Secondary School National Offer Day - 1 March 2024
We are pleased to report 91% of parents in Staffordshire have been allocated a place at their 1st preferred school with over 93% being offered a place at one of their top 3 preferences.
For middle to high school (year 9), 100% of parents (not including preferences for JCB Academy or for a Year 9 place at a secondary school where Year 7 is the main point of entry) in Staffordshire were allocated a place at their 1st preferred school.
For answers to the most commonly asked questions please scroll down the following page. If you are unable to find the answer you require please contact us. You are advised that telephone lines will be exceptionally busy the week following 1 March 2024 and you are encouraged to use the information available to you in the first instance before calling.
When will I know the outcome of my application?
The outcome of your application will be communicated to you by your home local authority i.e. where you reside.
If you live in Staffordshire and submitted an application through the online application portal you will be able to log into the online application system to view the outcome of your preference or alternatively you will receive an email advising you of the outcome.
If you did not apply through the online application portal then the outcome of your application should arrive in the post by Wednesday 6 March 2024. Please not call us for the outcome of your application until after this date unless your application was submitted online.
How were places allocated at oversubscribed schools?
Staffordshire County Council does not operate a first preference first or first come first served policy - this is in accordance with the law. This means that every school you listed on your application has been considered separately and fairly against the individual school’s published admission arrangements.
If the school you applied for is located outside of Staffordshire then you can find the admission arrangements on the school website or the local authority where it is located.
Why was my child not allocated a place at my preferred school?
If your child has not been allocated a place at a preferred school, this is because other applicants with a higher priority under the admission arrangements have been allocated places (see information on the published admission number)
You can view a summary of how September 2024 places have been allocated at oversubscribed schools.
If your child resides in Staffordshire and a place could not be offered at any of your preferred schools, a place has been allocated at a school where places are still available.
Where can I find details of how places have been allocated in previous years?
You can view a summary of how September 2022 places were allocated at oversubscribed schools.
You can view a summary of how September 2023 places were allocated at oversubscribed schools.
Will my child placed on a waiting list?
All children who have been refused a place at a Staffordshire school have been automatically added to a waiting list which will be maintained until 31 December 2024.
Places that become available will not be offered until after 15 March 2024.
Children will have been placed on waiting lists for all Staffordshire schools in line with the relevant admission arrangements. Your child's position on a waiting list at a Staffordshire school can be obtained by emailing admissions@staffordshire.gov.uk or calling 0300 111 8007.
It is important to note that a child's position on any waiting list is not fixed and is subject to change. As other children join the list they are ranked in line with the admissions arrangements and not the date that they were added to the list or applied for a place. There is no guarantee that places will become available below the published admission number between 1 March and 31 December.
Guidance on waiting lists for schools that are not located within Staffordshire should be sought by contacting the relevant local authority.
Erasmus Darwin Academy and JCB Academy hold their own waiting lists so please contact these academies directly.
Can I appeal the decision made?
As well as being included on the waiting list, if your child has not been offered a place at one of your preferred schools then you have a statutory right of appeal to an independent panel. You are advised to carefully read the information available regarding the appeals process before lodging an appeal.
If you have not been successful in obtaining a place at a school that is located outside of Staffordshire and would like to appeal then please contact or visit the website of the relevant local authority.
Do I have to accept the place offered?
No, Staffordshire will automatically accept the place offered on your behalf which will only be removed if you are later offered a place at a more preferred school.
I no longer require the place that has been offered. What do I need to do?
Please email admissions@staffordshire.gov.uk as soon as possible if you no longer require the place that has been offered, advising what alternative arrangements you have made.
Please note that the offer of a place will only be removed by the local authority if you are offered a place at a more preferred school.
Where can I find out which schools still have vacancies?
Please view the summary of secondary school places available in Staffordshire and see the information below on how to apply.
Remember to apply through your home local authority even if you want a Staffordshire school.
How do I make an application for another school or change the order of my preferred schools?
If you live in Staffordshire, you can make a late application by completing the paper admissions application form. You can then either:
School Admissions and Transport Service, Staffordshire County Council, 1 Staffordshire Place, Stafford, ST16 2DH.
If you wish to change the order of your preferred schools, please let us know.
Each school has a published admission number (PAN), which is the maximum number of pupils that the school can admit taking into account the accommodation and resources available. Each school’s published admissions number can be found within the admission arrangements or in the Information to Parents Booklet.
Is priority for admission given to children who attend particular primary or middle schools?
No. Places are allocated in strict accordance with the published admission arrangements and whilst we acknowledge that schools do work closely with their local pyramid schools, these close links do not automatically form part of the admission criteria and places are not allocated with these links in mind unless it is stated in the admission arrangements.
Pupils attending any schools listed in the admission arrangements are not guaranteed admission to their preferred school they simply have a higher priority for admission than other children who reside outside of the defined catchment area or do not have any elder sibling attending the school.
How can I find out the catchment school for a certain address?
We have a search facility to enable you to check the catchment schools for various addresses and view an individual school catchment area. Your nearest school may not be your catchment area school. Please note there is no guaranteed admission to your catchment area school, allocations will be dependent on the availability of spaces in the relevant year group. Catchment areas are also subject to review and may alter from year to year. There are some schools in Staffordshire who do not operate a catchment area for admissions purposes.
How do I apply for home to school travel assistance?
If your child is residing within the catchment area of their allocated school and has been assessed as being entitled to free home to school transport assistance then you will receive a separate email notification advising you of your entitlement.
If it is not the catchment school and you think you may be entitled please use the schools route checker before you make an application.
Further information about transport and travel assistance is available (including entitlement on low income grounds).