1. Secondary Admissions 2018 Parent information

2. Key Dates for Parents
Results sent to parents on Thursday 12th October 2017
National SCAF closing date Tuesday 31st October 2017
National Offer Day Thursday 1st March 2018
Waiting List requests and Late applications 19th March 2018
Places to be accepted or refused by 20 March 2018
By this date parents must lodge an appeal with the Local Authority 13th April 2018
Vacant places reallocated by KCC 27th April 2018

3. Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF)
Please apply online via the Online Admissions Website Parents must fill in their home authority’s SCAF or online application Kent parents are invited to express up to four preferences in priority order. Putting down one school only will not improve the chance of getting a place. Applications must be submitted by midnight on Tuesday 31st October 2017 which is a ‘National’ closing date.

4. Online Admissions
Parents will need to register with the website before submitting their application. You will be sent an confirmation of their registration / application if you provide a valid address. Parents do not need to have an address to apply online. You should print off a summary of your application and give a copy to the School Office. If you have provided an address, you will receive an confirmation of your application which is a complete copy of your submission.

5. Online Admissions
On 1st March 2018 parents who have applied online, and provided a valid address, will receive notification of their offer by . Offer s will be sent after 4pm on 1st March Only parents who apply online can receive their offer notification by , parents who apply on paper will need to wait for their formal letter. Parents who apply online must not submit a paper SCAF as well. The LA will only accept one application, and checking duplicates will slow processing down.

6. Supplementary Information Forms (SIFs)
Only applications submitted on a SCAF are valid.
Completion of a school’s supplementary Information Form (SIF) alone does not constitute a valid application.
The only information a school can request on a SIF is what is required to apply their oversubscription criteria.
SIFs must be returned to the Secondary school.

7. Testing
Children whose parents have not registered but have named a grammar school on their SCAF will not be able to sit the test until after 27th April 2018 when parents can submit a further application through the post reallocation process or the in year admissions process or make admissions appeal to independent appeal panel. Where a grammar school is named on the SCAF and the child has not taken the Kent test the preference will be treated as invalid because the child does not meet the entry criteria for a grammar school. A grammar school assessment does not guarantee a grammar school place. The allocation of places rests on each school’s published oversubscription criteria. There is no right to appeal against the assessment decision but after 1st March 2018 parents may make an admission appeal to an independent appeal panel.

8. Offering School Places
1st March 2018 After 4pm those parents who applied online and provided a valid address will be sent an advising which school their child has been offered. Parents can also log on to the eAdmissions site to view their offer, after 5pm. In addition, offer letters will be posted first class to all paper SCAF applicants and applicants which did not receive their first preference. They should arrive on 2nd March Kent LA’s s/ letters will include an acceptance letter, a waiting list form and information about how to appeal.

9. Offering School Places
From 5th March 2018 Schools send welcome letters to parents, and reiterate the need to return acceptances and refusals back to the schools. By 16th March 2018 Deadlines for parents to accept and refuse places with the school- this must be made in writing or via . Final date for parents to request to go on a waiting list (to the LA). 30th March 2018 Final date for parents to make any appeal. 27th April 2018 The LA will offer any vacant places to pupils on the reallocation lists, prioritised in accordance with the published oversubscription criteria.

10. Waiting Lists
The LA will offer places in those schools with vacancies against the Published Admission Number on 27th April After 27th April 2018 schools will hold waiting lists prioritised in accordance with their oversubscription criteria. A grammar school can only put children on its waiting list who have been assessed suitable for grammar school through the Kent Test (and / or Dover Test for Dover grammar schools only).

11. Appeals
Parents have the right to appeal for any school which refuses them a place. Appeals must be lodged by 30th March After 27th April, the schools will allocate vacant places to children on the waiting lists, in accordance of their oversubscription criteria.

12. Academies
Academies take place in the LA’s Admissions Scheme, and, like maintained schools are subject to the School Admissions Code. They are required to follow the admissions scheme and engage in In Year Fair Access protocols in the same way as any other schools.

13. Home to School Transport
Home to transport is a consideration for many parents of children that are transferring to secondary school. The criteria to receive home to school transport are that the child must be attending the nearest appropriate school for transport purposes AND the distance between the home and school must be more than three miles via the shortest available walking route. Transport Entitlement Transport will only be provided to the nearest suitable school for transport purposes. The admissions and transport policies are entirely separate. Children will not automatically receive travel assistance to any school that offers them a place. Further information can be found on

14. Open Days
Norton Knatchbull Open afternoon 13th September 2.15pm – 3.30pm Open Evening 27th September 5.30pm – 7.30pm Tel: John Wallis Open Evening 3rd October 5pm – 8.30pm Open Morning 4th October - 6th October Tel: North School Open morning 2nd – 13th October 9am Open Evening 4th October – 20.00pm Except 5th October or Wye School Opening Evening 2nd October & 3rd October 6pm – 8pm Tel:
Towers School
Open Evening 28th s?eptember 4.30 – 7.30pm
Open Morning 2nd October to 6th October
Reserve your place at or
Highworth Grammar School
Open Evening 19th October 6pm -8pm Presentation by head at 6pm & 6.45pm
Open Morning 20th October 9am – 10.30am
Admissions Officer: Mrs A
Tel:
Homewood School
20th September 4pm – 6pm Principals talk at 5.30 pm & 7pm
For more information please contact Lynn Castle on x 201 or

15. Any Questions?
Send additional questions to or
Contact the team on 15

16. Good Luck!
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any advice, help or support!
I will now hand over to the secondary schools for their individual presentations.