Be First in the Queue for a Secondary School Place in Barnstaple

It is time for parents of children in Barnstaple, heading back for their final year of primary school, to start thinking of the move up to secondary school next year.

Parents

of children who are starting in Year 6 in a Devon primary school

are today being sent a letter explaining how they can apply for a

secondary place for September 2011.

Applications for secondary places opened yesterday, September 1 and close on October 31.

Education officials say timely application is essential - particularly where schools are likely to be oversubscribed.

Devon

County Council managed to reduce late applications by 13% for the

September 2010 intake and is aiming to do even better this year.

Applications can be made online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline and allocations will be available from March 1, 2011.

People who do not want to apply online can contact the Education Helpline on 0845 155 1019 or email admissions@devon.gov.uk

Primary

and secondary schools all have a reference copy of the Next Step

booklet giving details of admission procedures and information about

each of Devon’s 37 secondary schools.

The Next Step is also

available online and a full copy can be downloaded along with

electronic information about individual schools at

www.devon.gov.uk/nextstep11

Applications for primary school places open on November 1 and close on January 15.

Devon’s

Cabinet Member for Schools and Skills, Christine Channon, said: “Online

admissions is a convenient and time saving method of applying for a

school place.

“Although parents may still apply in writing, there are many benefits to applying online.”

Mrs Channon said the benefits for parents and carers meant:

• A quicker and easier way of completing their applications

• The ability to amend the application right up to the deadline date

• No risk the application will get lost

• No need to rush back to hand forms in at the school or to Devon County Council

• Immediate online notification when allocations are made