Whilst the official deadline for parents of village youngsters to apply for their Secondary School places outside Ruddington in 2024/2025 has now passed, the process for Infant and Primary children hoping they’ll be schooled here is only just beginning.
Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) has a
nnounced that from today (Monday 6th November 2023) applications are open for kids starting in reception and children due to transfer from an infant school to junior education (Year 3) in September 2024. For children who will turn five years old between 1st September 2024 and 31st August 2025, and for those children transferring from infant (Year 2) to junior or primary school (Year 3), parents and carers have until Monday, 15th January 2024 to complete their application on time.
If you’re keen for your child to attend either Ruddington’s James Peacock Infant & Nursery School in Manor Park or St Peter’s Junior School on Ashworth Avenue you’re encouraged to apply as soon as possible, so you don’t miss out.
It was back in April this year RUDDINGTON.info reported a deepening school place crisis in Ruddington when, on ‘National Offer Day’, 13 village families failed to get the place they wanted (and expected) for their child at James Peacock School. It was blamed on a failure by NCC to expand school places here to keep pace with the large number of extra households moving into our four new-build estates. This was despite Section 106 funds earmarked to fund these additional school places being available to the authority but, unbelievably, still sitting unclaimed at Rushcliffe Borough Council!
Village mums Katie Santana and Jen Walker were so concerned about the situation that, last month they organised a ‘School Admissions Information Evening’ at our village hall to offer information and advice specifically tailored to help other Ruddington parents who need to apply for a place in September 2024.
“We devised this evening to help families navigate what can be a difficult system, so they can truly maximise their chances of getting a place at the school that is the right fit for them” explained Katie. “For example, if we were to have issues with James Peacock being oversubscribed again, and with no current plan to expand the school, we wanted to help families really think about what they put down for their 2nd, 3rd and 4th preferences that they are encouraged to use.”
The County Council suggests the easiest way is for you to complete the application form online >>HERE<<. It advises that online applications can then be amended at any time before the closing date, and parents can access their school offer on next year’s ‘National Offer Day’ itself before any offer letters are mailed out. Parents who do not have internet access, or don’t like doing things online, can telephone 0300 500 80 80 to apply instead.
Any applications received after the closing date, or any changes to preferences received after the closing date, are considered as late applications and will be processed only after all on-time applications have been offered. Albeit you’re likely to want to list Ruddington as your first choice, for the best chance of being offered a place they are happy with, the council advises parents and carers to list four schools and to include schools where children would meet the higher eligibility criteria for admission.
It adds there is no guarantee that a child who attends a school’s foundation unit, nursery class or early years’ group will get a place in reception at that same school. Admission to school at Reception age is a regulated process, so parents must make a formal application for a place. Likewise, if a child is in year 2 at an infant school, there is no automatic transfer to year 3 at junior or primary.
Those who apply online will be able to log in to their account on National Offer Day, Tuesday, 16th April 2024, to view the outcome of their application. If parents provide an email address, the outcome will be sent by email. All other applications will be mailed by second class post on National Offer Day.
For more information, and to apply for a school place, you should visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/admissions.
