Today is the day when families across England are offered a school place.
If your child has a place at St James’ CE Primary, we’re delighted to welcome you! St James’ is a happy and healthy place to achieve and believe. We’re excited to continue that journey with you and your child.
It would really help us if you can contact school by email to confirm whether or not you want to take up the offer. Our email is: stjamesoffice@spherefederation.org
In your email, if you’re accepting a place, it will help us to prepare the transition process if you tell us the following, if applicable:
- The name and contact details of your child’s current Early Years provider
- The name of your child’s key worker
- The hours that your child attends their current provider eg 30 hours
- The days of the week that your child attends their current provider
Because of the current school closures due to coronavirus, things are a bit different this year. We’ll be in touch with you in a few weeks to let you know more about how we’ll support you and your child in making the transition to our school.
The following text is taken directly from an email to schools from Leeds City Council’s Admissions Team:
Families do not need to take any action on offer day, as they have until 30 April to submit waiting list requests and 15 May to submit appeal requests. Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), appeal hearings are on hold until we receive further guidance from the Department for Education.
If families are not happy with the school they have been offered they can ask to be added to the waiting list for any Leeds school (including schools they haven’t previously asked for) and can appeal against the refusal of a place at a preferenced school. Waiting list forms and appeal forms are available at www.leeds.gov.uk/offerdayprimary
The email goes on to make three points to any family considering refusing their offer:
- If you turn down a place, it will be allocated to another child and there is no guarantee a place will become available at a closer school to home – you could be left without a Reception place in September.
- Accepting an offer doesn’t impact on the chances of being offered a place from the waiting list or increase the chances of success at an appeal hearing.
- Any family who refuses an offer must confirm this in writing to startingprimary@leeds.gov.uk – you’ll be asked to confirm where you’ll be educating your child in September.