Management Information Sheet
Transition to Secondary School Service
Did you know. . . every year on average around the country 6% of admissions forms are not returned on time by parents/carers of children going up to secondary school. A form that is not returned on time means that their child does not have the same chance of getting a preferred school as anyone else and it may mean the child not getting a place at their local or catchment school. The secondary school application forms can either be returned to the Admissions department in the freepost envelope, or filled in on-line at www.admissionsonline.norfolk.gov.uk by the 13 November 2009.
We focus on the secondary school admission process to encourage parents/carers, who face barriers to accessing the secondary admissions process, to fill in and return their forms on time, thereby giving them the same chance as any other Norfolk parent/carer of getting one of their preferred schools. This year we are joined by Richard Marshall, Transition to Secondary School Assistant, who will be with us until 17 November 2009.
The target group of parents/carers we work with, in no particular order, are:
As part of Norfolk Parent Partnership, we work at 'arms length' from Norfolk County Council and, therefore, are able to offer independent advice, information and support about the secondary school admissions process, secondary schools and help with completing the secondary school application form.
School staff can pass on our contact details to parents/carers that they feel are in our target groups so that they can contact us for help. Could you please also remind parents/carers of the deadline date of 13 November 2009, encourage them to attend the local secondary school open evenings and read the school's brochures to make a comparison - we can attend open evenings with parents/carers if required. School staff may also help parents/carers to think about their preferences and complete and return the form. Alternatively, parents/carers can complete their admissions form online at www.admissionsonline.norfolk.gov.uk.
Please could you also let Wendy Bradnam, know if you need information about looking for a secondary school for parents/carers in other languages. If parents/carers with EAL would like to contact us, please ask them to text their name and language in English and we will arrange for a telephone interpreter to support them.
Please see below for a list of organisations etc. that may be of interest to Year 6 parents/carers.
Further information for parents/carers
Admissions service (applying for schools)
Tel: (0344) 800 8020
Fax: (01603) 222119
Email: admissions@norfolk.gov.uk
Norfolk Parent Partnership (information and advice for parents/carers of children with special educational needs)
Tel: (01603) 704070
Fax: (01603) 704072
Email: parent.partnership@norfolk.gov.uk
Website: www.norfolkparentpartnership.org.uk
Ofsted (school inspection reports and performance information)
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Department for Children, Schools and Families (formerly Department for Education and Skills)
www.dcsf.gov.uk
Direct.gov 9national site about choosing a school, understanding the curriculum etc.)
www.direct.gov.uk
Advisory Centre for Education (independent national advice centre for parents/carers on all education issues)
Tel: 0800 800 5793
www.ace-ed.org.uk
Parents Centre (help for parents/carers regarding choosing a school and local authorities)
www.parentscentre.gov.uk
Admissions Code Of Practice (new code that local authorities legally have to abide by)
www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode
We focus on the secondary school admission process to encourage parents/carers, who face barriers to accessing the secondary admissions process, to fill in and return their forms on time, thereby giving them the same chance as any other Norfolk parent/carer of getting one of their preferred schools. This year we are joined by Richard Marshall, Transition to Secondary School Assistant, who will be with us until 17 November 2009.
The target group of parents/carers we work with, in no particular order, are:
| 1. | Parents of children in care/carers of Looked After Children |
| 2. | Parents who have English as an additional language |
| 3. | Frequent movers, i.e. Travellers |
| 4. | Parents who have children with Special Educational Needs |
| 5. | Parents who live in areas of deprivation and who self-refer |
| 6. | Parents who find it difficult to engage with their child's current primary school |
| 7. | Parents who experience problems with their own reading and writing |
| 8. | New arrivals to the county |
| 9. | Parents who belong to other vulnerable and minority groups. |
As part of Norfolk Parent Partnership, we work at 'arms length' from Norfolk County Council and, therefore, are able to offer independent advice, information and support about the secondary school admissions process, secondary schools and help with completing the secondary school application form.
School staff can pass on our contact details to parents/carers that they feel are in our target groups so that they can contact us for help. Could you please also remind parents/carers of the deadline date of 13 November 2009, encourage them to attend the local secondary school open evenings and read the school's brochures to make a comparison - we can attend open evenings with parents/carers if required. School staff may also help parents/carers to think about their preferences and complete and return the form. Alternatively, parents/carers can complete their admissions form online at www.admissionsonline.norfolk.gov.uk.
Please could you also let Wendy Bradnam, know if you need information about looking for a secondary school for parents/carers in other languages. If parents/carers with EAL would like to contact us, please ask them to text their name and language in English and we will arrange for a telephone interpreter to support them.
Please see below for a list of organisations etc. that may be of interest to Year 6 parents/carers.
| Wendy Bradnam, | Richard Marshall |
| Transition to Secondary School Officer | Transition to Secondary School Assistant |
| Norfolk Parent Partnership | Norfolk Parent Partnership |
| Woodside Road | Woodside Road |
| Norwich | Norwich |
| NR7 9QL | NR7 9QL |
| (07747) 757540 | (07909) 532115 |
| wendy.bradnam@norfolk.gov.uk | richard.marshall@norfolk.gov.uk |
Further information for parents/carers
Admissions service (applying for schools)
Tel: (0344) 800 8020
Fax: (01603) 222119
Email: admissions@norfolk.gov.uk
Norfolk Parent Partnership (information and advice for parents/carers of children with special educational needs)
Tel: (01603) 704070
Fax: (01603) 704072
Email: parent.partnership@norfolk.gov.uk
Website: www.norfolkparentpartnership.org.uk
Ofsted (school inspection reports and performance information)
www.ofsted.gov.uk
Department for Children, Schools and Families (formerly Department for Education and Skills)
www.dcsf.gov.uk
Direct.gov 9national site about choosing a school, understanding the curriculum etc.)
www.direct.gov.uk
Advisory Centre for Education (independent national advice centre for parents/carers on all education issues)
Tel: 0800 800 5793
www.ace-ed.org.uk
Parents Centre (help for parents/carers regarding choosing a school and local authorities)
www.parentscentre.gov.uk
Admissions Code Of Practice (new code that local authorities legally have to abide by)
www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode