Selecting a secondary school can be an exciting and daunting process for both parents and children. Leaving behind primary school and entering a new school is a big transition, and there are a number of practical steps that parents and guardians need to take to ensure that their children are registered in time. Parents and guardians of a child who will be joining a Worcester secondary school in September 2023 must abide by the national deadlines and apply through Worcestershire County Council.
The deadline for high school applications is fast approaching. So, to ensure the first steps of the transition go smoothly, we’ve created a timeline of the key dates in the school admission timetable.
1 September 2022 – Applications opened
Applications opened on 1 September for parents and guardians to apply for a high school place for September 2023.
Parents can submit an application using the Citizen Portal on Worcestershire County Council’s website.
31 October 2022 – Applications closed
Applications closed for September 2023 high school intakes on 31 October 2022. This is a nationwide deadline, so all parents of children who will be starting Year 7 in September 2023 must have submitted their application detailing their child’s preferred school by this date.
1 November – 31 February – Applications are considered
Local authorities will go through all the applications and allocate places. They will always try to allocate children to their preferred school, but it isn’t always possible as all schools have a set number of places available.
Late applications will be looked at after applications submitted on time. This means children are more likely to be allocated to a school according to which places are remaining if all the places at their preferred school have been given to other children.
For the September 2023 Year 7 intake, we will have 240 places available.
1 March 2023 – School offer notification date
On 1 March 2023, parents will get a letter telling them which secondary school their child has been allocated.
We know that this can be an overwhelming day for children and parents. Children who have got a place at their preferred school might feel excited, but can also be worried if their friends have got places at different schools.
Children who have not got a place at their preferred school can feel very disappointed, and parents might be worried that their children will get a different experience than the one they wanted them to have.
If you do not get your preferred choice, the important thing is not to panic. Most children will settle in, make friends and enjoy their secondary school years while receiving an excellent education.
If you are really unhappy with the school that has been selected, there are appeal options. To make a request to appeal an admissions decision, parents can contact the Worcestershire Appeals Team, based at County Hall in Worcester by emailing [email protected].
The deadline for submitting an appeal for the September 2023 admissions round is 29 March 2023.
Read Worcestershire County Council’s information and guidance on appealing an admissions decision here.
It’s very important that even if you submit an appeal, you still accept your current offer. If your appeal is successful, you can withdraw your acceptance. If you do not accept your current offer, and your appeal is unsuccessful, then your child’s original offer of a place might have been given to another student. If all school places remain taken until the beginning of term, the law then states that children have to be home schooled until a place becomes available.
The team at Bishop Perowne C of E College are always happy to chat to any parents of Year 6 students who are thinking of joining our school, or who are worried about the application process. Get in touch with us by calling (01905) 746 800 or emailing [email protected].
