In year applications - first come, first served?

[mrsoutnumbered]

Are places usually allocated on a first come, first served basis? Obviously I know that certain children are given priority - but after then I was wondering how it works.

I have just completed an in year application for my son, for year 2 next academic year. His sister is at the linked school.

I did the application at 6am on the day the rounds opened (Friday!). I am desperate not to walk the 4 mile round trip to his current school! When I checked his school On the cc website I can see that the school has space(s) 🤞🏻

If there is 1 space and 2 applicants, normal admissions criteria apply. If there is 1 space and applicant you get the space.

The waiting list operates by the admission criteria.

I'm not sure what you mean by "when the rounds opened"?

Schools may or may not keep ongoing waiting lists. If they do, then as places come up they are allocated according to the list.

If they don't keep ongoing waiting lists, then if there is a space at the time you apply, you get it. If there is no space, then you will be informed.

Does this admissions authority only accept applications at certain times? The admissions code states quite clearly that you can apply for a school at any time.

they do rounds to in our area, here they wait until the end of the round then allocate in normal way so distance etc. Good luck op hopefully not too many applicants.

no.

The waiting lists were wiped on 21st June and a new round for the next academic year opened on 22nd June. I did the application at 6am that day.

So speaking hypothetically, if there's only 1 place, no children in care or with sen that have also applied, I should be first in queue as child has a sibling in linked school...right?

I know it's all speculation, I won't know for sure for 2/3 weeks. Just wondered if I was thinking along the right track!

So speaking hypothetically, if there's only 1 place, no children in care or with sen that have also applied, I should be first in queue as child has a sibling in linked school...right?

Are siblings in linked schools the next category?

Yes! Sorry I think the heat has affected my brain.

1 - children looked after
2 - medical/social
3 - sibling

The answer is that it is possible you are first in the queue but not a guarantee as there will also be a tiebreak which is probably distance and some one could apply with a sibling who lives closer to the school.
However I do have a concern with what you have said. You have said places are allocated in application rounds. Now I can understand why admission authorities may see this as a sensible way of handling places in the normal admission rounds but they do need to give consideration to the admission guidance in terms of in-year applications, which is what you are doing. Unfortunately the 2014 guidance is not as clear as it was in previous versions about the process. What the current guidance says in para 15D is "If a school is under-subscribed, any parent that applies must be offered a place." The previous 2010 version said in para 3.23 for in-year applications " applications made outside the normal admissions round must be considered without delay and a formal decision either to offer or refuse a place must be made". In other words in the 2010 guidance,the key words are without delay. There was much more emphasis on as soon as an application was received, it should be dealt with, rather than put it in a file for future consideration.
So my question to you is when does this admission round start and when does it finish and are you sure that this is not to do with the reception admissions? If it is more than a week in length or so, then I would be asking the admission authority to confirm that there is a space in the year group and if so when are they going to offer that place to you., because they are "introducing a new set of rules" as far as I am concerned.

Hi,

The rounds opened on 22nd June and run until June 2019. It's Hertfordshire county council if that helps at all!

Definitely in year and not reception admissions.

admission surely that would depend on whether they are deliberately holding places for an annual (or termly, or whatever interval - but set interval) in-year admissions round?

Or if they suspend in-year admissions for a (reasonable!) time while they do a major overhaul of continued interest list (so it's not cluttered up with people who have decided they no longer want to wait). It sounds more like they are cleaning up the list at the end of a school year.

They should tell you, if you ask.

Yes that's it - they wipe the list for the current academic year on 21st June. If you still want to be on the list for the following academic year you have to reapply from 22nd June onwards.

I guess that if anyone was on the list for your year group yesterday just before lists were wiped then that means there weren't any spaces in the year, and thus there still won't be spaces today either, thus giving time for everyone to get back on the list.

Is everyone currently on the waiting list informed by letter/email their place is being removed and to re-apply, or do you just have to 'know'?

I am also wondering at what point places are allocated. We have applied for our daughter to transfer school for September and will be going into year 3. I'm pretty sure that we are back of the queue for new allocations because we are not moving house and she has a space at another school in area (even though the school we've applied for is 3 miles closer!)

@TeenTimesTwo yes that makes sense I think you're right.

When I checked the cc website it says that there are spaces in year 2 for September - so maybe they have leavers or maybe they're expanding and adding another class?

Amy Your place on the waiting list is determined by the school’s oversubscription (admissions) criteria. The fact she already has a school place has no bearing.

Thanks EduCated. I'm really confused by the process tbh. The application portal on LA site says that if not moving house the application won't be processed until the second full week of the autumn term yet all other applicants will have offers by 17th July.

I can't work this out!!

That sounds contradictory Amy205 - if you PM me the LA involved I am happy to check. It sounds as if they are mixing up a number of things....!

In terms of this being Hertfordshire CC, you do need to re-apply to go on waiting lists for up to 4 schools from what I am reading on their website. As meditrina says it is quite reasonable for the LA to clear out all the requests that are no longer current or needed. Having said that I am not sure whether you are actually making a new formal application for a place or just going on a new continued interest list. I would ask the LA specifically whether you are making a new application or not. If you are making a new application and they say there is space in year 2 in September I would ask for one of the places now, rather than wait for them.
When I look at the form which the current school has to fill in, it makes me question whether that is legal with all the questions about attendance, punctuality and attainment. That has absolutely nothing to do with admission to a schooland is getting quite close to breaching para 1.9 of the admission guidance.

Just thought I would update you all - I got a letter today and we have been offered a place! 👍

Ahh great news!

@admission thanks for your advice, yes I did wonder why they needed all that information. I think you have to go through the application process, so apply for a place and then go on a continued interest list if there are no places available.

I think I must've got lucky, perhaps there are one (or more) children moving at the end of year 1, hence the space in year 2 in September. Now that I've got the letter I'll call the school tomorrow and find out when he can start. I'm assuming it'll be September although I'd happily start him next week! His current school is 25 minutes walk away!

OP When you call the school, you could ask if they have a 'going up day' (or morning) planned and ask if so whether he could at least attend for that. (You current school could mark him as absent for approved activity or similar).

Thanks @TeenTimesTwo yes, i am in Herts and all schools have a transition day on Thursday, so going to try to get him along to that.