Secondary School Admissions 2024

Dear Parent / Carer

Your child is due to start secondary school in September 2024. This is a very exciting and important time, so we are contacting you to make you aware of how and when you need to apply and where to access information to guide you through this process.
 
You will need to complete the online application at www.oldham.gov.uk/admissions. It’s quick and easy and ensures school offers can be made efficiently via e-mail. Applying on line is the only form of application as Oldham Council no longer provides paper application forms.

For faith schools you will need to fill in a supplementary form or provide documentation in addition to the application you make to us. Supplementary forms are available from and returned to the relevant school.

The deadline to apply for a secondary school place is 5pm on 31 October 2023. 
It's really important that you apply on time. 

All secondary schools and academies will be holding open days and evenings during September and October. Make sure that you go along to as many as you can.

Please note, there is only one application. No matter where you wish your child to attend school, if you live in Oldham, you will apply to Oldham Council.

You will be advised to nominate/select three or more maintained schools in order of preference on their application. All preference requests will initially be considered equally.

If it is possible to offer a place at more than one school, the offer made will be the highest ranking preference on the application form. However, if more requests are received than there are places available for a particular school, the oversubscription criteria for the school will be applied.

How to apply online

You will need to complete the online application. It’s quick and easy and you will find it at www.oldham.gov.uk/admissions.

• You will need an email address
• Complete the online application form
• You will be sent a receipt when you press the submit button. Ensure that you do receive your receipt, as this is your assurance that the application has been received.
• You will receive the outcome of your application by email or you can log back into your account. Please ensure that you keep a note of your username, password, security question and answer.

You can get free internet access at the libraries that are currently open in the borough. For a list of libraries that are open and their opening times click here.

How school places are allocated

Every school has a set of rules, known as the ‘admissions’ or ‘oversubscription’ criteria. Schools that are oversubscribed will follow these rules when allocating places. Admissions criteria are set by the school’s admission authority. It’s very important to find out what admissions criteria schools use before you choose which schools to apply to.

Details of the admissions criteria for community, voluntary aided, trust, foundation and free schools and academies are available here, www.oldham.gov.uk/admissions

Before applying, does your child meet the criteria?

• Check how closely your child meets the criteria. Be realistic: it is possible that not everyone who applies will be offered a place.
• Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan will automatically be allocated a place at the school named on the Education, Health and Care Plan.
• Does your child have a sibling who will be attending the school when they start there?
• Do you live in the geographical priority area that is served by the school?
• Were people from outside the geographical priority area offered places in previous years?
• Does your child attend a linked primary school?
• For religious or faith schools, is your child or family of the particular religion or faith served by the school? Faith schools may ask for confirmation of attendance at a relevant place of worship. For a child to be considered as a Catholic evidence of a Catholic Baptism is required by the school.
• Is your home close to the school?

Secondary School Admissions 2024

Dear Parent / Carer

Your child is due to start secondary school in September 2024. This is a very exciting and important time, so we are contacting you to make you aware of how and when you need to apply and where to access information to guide you through this process.
 
You will need to complete the online application at www.oldham.gov.uk/admissions. It’s quick and easy and ensures school offers can be made efficiently via e-mail. Applying on line is the only form of application as Oldham Council no longer provides paper application forms.

For faith schools you will need to fill in a supplementary form or provide documentation in addition to the application you make to us. Supplementary forms are available from and returned to the relevant school.

The deadline to apply for a secondary school place is 5pm on 31 October 2023. 
It's really important that you apply on time. 

All secondary schools and academies will be holding open days and evenings during September and October. Make sure that you go along to as many as you can.

Please note, there is only one application. No matter where you wish your child to attend school, if you live in Oldham, you will apply to Oldham Council.

You will be advised to nominate/select three or more maintained schools in order of preference on their application. All preference requests will initially be considered equally.

If it is possible to offer a place at more than one school, the offer made will be the highest ranking preference on the application form. However, if more requests are received than there are places available for a particular school, the oversubscription criteria for the school will be applied.

How to apply online

You will need to complete the online application. It’s quick and easy and you will find it at www.oldham.gov.uk/admissions.

• You will need an email address
• Complete the online application form
• You will be sent a receipt when you press the submit button. Ensure that you do receive your receipt, as this is your assurance that the application has been received.
• You will receive the outcome of your application by email or you can log back into your account. Please ensure that you keep a note of your username, password, security question and answer.

You can get free internet access at the libraries that are currently open in the borough. For a list of libraries that are open and their opening times click here.

How school places are allocated

Every school has a set of rules, known as the ‘admissions’ or ‘oversubscription’ criteria. Schools that are oversubscribed will follow these rules when allocating places. Admissions criteria are set by the school’s admission authority. It’s very important to find out what admissions criteria schools use before you choose which schools to apply to.

Details of the admissions criteria for community, voluntary aided, trust, foundation and free schools and academies are available here, www.oldham.gov.uk/admissions

Before applying, does your child meet the criteria?

• Check how closely your child meets the criteria. Be realistic: it is possible that not everyone who applies will be offered a place.
• Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan will automatically be allocated a place at the school named on the Education, Health and Care Plan.
• Does your child have a sibling who will be attending the school when they start there?
• Do you live in the geographical priority area that is served by the school?
• Were people from outside the geographical priority area offered places in previous years?
• Does your child attend a linked primary school?
• For religious or faith schools, is your child or family of the particular religion or faith served by the school? Faith schools may ask for confirmation of attendance at a relevant place of worship. For a child to be considered as a Catholic evidence of a Catholic Baptism is required by the school.
• Is your home close to the school?