PARENTS and carers of children starting in Year 6 this week are being asked to apply for their child’s secondary school place by the end of October.
Last year, 6,720 children applied by the deadline for a Warwickshire secondary school place, with 80 per cent being offered their first-choice school and a further 16 per cent offered a place at another of their choices.
However, each year some families are offered a school which doesn’t reflect their preferences – often because they only apply to one school, instead of applying for six possible choices.
Families who miss the October 31 deadline are also less likely to get offered a place at a preferred school.
Families are being encouraged to take some time to research their school options before applying.
Coun Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council’s spokeswoman for education, said: “Look at the admissions criteria for each school you are interested in, think about how your child might travel to and from school each day – and most importantly, go and visit the schools in your area if you can, have a good look round and talk to the staff and teachers.
“We have some fantastic schools in Warwickshire, and we want to make sure every child has a place at a school that is right for them.”
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is running two online events to support families applying for a school place.
The first, called Applying for Secondary School, is on Tuesday September 26 and is for any parent or carer with a child who will start secondary school in 2024.
The second, called Applying for Secondary School with 11+ Test Results, takes place on Thursday September 28 and is for families who expect to include a Warwickshire grammar school on their application form.
Both events are free to join and places can be booked via the WCC website, or at http://tinyurl.com/427pvb44
Online secondary school applications are now open, and must be submitted by October 31.
Any applications submitted after the deadline will only be considered once those submitted on time have been made offers, by which time many schools will be full, and the child is much less likely to be offered a place at their preferred school.
Parents and carers wanting more information on how to apply to secondary school – including a priority area map and a list of all local schools – can visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/applying-secondary-school-place
