APPLICATIONS are now open for secondary school places in Warwickshire.
And parents of children starting year 6 this week are being urged to apply by the deadline of October 31 or risk disappointment.
Last year 82 per cent of 6,671 children who applied for a secondary school place in Warwickshire on time were offered their first choice school and a further 12 per cent were offered a place at another of their school choices.
But each year, reports Warwickshire County Council (WCC), there are families who are disappointed on National Offer Day (March 1) because they are offered a school that does not reflect their preferences at all.
This is often because they only apply to one school, instead of using more of the six possible choices on their application form.
While families that miss the October 31 deadline are also much less likely to get offered a place at a preferred school.
There are plenty of useful resources for parents and carers on WCC’s website at https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/applying-secondary-school-place to help them decide on which schools to include on their application form.
This includes a priority area map, a list of all local schools and a handy video to help them to make realistic choices.
WCC’s spokesperson for education, Coun Kam Kaur, said: “Making the move to secondary school is a big step, so 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”.
Secondary school applications can be made online from today (Monday) 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.
