2 March 2016 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

National Secondary School Offer Day

This year more children than ever applied for a place in a Kent Secondary school, with 18,798 applications received, an increase of over 600 since last year. In total, 16,172 pupils have been offered a place at Secondary school this year, out of the 17,974 places available.

92% of all applications were made online which means from 1^st March thousands of Kent families are able to log on to view their accounts or will have received an email to find out which Secondary school their child has been offered for this September. For families who applied on paper forms, offers went out by first class post and letters should arrive over the next few days

Despite the increase in applications, 357 more Kent children will get their first preference of Secondary school for September compared with last year and over 97% will receive an offer from one of their four preferences. Just over 92% will get their first or second preference of school, and just over 96% will get their first, second or third preference. These figures are an improvement on last year.

We have worked hard to ensure that there is enough capacity in Kent Secondary schools to cope with another year of increased applications. In spite of the challenge, 13,153 families will receive their first preference school and 1,845 their second.

In the last year we succeeded in commissioning and delivering the planned number of new school places overall for September 2015. While the majority of these new school places were within the Primary sector, we also expanded Secondary places where there was a need for additional capacity or greater choice.

It is a credit to Kent schools that parental confidence is such that so many have secured their preferred school. 83% of Secondary schools are good or outstanding. The good improvements in schools coupled with KCC delivering on its school place planning provision, has meant that in 2016 we will see the highest number of children securing their first preference school to date.

Parents will have until 17 March to accept or refuse their offer and return waiting list forms. They must also lodge any appeals for their named schools by 13 April. KCC will reallocate places from schools waiting lists sending out a second round of offers on 29 April. From 29 April, schools will maintain their own waiting lists and parents can apply to schools direct via the ‘In Year Common Application Form’ to ask to be placed on the waiting list.

For further advice please email: kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk.

Patrick Leeson
Corporate Director for Education and Young People's Services