Secondary school admissions frequently asked questions

Children transfer to secondary school in Bury in the September after their 11th birthday.

Linked or feeder primary schools are not part of the admissions criteria to Bury schools.

Letters will be sent to all Bury residents in the September before the pupil is due to transfer.

Most schools will consider applications received on time before they will consider late applications. Places may already have been offered, so your chances of being offered a school you want may be less.

No. It is important to name three schools and put them in order of preference.

Where only one preference is given, consideration can only be given to that school. Do not waste preferences by stating the same school more than once.

Places are offered in accordance with the admissions criteria which can be found in the transfer to secondary school information guide.

Any alteration can be made up to the closing date.  If you want to change after this time, they may be treated as late preferences.

You need to discuss your child's need with the SEN Team of your home Local Authority, but places cannot be refused because of your child's special educational needs.

If you have applied online, you will receive notification by email on 1st March 2023.

For those that have applied by paper form or telephone, a notification by letter will be posted on 1st March 2023.

If you do not live in Bury but have applied for a Bury school, your own local authority will notify you.

Your new address can be taken into account only if you exchange contracts on a property or if you have a long term rental agreement by the closing date.

These schools should be approached directly to find out the admission policies, procedures and costs of sending your child to that school. Please do not state independent schools on your application.

School performance tables are available on GOV.UK or you can look at school inspection reports by Ofsted.

There is an appeals process in place. Firstly, your child will continue to be considered for any places which become available. If a place is still not available, you have the right to go to an independent appeals panel. For more information about school appeals, please visit appeal a school place decision.

If it has not been possible to offer a place at your highest ranked preference, you will be considered for 'topping up' if any places become available due to withdrawals. Topping up will be carried out in accordance with the published criteria.

Different schools do have different criteria for allocating places. For community schools, the criteria is generally as detailed below:

• Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan will be given a place at the school named on their EHCP.
• When schools are oversubscribed, priority for allocation of places will be as follows:
  • children in public care and previously looked after children
  • children who will have an older sibling in the school in September 2024. For this purpose, a sibling may be a full or step sibling living at the same address, at the time of admission
  • other children.
• If applications are received after the closing date, they will be dealt with as late applications and will not be considered until after applications that were submitted on time have been processed.

Full details of the criteria applied by individual schools can be found within the transfer to secondary school information guide.

You can apply to any school in any area. You do need to check the policy for admission, as living further away from some schools will affect your chances of getting a place. You must apply to other area schools on the application form sent to you by your own Local Authority.

You can state up to three preferences on the application form.

Last year, 85 percent were initially offered their highest ranked preference school. Over 95 percent were offered one of their three preferences.

Historical information for the previous five intake years are available online.

Your other preferences will be considered and you will be offered a place if one is available. You will be considered for any places that become available due to withdrawals.

If we are unable to offer you a place at any of your preferred schools, you will be offered a place at the nearest school with a vacancy.

You will be considered for 'topping up' if places become available and will automatically be added to the waiting list. You can appeal a decision if you wish.