Browse the siteThe schools’ admissions process can be pretty daunting, especially if you are applying for the first time. You want to make sure that you have fully researched all the options and are making an informed decision, as well as being realistic about which schools you have a chance of getting in to. This is especially important in and around Huntingdon given that so many of our local schools can be significantly oversubscribed. Following the steps below will ensure you have all the information you need at your fingertips.
Understand The Process
The first place to look is the Cambridgeshire County Council website. Here you will find a wealth of information about Huntingdon primary and secondary schools, how to apply and how places are allocated. You will also find all the key dates and deadlines for primary and secondary school applications. Nursery applications are not handled by Cambridgeshire County Council and you must apply directly to each Nursery individually.
In reference to Nurseries, it is worth considering applying early to secure your child a place as many sites hold a waiting list.
Take time to understand the Cambridgeshire County Council admissions criteria and the criteria for any voluntary-aided schools or academies as they do not need to follow the CCC criteria and may apply rules based on other factors such as religious affiliation, quotas for specific geographical areas or offer "lottery" places. Fully understanding where you fit in the criteria will give you a better idea of your likelihood of getting a place.
There are always lots of myths and misunderstanding circulating at application time. It is important to understand that the application to each school listed on your form is treated separately based on the published criteria for that school. Your order of preference, or the other schools you included on your application has no bearing on whether or not you will be offered a place at any particular school. The order that you rank your choices only comes into play if it is possible to offer you a place at more than one school. In that case you will be offered whichever of those schools you ranked highest.
Do Your Research
As well as information about the primary and secondary schools’ admissions and appeals process, you can also access links to school Ofsted reports and performance statistics from the Department of Education website. It also offers a ‘Schools Admissions Calculator’ which (for a charge) can tell you whether you would have been offered a place in your chosen school in previous school years. This can be an invaluable source of information when choosing which schools to put on your application, however do be aware that there is no such thing as a "catchment area" in Huntingdon and furthest distance admitted varies from year to year for each school, so success in a previous year is no guarantee that you will be given a place in your intake.
Parent View on the Ofsted website lets you see what other parents think of any school in England - a useful source of information to make an informed choice about the best school for your child.
Visit The Schools
Decide which schools you are interested in and arrange to visit them. This will give you the best idea of what each school is like.
Make Your Application
Once you have done all your research, you can access the Cambridgeshire County Council’s online schools admissions application system. You can use the help manuals available on the website to guide you through the online admissions process. Most importantly make sure you get your application in on time. Also make sure you complete any additional forms required by voluntary-aided schools or academies and check the submission date for these, as it may not be the same as the deadline for the Cambridgeshire County Council form.
Allocations Day and Beyond
If your child does not get offered a place at one of your preferred schools straight away don't panic! A lot can change before September. The advice from the Local Authority is that you should accept the place you have been given to ensure your child has a place at a school. Not accepting the place risks ending up with a school you may find less desirable, or worse, no school place at all. There is a Continued Interest process to go through which will, at a point in the process, allow you to include schools that were not in your original four choices. However, if after the Continued Interest process has concluded you are still not happy with your allocation, and you feel have sufficient grounds, you may choose to appeal to the Independent Appeals Panel. Information on how to complete this process can again be found on the Cambridgeshire County Council website. Should you require it, there are Education Lawyers locally who specialise in this area of law and can assist with the appeals process.
