Weekend deadline to bag next year’s school places
THE deadline to apply for places in infant, junior and primary schools is this weekend, Derbyshire County Council has warned.
Parents who have yet to apply for places in the area’s schools in September 2022 are being encouraged to do so before the deadline in midjanuary.
The authority says applications for children who were born between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018 will close at midnight on Saturday.
Parents of eligible children are also being reminded to apply for junior school places for children born between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015, who are currently in Year 2 at an infant school and will transfer on to other schools in September 2022.
Cabinet member for education, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “We’re encouraging any parents who have yet to apply for their child’s infant, junior or primary school place for September 2022 to do so before the deadline on the 15 January.
“Choosing the right school is a very important decision in a child’s life and parents who miss the deadline are less likely to get a place for their child at their preferred school which could mean having to travel further or their child not getting into the same school as their friends.”
The authority has said that applying online is the easiest method and can be done in the school admissions section of the county council’s website at derbyshire.gov.uk/admissions
Applying online allows parents to make changes to their application at any point up to the closing date. Anyone who applies online will receive an email to confirm their application has been received.
Parents who do not have access to the internet can call 01629 533190 to apply between 8am and 6pm on weekdays and 9.30am and 4pm on Saturdays.
When completing the online application form, parents will be asked to list, in order of preference, the three schools they would most like their child to go to.
Although parents have a legal right to express preferences, they have no automatic right to a place at any particular school.
Applications submitted to the council after the deadline will not be considered until places have been allocated to those children whose parents did return their form on time.
Any parents who are a refused a place for their child have a right of appeal to an independent panel.