA will notify the parent of the decision.

30. Neighbouring LAs will also make their commonapplication form (CAF) available to any parent in theirarea who wishes to apply for a place in the entry year ofa school in Suffolk which operates a different age oftransfer from schools in the home LA (i.e. for a middleschool in the west of Suffolk where transfer occurs afterYear 4). The home LA will deal with the application in thesame way as it would for its own normal admissionsround and pass the form to Suffolk LA (as the maintainingLA) to process in accordance with its Co-ordinatedScheme. Suffolk LA will then advise the home LA if aplace is to be offered and the home LA will also notify theparent directly of the outcome of the application.

31. Where another LA’s admission scheme enables parents to express more than three preferences, Suffolk LA will offer or refuse a place to any additional preferences by reference to the oversubscription criteria.

Meeting Parental Preferences32. The Scheme will treat the parent’s preferences equally for

the purposes of determining whether places are availableand could be offered. Where a parent may be potentiallyeligible for multiple offers of a place, the single offer thatis made represents the highest possible preference rankedby the parent (up to a maximum of three preferences).

33. If none of the parent’s preferences can be met, the LA willoffer a place at the catchment area school (if applicable) or,if that school is oversubscribed, at the next nearest schoolwith places available, with regard to the efficient use ofresources, in order to ensure that an offer of a school placeis made to all applicants in Suffolk. The next nearest schoolcould be an Own Admission Authority School.

34. In all cases where a higher-ranked preference cannot bemet (including applications for an Own Admission Authorityschool), the LA will inform the parents of the reason(s) forthe refusal(s), advise them of their right of appeal and givecontact details for who will organise the appeal.

Notifying Parents of a School Place35. The LA will send an offer of a school place to all parents

who applied by the closing date by first–class post on thesame day for admissions in the 2013/14 school year. (SeeAnnex Two for details of the admissions timetable2013/14). Parents who have made an online applicationwill also receive an electronic notification of their offer onthe offer day.

36. Headteachers, other school officials, and LA officers mustnot give parents an expectation that their application willbe successful, or tell them that their child has been givena place at the school, before an offer of a place has beenmade formally under the co-ordinated scheme.

37. For the school year 2013/14, when an offer of a place hasbeen made under the co-ordinated scheme, it will beassumed that the parent will accept the offer of the placeunless they notify the LA within 2 weeks of the date ofthe offer.

Late and Second Applications38. Late and second applications relate to applications to a

school’s first year of entry which are received:

(a) after the closing date but before the date for the offer of places; or

(b) after the date for the offer of places but before the start of the autumn term.


Section 14


39. Late and second applications will normally be processedafter the allocation process has been completed for allapplications received by the closing date. Exceptionally,the LA may determine that applications will be processedin the normal way where there is very good reason for thelateness, provided that they are received no later than thedate indicated in Annex Two.

40. In responding to late and second applications, the LA willmake an offer of a place at the school ranked highest bythe parent, if there is a place still available at that school(making it clear, in the case of an Own AdmissionAuthority school that the offer is being made on behalf ofthe governing body or Academy Trust).

41. The LA, governors or Academy Trust of an Own AdmissionAuthority school may allocate places in advance of familiesmoving to the area if they provide suitable confirmation(such as proof of exchange of contracts, a lettingagreement confirming details of relocation). Places will beoffered in advance to children of UK service personnel (UKArmed Forces) if accompanied by an official governmentletter which declares a relocation date and a Unit postaladdress or quartering area address for considering theapplication against their oversubscription criteria.

42. Where a school is oversubscribed and a place refused, thechild’s name will automatically be placed on the waitinglist. The order will be determined in accordance with theadmissions oversubscription criteria, not the date on whichthe application is received. The waiting list will be operativeup to the end of the first full week of the spring term.

In-year Admissions 43. Sometimes parents or carers apply for their child to go to

a new school:

(a) during the school year (because, for example, they aremoving house or moving to Suffolk from outside thearea); or

(b) for the start of the school year but in a different agegroup from the school’s normal entry year.

44. For ease of reference, these applications are commonlyreferred to as ‘in-year’ applications.

45. The LA is no longer required under the revised SchoolAdmissions Code to co-ordinate and administer theadmissions process on behalf of all admissions authoritiesfor in-year admissions. However, the county council wroteto Own Admissions Authority schools in December 2011to seek their views on continuing to co-ordinate in-yearadmissions. The majority of views received were that thisarrangement should continue and so the LA will co-ordinate and administer the in-year admissions process onbehalf of all admissions authorities.

In-year Applications made to LA for school places46. Applications are not normally considered more than one

term ahead of the date the place is required.

47. Parents who wish to make an in-year application for aplace at any maintained school, academy or free school inSuffolk or in another local authority area must complete aCAF2 application form (obtainable from the countycouncil’s website atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools, schools andthe Admissions Team). It is not currently possible to makean in-year application by means of the online facility.

48. Any applications that are sent or taken to a school directshould be forwarded immediately to the LA, together withany supporting information provided by the parent. TheLA will co-ordinate the offer of a place.

49. Where the application includes a school or schools forwhich the LA is the admissions authority, or for which ithas been agreed that the LA will manage applications foradmission to the school (such as for an Own AdmissionAuthority school where this has been jointly agreed by theLA and governing body or Academy Trust), the LA willdetermine whether a place could be made available, ifnecessary in accordance with the LA’s publishedoversubscription criteria.

50. Where the application includes a school or schools inSuffolk for which the LA is not the admissions authority itwill forward details of the application to the OwnAdmissions Authority, together with any supportinginformation provided. The LA will not disclose the order ofthe preference on the application. The Own AdmissionsAuthority will rank the application in accordance with itspublished oversubscription criteria, determine whether aplace could be made available and notify the LA within 5school days of receipt of the application details.

51. Where a parent has included on the application form oneor more schools outside Suffolk, the LA will provide themaintaining local authority with details of the applicationtogether with any supporting information. Themaintaining local authority will, within 10 school daysof receipt of the application details, advise the LAwhether a place could be offered at the school(s), alsostating the admissions authority for the school(s).

52. The LA will consider all the information provided to it anddetermine the highest preference of school where a placecould be offered. The LA will write to the parent eitherwith a single offer of a place at one of their preferredschools, or refusing admission to their preferred schools ifthere are no places available. Where the LA is not theadmissions authority it will be made clear to parents thatthe LA is acting on behalf of the governing body orAcademy Trust of the school.

53. The LA will offer the parents a place at the highest possiblepreference that can be met. If all the schools requested bythe parents are full, the LA will offer a place at the catchmentarea school (where applicable) or, if that is oversubscribed, atthe next nearest school with a place available, with regard tothe efficient use of resources. The next nearest school could bean Own Admission Authority school.

Section 14

54. Where a place is not available at the parents’ preferredschool, the LA will inform the parents of the reason(s) forthe refusal, advise them of their right of appeal and sendthem guidance on how to make an appeal if they so wish.

55. When a place becomes available in a year group that hasbeen full in a maintained school, any applicant refused aplace for that academic year in the last 15 school days, andany applicant for whom an appeal has been lodged and isstill to be heard will be considered alongside any newapplications. The place will be offered to the pupil rankedhighest in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

56. Where the LA is not the admissions authority, it will notifythe governing body or Academy Trust of the determination.

57. Where parents live outside Suffolk, the LA will notify themaintaining local authority of the determination and thatauthority will notify the parents. Once a place has beenmade available the parent must take up that place by thedate specified in their offer letter. Failure to do so willmean the place may be withdrawn and reallocated.

58. When an offer of a place has been made under the co-ordinated scheme, it will be assumed that the parent willaccept the offer unless they notify the LA within 2 weeksof the date of the offer.

59. Parents wishing to transfer their children from one Suffolkschool to another where there is no change of addressshould, in the first instance, discuss the matter with theheadteacher of their current school before applying for atransfer on a CAF2 application form.

Applications made by parents living outside Suffolk60. Where applications are received from parents who live

outside Suffolk, the LA will notify the maintaining localauthority of the determination and that authority willnotify the parents. Suffolk LA will notify direct thoseparents applying from outside the LA who can confirmthat they will be resident in Suffolk at the time of thechild’s admission to school.

Applications for a Place outside the Normal Age Group61. All schools are experienced in educating and caring for

children with different abilities and social and emotionalneeds. It is expected, therefore, that children will normallybe educated within their chronological year group.

62. Applications for children to be admitted to a school oneyear earlier than normal or to stay for an extra year witha younger year group will be considered carefully and thedecision will be made on the basis of the circumstances ofeach case and evidence provided.

Children with Special Educational Needs63. Where a school is named in a statement of special

educational needs, the governing body or Academy Trusthas a duty to admit the child to the school.

64. Children with special educational needs but withoutstatements will be treated as fairly as other applicants.Admission authorities and schools may not refuse toadmit a pupil because they consider themselves unable tocater for the child’s special educational needs.

Children with Disabilities65. Children with disabilities will be treated no less

favourably than other applicants for admission.

66. Schools are under a duty to make reasonable adjustmentsto ensure that pupils with disabilities are not placed at asubstantial disadvantage. Since the introduction of theEquality Act 2010, this now includes where appropriate,the provision of auxiliary aids. Provision of services andany physical adaptations to buildings are still exemptwithin equality legislation, though might need to beconsidered under access planning regulations.

Children with Challenging Behaviour67. Where a child has been permanently excluded from two

or more schools (and at least one of the exclusions tookplace after 1 September 1997), the parents can express apreference for a school place but there is no requirementon admission authorities to comply for a period of twoyears following the second exclusion.

68. It is normally unacceptable for schools to refuse to admitchildren on the basis of their behaviour elsewhere. It isalso unacceptable for a school to refuse admission to achild thought to be potentially disruptive, or who hasexhibited challenging behaviour, on the grounds that thechild ought first to be assessed for special educationalneeds. Where a governing body or Academy Trust does notwish to admit a child with challenging behaviour outsideof the normal admissions round, even though places areavailable, it must refer the case to the LA for action underthe Fair Access Protocol. This would normally only beappropriate where a school has a particularly highproportion of children with challenging behaviour orpreviously excluded children and will depend on localcircumstances. (School Admissions Code Para 3.12)

69. Some children who have been permanently excluded orhave a recent history of challenging behaviour may beadmitted to a school above the Published AdmissionNumber (PAN) in accordance with the agreed Fair AccessProtocol approved by the Suffolk Admission Forum.

Children in Care (Looked After Children)70. Children in care (Looked After Children) and children who

were looked after, but ceased to be so because they wereadopted (or became subject to a residence order orspecial guardianship order), have been identified as adisadvantaged group of children who have very lowaverage levels of attainment, often related to frequentchanges of school, periods of time spent out of school,low expectations and high exclusion rates.


Section 14


71. The Children Act 2004 places a duty on local authoritiesto promote the educational attainment of Children in Care(Looked After Children). As far as admissionarrangements are concerned:

(a) Children in Care (as described above) are givenpriority in the oversubscription criteria of all maintainedand Own Admission Authority schools in Suffolk for thenormal admission round;

(b) The Suffolk Admission Forum has agreed a protocol forthe in-year admission of Children in care, wherenecessary, above the PAN for the school.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children72. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children who move into an

area served by a school will be regarded as ‘ordinarilyresident’ in that area in respect of any application madefor a school place.

Home-School Agreements73. Admission to school will not be conditional on parents

signing a home-school agreement.

Fraudulent Applications74. Admission authorities reserve the right to withdraw the

offer of a school place if it is shown that it was obtainedon the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleadingapplication.

Simon WhiteDirector for Children and Young PeopleDecember 2011

Community and Voluntary Controlled SchoolsSuffolk County Council is the admissions authority for allcommunity and Voluntary controlled schools in Suffolk.

Voluntary Aided Schools

Governing Bodies are the admissions authorities for all Voluntaryaided schools in Suffolk. These schools are listed below:

PrimaryAll Saints CEVAP School Laxfield

All Saints CEVAP School Newmarket

Badwell Ash CEVAP School Badwell Ash

Creeting St Mary CEVAP School Creeting St Mary

Elveden CEVAP School Elveden

Orford CEVAP School Orford

St Edmundsbury CEVAP School Bury St Edmunds

St John’s CEVAP School Ipswich

St Margarets CEVAP School Ipswich

St Mary’s CEVAP School Hadleigh

St Mary’s CEVAP School Woodbridge

St Matthew’s CEVAP School Ipswich

St Peter and St Paul CEVAP School Eye

Sir Robert Hitcham’s CEVAP School Debenham

Sir Robert Hitcham’s CEVAP School Framlingham

Stonham Aspal CEVAP School Stonham Aspal

St Benet’s Catholic Primary School Beccles

St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School Bungay

St Edmunds Catholic Primary School Bury St Edmunds

St Felix RCP School Haverhill

St Joseph’s RCP School Sudbury

St Louis RCP School Newmarket

St Mark’s Catholic Primary School Ipswich

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Ipswich

St Mary’s RCP School Lowestoft

St Pancras’ Catholic Primary School Ipswich

Annex OnePrimary/Middle Co-ordinatedAdmissions Scheme

Section 14


MiddleSt James CEVA Middle School Bury St Edmunds

St Louis Catholic Middle School Bury St Edmunds

Academies

Academy Trusts are the Admissions Authorities for all Academiesin Suffolk. At the time of publication of this document thefollowing schools had converted to academy status:

PrimaryForest Academy Brandon

Langer Primary Academy Felixstowe

Place Farm Primary Academy Haverhill

St Mary’s Church of England Academy Mildenhall

MiddleHorringer Court Middle Bury St Edmunds

Westley Middle School Bury St Edmunds

It is possible that more maintained schools in Suffolk willbecome Academies or Free Schools in the coming year.

Stage One

• Parents of children living in Suffolk submit an applicationon which they can indicate up to three preferences, placedin rank order.

• Parents submit the application to Suffolk LA by theclosing date of Tuesday 15 January 2013.

• All schools send all application forms received by them tothe LA by Wednesday 16 January 2013.

Stage Two

• The LA sends details of applications to all Own AdmissionAuthorities (including other LAs), when they do not operatethe LA’s Admissions Policy, by Friday 1 February 2013.

• The LA begins to consider all applications for communityand controlled schools (and Own Admission Authorityschools when the LA is managing their admissions),applying its over-subscription criteria, where necessary,and places all preferences for each school in rank order.

Stage Three

• The LA exchanges information with other LAs.

• The LA processes late applications regarded as exceptionsup to Friday 22 February 2013.

• The LA sends details of applications to Suffolk OwnAdmission Authority schools when they do not operate theLA’s Admissions Policy by Wednesday 27 February 2013.

• Own Admission Authority schools send the provisional rankedlist of pupils to the LA by Wednesday 13 March 2013.

• The LA informs other LAs of offers to be made to theirresidents by Friday 15 March 2013.

• The LA confirms the final lists of pupils to be allocatedplaces to Own Admission Authority schools in Suffolk andother LAs by Friday 22 March 2013.

Stage Four

• The LA sends all Suffolk parents a single offer of a place onTuesday 16 April 2013 and notifies schools accordingly.

• In cases where the maintaining LA is not Suffolk, the LAstates that the offer is being communicated on behalf ofthe maintaining LA.

• In the case of Own Admission Authority schools, the LAstates that the offer is being communicated on behalf ofthe school’s governing body or Academy Trust.

• It will be assumed that parents have accepted the schooloffered, unless they notify the LA in writing by Tuesday30 April 2013.

Annex TwoPrimary/Middle: Admissions Timetablefor the 2013/2014 School Year

Section 14


Introduction

1. This Scheme has been drawn up in order to ensure that allapplications for the admission of statutory aged pupils to amaintained upper/high school or an academy in Suffolk arehandled fairly, consistently and efficiently.

2. The Scheme does not apply to post 16 admissions.

3. The Scheme complies with all relevant legislation and withthe guidance contained in the School Admissions Code.

4. The Scheme applies to all upper/high schools in Suffolk, thatis the community and Voluntary controlled upper/highschools for which the LA is the admissions authority. It alsoapplies to Voluntary aided, Foundation/Trust, Academy andFree Schools which are Own Admission Authority schools.These schools are listed in Annex One.

5. Reference in this booklet to Upper and High schoolsincludes those schools listed in paragraph 4.

6. Details of this Scheme are included in the composite bookletfor parents (ie Admissions to Schools in Suffolk in2013/2014 and the Directories of Schools) together withother relevant information for parents seeking a schoolplace for their children.

7. The governing bodies of the Voluntary aided,Foundation/Trust, Academies and Free schools will alsoinclude relevant details of the Scheme in the admissionsinformation they provide to prospective parents.

Terminology

8. In this Scheme:-

(a) Local Authority (LA) refers to Suffolk County Council exceptwhere otherwise stated.

(b) Admission authority means the LA in respect of communityand Voluntary controlled schools.

(c) Own Admission Authority (OAA) means the governing bodyor Academy Trust in respect of a Voluntary aided,Foundation/Trust, Academy or Free school.

(d) Home LA refers to the LA in which the child lives.

(e) Admissions Team refers to the local authority staff whohandle admissions.

(f) Maintaining LA refers to the LA in which the school islocated.

(g) In-year applications are those applications made at differenttimes of the year to the normal admissions round.

(h) Normal admissions round refers to the set period of timewhen applications and decisions are made for children tomove on to their next school, in the following year.

(i) Applications and Admissions refer, except where otherwisestated, to applications and admissions for the normal yearof entry (i.e. Year 7 in the case of 11-16 or 11-18 highschools, Year 9 in the case of 13-18 high and upper schools).

(j) Common Application Form (CAF) refers to the paperapplication form made available by the home LA for use byall the residents in that LA when applying for a school place.This is a CAF1 for the normal admissions round and a CAF2for in-year applications.

(k) Online application refers to an electronic application madevia the Internet at www.suffolk.gov.uk/onlineadmissionsfor a school place as part of the normal admissions round.The online facility is not available for in-year applications.

(l) Parent means any parent, carer or guardian (including alocal authority in the case of a child in care) who hasparental responsibility for the child.

(m) Suffolk Parent refers to a parent, carer or guardian living inSuffolk (whose child or children may or may not beattending a school maintained by Suffolk LA and who mayor may not be applying for a school place in Suffolk).

Applications Made for the Normal Admissions Round

Information for Parents9. Copies of the Admissions to Schools in Suffolk Booklet and

the Directories of Schools, as well as the CommonApplication Form, will be sent to primary and middle schoolsso that they are available for Suffolk parents no later than12 September, in advance of the closing date forapplications for entry to school in the following September.Copies will also be sent to all upper/high schools and toneighbouring LAs. The booklet and directories will also beavailable on the county council’s websitewww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

10. Suffolk parents with children who do not attend a schoolmaintained by Suffolk LA may obtain a copy of the Schoolsin Suffolk Booklet and the Directories of Schools from theAdmissions Team or school. Copies are also available atlocal libraries and online atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

Section 15Secondary Co-ordinated AdmissionsScheme for Upper/High Schools in Suffolk

Section 15


11. The LA will issue a press release in advance of the closingdate for applications, reminding parents of the need to make an application for a school place by the closing dateand explaining how they may obtain further informationand assistance.

The Role of the LA12. The LA is required by law to co-ordinate and administer the

admissions process for the normal round, that isapplications received by the 31 October 2012 closing datefor admission in the same year on behalf of all maintainedschools in its area.

13. The LA will co-ordinate all applications made for a schoolplace as part of the normal admissions round including forOwn Admission Authority schools. The process will becarried out in accordance with the timetable and proceduresas set out in the Annex Two.

14. The LA will ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that asingle offer of a place at an upper/high school is made to allparents on the same day.

15. Where the LA is the relevant admission authority (i.e. forcommunity and Voluntary controlled schools), or where ithas been agreed that the LA will manage applications foradmission to the school, it will be responsible for makingthe decision with respect to the offer or refusal of a place.The Scheme does not affect the rights and duties of thegoverning body or Academy Trust of a Voluntary aided,Foundation/Trust, Academy or Free school, to set and applyits own admissions policy and oversubscription criteria. Inthe case of a Voluntary aided, Foundation/Trust school orAcademy or Free school, Suffolk LA will make it clear toparents that it is making an offer on behalf of the governingbody or Academy Trust (as the Own Admission Authority). Incases where the relevant admission authority is anothermaintaining LA, Suffolk LA will make it clear that it ismaking the offer on behalf of that maintaining LA.

16. In order to determine whether places could be madeavailable to parents, admissions authorities have agreed andpublished criteria that will be used to rank all applicationsreceived, in the event of there being more applications thanthere are places available. In the case of some OwnAdmission Authority schools the LA has agreed to managetheir admissions arrangements using the sameoversubscription criteria as for community and Voluntarycontrolled schools.

Applications for a School Place17. All Suffolk parents seeking a place at an upper/high school

will be required to submit an application to the LA on whichthey will be invited to express up to three preferences andto give their reasons for each preference.

18. Any applications received directly by an upper/high school forthe first year of entry should be sent immediately to the LAfor processing in accordance with this Co-ordinated Scheme.

19. All preferences expressed on the application must be forexisting schools (except special schools) and for new schools

that have been approved by the Department for Education.Parents will be asked to place their preferences, where theywish to nominate more than one school, in rank order (i.e. inthe order in which they would like their child to receive anoffer of a place at the respective schools). If parentsseparately complete different application forms for the samechild the local authority will contact both parents to providewritten agreement on the preference or preferences made.

20. The online application or CAF1 will be used for applicationsto all upper/high schools (including Own AdmissionAuthority schools as well as community and Voluntarycontrolled schools). Where parents wish to express apreference for a Voluntary aided school, they will also needto complete a ‘Supplementary Information Form‘ (SIF) andsend it directly to the Voluntary aided school(s) concerned.The SIF will enable the governors (as the admissionsauthority) to assess the nature of the denominationalcommitment against the school’s admissionsoversubscription criteria. An Own Admission Authorityschool may also require a SIF to be completed in respect ofthose schools who are able to select on the grounds ofaptitude (up to 10% of their intake) in accordance with alimited number of specialisms eg. Music and Sports. Anyadditional information required by an Own AdmissionsAuthority school must be sent directly to the school.

21. A SIF is not in itself an application form. Applications for a schoolplace must be made by means of the online facility or CAF1.

22. After the closing date, the LA will forward relevant details ofthe applications received together with any supportinginformation received to the governors or Academy Trust ofthe Own Admission Authority schools concerned when theyare managing their own admission arrangements. Thegovernors or Academy Trust will apply their oversubscriptioncriteria and place the preferences for their school in rankorder. These must be returned to the LA by the date set outin Annex Two so that it can use this information in makingthe offer of a single place to the parents.

23. Where an Own Admission Authority school is using SuffolkCounty Council’s Admissions Policy and the Governors orAcademy Trust have agreed with the LA that the LA willprocess the admissions applications on its behalf, the LA willuse its published oversubscription criteria to rank thechildren. The LA will inform the governing body or AcademyTrust that it has done so by the date set out in Annex Two.It will then use that information to make the offer of asingle place to parents. Annex One includes a list of OwnAdmission Authority schools and the body that isresponsible for managing their applications.

24. All applications must be ranked in accordance withoversubscription criteria.

Applications by Suffolk Parents for Schools in Other Authorities25. Applications from Suffolk parents must be made to Suffolk

LA either via Suffolk’s online facility or on Suffolk’s CAF1 bythe closing date.

Section 15


26. Details of applications made for schools outside Suffolk willbe sent to the maintaining LA electronically and processedin accordance with the timetable set out in Annex Two. If aplace is to be offered at a school outside Suffolk, the LA willinform the parent on behalf of the maintaining LA.

27. If Suffolk LA is aware that a place is to be offered by themaintaining LA at a school with a higher ranked preference,no further consideration will be given to any lower rankedpreferences. Where this information is not available,multiple offers of a place may occur.

28. Where a preference is refused, Suffolk LA will advise parentsof their statutory right of appeal and how they can exerciseit. Suffolk LA will make it clear that it is providing thisinformation on behalf of the maintaining LA.

Applications for Schools in Suffolk from Parents Living in Another Authority29. If Suffolk LA, as a maintaining authority, is notified by

another LA of a parent’s application for a place in a Suffolkupper/high school, Suffolk LA will notify the home LA of itsdecision to offer or refuse a place and the home LA willnotify the parent of the decision.

30. Neighbouring LAs will also make their common applicationform (CAF) available to any parent in their area who wishesto apply for a place in the entry year of a school in Suffolkwhich operates a different age of transfer from schools inthe home LA (i.e. for an upper/high school in the WesternArea). The home LA will deal with the application in thesame way as it would for its own normal admissions roundand pass the form to Suffolk LA (as the maintaining LA) toprocess in accordance with its Co-ordinated Scheme.Suffolk LA will then advise the home LA if a place is to beoffered and the home LA will also notify the parent directlyof the outcome of the application.

31. Where another LA’s admission scheme enables parents toexpress more than three preferences, Suffolk LA will offer orrefuse a place to any additional preferences by reference tothe oversubscription criteria.

Meeting Parental Preferences32. The Scheme will treat the parent’s preferences equally for

the purposes of determining whether places are availableand could be offered. Where a parent may be potentiallyeligible for multiple offers of a place, the single offer that ismade represents the highest possible preference ranked bythe parent (up to a maximum of three preferences).

33. If none of the parent’s preferences can be met, the LA willoffer a place at the catchment area school (if applicable) or,if that school is oversubscribed, at the next nearest schoolwith places available, with regard to the efficient use ofresources, in order to ensure that an offer of a school placeis made to all applicants in Suffolk. The next nearest schoolcould be an Own Admission Authority School.

34. In all cases where a higher-ranked preference cannot be met(including applications for an Own Admission Authority

school), the LA will inform the parents of the reason(s) forthe refusal(s), advise them of their right of appeal and givecontact details for who will organise the appeal.

Notifying Parents of a School Place35. The LA will send an offer of a school place to all parents

who applied by the closing date by first class post on thesame day (the ‘national offer day’) for September 2013admissions. (See the Annex Two for details of theadmissions timetable 2013/14). Parents who have made anonline application will also receive an electronic notificationof their offer on the offer day.

36. Headteachers, other school officials, and LA officers mustnot give parents an expectation that their application will besuccessful, or tell them that their child has been given aplace at the school, before an offer of a place has beenmade formally under the co-ordinated scheme.

37. For the school year 2013/14, when an offer of a place hasbeen made under the co-ordinated scheme, it will beassumed that parents have accepted the place offeredunless they notify the LA to the contrary within 2 weeks ofthe date of the offer.

Late and Second Applications38. Late and second applications relate to applications for

admission to a school’s first year of entry which are received:

(a) after the closing date but before the date for the offer ofplaces; or

(b) after the date for the offer of places but before the start ofthe autumn term.

39. Late and second applications will normally be processedafter the allocation process has been completed for allapplications received by the closing date. Exceptionally, theLA may determine that applications will be processed in thenormal way where there is very good reason for thelateness, provided that they are received no later than thedate indicated in Annex Two.

40. In responding to late and second applications, the LA willmake an offer of a place at the school ranked highest by theparent if there is a place still available at that school(making it clear, in the case of an Own Admission Authorityschool that the offer is being made on behalf of thegoverning body or Academy Trust).

41. The LA, governors or Academy Trust of an Own AdmissionAuthority school may allocate places in advance of familiesmoving to the area if they provide suitable confirmation(such as proof of exchange of contracts, a letting agreementconfirming details of relocation). Places will be offered inadvance to children of UK service personnel (UK ArmedForces) if accompanied by an official government letterwhich declares a relocation date and a Unit postal addressor quartering area address for considering the applicationagainst their oversubscription criteria.

42. Where a school is oversubscribed and a place is refused, thechild’s name will automatically be placed on the waiting list.

Section 15


The order will be determined in accordance with theadmissions oversubscription criteria, not the date on whichthe application is received. The waiting list will be operativeup to the end of the first full week of the spring term.

43. Once all on-time applications and late/second applicationshave been processed the Admissions Team will allocate aschool place to those pupils attending a Suffolk maintainedor Own Admission Authority School for whom no applicationhas been made.

In-year Admissions 44. Sometimes parents or carers apply for their child to go to a

new school:

(a) during the school year (because, for example, they aremoving house or moving to Suffolk from outside the area);or

(b) for the start of the school year but in a different agegroup from the school’s normal entry year.

45. For ease of reference, these applications are commonlyreferred to as ’in-year’ applications.

46. The LA is no longer required under the revised SchoolAdmissions Code to co-ordinate and administer theadmissions process on behalf of all admissions authoritiesfor in-year admissions. However, the county council wroteto Own Admissions Authority schools in December 2011 toseek their views on continuing to co-ordinate in-yearadmissions. The majority view was that this arrangementshould continue and so the LA will co-ordinate andadminister the in-year admissions process on behalf of alladmissions authorities.

In-year Applications made to Suffolk LA for school places47. Applications are not normally considered more than one

term ahead of the date the place is required.48. Parents who wish to make an in-year application for a place

at any maintained school, Own Admission Authority school inSuffolk or in another local authority area must complete aCAF2 application form (obtainable from the county council’swebsite at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools,schools and the Admissions Team). It is not currently possibleto make an in-year application by means of the online facility.

49. Any applications that are sent or taken to a school directshould be forwarded immediately to the LA, together withany supporting information provided by the parent. The LAwill co-ordinate the offer of a place.

50. Where the application includes a school or schools for whichthe LA is the admissions authority, or for which it has beenagreed that the LA will manage applications for admissionto the school (such as for an Own Admission Authorityschool where this has been jointly agreed by the LA andgoverning body or Academy Trust), the LA will determinewhether a place could be made available, if necessary inaccordance with the LA’s published oversubscription criteria.

51. Where the application includes a school or schools for whichthe LA is not the admissions authority it will forward details

of the application to the Own Admission Authority schools,together with any supporting information provided. The LAwill not disclose the order of the preference on theapplication. The Own Admission Authority schools will rankthe application in accordance with its publishedoversubscription criteria, determine whether a place couldbe made available and notify the LA within 5 school daysof receipt of the application details.

52. Where a parent has included on the application form one ormore schools outside Suffolk, the LA will provide themaintaining local authority with details of the applicationtogether with any supporting information. The maintaininglocal authority will, within 10 school days of receipt ofthe application details, advise the LA whether a placecould be offered at the school(s), also stating the admissionsauthority for the school(s).

53. The LA will consider all the information provided to it anddetermine the highest preference of school where a placecould be offered. The LA will write to the parent either with asingle offer of a place at one of their preferred schools, orrefusing admission to their preferred schools if there are noplaces available. Where the LA is not the admissions authority,it will be made clear to parents that the LA is acting on behalfof the governing body or Academy Trust of the school.

54. The LA will offer the parents a place at the highest possiblepreference that can be met. If all the schools requested bythe parents are full, the LA will offer a place at the catchmentarea school (where applicable) or, if that is oversubscribed, atthe next nearest school with a place available, with regard tothe efficient use of resources. The next nearest school couldbe an Own Admission Authority School.

55. Where a place is not available at the parents’ preferredschool/s, the LA will inform the parents of the reason(s) forthe refusal, advise them of their right of appeal and sendthem guidance on how to make an appeal if they so wish.

56. When a place becomes available in a year group that hasbeen full at a maintained school, any applicant refused aplace for that academic year in the last 15 school days andany applicant for whom an appeal has been lodged and isstill to be heard, will be considered alongside any newapplications. The place will be offered to the pupil rankedhighest in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

57. Where the LA is not the admissions authority, it will notifythe governing body or Academy Trust of the determination.

58. Where parents live outside Suffolk, the LA will notify themaintaining local authority of the determination and thatauthority will notify the parents. Once a place has beenmade available the parent must take up that place by thedate specified in their offer letter. Failure to do so will meanthe place may be withdrawn and reallocated.

59. When an offer of a place has been made under the co-ordinated scheme, it will be assumed that the parent willaccept the offer unless they notify the LA within 2 weeks ofthe date of the offer.

60. Parents wishing to transfer their children from one Suffolkschool to another where there is no change of address

Section 15


should, in the first instance, discuss the matter with theheadteacher of their current school before applying for atransfer on a CAF2 application form.

Applications made by parents living outside Suffolk61. Where applications are received from parents who live outside

Suffolk, the LA will notify the maintaining local authority of thedetermination and that authority will notify the parents.Suffolk LA will notify direct those parents applying fromoutside the LA who can confirm that they will be resident inSuffolk at the time of the child’s admission to school.

Applications for a place outside the normal age group62. All schools are experienced in educating and caring for

children with different abilities and social and emotionalneeds. It is expected, therefore, that children will normallybe educated within their chronological year group.

63. Applications for children to be admitted to a school one yearearlier than normal or to stay for an extra year with ayounger year group will be considered carefully and thedecision will be made on the basis of the circumstances ofeach case and evidence provided.

Children with Special Educational Needs64. Where a school is named in a statement of special

educational needs, the governing body or Academy Trust hasa duty to admit the child to the school.

65. Children with special educational needs but withoutstatements will be treated as fairly as other applicants.Admission authorities and schools may not refuse to admita pupil because they consider themselves unable to cater forthe child’s special educational needs.

Children with Disabilities66. Children with disabilities will be treated no less favourably

than other applicants for admission.

67. Schools are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments toensure that pupils with disabilities are not placed at asubstantial disadvantage. Since the introduction of theEquality Act 2010, this now includes where appropriate, theprovision of auxiliary aids. Provision of services and anyphysical adaptations to buildings are still exempt withinequality legislation, though might need to be consideredunder access planning regulations.

Children with Challenging Behaviour68. Where a child has been permanently excluded from two or

more schools (and at least one of the exclusions took placeafter 1 September 1997), the parents can express apreference for a school place but there is no requirement onadmission authorities to comply for a period of two yearsfollowing the second exclusion.

69. It is normally unacceptable for schools to refuse to admitchildren on the basis of their behaviour elsewhere. It is alsounacceptable for a school to refuse admission to a child

thought to be potentially disruptive, or who has exhibitedchallenging behaviour, on the grounds that the child oughtfirst to be assessed for special educational needs. Where agoverning body or Academy Trust does not wish to admit achild with challenging behaviour outside of the normaladmissions round, even though places are available, it mustrefer the case to the LA for action under the Fair AccessProtocol. This would normally only be appropriate where aschool has a particularly high proportion of children withchallenging behaviour or previously excluded children andwill depend on local circumstances. (School AdmissionsCode Para 3.12).

70. Some children who have been permanently excluded orhave a recent history of challenging behaviour may beadmitted to a school above the Published AdmissionNumber (PAN) in accordance with the agreed Fair AccessProtocol approved by the Suffolk Admission Forum.

Children in Care (Looked After Children)71. Children in Care (Looked After Children), and children who

were looked after, but ceased to be so because they wereadopted (or became subject to a residence order or specialguardianship order), have been identified as adisadvantaged group of children who have very low averagelevels of attainment, often related to frequent changes ofschool, periods of time spent out of school, low expectationsand high exclusion rates.

72. The Children Act 2004 places a duty on local authorities topromote the educational attainment of Children in Care(Looked After Children). As far as admission arrangementsare concerned:

(a) Children in Care (as described above) are given priority inthe oversubscription criteria of all maintained and OwnAdmission Authority schools in Suffolk for the normaladmission round;

(b) the Suffolk Admission Forum has agreed a protocol for thein-year admission of Children in Care, where necessary,above the PAN for the school.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Children73. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children who move into an area

served by a school will be regarded as ‘ordinarily resident’ inthat area in respect of any application made for a school place.

Home-School Agreements74. Admission to school will not be conditional on parents

signing a home-school agreement.

Fraudulent Applications75. Admission authorities reserve the right to withdraw the offer

of a school place if it is shown that it was obtained on thebasis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application.

Simon WhiteDirector for Children and Young PeopleDecember 2011

Section 15


Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

Suffolk County Council is the admissions authority for allcommunity and Voluntary controlled schools in Suffolk.

Voluntary Aided Schools

The Governing Bodies are the Admissions Authorities for allVoluntary aided schools. They are:

St Benedict’s RC Voluntary Aided School Bury St Edmunds

Foundation/Trust Schools

The Governing Bodies are the Admissions Authorities for allFoundation/Trust schools in Suffolk.

The LA has agreed to manage the admissions arrangements onbehalf of the governing bodies of the following schools:

Sudbury Upper School and Arts College Sudbury

Great Cornard Upper School and Technology College Great Cornard

Pakefield Lowestoft

Academies

The Academy Trusts are the Admissions Authorities for allAcademies in Suffolk.

The following Academies will operate their own admissions policy:

Bungay High School Bungay

Castle Manor Academy Haverhill

County Upper School Bury St Edmunds

Debenham High School Debenham

Farlingaye High School Woodbridge

Hadleigh High School Hadleigh

Hartismere School Eye

Ipswich Academy Ipswich

Kesgrave High School Kesgrave

Ormiston Endeavour Academy Ipswich

Samuel Ward Academy Haverhill

St Alban’s Catholic High School Ipswich

Sir John Leman High School Beccles

The LA has agreed to manage the admissions arrangements on behalf of the governing bodies of the following Academies:

Copleston High School Ipswich

East Bergholt High School East Bergholt

East Point Academy Lowestoft

Felixstowe Academy Felixstowe

Holbrook High School Holbrook

Stradbroke High School Stradbroke

Thomas Mills High School Framlingham

It is possible that more maintained schools in Suffolk will become Academies in the coming year.

Free Schools

The Governing Body will manage the admissions arrangementsat the following school:

Beccles Free School Beccles

IES Breckland Brandon

Saxmundham Free School Saxmundham

Stour Valley Community School Clare

It is possible that more Free schools will open in Suffolk in thecoming year.

Annex OneUpper/High School Co-ordinatedAdmissions Scheme

Section 15


Annex TwoUpper/High: Admissions Timetablefor the 2013/2014 School YearStage One

• Parents of children living in Suffolk submit an application onwhich they can indicate up to three preferences, placed inrank order.

• Parents submit the application to Suffolk LA by the closingdate of Wednesday 31 October 2012.

• All schools send all application forms received by them tothe LA by Thursday 1 November 2012.

Stage Two

• The LA sends details of applications to all Own AdmissionAuthorities (including other LAs), when they do not operatethe LA’s Admissions Policy by Friday 16 November 2012.

• The LA begins to consider all applications for communityand controlled schools (and Own Admission Authorityschools when the LA is managing their admissions),applying its oversubscription criteria, where necessary, andplaces all preferences for each school in rank order.

Stage Three

• The LA exchanges information with other LAs.

• The LA processes late applications regarded as exceptionsup to Monday 14 January 2013.

• The LA sends details of applications to Suffolk OwnAdmission Authority schools when they do not operate theLA’s Admissions Policy by Wednesday 16 January 2013.

• Own Admission Authority schools send the provisional rankedlist of pupils to the LA by Tuesday 29 January 2013.

• The LA informs other LAs of offers to be made to theirresidents by Friday 1 February 2013.

• The LA confirms the final lists of pupils to be allocatedplaces to Own Admission Authority schools in Suffolk andother Las by Friday 8 February 2013.

Stage Four

• The LA sends all Suffolk parents a single offer of a place onFriday 1 March 2013 and notifies schools accordingly.

• In cases where the maintaining LA is not Suffolk, the LAstates that the offer is being communicated on behalf of themaintaining LA.

• In the case of Own Admission Authority schools, the LAstates that the offer is being communicated on behalf of theschool’s governing body or Academy Trust.

• It will be assumed that parents have accepted the schooloffered, unless they notify the LA in writing by Friday 15March 2013.

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Admission authority – Suffolk County Council is responsiblefor admissions to community and voluntary controlled schools.The governors are responsible for admissions to voluntaryaided, foundation/trust, academies and free schools.

Admission Forum – the group meets to consider local admissionarrangements and promote agreement on admission issues.

Common Application Form (CAF) – The form you need to fillin to apply for a school place.

CAF1 – Application form for the entry year of a school

CAF2 – Application form for in-year applications

Catchment area school – the school that serves the area youlive in. We cannot guarantee a place at your catchment areaschool.

Curriculum – the subjects that are taught at school.

Entry year – the first year of full-time pupils in the age rangeserved by the school.

Express a preference – naming a school that you’d like yourchild to attend.

Infant class – a class with Reception, Year 1 and/or Year 2pupils in it.

In-year applications – applications made at different times ofthe year to the normal admissions round.

LA – Local Authority.

Looked After Children (children in care) – these childrenare subject to a Care Order, an Interim Care Order or areaccommodated by the county council. We regard looked afterchildren who move into the catchment area of a school asordinarily resident in that area when considering applicationsfor a school place.

Making an appeal – your right to question a decision thatgoes against your request for a place at a school.

Normal admissions round – the set period of time whenapplications and decisions are made for children to start schoolfull-time, or to move on to their next school, in the following year.

Ordinarily resident – this refers to the place where your childusually lives. We may need proof of this address. We will nottreat your child as ordinarily resident if you rent or own asecond home in the catchment area or if you use anotheraddress to give the impression that your child lives in thecatchment area so that you have a higher priority for a placeat that school. Where a child lives with separated parents who

have shared responsibility, each for part of the week, theordinarily resident address will be considered to be the addressthat the child lives at for most of the week (excludingweekends and school holidays).

Out-catchment school – a school that does not serve thearea you live in.

Oversubscribed school – a school where the number ofapplications is greater than the number of places available.

Oversubscription criteria – the rules used to decide whichchildren will be allocated places when a school has moreapplications than places available.

Own Admission Authority Schools – these schools usuallyhave their own admissions policy and the Governing Bodymake decisions on applications. These can be Voluntary aided,foundation/trust, academy and free schools.

Published Admission Number (PAN) – this is the set numberof places a school can offer in any one year. It is based on anational formula for deciding how many children can go to aschool to avoid overcrowding.

Prospectus – information booklet published by the school.

Reception class – a class for children who are four or fiveyears old.

School Organisation Review – changing the way schools inSuffolk are organised to reduce the number of times a pupil hasto transfer to another school and to avoid transfer at age 9.

Siblings (for community and voluntary controlledschools) – children who are brothers and sisters of, or wholive as a family at the same address as, pupils who are alreadyat the school or who have already been offered a place, andwho will still be there at the time of admission (but not in thesixth form).

Statement of Special Educational Needs – the result of anassessment we have made about a child’s special needs andthe extra support they need.

Supplementary Information Form (SIF) – this asks for extrainformation which will make it possible for the governors of avoluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy or free school torank your application against their school’s admissionsoversubscription criteria. This form is available on our websiteand from the school.

Section 16What does the jargon mean?

Section 16


Notes

Notes


Common Application FormGuidance notes for ParentsIt is important that you read the following notes:

FORM

CAF1

Note 1 – Children in CareChildren in Care (sometimes known as ‘Looked After Children’) aredefined as being subject to a Care Order, an Interim Care Order oraccommodated by the Local Authority.

Private FosteringIf you are caring for someone else's child for more than 28 days,do not have parental responsibility for them and you are nota relative such as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt(whether full blood, half blood or by marriage or civil partnership)or step-parent you may be private fostering and it is a legalrequirement that you contact the county council on0808 800 4005 or email [email protected].

Note 2 – Child’s AddressPlease give your child’s current address. If you are planning tomove house, please attach details of your future address andmoving date, if known. If you want your future address to be theone considered as part of your application, you must attachwritten evidence that you are legally committed to this move. Examples of this evidence would be a letter from a solicitor to saythat a house contract has been exchanged, a signed tenancycontract, or, for returning UK Service/Crown Servant families,proof of the posting. Please contact the Admissions Team forfurther details.

Note 3 – TransportIf your child is given a place at an out-catchment school of yourpreference, you will have to get your child to and from school andpay for any transport needed. We would only provide transportto an out-catchment preferred school if it is the next nearestschool to your home with places available and with regard tothe efficient use of resources and your child is either (a) undereight years of age and you live two miles or more from thatschool or (b) is eight or over and you live at least three milesfrom that school.

Note 4 – Siblings (Details MUST be provided inthe preferences section)For any community and voluntary controlled schools please namethe youngest sibling at or about to start at each preference schooland refer to the county council’s policy for admissions. For voluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy and free schoolsplease refer to their individual policies and definitions ofsiblings. Failure to provide a sibling’s details could affect the offerof a school place.

School Preference Advice ServiceSchool Preference Advisers are available during term time to helpyou find out about schools in Suffolk, how to make an applicationor how to appeal for a school place. Their aim is to help you makeinformed and realistic decisions about which schools to apply forto best meet your child’s needs.

You can contact an Adviser through the Parent PartnershipHelpline on 01473 265210 or by email [email protected]

IMPORTANTYou MUST return this form to the Admissions Team to reach us by the closing date of:

Wednesday 31 October 2012 – for upper or high school applicationsTuesday 15 January 2013 – for infant, primary, junior or middle school applications

We do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications and strongly suggestthat you get proof of postage.




Common Application Form for the 2013/2014 School Year –Admission to the first year of entry

FORM

CAF1

IMPORTANT: Please read the Guidance notes for parents before completing this form and print in capital letters

CHILD’S DETAILS:

Child's Legal Last Name: First Name: Middle Name:

Male: ��

Female: ��

Does your child have a Statement of SpecialEducational Needs?

Yes: �� No: ��

Is the child in Care? (See Note 1)

Yes: �� No: ��

Date of birth:

Child’s current address: (See Note 2)

Present school (if applicable):

Postcode:

Are you privately fostering this child? (See Note 1) Yes: ��

APPLICANT’S DETAILS:

Parent/Carer: Mr / Mrs / Miss / MsLast Name:

Telephone numbers:

Relationship to child:Initials:

Email address:

OTHER DETAILS:

If you are moving house, please fill in these boxes (See Note 2):

Child’s future address: Returning UK Service/ CrownServant Family?

Yes: ��

Date of move:

For Admissions Team use only

Catchment School: Date Application Received:

We strongly recommend that you read the booklet Admissions to Schools in Suffolk and the relevant Directory of Schoolsin Suffolk – 2013/2014 before completing this form. This is also available online at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools

IMPORTANTYou MUST return this form to the Admissions Team to reach us by the closing date of:

Wednesday 31 October 2012 – for upper or high school applicationsTuesday 15 January 2013 – for infant, primary, junior or middle school applications

We do not acknowledge receipt of paper applications and strongly suggest that you get proof of postage.



IMPORTANT: YOU MUST STATE YOUR SCHOOL PREFERENCES BELOW

FIRST PREFERENCE

Please write the name of your first preference school in this box:

Reasons (you do not have to fill in this section if you do not want to)

Do any of your other children attend this school or the associated juniorschool? (See Note 4)

Child’s name .....................................................................................

Date of birth......................................................................................

Please complete this section where relevant

� If your application for a place at a voluntary controlled school is based on religious grounds, you must attach a letter from a priest or minister specifically stating thatyou and/or your child is a practising member of the Church of England and go to church at least once a month.

Please tick this box if you have attached this letter: ��

� If you are applying for a place at a voluntary aided school, you must also get a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) from either the school or the Admissions Team,fill it in and take or send it to the voluntary aided school direct. You may also need to complete a SIF for an academy or free school.

Please tick this box to confirm you have taken or sent a SIF to the voluntary aided school/academy direct: ��

Admissions Team contact details and where to send this form (we strongly suggest you get proof of posting):

All applications, including for voluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy and free schools, must be sent to the Admissions Team. DO NOT RETURN TO A SCHOOL.

Admissions Team Constantine House, 5 Constantine Road, Ipswich IP1 2DHTelephone 0845 600 0981 Email [email protected]

SIGNATURE (MUST be completed)

I confirm that I have read the booklet “Admissions to Schools in Suffolk for 2013/2014” and the guidance notes for parents. I understand I will notreceive an acknowledgement of this application and the Admissions Team is not responsible for forms lost in the post. I also confirm that theinformation I have given on this form is true and I have parental responsibility for this child.

Parent or carer’s signature: Date:

807–CYP–010512

SECOND PREFERENCE (We recommend you apply for more than one school – see Note 3)

Please write the name of your second preference school in this box:



Child’s name .....................................................................................

Date of birth......................................................................................

THIRD PREFERENCE (We recommend you apply for more than one school – see Note 3)

Please write the name of your third preference school in this box:



Child’s name .....................................................................................

Date of birth......................................................................................

Admissions to Schools in Suffolk in 2013/2014 Page 51FO

RM CA

F2Common Application FormGuidance notes for ParentsIt is important that you read the following notes:

Note 1 – Children in CareChildren in Care (sometimes known as ‘Looked After Children’) aredefined as being subject to a Care Order, an Interim Care Order oraccommodated by the Local Authority.

Private FosteringIf you are caring for someone else's child for more than 28 days,do not have parental responsibility for them and you are nota relative such as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt(whether full blood, half blood or by marriage or civil partnership)or step-parent you may be private fostering and it is a legalrequirement that you contact the county council on0808 800 4005 or email [email protected].

Note 2 – Child’s AddressPlease give your child’s current address. If you are planning tomove house, please attach details of your future address andmoving date, if known. If you want your future address to be theone considered as part of your application, you must attachwritten evidence that you are legally committed to this move. Examples of this evidence would be a letter from a solicitor to saythat a house contract has been exchanged, a signed tenancycontract, or, for returning UK Service/Crown Servant families,proof of the posting. Please contact the Admissions Team forfurther details.

Note 3 – TransportIf your child is given a place at an out-catchment school of yourpreference, you will have to get your child to and from school andpay for any transport needed. We would only provide transportto an out-catchment preferred school if it is the next nearestschool to your home with places available and with regard tothe efficient use of resources and your child is either (a) undereight years of age and you live two miles or more from thatschool or (b) is eight or over and you live at least three milesfrom that school.

Note 4 – Siblings (Details MUST be provided inthe preferences section)For any community and voluntary controlled schools please namethe youngest sibling at or about to start at each preference schooland refer to the county council’s policy for admissions. For voluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy and free schoolsplease refer to their individual policies and definitions ofsiblings. Failure to provide a sibling’s details could affect the offerof a school place.

If you are thinking about transferring your childto another school in Suffolk, but are not movinghouse, then please read the following beforecompleting the CAF2.

Changing your child’s school can affect your child in many waysand the decision should not be taken without careful thought.You may find it helpful to consider the following issues:

Teaching and School OrganisationFor children of any age, every school has its own special way of doingthings and of teaching the National Curriculum in different ways atdifferent times.

How will your child cope:

� with learning new rules?

� doing things in different ways?

� if he or she has done the work before or has missed importantearlier work?

� if he or she finds the work new or strange?

Older children who transfer school after exam subjects have beenchosen in Year 9 may find that:

� they can’t do the same subjects in a new school; or

� the exam boards and the courses are different.

Have you thought whether:

� your child can take the same subjects at a new school?

� the courses will be the same?

� your child will be comfortable taking a new subject orexam courses?

RelationshipsChildren need to feel happy at school; relationships with the rightfriends and with teachers are an important part of this.

Have you thought whether your child will be able to settle in andget to know new people quickly, so that his or her learning doesnot suffer?


Page 52 Admissions to Schools in Suffolk in 2013/2014Family LinksIf your child has brothers or sisters at the same school, a move toanother school may need careful consideration.

Have you thought whether it will be a problem for you to have yourchildren attending different schools? There is no automatic right foryour other children to transfer to the new school, either now or inthe future.

UniformYou might need to buy a completely new uniform, including PE kit,if your child changes school.

Have you thought about the cost involved? Suffolk County Councildoes not provide a grant towards the provision of school clothing.

TransportYour child needs to be able to get to school easily, safely andon time.

Have you thought how your child would get to a new school orwhat the cost will be? In most circumstances you are unlikelyto be eligible for travel assistance to another school.

Resolving DifficultiesMany matters that worry parents and children can be sorted outwithout the need to move schools. Moving schools may notresolve the difficulties and can even have a negative effect onyour child’s education by disrupting his or her schooling.

Before coming to a final decision, you may find it helpful to askyourself the following questions:

Have I ...

� sat down with my child to talk about the points in this leafletand to discuss how he or she really feels about moving toa new school?

� found out the real reason why he or she wants tomove schools?

� spoken to the teachers who teach my child (if there areworries about certain subjects) to find out what they think andhow they could help?

� spoken to the teacher in charge of Special Educational Needs(if my child needs extra help)?

� spoken to my child’s teachers or Head of Year (if he or she isbeing bullied or not getting on with other children)?

� made an appointment to speak to the Headteacher (if you arestill concerned about your child)?

� spoken to the School Preference Advice Service for someindependent advice?

If you have spoken to the Headteacher and are still not satisfiedwith the way in which the school has responded to your concerns,you can ask for the matter to be investigated in accordance withthe school’s General Complaints Procedure. A leaflet is availableonline at www.suffolk.gov.uk or from the school. This willexplain how you can make a formal complaint.

The next steps ...Talking to your child and to school staff may help to overcome anyproblems. If you still feel that a move to another school isessential we strongly recommend that you arrange to visit todiscuss the needs of your child and to learn more about theschool. When you have done so and if you still want to go aheadwith the move:

1. Please fill out the attached CAF2 and send the completed formto the Admissions Team.

2. The Admissions Team will check if there is a place available atyour preferred school. If there is a place available, they will letyou know. If there is no place available, they will not be ableto meet your request but they will inform you about your rightof appeal.

3. If we are able to offer your child a school place we will writeto confirm this. You may then be asked to contact the school toarrange a meeting with the new Headteacher or a member ofhis or her staff to discuss the arrangements for your child’stransfer to the school. Admission will be arranged as soon aspossible but it may take up to two weeks for all the necessaryarrangements to be made in order to ensure a smooth transferfor your child.

4. If, following your meeting with the new Headteacher ormember of staff, you decide you would prefer your childto remain at his or her present school, you should notify theAdmissions Team immediately.

5. Once the move is completed, your present school willarrange for your child’s school record to be transferred tothe new school.

Please note that, if your request is for a voluntary aided school,a foundation/trust school, academy or free school, the decisionabout whether or not there is a place available at the school willbe made by the Governing Body or Academy Trust, not the countycouncil, but the county council will write to you on behalf ofthe Governing Body or Academy Trust explaining whether a placeis available or not. Apart from this, the process will be exactlythe same.

These steps are aimed at making sure that a transfer is fullydiscussed between parents and schools and properly managed.It is important that a change of school is in the best interests ofyour child and that a transfer to a new school goes smoothly.Since the process may take some time to complete, you mustensure that your child continues to attend his or her presentschool while the necessary arrangements are being made.

If you have any queries about these notes or need advice aboutfilling in the application form, please contact the AdmissionsTeam. You are also strongly advised to read the booklet‘Admissions to Schools in Suffolk’ before completing this form.Copies of the booklet are available online atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools, or from theAdmissions Team.




Common Application Form for In-year applications to all schools for the 2013/2014 school year

FORM

CAF2

An In-year application is an application for admission which is not for the start of the entry year. We strongly recommendthat you read the booklet Admissions to Schools In Suffolk and the relevant Directory of Schools in Suffolk – 2013/2014before completing this form. This is also available online at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools

IMPORTANT: Please read the Guidance notes for parents before completing this form and print in capital letters

CHILD’S DETAILS:

Child's Legal Last Name: First Name: Middle Name:

Male: ��

Female: ��

Does your child have a Statement of SpecialEducational Needs?

Yes: �� No: ��

Is the child in Care? (See Note 1)

Yes: �� No: ��

Date of birth:

Child’s current address: (See Note 2)

Present or Most Recent School Attended (School Name, address and postcode):

Postcode:

Headteacher/contact name: School Phone Number: Date last attended this school:

Are you privately fostering this child? (See Note 1) Yes: ��

APPLICANT’S DETAILS:

Parent/Carer: Mr / Mrs / Miss / MsLast Name:

Telephone numbers:

Relationship to child:Initials:

Email address:

OTHER DETAILS:

If you are moving house, please fill in these boxes (See Note 2):

Child’s future address: Returning UK Service/ CrownServant Family?

Yes: ��

Date of move:

For Admissions Team use only

Catchment School: Date Application Received:



IMPORTANT: YOU MUST STATE YOUR SCHOOL PREFERENCES BELOW

FIRST PREFERENCE

Please write the name of your first preference school in this box:



Child’s name .....................................................................................

Date of birth......................................................................................

Please complete this section where relevant

� If your application for a place at a voluntary controlled school is based on religious grounds, you must attach a letter from a priest or minister specifically stating thatyou and/or your child is a practising member of the Church of England and go to church at least once a month.

Please tick this box if you have attached this letter: ��

� If you are applying for a place at a voluntary aided school, you must also get a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) from either the school or the Admissions Team,fill it in and take or send it to the voluntary aided school direct. You may also need to complete a SIF for an academy or free school.

Please tick this box to confirm you have taken or sent a SIF to the voluntary aided school/academy direct: ��

Admissions Team contact details and where to send this form (we strongly suggest you get proof of posting):

All applications, including for voluntary aided, foundation/trust, academy and free schools, must be sent to the Admissions Team. DO NOT RETURN TO A SCHOOL.

Admissions Team Constantine House, 5 Constantine Road, Ipswich IP1 2DHTelephone 0845 600 0981 Email [email protected]

SIGNATURE (MUST be completed)

I confirm that I have read the booklet “Admissions to Schools in Suffolk for 2013/2014” and the guidance notes for parents. I understand I will notreceive an acknowledgement of this application and the Admissions Team is not responsible for forms lost in the post. I also confirm that theinformation I have given on this form is true and I have parental responsibility for this child.

Parent or carer’s signature: Date:

807–CYP–010512

SECOND PREFERENCE (We recommend you apply for more than one school – see Note 3)

Please write the name of your second preference school in this box:



Child’s name .....................................................................................

Date of birth......................................................................................

THIRD PREFERENCE (We recommend you apply for more than one school – see Note 3)

Please write the name of your third preference school in this box:



Child’s name .....................................................................................

Date of birth......................................................................................

Date on which you want your child to start at your preferred school:


Section 17How to complain or complimentHave your Say

Our aim is to make sure that your child gets the best educationpossible. If you have any comments, complaints orcompliments about any area of your child’s education, it isprobably best to discuss it with the person concerned as soonas possible. If you prefer, you can write to them. If there is aproblem about something that is wrong at school, you shouldspeak or write to the member of staff or the headteacherabout it. Most problems can be sorted out without taking anyfurther action. However, if you are not happy with theoutcome, ask the school for details of their policy on how tomake a complaint. In most cases, the headteacher andgovernors are responsible for putting matters right.

If your complaint relates to a service you have received fromSuffolk County Council, other than an issue arising in amaintained school, you should first try to sort it out with themember of staff or team concerned. If you do not want to dothis, you can contact Customer Rights on 01473 260711 oremail [email protected]

If you are happy with our service and the system or have viewsabout this booklet Customer Rights would also be very pleasedto hear from you.

We have been careful to make sure that the informationin this publication is accurate at the time of printing.

We cannot rule out, however, the need for changesbetween now and the start of the 2013/2014 schoolyear. Any changes will be up-dated atwww.suffolk.gov.uk/admissionstoschools.

Section 17

If you need help to understand this information in another language please call 08456 066 067.

If you would like this information in another format, including audio tape or large print, please call 08456 066 067.

Suffolk Design & Print, Saxon House, 1 WhittleRoad, Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate, Ipswich IP20JB. Tel: 01473 260600 Fax: 01473 253370

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