Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
STARTING SCHOOL
Starting School
  A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS

           2019 - 2020

          Publication date September 2018
Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Important dates relating to your                                                 School Admissions Online
  child’s admission to school

    Primary School                        Secondary School
    Packs Available                       Packs Available                Is your child eligible to start School (Reception) in September 2019?
    5th November 2018                     1st October 2018               Or maybe you have a child currently in year 6, getting ready to
                                                                         move up to Secondary School? If so...
    Closing date for                      Closing date for
    applications:                         applications:                  Why not take advantage of our online application system
    Monday 14th January                   Friday 30th November
    2019 at midday                        2018 at midday
                                                                                                                                             s of
    Offer date:                           Offer date:                                                                   What are the benefit
    16th April 2019                       1st March 2019                  Primary to Secondary                          the system?
                                                                          Applications                                                       rantees the
                                                                                                                        • Saves on postage costs
                                                                                                                                                         and gua
                                                                                                                                                               application
                                                                           System available to use from                    safe delivery of your child’s
                                                                                                      sing date of                                           ledg   ement once
                                                                           1st October 2018 until clo                                       atic ack  now
Please ensure that you complete an application form either on-line or                                                   • Get an autom
                                                                                                                                                                    mitt ed and
                                                                                                8 at 12  midday.           your application has been
                                                                                                                                                              sub
on a paper application form which can be obtained from The School          30th November 201
                                                                                                                            received by us
and Student Access Unit on 01633 644508.                                   Admission to Primary                          • Ability to view and amend
                                                                                                                                                              your application
                                                                                                  ns
                                                                           (Reception) Applicatio                           online up until the publish
                                                                                                                                                              ed   closing date
                                                                                                                                                                    on the
                                                                           System available to use from                                         o our   syst  em
                                                                                                                         • Ability to log ont
Please ensure that your completed application is returned prior to the                                closing date of                               e to  find   out   if your child’s
                                                                           5th November 2018 until                           publish ed  offe r dat
                                                                                                                                                             ces  sful
above closing dates. Failure to do so will disadvantage your child’s       14th January 2019   at 12  mid day.               application has been      suc
                                                                                                                                                            School Admissions
application and increase the risk of them not obtaining a place at                                                        For further information on
                                                                                                  -
                                                                            Secondary offer date                          and to access the online app
                                                                                                                                                                lication system,
your preferred School.                                                      1st March 2019                                please visit: www.monm         out   hsh   ire.gov.uk
                                                                                                     h April 2019
                                                                            Primary offer date - 16t
                                                                                                                                                         -place
                                                                                                                          /applying-for-a- school

     For more information on
     the application process
     and the evidence that
     we require, please refer
     to pages 20 - 23 of this
     booklet.

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Contents                                                      Introduction
 Introduction							4                                                  DEAR PARENT/CARER
 Term dates 2018/19						5
 Provision of Education In Monmouthshire				           6-9             At this important time in your child’s life this booklet is provided to support you in
 What will my child study in Primary School? 			       10 - 13         your next steps.
 What will my child study in Secondary School?			      13 - 17
 Admissions Procedure						17                                          Monmouthshire is proud of its achievements for all its children and young
 Admission to Early Years Education				                18 - 19         people. We aim to provide learning opportunities and experiences that
 Admission to Infant/Primary School				                20 - 21         allow pupils and students to achieve their potential in all aspects of their life
 Admission to Secondary School					22                                  and the future.
 Admission to Voluntary Aided Schools				              21
 Important Dates Relating to your Child’s Admission			 21              The Directorate for Children and Young People has an excellent record of
 Applying for a Primary/Secondary School Place			      22 - 27         achieving a very high percentage of first preferences for school places. We are
 Allocation of places at Local Authority maintained:                   proud of this achievement and want to continue to work with you and our schools
 Primary/Secondary Schools					28 - 30                                 to meet your needs wherever possible. We are also determined to ensure that
 Late Applications							31 - 32                                       when your child starts school, this very important time for your family is supported
 Some reasons why we may refuse an admission 			       33 - 35         with clear information. This booklet is designed to provide you with the detail you
 Appeals								35 - 37                                                need to ensure that the process is a positive experience from the start. Staff in the
 In Year – transfer between schools					               37 - 38         Directorate will be pleased to help and support in any way they can.
 Admissions arrangements for VA Schools				            39 - 70
                                                                       We are sure that you appreciate that the information offered here is for general

        Useful Information Section
                                                                       guidance only. Each year we forecast the demands for places in schools. From
                                                                       time to time external and unexpected factors can challenge the accuracy of our
                                                                       projections.
  Frequently asked questions regarding admissions			      72 - 74
  Frequently asked questions regarding transport			       75 - 78
                                                                       To assist you in deciding on your preferences there are specific details in relation
  Special Educational /Additional Learning Needs			       79 - 81
                                                                       to the Primary and Secondary schools in Monmouthshire and surrounding areas
  Healthy Schools Scheme						72 - 84
                                                                       contained in this booklet.
  School Meals							85 - 88
  School clothing grants						89
                                                                       This is a milestone event for you and your child. We are here to help.
  School Governors and Health & Safety				                91
  Education Welfare Service					92
                                                                       Will Mclean
  A Guide for our Customers					                          93
                                                                       Chief Officer for Children and Young People
  Concerns or Complaints about Schools				                94
  Local Authority Maintained Nurseries in Monmouthshire		 95-96
                                                                       County Councillor Richard John
  Non - maintained Early Years Provision				              97
                                                                       Cabinet Member for Children & Young People.
  A list of Primary Education in Monmouthshire			         98 - 105
  A list of Secondary Education in Monmouthshire			       106 - 107
  Useful Contacts							108
  Terms used in this booklet						109

  Publication date September 2018

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Term Dates 2019 - 2020                                                        Provision of Education
    Please see below our confirmed School Term Dates
                                                                                               in Monmouthshire
    and Holidays for the 2019/20 academic year.
                                                                                   Monmouthshire is proud to offer the following
    Within Monmouthshire, we ensure that appropriate consultation is held          educational provision within it’s County:
    with our neighbouring Authorities with the view to ensuring compliance and
    consistency of dates, although this is not always possible. We acknowledge     Nursery Education
    the importance of consistency of term dates across neighbouring Authorities    Monmouthshire has twelve nursery units attached to mainstream schools.
    and how this relates to a variety of implications for parents, staff and       The authority maintains these nurseries which provide free, part time early
    children.                                                                      years education (if there are spaces available) for pupils from the term
                                                                                   following their third birthday.
    These dates comply with those dates being put forward by our immediate
    neighbouring Authorities which include Newport, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent         We also support many private day nurseries, pre-prep schools, playgroups,
    and Cardiff.                                                                   crèches and cylchoedd meithrin (playgroups using the medium of welsh).
                                                                                   These settings are approved providers of early year’s education.
      Term          Term         Half Term    Half Term Term             Number
                                                                                   Details of the Local Authority maintained and private nurseries can be found
                    Begins       Begins       Ends      Ends             of Days
                                                                                   on pages 93 - 94

      Autumn        MONDAY       MONDAY       FRIDAY      FRIDAY         75        Primary Education (4-11)
                    02.09.19     28.10.19     01.11.19    20.12.19
                                                                                   The County Council offers a number of educational
                                                                                   establishments at Primary level:
      Spring        MONDAY       MONDAY       FRIDAY      THURSDAY       65
                    06.01.20     17.02.20     21.03.20    03.04.20
                                                                                   Primary Community (English) 		          20
                                                                                   Primary Community (Welsh) 		            2
                    MONDAY       MONDAY       FRIDAY      MONDAY         60
      Summer                                                                       Primary Church in Wales VC 		           4
                    20.04.20     25.05.20     29.05.20    20.07.20                 Primary Church in Wales VA 		           3
                                                                                   Primary Roman Catholic VA 		            2
                                                                         200
                                                                                   Details of the above Schools are on pages 96 - 103
Inclusive of 5 days for teachers in-service training
         May Day				04.05.2020
         Total Number of Days			                  200
         Total Number of Pupil Days		             195
             Please contact schools for details of their individual Inset days

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Welsh Medium Primary Education                                               All schools provide a broad and balanced
The Authority maintains two Welsh Medium Primary Schools                     curriculum and offer many additional
located in Abergavenny (Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni) and Caldicot                  opportunities through a wide range of
                                                                             extra-curricular activities which take place
(Ysgol Gymraeg Y Ffin).                                                      outside lesson times offering children the
                                                                             best opportunity to develop themselves
Children wishing to be educated through the medium of Welsh will
                                                                             as an individual, socially and academically.
receive free Home to School Transport to their nearest Welsh Medium
                                                                             GCSE, AS and A level results in
establishment.
                                                                             Monmouthshire schools consistently achieve
                                                                             grades above the welsh average.
Voluntary Controlled Schools
These co-educational day schools, whilst under the control of the Local      Monmouthshire Secondary Schools and their sixth form provision continues
Authority as far as admissions are concerned, offer an education which is    to develop individuals with the skills to succeed in Further Education and life
founded on Christian principles and values.                                  beyond statutory schooling.
                                                                             Special Secondary Education
Voluntary Aided Schools
                                                                             Mounton House Special School is located in Chepstow and accommodates
These are voluntary aided co-educational day schools which are
                                                                             11-16 year old boys with significant social, emotional and behavioural
maintained jointly by the the Local Authority and voluntary bodies. All
                                                                             difficulties.
aided schools in the County are either part of Catholic or Church in Wales
                                                                             Caldicot School and Monmouth Comprehensive School have an Additional
denominational groups.
                                                                             Educational Needs Base to provide for children who have additional
                                                                             learning needs.
Children wishing to be educated at a school which offers denominational
education will receive free Home to School Transport to their nearest
                                                                             Welsh Medium Secondary Education
denominational setting.
                                                                             Monmouthshire has developed close links with neighboring authorities
                                                                             Torfaen County Council and Newport County Council to provide Welsh
Special Primary Education
                                                                             Medium Education at Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw for the North of the County
Overmonnow Primary School (Monmouth), Pembroke Primary School
                                                                             and Ysgol Gwent Is Coed for the South of the County.
(Chepstow), and Deri View Primary School (Abergavenny) have Additional
Educational Needs Units to accommodate those children whose needs
                                                                             Children wishing to be educated through the medium of Welsh will receive
cannot be met in mainstream education.
                                                                             free Home to School Transport to their nearest Welsh medium setting
Secondary Education (11-19)
                                                                             Denominational Secondary Education
All mainstream secondary schools in Monmouthshire are mixed
                                                                             Monmouthshire, in addition to its mainstream primary schools, offers the
Comprehensive Schools and serve 11 - 19 year olds. These are situated
                                                                             opportunity for parents to educate their children in a setting complimentary
close to the four major towns in Monmouthshire.
                                                                             to their religious beliefs and understanding.

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Whilst Monmouthshire does not currently offer denominational secondary
                                                                                       What will my child
educational settings, we appreciate that you may wish to continue to
educate your child in such a school and we would support this.
                                                                                    study in Primary School?
                                                                             Children’s Primary Education is divided into two areas. Since September
Children wishing to be educated at a School which offers denominational      2008, the curriculum for children aged 3-7 has been called the Foundation
education will receive free Home to School Transport to their nearest        Phase. A statutory framework called ‘The Framework for Children’s Learning
denominational setting.                                                      from 3-7 year olds in Wales’ is available to support the curriculum. The
                                                                             Foundation Phase features an active learning style, developing independence
Please see page 105 for details of local denominational secondary schools    and confidence inside and outside in purposefully constructed environments.
outside of Monmouthshire.
                                                                             Foundation Phase
Post 16 Education                                                            Foundation Phase contains 7 areas of learning:
Monmouthshire 14-19 Learning Pathways Network is a collaborative             • Personal and Social Development, Well-being and Cultural Diversity
network of learning providers dedicated to broadening the choice and         • L anguage, Literacy and Communication Development (studied in Welsh in
flexibility available to young people aged between 14 and 19.                  Welsh Medium Settings)
                                                                             • Mathematical Development
The network ensures that the individual needs of young people are met        • Welsh Language Development (omitted in Welsh Medium Settings)
and provides greater opportunities and experiences that will help learners   • Knowledge and Understanding of the World
develop the wider skills they need for life and work.                        • Physical Development
                                                                             • Creative Development

      Vision                                                                 The Foundation Phase places great emphasis on children learning by doing.
                                                                             For example, mathematics will be more practical so that children can see
                                                                             how problems are solved and how important mathematics is in their
      To provide the students of Monmouthshire with an educational           everyday lives.
      provision that prepares them to participate fully in today and
      tomorrow’s society.                                                    From September 2008 pupils aged 7-14 have followed a revised curriculum
                                                                             which is skills based and makes links between learning in different subject
                                                                             areas. There is an emphasis on the development of thinking skills and using
      Within Monmouthshire, we are fortunate to have 4                       the skills of literacy, numeracy and IT across the curriculum.
      Comprehensive Schools offering 6th form facilities for those
      wishing to continue their education through to the age of 19.          The new orders of the National Curriculum (NC) consist of three core
                                                                             subjects of English, Mathematics and Science with the addition of Welsh in
      We also have close links with Coleg Gwent to broaden the
                                                                             Welsh medium Primary and Secondary schools. The foundation subjects of
      options available to the children of Monmouthshire.                    Welsh second language, Design Technology, Information Technology, History,
                                                                             Geography, Art, Music and Physical Education makes up the remainder of
                                                                             the National Curriculum.

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
A Non-Statutory “Skills Framework for 3 to 19 year olds in Wales”              All learners in years 2 through to 9 will be required to be assessed using the
 has been developed in order to provide guidance about continuity and           national tests for the first time in May 2013. Parents should be informed
 progression in developing thinking, communication, ICT and number for          of the outcome of a test undertaken by their child. It is expected that the
 learners. Learners develop their thinking across the curriculum through the    information will form part of the annual report to parents / carers.
 process of planning, developing and reflecting. Children are also required
 to study Religious Education (RE), Cwricwlwm Cymreig and Personal, Social      Are there any exceptions from the National Curriculum?
 Education (PSE).                                                               Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious or sex
 In maintained schools the RE syllabus is laid down by the Local Authority.     education. However, they may not withdraw them from the National
 In voluntary aided schools, a denominational syllabus is followed. In          Curriculum subjects, or from the arrangements to assess pupils’ progress in
 voluntary controlled schools, the RE syllabus is that laid down by the Local   these subjects.
 Authority but parents can opt for a denominational Religious Education.
 The agreed syllabus is overseen by the Standing Advisory Council on            Occasionally, if a child has certain Special Educational Needs, he or she
 Religious Education (SACRE)                                                    may be excused from all or part of the National Curriculum on a temporary
                                                                                basis.
 The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework
 In order to raise standards in literacy and numeracy for all learners aged 5   Teaching of Welsh in English-Medium Schools
 to 14, the Welsh Government has introduced a new national Literacy and         Under the requirements of the National Curriculum for Schools in Wales
 Numeracy Framework (LNF) which was launched on the Learning Wales              and regulations laid down by the Secretary of State, the teaching of Welsh is
 site at the end of January 2013. Both primary and secondary schools will       a compulsory subject at all schools in Monmouthshire.
 use the Framework to make sure that the teaching of literacy and numeracy
 skills is embedded in all subjects across the curriculum rather than focused   Who makes the decisions about the curriculum in schools?
 on English, Welsh and Maths lessons alone.                                     Legislation sets out the national curriculum requirements for schools whilst
 The Foundation Phase places great importance on literacy and numeracy.         the Local Authority determines the syllabus for Religious Education. The
 In the Foundation Phase children are introduced to early literacy through      school decides its own curriculum taking account of these requirements and
 real context learning in a print rich environment. The LNF became a            organises its own timetables.
 statutory curriculum requirement from September 2013, with formal
 assessment against the LNF becoming a requirement from September               It is for the school to ensure that its curriculum meets the legal requirements.
 2014. The Framework will allow teachers and early years’ practitioners
 to monitor pupils’ progress against year on year expectations for literacy     How are Schools Supported?
 and numeracy and will help schools to identify how best to challenge and       Monmouthshire Local Authority has entered into partnership with four
 support all their learners.                                                    neighbouring Local Authorities to form the South East Wales Consortium
                                                                                (SEWC). The Local Authorities that form SEWC are: Monmouthshire CC,
 The introduction of the LNF has been supported by a new National Support       Torfaen CC, Newport City Council, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly. As part
 programme (NSP) funded by the Welsh Government to offer direct support         of this arrangement, an Education Achievement Service (EAS) has been
 to schools and teachers. It is first and foremost a curriculum planning        created to support, monitor and challenge Schools within Monmouthshire,
 tool, identifying clear annual expected outcomes in literacy and numeracy.     and the Consortium as a whole.
 Schools will be expected to report annually on individual pupil’s progress,
 strengths and areas of development.

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Schools are inspected by teams of inspectors at least once every six years.   What must my child study?
 These are undertaken by the office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of        The National Curriculum for pupils in Key Stage 3
 Schools in Wales (ESTYN).                                                     (from 11 - 14 years of age) is made up of the following subjects:
                                                                               • English                               •   Design and Technology
 Following an ESTYN inspection, the full report of the findings is provided    • Welsh (as a second language,
 in addition to a summary report which must be given to all parents.                                                   •   Information Technology
                                                                                 except for pupils who attend          •   A Modern Foreign Language
 The Governing Body must take this into account and include it’s                 Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw and              •   History
 recommendations in its subsequent School Improvement Plan (SIP).                Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, and        •   Geography
                                                                                 study Welsh as a first language)      •   Music
 			 Following an Estyn inspection schools can receive                         • Mathematics                           •   Art
 			 different levels of follow-up activity, these are;                        • Science                               •   Physical Education
 			 Excellent practice case study, Local Authority
 			 up categories that schools can be placed into, they                       At Key Stage 4 (14-16 years of age) only five subjects constitute the
 			 are Significant Improvement or Special Measures.                          National Curriculum, these being:
 			 Each of these statutory categories requires the                           • English				• Mathematics
 			 governing body and the local authority to adhere to                       • Welsh				• Science
 			 a series of additional statutory actions. Copies of                       • Physical Education
 			 our schools Estyn Reports can be found by visiting                        This allows pupils to choose other subjects leading to GCSE or vocational
 			www.estyn.gov.uk                                                           qualifications.
                                                                               All Schools will meet the minimum entitlement laid down by the Welsh
 National Curriculum                                                           Government of the availability of 30 options from which to choose with at
 The National Curriculum is designed to provide a firm foundation in           least 5 of these being vocational.
 English, Welsh, Mathematics and Science, and to provide children between
 the ages of 5 and 16 with the opportunity to achieve their best within a      Skills across the Curriculum
 broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum.                      A Non-Statutory “Skills Framework for 3 to 19 year olds in Wales” has been
                                                                               developed in order to provide guidance about continuity and progression in
                                                                               developing thinking, communication, ICT and number for learners.
     What will my child study in                                               Learners develop their thinking across the curriculum through the process of
                                                                               planning, developing and reflecting.

         Secondary School?
                                                                               For 14 - 19 learners, the framework should provide the basis for making
                                                                               effective progress in these skills, which can be assessed through a range of
                                                                               skills, , including key skills.
 At Secondary School your child will study the National Curriculum through     In both Key Stages, pupils must also follow Religious Education (according
 two Key Stages. These are:                                                    to a syllabus laid down by the Local Authority).
                                                                               Sixth Form Provision
 • Key Stage 3: Years 7, 8 and 9                                               All four of Monmouthshire’s secondary schools have sixth form provision,
 • Key Stage 4: Years 10 -11                                                   years 12 and 13. Schools are responsible for the admission arrangements
                                                                               to these year groups so please contact them directly. Contact details for
                                                                               Monmouthshire Secondary Schools can be found on pages 104 - 106.

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Are there any exceptions from the National Curriculum                            Assessment is an important element of the School Curriculum. Children are
 Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious or              assessed on entry to the Foundation Phase to establish a baseline of what
 sex education. However, they may not withdraw them from National                 they know and can do when they first start school. They are also statutorily
 Curriculum subjects or from the arrangements to assess pupils’ progress in       assessed at the end of the Foundation Phase, KS2 and 3 (ages 7,11 and
 these subjects.                                                                  14) based on the National Curriculum (NC) programmes of study they have
                                                                                  followed.
 Occasionally, if a child has certain additional learning needs, he/she may
                                                                                  At the end of the Foundation Phase, KS2 and 3 assessment is by Teacher
 be excused from all or part of the National Curriculum on a temporary
                                                                                  Assessment (TA) only. At the end of Key Stage 4, pupils are assessed
 basis.
                                                                                  principally through the accredited qualifications of the General Certificate
                                                                                  of Secondary Education (GCSE), General National Vocational Qualification
 Teaching of Welsh in English Medium Schools                                      (GNVQ) and Certificate of Education Achievement (CoEA) that are approved
 Under the requirements of the National Curriculum for Schools in Wales           for use with pupils of compulsory school age.
 and regulations laid down by the Secretary of State, the teaching of Welsh is
                                                                                  How are Schools Supported?
 a compulsory subject at all schools in Monmouthshire.
                                                                                  As with Primary Schools, the EAS will support, monitor and evaluate schools
 Regulations exempt pupils (from outside Wales) from studying Welsh, who
                                                                                  both within the County and the wider Consortium.
 enter a school in years 9, 10 or 11 of secondary education.
                                                                                  Schools are inspected by teams of inspectors at least once every six years.
                                                                                  Inspections are undertaken by the Office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of
 Who makes the decisions about the curriculum in school?                          Schools in Wales (ESTYN).
 Legislation sets out for schools the National Curriculum requirements and
 the local syllabus for Religious Education. The school decides its own           Following an ESTYN inspection, the full report of the findings is provided
 curriculum taking account of these requirements and organises its own            in addition to a summary report which must be given to all parents. The
 timetables. It is for the school to ensure that its curriculum meets the legal   Governing Body must take this into account and recommendations included
 requirements.                                                                    in its subsequent School Improvement Plan (SIP).
                                                                                  Following an ESTYN inspection schools can receive different levels of follow-
 Who is responsible for entering pupils for public                                up activity, these are; Excellent practice case study, Local Authority follow-up,
 examinations?                                                                    ESTYN Monitoring. In addition, there are two statutory follow-up categories
 School Governors have responsibility for entering pupils for prescribed          that schools can be placed into.
 public examinations although they may delegate this function to the Head
                                                                                  They are Significant Improvement
 Teacher.
                                                                                  or Special Measures. Each of
                                                                                  these statutory categories requires
 Secondary aged pupils, if considered suitable by the Head teacher, are
                                                                                  the Governing Body and the Local
 entered for the examinations of the Welsh Joint Education Committee
                                                                                  Authority to adhere to a series of
 and/or other examining boards. The timetables for the examinations are
                                                                                  additional statutory actions. Copies
 arranged by the Welsh Joint Education Committee and other examining
                                                                                  of our schools ESTYN Reports can be
 boards. Head teachers are notified of these, and the subsequent
                                                                                  found by visiting www.estyn.gov.uk
 examination results, directly by these boards.

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Starting School A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2019 - 2020 - Monmouthshire County Council
Standards in Schools
                                                                                                 Admissions to
 The Authority continues to work with its schools and the EAS in
 implementing a policy framework to ensure that standards in schools
                                                                                             Early Years Education
 continue to improve. Since Monmouthshire was created as a Local
 Education Authority, there have been steady improvements in standards in         Timetable for Nursery Admissions
 Foundation Phase and Key Stages 2 and 3 and in the pass rates at GCSE             Admission Admissions    Parents         Closing date Allocation     Parents
 and A Level. As a result in 2015 Monmouthshire is ranked 2nd for the              Phase     pack          consideration                period by LA   Informed by
 Foundation Phase, 1st for Key Stage 2 core subject indicators, 2nd for Key                  available     period
 Stage 3 core subject indicators and first for the Level 2 threshold including               to parents
 English and Maths. The aim is to continue to build on these successes
 to increase the rate of pupil progress. The Authority sets and publishes          Nursery     03.09.2018 from             midday on 13.10.2018 - 30th
 improvement targets for Key Stages 2 to 4 each year. It works closely with        (Jan 2019 &            04.09.2018 -     12.10.2018 29.11.2018  November
 schools to achieve these targets and to raise educational standards. There        Sept 2019              12.10.2018                              2018
 are specific objectives in the Directorate Plan aimed at tackling the issue of    Intake)
 raising standards. These include transforming ALN provision, improving
 performance in literacy, numeracy and key skills, enhancing provision for         Nursery    04.06.2018 04.06.2018 – 12         15.10.2018 – 8th March
 Eligible for free school meals pupils and other vulnerable groups.                April 2019            12.10.2018   midday on 29.11.2018    2019
                                                                                   intake                             12.10.2018
           Admissions Procedure
                                                                                  Children born between the 1st September 2015 and 31st March 2016 may
 Each year, the Local Authority consults upon its admission arrangements          be offered an early start in the term following their 3rd birthday, this will
 and attempts where possible to mirror the admission round timeframes of          be dealt with through the same process using the same application form,
 neighbouring authorities.                                                        however parents will not be notified of an early start in April until the 8th
                                                                                  March 2019.
 Prior to the consultation, the admission numbers for all schools should be       Children will be admitted from the first term following their third birthday.
 determined and form part of this consultation. The admission numbers             Please note the required timescales for nursery admissions is highlighted
 for the schools are derived from the physical capacity of the school to          above. Upon receipt of all in time applications, the following criteria will be
 accommodate pupil’s learning needs.                                              applied in priority order, if the number of applications exceeds the number
                                                                                  of available places.
 Each year, the date at which all application forms will be sent to parents/
                                                                                  (a) Medical or social grounds highlighted by appropriate agencies, such
 carers is set. Simultaneously, a closing date for completed applications              as Looked After Children, Gwent Health Care or Social Services and
 is established. The Authority will ensure that this timeframe between                 children identified as having exceptional Special Educational Needs at
 distribution and closing dates is no shorter than six weeks.                          the time that the application for admission is made.

 The offer date, when parents/carers will be informed of the outcomes             (b) Sibling priority; for siblings already in the nursery unit (not the main
 of their applications is also established as part of the consultation on              school), at the time of admission. For these purposes siblings will be
 admission arrangements.                                                               attending the preferred school when the younger child would be eligible
                                                                                       to start. (In the case of Magor VA Primary School, priority is given to
                                                                                       children with siblings in attendance at the nursery and school)

17            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                             www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place             18
(c) Geographical Proximity: after taking account of categories (a) and (b),
                                                                                           Admissions
      priority will be based on closeness to the preferred nursery measured by     to Primary School (age 4 – 11)
      the most direct route by road. Measurement will be taken using a digital
      information mapping system. Places for children living out of County       The Authority will admit a child to a maintained primary school at the
                                                                                 start of the academic year in which he/she will be 5 years old. The legal
      will be allocated on condition that their Local Authority have cross       requirements confirm that parents are able to delay the admission of
      border funding arrangements in place with Local Authority and are in       their child until the term following their 5th birthday; however, it is a Local
      agreement with the placements.                                             Authority Policy that the child will continue to follow their chronological year
 A list of Local Authority Nurseries can be found on page 93 - 94                group unless exceptional circumstances apply.
                                                                                 Attendance at a feeder nursery does not exclude the need to apply
 To apply for a Local Authority Nursery Place you will need to complete an       for a Reception place at the School. Please note that priority for
 application form, this can be obtained from the relevant school or from the     admission is not given to those children attending a feeder nursery.
 Access Unit on 01633 644508 or by emailing:                                     Having read all the information available in this booklet and from individual
                                                                                 schools parents may indicate their preferred school(s) for their child to
 accesstolearning@monmouthshire.gov.uk                                           attend. Before deciding to apply for a place at a particular school, you
                                                                                 need to consider carefully how your child will travel to school, as you will
 Alternatively you can complete an online application form that will be          not necessarily be eligible for transport assistance. (See pages 75 - 78 for
 available on the 3rd September 2018.                                            details on Home to School Transport).
 The website is www.monmouthshire.gov.uk                                         Admission will be based on the criteria listed on pages 22 - 30. If the
                                                                                 Authority is unable to allocate according to parents preferred school(s)
 When submitting an application, you will be asked to provide your child’s       then we will offer a place at the next nearest School with places available.
                                                                                 Parents are entitled to appeal against the decision to refuse a place at their
 birth certificate to verify the date of birth and any appropriate document
                                                                                 preferred School(s) (please refer to pages 35 - 37).
 considered necessary to verify the home address.                                Please see the timetable on page 23 for important dates when applying for
                                                                                 a School place.

                                                                                        Admissions to Secondary
 If a child is refused a place at nursery, parents do not have a right to
 appeal, as nursery education is non statutory.

 Please note: The admittance to a nursery class does not guarantee a place                 School (age 11 – 19)
 at the feeder school as a separate application is required.                     Attendance at a Primary or Junior school does not guarantee that a place
                                                                                 will be made available for your child at the feeder Comprehensive school.
                                                                                 Although every effort will be made to accommodate parental preference,
 The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership have a                    where a school is over-subscribed, the over-subscription criteria will be
 responsibility to ensure that a part time, good quality Early Education         applied (see pages 28 - 30).
 place is available to those parents who choose it for their children from the   Parents are invited to express their preference for a secondary school for
 beginning of the term following their third birthday.                           their child. Before deciding to apply for a place at a particular school, you
                                                                                 need to consider carefully how your child will travel to school, as you will
 In addition to Local Authority Nurseries, children can also access early        not necessarily be eligible for transport assistance. (See pages 75 - 78 for
 education at any of our Approved Non - Maintained Providers, which              details on Home to School Transport).
                                                                                 If you wish for your child to attend a School which resides within Newport,
 include playgroups, private day nurseries and pre-prep schools. A full list,    you must apply directly to Newport Local Authority. You are also advised
 including contact details and opening hours, can be found at                    to complete and return the Monmouthshire Application Form detailing
 www.monfis.org.uk                                                               alternative preferences in case you are unsuccessful in your application to
                                                                                 attend this School.

19            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place             20
On your application you must clearly record that you have also applied for        This excludes Schools that reside within Newport, where you will need to
 a place at a Newport School.                                                      apply directly to Newport Local Authority. You are advised to also apply
                                                                                   for a place stating a preference for a Monmouthshire School just in case
 Admission will be based on the criteria listed on pages 22 - 30.                  you are unsuccessful in your application to attend this School. On your
                                                                                   application you should clearly record that you are seeking a place in
 If the Authority is unable to allocate according to parent’s preference           another LA.
 School(s) then a place will be offered at the next nearest School with places     If you are applying for an Independent school you must apply directly to
                                                                                   that school. You are advised to also apply for a place stating a preference
 available. Parents are entitled to appeal against the decision to refuse a
                                                                                   for a Monmouthshire School just in case you are unsuccessful in your
 place at their preference School(s) (please refer to pages 35 -37).               application to attend an independent School.
 Please see the timetable on page 23 for important dates when                      On your application you should clearly record that you are seeking a
 applying for a School place.                                                      place at an independent school.

              Admission
                                                                                   Please note that an application made to attend an Independent
                                                                                   School or School outside Monmouthshire will qualify as one of your
      to Voluntary Aided Schools                                                   preferences and will be ranked accordingly.

 Governing Bodies of Voluntary Aided Schools have responsibility for their                  Applying for a Primary/
 own admission arrangements and allocation procedures.
                                                                                            Secondary School place
 If you are applying for a place at a Voluntary Aided School you must apply        Parents must complete an application form in order to obtain a school
 directly to that school. You are also advised to complete and return the          place. There is the opportunity to complete an application on-line or
 Monmouthshire Application Form detailing alternative preferences in case          alternatively via a paper application.
 you are unsuccessful in your application to attend the Voluntary Aided            Having read all the information in this booklet and from individual schools,
                                                                                   parents may indicate their preferred school for their child to attend. Parents
 School. On your application you must clearly record that you have also
                                                                                   are invited to express up to three preferences (in order of priority) in the
 applied for a place at a Voluntary Aided School.                                  event that admission to the preferred school has been refused.
                                                                                   Your preferences will be considered equally in line with the Local
 Please see pages 39-70 for information on the Admissions criteria for             Authority’s over-subscription criteria (pages 28 - 30) and not based
 Voluntary Aided Schools.                                                          on the order in which you list your preferences. However, the highest

Important Dates Relating to your
                                                                                   preference school will be offered in the event that one or more
                                                                                   preferences can be met.
  Child’s Admission to School                                                      You are strongly advised to include more than one preference
                                                                                   on your application as you will be disadvantaged over other
 If you would like to apply for a Local Authority Maintained school that is        applications if you do not.
 outside Monmouthshire then you must send your form to Monmouthshire               Please note that an application made to attend an independent
 Local Authority. When you return your form to us stating your preference for      school or a school outside Monmouthshire will qualify as one of your
 an out of county school, we will liaise with the relevant authority in order to   preferences and will be ranked accordingly.
 determine your application. It is advisable to state a second and third           Before you decide to apply for a place at a particular school, you need to
 preference on your form in case the school you have chosen cannot                 consider carefully how your child will travel to school, since you will not
                                                                                   necessarily be eligible for transport assistance (please see pages 75 - 78 for
 be offered to you.
                                                                                   details of the Council’s School Transport Policy).

21            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                              www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place           22
Timetable for Admissions                                                          Please ensure that this is received by us by the relevant closing date.
                                                                                   Failure to do so may result in you not achieving a place at your
     Admission Admissions     Parents       Closing     Allocation   Parents       preferred School(s).
     Phase     pack           consideration date        period by LA Informed by   The offer of a school place will be based upon the applicant being resident
               available      period                                               at the address declared on the application form, as at the published offer
               to parents                                                          date. However, parents who are aware prior to the offer date that they are
                                                                                   unlikely to remain resident at the address declared on their application must
     Secondary    01.10.2018 02.10.2018 - 30.11.2019 01.12.2018- 01.03.2019        inform us so that their application can be amended. Any offer of a school
                             29.11.18                28.02.2019                    place could be withdrawn if it is later found that this is not the case.
                                                                                   Where parents advise us, at the time of application, that they are moving
     Reception   05.11.2018 06.11.2018 - 12 midday 15.01.2019- 16.04.2019
                                                                                   property and provide the Local Authority with evidence to validate this
                            13.01.2019   on         15.04.2019
                                                                                   move, any offer of a school place on this basis would be under the
                                         14.01.2019
                                                                                   circumstance that the applicant is resident at the new property at the time
                                                                                   the child concerned commences School. Any offer of a school place could
 • The Admissions team take a proactive approach to ensure that                   be withdrawn if it is later found that this is not the case.
    application forms are distributed to parents directly, where possible. Data
    protection regulations prevent us from accessing all pupil information,        Acceptance of a school place
    and therefore we would urge you to contact us should you not receive an        On receipt of an offer of a school place, parents are required to confirm
    application pack within the timescales given in the above timetable. As        their acceptance of this school place in writing within 14 days of notification
    a reminder, it is parental responsibility to apply for a place and to          of the school place offer. Failure to do so could result in the offer of a
    notify us of a change of address                                               school place being withdrawn.
 • Applications received after the closing date or that remain incomplete
    as at the closing date will be treated as late (see pages 31 - 32). It is      Moving Address
    essential to send your form in by the closing date in order to increase the    Parents/carers who are in the process of moving property, will be required
    probability of securing your preferred School.                                 to notify the Local Authority at the time of application of the proposed move
 • Any change in preference should be made in writing to the School and           and submit evidence to validate their new address, in order for this address
    Student Access Unit. Any preference that is changed after the closing          to be considered. Suitable evidence would be a copy of the exchange
    date will result in the application being treated as a late application (see   of contracts (for purchases) or long term tenancy agreement (for rental
    pages 31 - 32).                                                                arrangements). The application and notification of intended change of
                                                                                   address must be submitted prior to the published closing date in order to be
 • You must include your Council Tax reference number on the application          considered as an in time application. Failure to notify the Local Authority of
    form. The local Authority will use information held by the Council Tax         an intended move to a new address prior to the published closing date will
    Department to verify your address is correct.                                  result in the application being determined as a “late application”.
 • Please return the completed application form (including the necessary
    evidence) to the School and Student Access Unit, Directorate for Children
    and Young People, PO Box 106, Caldicot, NP26 9AN.

23               www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                           www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place            24
Parents/carers that are in the process of moving, but are not able to          Unexpected change of Address
 validate the move prior to the closing date, will need to ensure that their    Should a parent, who has submitted an application prior to the published
 completed application is submitted prior to the published closing date, and    closing date, notify us of an unexpected change of address that has
 that the application provides information on the intention to move. The        occurred since submission of their application, the Local Authority will
 Local Authority will liaise with parents/carers regarding the proposed move    consider on a discretionary basis the circumstances of the unexpected
 in order to obtain confirmation that residence at the new property has been    change of address prior to determining the application as being late.
 secured. However, parents will need to provide the Local Authority with        Unfortunately, such discretion can only be exercised if notification and
 evidence that secures their change of address no later than 6 weeks prior to   evidence of the change of address is provided no later than 6 weeks prior
 the published offer date in order for the new address to be considered for     to the published offer date in order for the new address to be considered for
 allocation purposes.                                                           allocation purposes.

 Where the Local Authority accepts evidence to validate a property move         It is a parent’s responsibility to notify the Local Authority of a change of
 and uses the new property for allocation purposes, the offer of a school       address that takes place during the application process. Failure to do so
 place will be based on the applicant being resident at this property at the    could result in any offer of a school place being withdrawn.
 time of the child’s entrance into the School. Any offer of a school place
 could be withdrawn if it is found that the applicant is not resident at the    Shared Residency
 property at the time of child’s entrance into the school.                      In the event that the residency of a child is shared between two parents, the
                                                                                address where the child concerned resides for the majority of the school
 Any offer of a school place could be withdrawn as a result of non-             week will be used for allocation purposes. This is the address that should be
 compliance of the above.                                                       declared on the application.

                                                                                However, if the residency with both parents during the school week is equal,
                                                                                the address for where the child benefit is paid will be used for allocation
                                                                                purposes.

                                                                                School Catchment Areas
                                                                                Whilst residing within the catchment area for a School forms an element
                                                                                of the oversubscription criteria, it does not guarantee a placement on this
                                                                                basis. The Local Authority will refuse to admit above the School’s admission
                                                                                number, unless the application complies with the permitted exceptions listed
                                                                                on pages 33 - 34.

                                                                                Admission of Multiple birth children (e.g. twins or triplets)
                                                                                If when applying the over-subscription criteria to applications received
                                                                                requesting admission into the normal year of entry (Reception and Year 7),
                                                                                and the last child to be admitted is one of a multiple birth, then the Local
                                                                                Authority will admit the other sibling(s).

25            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                           www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place              26
Where multiple birth applications are received for year groups other              Summer Term Births
 than the normal year of entry, where there is only one remaining place in         In the case of a child born during the summer term, they too are not
 the relevant year group before the Admission Number is met, the Local             legally required to attend School until the term following their fifth birthday
 Authority will consider each case individually before deciding whether the        / the September after the normal year of entry for a Reception age child.
 admission number is exceeded. Particular consideration will need to be            However, in such circumstances the Local Authority will continue to ensure
 given to the capacity of the school and the likelihood of causing prejudice       that children continue to follow their chronological year group and
 to the effective education and efficient use of resources at the preferred        therefore the child would be admitted into year 1 and not Reception.
 school.
                                                                                   It is only in exceptional circumstances that the Local Authority will authorise
 Children of Armed Forces Personnel                                                the admission of a summer term birth into a year group that is outside the
 Children of armed forces personnel moving to Monmouthshire will be                normal year of entry. In such circumstances, there will need to be a suitable
 determined as meeting the residency criteria for the relevant catchment           evidence base (e.g. report from an Educational Psychologist) that suggests
 school if their application form is accompanied by an official proof of           the chronological year group is not suitably able to meet the needs of the
 posting declaring a definite return date with confirmation of the new             child concerned.

                                                                                     Allocation of Places at Local
 address wherever possible.

 Where the relevant catchment school has already met its admission number
 in the relevant year group at the time of application, the Local Authority will
                                                                                     Authority maintained Primary
 exceed the admission number.                                                            / Secondary Schools
                                                                                   Please refer to the timetable detailed on page 23 for the timescales
 Deferred entry into Primary School                                                that the Admission’s team will work to when allocating places.
 The Local Authority will admit a child to a maintained primary/infant school
 at the start of the academic year in which he/she will turn 5 years old.          Oversubscription Criteria
 However, the legal requirements confirm that parents are able to delay the        When the number of applications received for a preferred School is less
 admission of their child until the term following their 5th birthday. The Local   than or equal to the number of available places, all children will be
 Authority is obliged to ensure that any offer of a school place is held for       admitted assuming that the school concerned can meet the needs of all
 parents who wish for their child’s admission into Reception to be deferred        applicants.
 until later in the academic year.                                                 However, when there are more applications than places in a school, the
                                                                                   admission number is exceeded and the over subscription criteria will be
 					 A parent, however, is not able to                                           applied to select which children are to be offered places at the School
 					defer entry beyond the term                                                  concerned. For children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs,
 					following the child’s fifth birthday,                                        the Authority must admit the child concerned to the School specified on
 					 nor beyond the school year for                                              their statement.
 					which the application was made.                                              When applying the oversubscription criteria to determine who is to be
                                                                                   awarded places, all parental preferences will be considered equally and
                                                                                   allocated in line with the criteria below. The highest preference school, as
                                                                                   listed on the application form, will be offered in the event that one or more
                                                                                   preferences can be met.

27            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                              www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place             28
When considering the remaining available places, the following criteria will       3. Brothers and sisters, whether half, full, step, or foster will be considered
 be used to determine the children that are to be offered places:                       relevant where living in the same household and where they will still be
                                                                                        registered at the school when the applicant is eligible to attend.
 1. L ooked After Children or previously Looked After Children. i.e. children      4. The Local Authority will consider the child’s home address to be the
     who are in the care or have previously been in the care of the Local               place where the child resides for the majority of the School week. In
     Authority, will be given priority over those fulfilling points 2-5 below.          the event that the residency of a child is shared between two parents,
     ( Please see note 1 below )                                                        the address where the child concerned resides for the majority of the
 2. C hildren with exceptional medical circumstances will be given priority            school week will be used for allocation purposes. This is the address
     over those fulfilling points 3-5 below. ( Please see note 2 below )                that should be declared on the application. However, if the residency
 3. C hildren with relevant siblings at the preferred School will be given             with both parents during the school week is equal, the address for where
     priority over points 4-5 below. ( Please see note 3 below)                         the child benefit is paid will be used for allocation purposes. Whilst
 4. C hildren residing within the preferred school’s catchment area will be            residing within the catchment area for a School forms an element of
     given prior consideration over point 5 below. ( Please see note 4 below )          the oversubscription criteria, it does not guarantee a placement on
 5. C hildren residing outside of the catchment area                                   this basis. The Local Authority will refuse to admit above the School’s
                                                                                        admission number, unless the application complies with the permitted
 After applying the categories above, or should the school continue to be in            exceptions listed on pages 33 - 34.
 a position of over-subscription in any of the above categories, priority will      5. The Local Authority will use Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
 be based on closeness to the preferred school, measured using the shortest             to calculate home to school distances. The GIS software adopted by
 safe walking route. ( Please see note 5 below ).                                       the Local Authority for these purposes will be Routefinder and Mapinfo
                                                                                        desktop solutions.
 To clarify, any over-subscription in the above criteria will result in the final
 determination of the allocation of a place being made on distance. So for          Determination of the shortest safe walking route will be calculated using
 example, if there are more applications than places available after applying       official routes known to the Local Authority and Highways agencies. The
 point 4 above, places will be allocated to those children whose home               starting point of the calculated route will be determined as being the
 address is determined to be closer to the preferred school.                        nearest network point to the main entrance of the property. The main
                                                                                    entrance of the home address is determined by the Local Authority to be
 Notes:                                                                             where the property receives post. The finishing point of the calculated route
 1. The Local Authority will require suitable evidence to validate that your       will be determined as being the nearest official open gate adopted for use
     child was previously a looked after child (e.g a copy of the adoption          by the preferred school.
     confirmation in order for this criteria to be applied.)
 2. A
     pplicants wishing for their application to be prioritised on the child’s      The coordinates of an applicant address will be determined using the Local
    medical needs must supported by a medical consultant’s report                   Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) and Ordnance Survey address base
    (obtained by the parents at the time of the application) outlining why the      data.
    preferred School is the only viable option when compared with other
    Schools that the Authority may be able to offer.                                Where a safe walking route cannot be determined for an applicant, the
                                                                                    shortest driving route will be used for allocation purposes.

29            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                               www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place             30
Late Applications                                              Timetable for processing applications received after the
 Any application that is received after the published closing date or            closing date (late applications)
 applications that remain incomplete as at the closing date will be dealt with
 under the late application arrangements.                                                            Month Application received       Offer date

 A change of preference received by the Local Authority after the published        Applies to        December 2018
 closing date will result in the application being determined as late.             Secondary         January 2019                     31.03.19
                                                                                   only
 Applications where a change in circumstances have occurred, which have
 an impact upon the application’s status within the over-subscription criteria     Applies to        14.01.19 (after midday) -        19.04.19   (primary only)
 (i.e. change of address), could also result in the application being treated      Primary and       31.01.19                         05.04.19   (Secondary)
                                                                                   Secondary         Feb 2019                         26.04.19   (primary)
 as late if these changes are brought to the Authority’s attention after the
                                                                                                                                      12.04.19   (Secondary)
 closing date. The Local Authority will consider on a discretionary basis the
                                                                                                     March 2019                       03.05.19   (Primary)
 circumstances an unexpected change of address prior to determining the
 application as being late.
                                                                                                     April 2019                       10.05.19
                                                                                                     May 2019                         07.06.19
 Unfortunately, such discretion can only be exercised if notification of the                         June 2019                        05.07.19
 change of address is provided no later than 6 weeks prior to the published                          July 2019                        02.08.19
 offer date in order for the new address to be considered for allocation                             1st August to 8th August 2019    15.08.19
 purposes.                                                                                           9th August to 15th August 2019   22.08.19

 					Please note that applications
 					determined as being late may                                                                   26th August onwards              Processed within 1 week
 					increase the possibility of not
 					 achieving a place at your preferred
                                                                                 Admission to other year groups
 					School(s). This is because all                                             Where requests are received for admission into year groups other than the
 					applications submitted with the                                            normal year of entrance these will not be considered until the start of the
 					necessary evidence prior to the                                            second half of the summer term (After the Whitsun break). Again these will
 					closing date will receive priority                                         be batched and are processed as per the oversubscription criteria on a
 					over those received after the                                              monthly basis. Parents will not be notified of a decision earlier than 4 weeks
 					closing date.                                                              prior to the end of the summer term.

                                                                                 These requests will be collated on a monthly basis and are processed as per
                                                                                 the oversubscription criteria, in the event that the number of applications
                                                                                 received exceeds the number of available places. However it should be
                                                                                 noted that preference will be given to those parents who are seeking a
                                                                                 place during the current term as opposed to the new academic year.
31            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                              www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place              32
Some reasons why we                                                     iv. C
                                                                                         hildren who cannot gain a place at any other suitable school within
            may refuse admission                                                        a reasonable distance of their home because they move into the area
                                                                                        outside a normal admission round;
 The School Admission Code of Practice (July 2013) gives parents the                v. C hildren for whom education at a school which is Welsh speaking is
 right to express a preference for their child to be admitted to any school             desired where the school concerned is the only such school within a
 maintained from public funds. However, there are reasons why that                      reasonable distance of their home;
 preference may have to be refused, as the Local Authority also has to have         vi. Children for whom education at a school with a designated religious
 regard to:                                                                              character is desired where the school concerned is the only such school
                                                                                         within a reasonable distance of their home;
 • The Infant class size initiative which is committed to ensuring that no child   vii. Pupils admitted to the school within an age group in which children are
    aged 5, 6, and 7 years will be in a class of more than 30 pupils for every            normally admitted and
    one qualified teacher. The statutory infant class size limit of 30 pupils
    applies to reception, year 1 and year 2 classes.                                        • admitted after the first day of the relevant school year; and
 • The Local Authority commits to ensuring that KS2 classes remain at 30 or                • where the school has not yet reached its admission number but
    less in line with Welsh Government guidance.                                               has already organised its classes; and
 • The physical limitations of the school and the site buildings                           • where admission of the child would mean that the school would
 • Any other factors which may prejudice the provision of efficient education                 have to take a relevant measure;
    and/or the efficient use of resources.
                                                                                    viii. Children of armed forces personnel who are
 Exceptions                                                                                admitted outside of the normal admission round.
 Welsh Government Regulations require Authority’s to limit infant class sizes       ix. Children whose twin or sibling from a multiple birth
 to no more than 30 pupils and to ensure that junior classes do not exceed               are admitted as non-excepted pupils, as the final
 30 pupils.                                                                              pupil(s) allocated a place before the admission
                                                                                         number is reached.
 There are however exceptions to these regulations (called “excepted pupils”)       x. Children who are registered pupils at special schools, but who receive
 which may allow the 30 pupil class limit to be exceeded.                                part of their education at a mainstream school; and
                                                                                    xi. Children with SEN who are normally educated in a special unit in a
 These pupils are:                                                                       mainstream school, but who receive some of their lessons in a non-
 i. Children whose statements of SEN specify that they should be educated             special class.
       at the school concerned, and who are admitted to the school outside a
       normal admission round;                                                      Excepted pupils will remain so, once admitted, for the remainder of their
 ii. Looked after children or previously looked after children admitted            time in the infant class or until class numbers fall back and they can be
       outside the normal admissions round;                                         organised to comply with the infant class size limit.
 iii. Children initially refused admission to a school, but subsequently offered
       a place outside a normal admission round by direction of an admission
       appeal panel, or because the person responsible for making the original
       decision recognises that an error was made in implementing the school’s
       admission arrangements;

33            www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place                               www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/applying-for-a-school-place            34
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