Admission to Newcastle secondary schools 2011 - Newcastle City ...

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secondary 4 print 27/8/10 16:49 Page 24• You might need to buy a completely newuniform, including PE kit, if your childchanges school.• How would your child get to a new school?What will be the cost involved? A change willusually be regarded as parental choice. Inmost circumstances you are unlikely to beeligible for travel assistance to the preferredschool.Many things that worry parents or carers andchildren can be sorted out without the need tomove schools. Often moving schools will notresolve some of your concerns and can evenhave a bad effect on your child's education.If you are not happy about the way in which theschool is working with your child you shouldspeak to the Head teacher first. If you needfurther help, please contact us.How are ‘in year’ admissions managed?As required by law, Newcastle City Council willcoordinate ‘in year’ admissions for state schoolsincluding faith schools for children of familiesliving in Newcastle.You cannot currently apply online for ‘in year’admissions. If you wish to apply for a schoolplace in a year group other than at the normaltransfer stage, please contact us for an ‘in year’application form or download the applicationform from our websitewww.newcastle.gov.uk/admissions.Applications will be considered according to theSchool Admissions Code and whereappropriate the Newcastle Fair Access Protocol.Local authorities are required by law to operatea Fair Access Protocol to ensure that potentiallyvulnerable children are effectively provided forin admission arrangements and that all schoolsadmit a fair proportion of these pupils. Aprofessional panel determines the most suitableplacements for these pupils.We are required to give children in the followingcategories priority for in-year admissions:• Children attending Pupil Referral Centres whoneed to be reintegrated to mainstreameducation.• Children out of education for longer than oneschool term.• Children who have moved to the area and donot have a place due to a shortage of schoolplaces.• Children withdrawn from schools by theirfamily following fixed term exclusions withouta school place.• Children of refugees and asylum seekers.• Homeless children.• Children with unsupportive familybackgrounds where a place has not beenapplied for.• Children known to the police and otheragencies.• Children with serious attendance problemsand no school place.• Traveller children.• Children who are carers.• Children with special educational needswithout a statement.• Children with disabilities or medicalconditions.• Children returning from the criminal justicesystem.• Children of UK service personnel and otherCrown Servants.Our commitment to youWho can I talk to about theinformation in this booklet?Both Newcastle Families Information Service(FIS) and our specialist School Choice Advisercan provide support and guidance on theapplication process.Contact details are online and on the insidecover of this booklet.23Apply online at www.newcastle.gov.uk/admissions by 31 October 2010 (midnight)
secondary 4 print 27/8/10 16:49 Page 25How quickly will my query be dealt with?Phone callsMost queries can be dealt with straight away.However, at peak times such as the weeksbefore and after the deadline for applications tobe received (31 October 2010) and allocationday (1 March 2011) the volume of calls andcorrespondence is high.We aim to deal with your telephone enquires asquickly as possible, usually within three workingdays. However, to ensure that each case isthoroughly investigated, response times may belonger at these particular times of the year.Letters and emailsYou will normally receive an answer withinfifteen days. If this is not possible, the officerdealing with your query will let you know thereasons for the delay and when you will receivea response.What do I do if I want to make a complaint?What happens if people provide fraudulentor misleading information?We take allegations that parents or carers haveprovided false information on their applicationform very seriously. We work closely withschools to ensure that fraudulent applicationsare detected. We also carry out spot checks.• If we write to you, please provide copies ofthe evidence we ask for within the timeframegiven.• If you do not provide the evidence we ask forand your application is found to be fraudulent,it will be reprocessed based on the correctinformation.• If an offer of a school place has already beenmade, it may be withdrawn and we will offeryour child a place at the nearest school toyour home address with an available place (ifyou live in Newcastle). This may be somedistance away.Please discuss your concerns with the PolicySpecialist, Admissions and Transport. Phone:0191 277 7428.We find that most concerns can be resolved inthis way.If you still want to make a formal complaint, youshould write to:The Complaints OfficerChildren’s Services DirectorateCivic CentreBarras BridgeNewcastle upon TyneNE1 8PUUse of information and data securityData protectionIn addition to processing your application for aschool place, under the data protectionlegislation we may use your applicationinformation for the following purposes:• To co-operate with our partners in health andyouth justice to improve the well being ofchildren in the Newcastle area as required bythe Children Act 2004. Information sharingbetween partner organisations is sometimesnecessary to help provide better services.• To provide statistical data to otherorganisations for the purpose of statisticalanalysis, statistical surveys or researchpurposes only. Each request will beindividually assessed by Newcastle CityCouncil. It will not be possible for anyindividual to be identified from this data.Apply online at www.newcastle.gov.uk/admissions by 31 October 2010 (midnight)24
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