Secondary admissions

Secondary transfer 2012 first round allocation information

Information is now available about how school places were allocated on the initial round of allocations. If your child has not been offered a place at your first  preference school,  please see details of how to continue with your application for your preferred school(s). The appeals procedure varies for each school so please ensure you follow the relevant guidance for the school you are interested in. 

Schools over-subscribed in Bristol Local Authority area

St Bedes Catholic College

• St Bedes Catholic College allocation statement and appeals pro forma (pdf, 9 KB)

Bristol Cathedral Choir School

• Bristol Cathedral Choir School allocation statement (pdf, 27 KB)
• Bristol Cathedral Choir School appeals pro forma (pdf, 13 KB)

Colston Girl's School Academy

• Colston Girl's School Academy allocation statement (pdf, 88 KB)
• Colston Girl's School Academy appeals pro forma (pdf, 3 KB)

Cotham School

• Cotham School allocation statement (pdf, 0.7 MB)
• Cotham School appeals procedure (pdf, 8 KB)
• Cotham School appeals pro forma (pdf, 2 KB)

Redland Green School

• Redland Green School allocation statement (pdf, 7 KB)
• Redland Green School APR map (pdf, 2.7 MB)
• Redland Green School appeals procedure (pdf, 8 KB)
• Redland Green School appeals pro forma (pdf, 4 KB)

St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School

• St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School allocation statement (pdf, 3 KB)
• St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School appeals pro forma (pdf, 3 KB)

Transfer to Secondary School for September 2012

The deadline for applications was 31 October 2011. The online system has now closed. If you have not already made an application you will need to complete a paper form. You can download the application form from Related documents on the right. Before making an application you should read the ‘Your Child’s Secondary Education in Bristol (pdf, 2.9 MB)’ guide which gives essential information. 

Information for those who have applied for a secondary school place

If you applied online: offer emails will be sent from 9am on 1 March 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 1 March 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 Thursday 1 March 2012.

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.

Telephone lines to School Admissions are expected to be very busy. If you need to contact us via telephone there may be a delay in answering your call.

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

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 statements for oversubscribed schools will be available from noon on Monday 5 March 2012.


Timetable for Coordinated Secondary Admissions for September 2012

31 October 2011
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.

November/ December
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.

1 March 2012
Single offer of a school place. All Bristol residents who made an on time application (ie received by 31 October 2011 ) are sent a single offer letter. Online applicants also receive an email. 

By 15 March 2012
Responses received. All parents/ carers should respond by this date, in writing using the reply form enclosed with their offer letter.

March/ April
Bristol keeps other Local Authorities and own admission authority schools updated.

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

May onwards
Appeals heard.

Waiting lists related to children admitted to Year 7 for September 2011

The law around waiting lists for school places has changed.

Waiting lists will close on 31January 2012 for children who were admitted to and started new Year 7 in September 2011.

Letters have been sent out to all Bristol residents whose child is on one or more Bristol school’s Year 7 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 Year 7 place for 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 now wishes to change their preferences they must submit on 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:

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