Secondary School Admissions
If your child was born between 1 September 1997 and 31 August 1998 they will start secondary school in September 2009.
How do I Apply for a Place?
What happens if a school is over subscribed?
Does my Address affect where my child is Placed?
Waiting Lists
Appeals
Learning at Home
Transfering your Child Between Community Secondary Schools
Applying / Transfering to Roman Catholic Schools
Further Information
How do I Apply for a Place?
Every effort will be made to ensure that your preferences are met. The LA will, in any event, offer you a school place on 2 March 2009. Parents will receive no more than one offer of a school place.You will receive a Preference Form from County Durham LA for you to state your preferred school and to provide any information you wish to be considered in support of your application.
If you express a preference for a Voluntary Aided (Church) school you will also need to complete the supplementary section (Section B) of the preference form.
You can express up to three preferences for your child to be admitted to a maintained secondary school within the County Durham area [including Voluntary Aided (Church) schools] or for your child to be admitted to a school located in an area outside County Durham [including Voluntary Aided (Church) schools].
You can visit the schools you are interested in and obtain a brochure from them that will provide more details about the school.
The offical closing date for admission into Secondary School in September 2009, is the 24 October 2008. You can apply through one of the following methods:
a) Complete a form through our online admission system.
b) Request a form direct from School Admissions at:
School Admissions
Children & Young Peoples Services
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UJ
Tel: 0191 383 4576
Email: Secondary School Admissions
Late applications (after 24 October) for secondary schools can still be made by requesting an application form from the above address.
What happens if a school is over subscribed?
Sometimes a school receives more applications than it has places available. Where this happens, we will consult the governing body of the school and offer places (with the exception of Durham Johnston Comprehensive School whose admissions criteria are detailed separately) strictly in order of the following criteria:(i) Children in Public Care
(ii) Associated Transport - Pupils who live in an area which is over 2 miles from the nearest school and from which the LA provides designated transport to the preferred school in order to limit travel costs.
(iii) Medical Reasons - Pupils with very exceptional medical factors directly related to school placement. Applications under this criterion should be supported by written evidence from a doctor.
(iv) Family Links - Pupils who have a brother or sister already attending the school and who is expected to be on roll at the school at the time of admission.
(v) Distance - Pupils who live nearest the preferred school measured by the shortest walking route. This will be based on the parents’ address.
Please note: Priority will be given to those pupils who have expressed a first preference for the school. Pupils who have expressed a second preference will only be considered after the criteria have been applied to all first preferences.
If a school is oversubscribed with children in criterion (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) places will be offered to those pupils who live nearest the preferred school (measured by the shortest walking route).
Admissions Criteria for Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
If more children want a place at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School than there are places available, the LA will offer places according to the following criteria, strictly in order of priority:(i) Children in Public Care
(ii) Pupils for whom Durham Johnston is the nearest suitable school
(iii) Medical Reasons - Pupils with very exceptional medical factors directly related to school placement. Applications under this criterion should be supported by written evidence from a doctor.
(iv) Family Links - Pupils where the parental home is under 7 miles from Durham Johnston Comprehensive School who have a brother or sister already attending the school who is expected to be on roll at the school at the time of admission. This criterion will not apply to applications where the older sibling attends the sixth form but did not attend the school prior to entering the sixth form.
(v) Pupils living in the former areas of ‘associated transport’ for whom Durham Johnston is not the nearest school
(vi) Pupils for whom Durham Johnston is not the nearest school
Notes
In the event of oversubscription within any of the criteria, places will be offered on the basis of distance.
In calculating distances between parental homes and Durham Johnston, the nearest of the school's two sites will be used.
Where, as in criterion (ii), it is necessary to consider the distance between the parental home and any other suitable school, the distance will be measured to the main site of that school (i.e. the site where pupils attend for the majority of their school career).
All measures will be made according to the shortest walking route.
The term 'suitable school' is used here as defined by the 1996 Education Act, therefore no account has been taken of the location of St. Leonard's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Comprehensive School.
If your child cannot be offered a place at any of your preferred schools, County Durham LA will offer your child a place at the nearest school to your home address that has places available.
In listing your three preferences you need to be aware that an 'equal preference' system has been introduced to replace the 'first preference first' system, which is no longer allowed by the government as of 2008. The LA will have to treat first, second and third preferences as separate applications and work out . Preferences registered with us cannot normally be changed until the initial offer of places is completed.
Parental Address
The parental address is used in applying the admissions criteria. This means that when you state your school preference you should give the parental address at the time of application. Any permanent change of parental address should be notified to us immediately as this may affect the admission offer made to your child.You should not give the address of child minders or other family members who may share the care of your child.
For any parent who, for whatever reason has more than one property, they should only refer to the property in which they actually reside. In cases where parents are separated and the child lives for periods with both, then the parental address will be that property at which, during the school year, the child for the most part resides.
Also, if the main address has changed temporarily, for example where a parent resides with extended family during a period of sickness or takes up temporary accommodation due to building work/renovation, then the parental address remains that at which the parent was resident before the period of temporary residence began.
We reserve the right to withdraw any offer made on the basis of inaccurate information.
Waiting Lists
If a school is full in the appropriate year group, parents may ask us to add their child's name to the waiting list. Names can be added to a waiting list at any time. When places become available, children will be admitted from the list according to the priority set out in paragraphs (i) to (iv) of the published criteria. We do not take into account the length of time on the waiting list.Vacancies often arise at short notice and those on the waiting list should be prepared to take up a place as soon as it occurs. Places will not be held for later consideration.
Further information on admission to Secondary Schools is available from:
School Admissions
Children & Young Peoples Services
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UJ
Tel: 0191 383 4578
Email: Secondary School Admissions
Learning at Home
The 1996 Education Act states that it is the duty of parents to secure an appropriate education for their children. This can be done either by regular attendance at school, or otherwise. For most children this means that they will attend their local school, but for various reasons, a small number of parents decide to take on the responsibility to educate their children outside the school system. The LA must satisfy itself that parents are fulfilling their duties in such cases.For more information contact 0191 383 4165.
Transfer Of Pupils Between Community Secondary Schools
In the case of house moves or exclusions a transfer of school may be unavoidable. At other times the decision to change a child's school will need careful consideration. Factors parents are asked to take into account include, the availability of GCSE examination subjects, changes in friendship groups and the general disruption to studies inevitably caused by any change.Parents are advised to consult staff at their child's present school before approaching another school or the LA for a Transfer Application Form. Forms are obtainable from the Pupil Casework Team at County Hall, Tel. no. (0191) 383 4573.
Generally it is better for transfers to take place at the end of a term or a school year so as to minimise disruption to the child's education. Parents are required to ensure that their children maintain attendance by remaining at their current school until the application for transfer is considered by the LA.
Admissions to Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Schools
Parents who express a preference for a Voluntary Aided School should follow the same procedure as for Community and Voluntary Community Schools. However, in Voluntary Aided Schools, decisions on admission are made by the Governing Body of the school. You will be notified of the decision about your application by the LA acting on its behalf.The admissions criteria for Voluntary Aided Schools will differ from those which apply in Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools.
Transfer Of Pupils Between Secondary Schools One or More Of Which Is An RC School
Where a parent requests a transfer between schools one or both of which are Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Schools, the same basic principles apply as above, and the procedures followed are similar. Applications for transfer to a Voluntary Aided School will, however, require the approval of the Governing Body of that school, rather than of the LA.Further Information
This document provides information on secondary education. A Parents Guide to Education 2009/2010 in Durham includes information regarding choosing your child's school in County Durham, how to apply for a school place and individual school information.
Secondary Brochure (44 pages, 1165kb)
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