Your junior or middle school offer - what to do next

Find out which junior or middle school place you have been offered, and what to do after the offer.

Find out which primary school place you have been offered

Use the Kirklees Parent Portal.

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What to do next

This guidance contains important information about your school place offer, please read carefully.

Schools not maintained by the council

If the school allocated is an academy, free school, trust school or voluntary aided school, or is a school in another local authority, the offer of the allocated place is made by Kirklees Council on behalf of the admission authority for the school.

Academies and free schools

State schools that are independent of the local authority. The governing body or academy trust is responsible for deciding who is given a place.

Trust schools

Foundation schools supported by a charitable trust. The governing body is responsible for deciding who is given a place

Voluntary aided schools

The governing body is responsible for who is given a place

If your child did not qualify for a place

If the application result shows your child did not qualify for a place at a higher preference school than the one allocated, this is because the year group has filled with children of a higher priority according to the published admission criteria.

If your child did not qualify for a place at any of your preferred school(s), the school allocated is your catchment school or, if this is full, the nearest school with available places.

If your child is currently attending a school that they can continue to attend in September 2024 you will not have been allocated an alternative school place.

If your child did not qualify for a place at a school in another local authority you should contact them to enquire about its procedures for waiting lists and appeals.

Special educational needs and Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans

If your child has a statement of special educational needs or EHC Plan the allocation of this place is dependent on the school being named in the final amended statement or plan.

If you wish to accept the allocated place

As most parents are happy with the school place allocated, we do not ask for written confirmation of acceptance. If you wish to accept the place allocated you do not need to do anything else at this time. The Head Teacher will contact you about admission arrangements, including your child's start date. Please do not buy any items of uniform/equipment until you receive details from the school. If at a later date you decide that you no longer want this place, it is essential that you confirm your decision in writing (by letter or email) to Pupil Admissions so that the place can be reallocated to another child.

If you are not happy with the allocated place

If you are not happy with the school allocated and would like to request an alternative, please contact Kirklees Pupil Admissions for details of schools with vacancies. Please note that your child can only hold a place at one school at any one time. They can only be on the waiting lists for two other schools (or three, if they did not qualify at any of your preferred schools). We would strongly advise against declining the school place allocated without first securing a place at an alternative school.

If you want to change your school preferences

After national offer day there is a 'two week window' where parents can write to Kirklees Admissions and change the school preference(s). We call this the re-allocation period.

Change your school preferences

  • If you do not live in Kirklees but would like to change your school preferences to include a Kirklees school you will need to contact your home local authority for advice.
  • After the two weeks have passed all the changes of school preference received during the two weeks are processed together in one 'batch' so that any places that may have become available at a school are offered to the child(ren) that qualify against the published admissions criteria for the school.
  • Pupil Admissions will write to parents with the outcome of their change of preference. The process can take several weeks depending on the number of changes of preference received.
  • Change of preferences or late applications received after the first two weeks are processed in 'weekly batches'.
  • Changes of school preferences should be made in writing to Pupil Admissions (by email or letter).
  • You should include your child's full name, your child's date of birth, your child's address, what your original school preferences were and in what preference order, and what you are changing your preference schools to and in what preference order you want them to be considered.
  • In Kirklees you can name three preference schools.
  • We advise that the allocated school remains one of your preferences as we strongly advise against declining the school place offered without first securing a place at an alternative school.
  • If the school offered was not one of your original preferred schools you do not need to make this school one of your change of preference schools.
  • If your change of preference no longer includes a school that you have lodged an appeal for the appeal will be considered withdrawn.

Alternative arrangements for your child's education

If you have made alternative arrangements for your child's education, for example, in the private sector, it is essential that you inform Pupil Admissions. The school your child has been allocated may be oversubscribed, and other children may be waiting for places to become available. So the place can be allocated to another child please inform Pupil Admissions within 14 days of your offer.

Waiting lists, appeals and next stage of education

The following information applies only to Kirklees schools

Waiting lists

Waiting lists will be kept for Kirklees Community or Voluntary Controlled Schools until the 31 December 2024. If your child has been refused a place at one or more of these schools, their name will stay on the waiting list(s) for any vacancies that may occur. If you have been refused a place at an Academy, free school, trust school or voluntary aided school, or at a school in another local authority you should contact them directly to enquire about their waiting list procedure. If you have been refused a place at Batley Grammar School you should contact them directly to enquire about their waiting list procedure.

Right of appeal

You have the right of appeal to an independent appeal panel for any school(s) where a place has been refused. You can appeal online or request appeal papers to be sent out.

Your appeal should be lodged by Wednesday 15 May 2024. If you have not lodged your appeal by Wednesday 15 May 2024 it will be assumed that you do not want to make an appeal. Appeal hearings will take place from June onwards.

Next stage of education

The allocation of a school place at this time does not guarantee a place at the next stage of education. A further application will have to be made at the appropriate time.

Contact Pupil Admissions

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