Youngsters due to start secondary school this September will find out if they have managed to gain one of their four top choices today (March 1).
From 4pm thousands of families across Kent will check their emails to find out which secondary school their children have been offered. From 5pm, those who applied online will also be able to log into their accounts to view their offer. Those who submitted their applications on a paper form will receive their offers by post, which will be sent by First Class mail.
A total of 21,473 applications were received, up 3.58% on last year’s cohort, while the number of Kent applicants rose from 17,442 in 2018 to 17,959 this year, a 2.96% increase.
Of the county’s applicants more than 90% will get one of their top two preference schools.
The process
Parents will have until Friday, March 15 to accept or refuse their offer and return waiting list forms.
Parents must also lodge any appeals for their named schools by Friday, March 29 to be heard as on time.
KCC will reallocate places from schools waiting lists sending out a second round of offers on Wednesday, April 24.
4From Wednesday, April 24, schools will maintain their own waiting lists and parents can apply to schools direct via the ‘In Year Common Application Form’ after this date to ask to be placed on the waiting list.
‘Record applications’
Roger Gough, Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “We are delighted that, once again, despite a record number of applications, more than 95% of families will be offered a place at one of their chosen schools and almost 80% will receive their first preference offer.
“These figures are testament to the hard work of KCC officers and Kent schools who do everything possible to ensure the county’s children can access good schools. The high number of parental preferences also demonstrates that parents and guardians have confidence in their local schools, which is pleasing to see and credit should be given to excellent school staff delivering quality education.”
“While the vast majority of families will be celebrating today, unfortunately there will always be a number of families each year who do not receive one of the schools they named and will be allocated a school by the Local Authority. We do not underestimate the disappointment and worry felt by these 837 children and their families but I would urge them not to feel disheartened at this stage of the process.
” We know that of the 837 pupils which the LA had to identify a school, more than 85% did not name four school options. This makes it incredibly difficult for officers to identify local schools because the law requires all named preferences to be satisfied before allocations can be made, which often leaves local schools all full.”
For further advice about the admission process please email: [email protected]
For more information on how to join a waiting list and/or appeal go to: www.kent.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions