Nearly 95 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their three preferred primary, junior or middle schools. More than 17,000 applications for primary, junior and middle school places have been dealt with and nearly 16,500 Hertfordshire families will be informed of their offer of a school place today or tomorrow. The vast majority of parents and carers in Hertfordshire will be able to access their allocation information this evening. Allocation emails will be sent, from 6pm, to over 90 per cent of parents who have confirmed their email address. The online allocation system will be available for other online applicants only after all emails have been despatched.
This year, Hertfordshire County Council will only be sending allocation letters to parents and carers who applied on paper or who were not successful in obtaining a place at their first ranked school. In addition, for the first time, parents and carers who applied online will be able to accept the school place offered online. The number of children applying for a place in a Hertfordshire primary school has risen by nearly 900 this year - a total of 14,124 applications for reception places were received. Despite this significant increase, 94 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a ranked primary school, almost exactly the same rate as in 2010. In Hertfordshire, 84 percent of children were offered their most preferred primary school, a total of 13,832 children in all.
John Harris, Director of Children Schools and Families, said: "Starting primary school or moving on to a junior or middle school is an important step and we are pleased that so many children have been allocated a ranked school. We have been working closely with schools over the last year to create over 500 additional reception places across Hertfordshire to help to alleviate pressure from September 2011. The percentage of primary children offered a non ranked school has actually decreased this year which is a remarkable achievement given the increase in pupil numbers across the county. I know that this can be a difficult time for parents and carers whose child did not get a preferred school place but I would urge families to visit the school they have been offered before deciding whether to accept or decline the place. Parents and carers must respond to the school place offered by 26 April 2011. If they do not respond they may lose the offered place."
All applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any schools named higher on the application form than the school offered. However, in a significant change from previous years, parents should note that all new applications for continuing interest must be made to their home local authority, i.e. to Hertfordshire County Council for all families living in Hertfordshire.
Further detailed information can be found in the 'Under 11s - What Can You Do Now?' leaflet, which is included with the allocation letters for all children who have not been offered their first preference school. This leaflet, which explains the continuing interest process and how to appeal, is also available on the website www.hertsdirect.org/admissions. Parents can also access other useful information, such as school allocation summary reports, through the website.
School places must be accepted by April 26. This is also the last date to 'opt out' of the continuing interest process. The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on May 13, 2011.
Hertfordshire County Council news release - 4 April 2011
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