Primary admissions

Information for those who have applied for a primary school place

If you applied online
Offer emails will be sent from 9am on 20 April 2012. Due to the way in which different email providers work, we are not able to provide an exact delivery time for the emails although in most cases applicants will receive an email by midnight on 20 April 2012.  This will be followed by an offer letter by post (you must return your response to the offer by post using the form in this letter).

If you submitted a paper application
Offer letters will be sent out via 1st class post on Friday 20 April 2012.

Offer information can't be given over the phone
For security reasons, we are not able to provide information on the status of your offer or your offer email over the phone.

Please note the following important information

• You must respond to your child’s school offer using the response form included in your offer letter. Please do not respond to your offer via email or telephone.

Unfortunately School Admissions are unable to confirm receipt of reply forms in relation to admittance to Reception in September 2012. We will however issue reminder letters in due course to those applications that remain outstanding.

Please note: Failure to respond to your child’s school offer will result in the place being withdrawn.

Contacting us by phone
Telephone lines to School Admissions are expected to be very busy, so there may be a delay in answering your call. 

The School Admissions telephone number is 0117 903 7694.

You can also contact the Family Information Service on 0845 129 7217 – who will take a message and pass information on to School Admissions.

Contacting us by email
If you submitted an online application – you can email your query to school.admissions@bristol.gov.uk – it is essential that you send your email from the email address you registered when completing an online application.

Due to the high number of queries we receive it may take up to 5 working days to respond to your query.

Allocation of places for oversubscribed schools
See allocation statements detailing how places were allocated for oversubscribed schools, under Pages in this section on the right.

Waiting list positions for Bristol community schools
These will be available from Monday 28 May 2012. To obtain your child’s position, please contact us by telephone.

Admission to a Reception Class for September 2012

Children born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008 may start school in September 2012.

The deadline date for applying for a primary school place has now passed and the online application system is now closed.

If you have missed the deadline but need to apply for a school place for reception year 2012 you will need to complete a paper application form.  A copy of the application form is available to download on the right or a copy can be sent to you by contacting the admissions team (see contact information below). Before making an application you should read the ‘Your Child’s Primary Education in Bristol (pdf, 2.3 MB)’ guide (updated December 2011) which gives essential information.

Please note that applications received after the deadline date of 15 January 2012 are considered as 'late applications' and are considered after those applications that have been received before the deadline date.

Information on how places were allocated at oversubscribed schools in 2011 is also available by following the links on the right.

Additional reception places
Additional reception places for 2012 have now been confirmed. Details are available on the Primary additional places update page together with information on how to amend your application if you have already submitted one.  The deadline date for all applications, including any changes to existing applications, remains midnight on the 15 January 2012 .

Work continues with the aim of providing more places. Details of these and the methods of applying for them will be published on the Primary additional places update page as appropriate.

Timetable for Coordinated Reception Admissions for September 2012

15 January 2012
Closing date for applications . Any applications received after this date will be regarded as a ‘late application’. This includes any changes of preferences received after this date even if the original application was on time. Late applications are considered after the first round of offers have been sent out

February/ March
Coordination with other Admission Authorities. Application reports are sent by Bristol to other admissions authorities (Local Authorities and own admission authority schools – link). They respond with admissions decisions. Bristol informs other Local Authorities of initial outcome of applications made by their residents for Bristol schools. Bristol receives initial outcome of applications made by Bristol residents for schools in other Local Authorities. Sorting process is undertaken by LA to ensure every child receives the highest preference offer possible or an offer of an alternative school if no preference school is available.

20 April 2012
Single offer of a school place. All Bristol residents who made an on time application (i.e. received by 15 January 2012) are sent a single offer letter. Online applicants also receive an email. 

By 4 May 2012
Responses received. All parents/ carers should respond by this date, in writing using the reply form enclosed with their offer letter.

May/ June
Bristol keeps other Local Authorities and own admission authority schools updated.

June
On going allocation of places that become available in over-subscribed schools and late applications  processed.

July onwards
Appeals heard.

Waiting lists related to children admitted to Reception Year for September 2011

The law around waiting lists for school places has changed.

Waiting lists for children who were admitted to and started new Reception in September 2011 will close on 31 January 2012.

Letters have been sent out to all Bristol residents whose child is on one or more Bristol school’s Reception Class waiting list to ascertain whether they wish their child to remain on that list until the end of August 2012.  Parents will need to reply in writing by 16 January 2012 using the form provided. Parents will not receive a letter if:

• They have submitted an In Year movers application after their application for a Reception class place September 2011
• Their child is ONLY on the waiting list for a school(s) in another Local Authority. In this case parents will need to contact the School Admissions team in that Local Authority direct

If a parent wishes to change their preferences they must submit an In Year movers application.

If a parent has not replied using the correct form by 16 January 2012 their child’s name will be removed from the waiting list(s). If subsequently they wish their child to be considered for one or more schools they will need to submit an In Year application

General information:
For all other year groups, the Local Authority maintains waiting lists for all Bristol Community Schools based on the published over-subscription criteria. Schools which are their own admission authority i.e Academies including the Bristol Free School, Voluntary Aided and Trust Schools must maintain waiting lists based on their own published over-subscription criteria.

Waiting list order must refer only to the over-subscription criteria and must not take other factors into account such as the date of application, or a family's individual circumstances.  Parents who lodge an appeal for a school place are automatically included on the waiting list.

The current admissions code of practice can be found at:

http://education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schooladmissions/a00195/current-codes-and-regulations

Statutory School Age

Information relevant to children entering Reception Year 2012 who are not yet of Statutory School Age

As a rough rule, Statutory School Age means that a child has to be receiving appropriate education in the school term following their fifth birthday. That is:

• A child born between September 2007 and December 2007 has to be in school as from 3 January 2013
• A child born between January 2008 and April 2008 has to be in school from 16 April 2013
• A child born between May 2008 and August 2008 has to be in school as from 1 September 2013

Please contact School Admissions for exact dates of birth

If School Admissions have offered you a school place that is not for your first preference school and to date you have not accepted that offer

You can:

• enrol your child at the offered school so that they attend that school. If you have already replied to School Admissions that you wish your child to be on one or more waiting lists you need not do anything else. If you have not done this then please, as a matter of urgency, write to School Admissions identifying which of your preference schools you wish your child to be on the waiting list for.
• formally (in writing) contact School Admissions to refuse the offer. In this case your child will not attend a Bristol State school until your child’s name comes to the top of a waiting list (should you have requested to go on the waiting list for one or more of your preference schools) and a place becomes available OR they reach statutory school age – whichever happens sooner. You should contact School Admissions at least 6 weeks before your child reaches statutory school age to request a place.
• defer your child’s entry to school until they reach Statutory School Age (see below under Deferred Entry for further information)
• choose to inform School Admissions in writing that your child no longer require a state funded school place.

Please note that your child will remain on the waiting list until the end of December 2012. School Admissions will contact you in mid-December to ascertain if you wish your child to remain on the waiting list until the end of the academic year.

Should you wish to explore other options please contact;

Education Otherwise on 0117 922 3700 concerning home education or

The Family Information Service on 0845 129 7217 or

Early Years and Childcare Services