Most children get place at their preferred secondary school

Nearly 95 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their preferred secondary or upper schools. Most parents and carers in Hertfordshire will be able to access their secondary transfer allocation information this evening (Monday). Allocation emails will be sent, after 6pm, to all parents who have confirmed their email address. 99 per cent of parents applied online. The online allocation system will be available later this evening after allocation emails have been despatched. The county council will only be sending allocation letters to parents and carers who applied on paper or those who applied online but did not confirm their email address. Parents and carers who applied online will be able to accept the school place offered online, as well as pursuing a continuing interest place and lodging an appeal. Detailed information about an individual child’s application will be available in the allocation email or letter. Despite receiving over 500 more applications than in 2013, more children have been allocated their most preferred secondary or upper school – 10,039 compared to 9,755 last year. In total 12,080 Hertfordshire children have been allocated one of their ranked schools, a success rate of 94.84 per cent. Parents were also able to apply for Year 10 places at the proposed new Watford UTC. 203 applications were received for these four schools. All applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any Hertfordshire schools named higher on the application form than the school offered. All new applications for continuing interest must be made to the child’s home local authority, i.e. to Hertfordshire County Council for families living in Hertfordshire. School places must be accepted by March 17 2014. This is also the last date to ‘opt out’ of continuing interest for schools and academies whose admission arrangements are administered by the county council. The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on April 2, 2014. Are you happy with the school your child has been allocated? Email tim@mynewsmag.co.uk