Proposed Co-ordinated Scheme for Secondary School Admissions for 2025/26

First Round Applications for Secondary YR7 2025 Intake(applications submitted by the deadline of 31 October 2024)

24. The LA will act as a clearing house for the allocation of places by the relevant admission authorities in response to the SCAFs. The LA will only make a decision with respect to the offer or refusal of a place in response to any preference expressed on the SCAF :-

a. it is acting in its separate capacity as an admission authority, or
b. an applicant is eligible for a place at more than one school, or
c. an applicant is not eligible for a place at any of the schools for which a preference was expressed.

25. The process by which the LA will allocate places is explained at paragraphs 27-37.

26. 31 October 2024 - closing date for all applications to be submitted to the School Admissions Team at County Hall. Applications submitted by this date will be classed as first round/on time applications.

27. By 15 November 2024 where parents have nominated a secondary school outside the LA area, the LA will notify the relevant LA.

28. By 22 November 2024 the LA will notify all A, F and VA schools of every preference that has been expressed for that school.

29. 16 December 2024: Exceptional circumstances deadline. Only in exceptional circumstances such as those listed here will a late application be considered at the same time as applications received by the deadline of 31 October 2024.

a. where there has been a change of family circumstances after the deadline date which has a significant effect on the preferences given on the original application. (If this is a house move, this must have been completed with an exchange of contracts before 16 December 2024).
b. a move into Wiltshire from outside the county after the deadline date but before 16 December 2024. Confirmation of the new address (in the form of an exchange of contracts or a tenancy agreement of a minimum of six months)must be provided before 16 December 2024.
c. service personnel moving to a Wiltshire address after the deadline date. A posting notice must be provided before 16 December 2024.

Documentary evidence should be provided with the application (or at the latest by 16 December 2024) to verify the circumstances which caused the late application to be made. If evidence cannot be provided, the application will not be treated as an exception.

30. By 6 January 2025 the LA will provide a final list to all admissions authorities of every preference that has been expressed for their school(s) including those considered as exceptional as outlined in paragraph 29 and those residents in other LA areas.

31. By 13 January 2025 all A, F and VA schools must have considered all the preferences for their school and provided the LA with a ranked list of all applicants in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

32. The LA will then match this ranked list against all other ranked lists and:

• Where the child is eligible for a place at only one of the preferred schools, a place at the school will be offered to the child.
• Where the child is eligible for a place at two or more of the nominated schools, they will be offered a place at whichever school was their highest available preference.
• Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools and they live in Wiltshire, a place will be allocated at the next nearest school to the home address with available places.
• Should this place subsequently be declined then it is the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

33. By 3 February 2025 the LA will inform other LAs of any places in Wiltshire schools which will be offered to their residents.

34. By 28 February 2025 the LA will inform Wiltshire schools of the pupils to be offered places at their schools.

35. On 3 March 2025 (National Offer Date) offers will be despatched to all parents who submitted an application form by 31 October 2024 offering a place at one school.

36. These offer letters and emails will give the following information:

a. the name of the school at which a place is offered;
b. the reason why the child is not being offered a place at any of the other schools nominated on the SCAF;
c. information about their statutory right of appeal against any decision to refuse places at other preferred schools;

37. 17 March 2025 the deadline for parents to accept the place offered. Parents should confirm their acceptance online if they have applied online, or if they have applied by paper return the acceptance/decline slip directly to the Local Authority.

If the parent does not respond to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the offer by 17 March 2025, the Local Authority will send a reminder to the parent informing them that failure to respond could result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. Should the offer be withdrawn then it will then be the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

Second Round Applications for Secondary YR 7, 2025 Intake(applications received between 1 November 2024 and 07 March 2025)

38. Second round applications, i.e. those received between 1 November 2024 and 7 March 2025 (except those covered by paragraph 29) for the YR 7 Intake round will not be considered until after all first round on time applications have been processed. Second round applications will be considered together with any applicant previously refused a place in the first round and if necessary will be prioritised using the oversubscription policy in place at the time.

Additional applications:
Only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. If the Local Authority receives a further application for a child who has already secured a place in an earlier round, the new stated preferences will automatically supersede any earlier preferences stated.

During the second round of applications parents should note that the school initially allocated will be retained for their child pending the outcome of the later application and that there is no guarantee of gaining a place at the preferred school named on the new application.

Parents can only hold one offer. Therefore, if an offer is made to a child during the second round of allocations any offer made in the first round will automatically be withdrawn.

The LA will contact all Foundation, Aided Schools and Academies named as a preference on the application form, to determine whether or not a place is available. An offer will be made for the school named as the highest preference where there is an identified place. Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools, and the child lives in Wiltshire, the child will be allocated a place at their designated school if possible, unless an alternative place is available within a safe statutory walking distance from their home address.

39. 21 March 2025 details of second round applications received between the 1 November 2024 and 7 March 2025 to be sent to, Academies, Foundation and Voluntary Aided Schools.

40. 28 March 2025 Academies, Foundation and Voluntary Aided Schools to provide the LA with a ranked list of second round applications.

On receipt the LA will match the returns from all schools and will make an allocation of one place for each applicant:

• Where the child is eligible for a place at only one of the preferred schools, a place at the school will be offered to the child.
• Where the child is eligible for a place at two or more of the nominated schools, they will be offered a place at whichever school was their highest available preference.
• Should this place subsequently be declined then it is the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.
• LA to send schools a list of late applicants being offered a place on 26 April 2025.

41. 25 April 2025 the LA will send out the second round offers to schools for applications received between 1 November 2024 and 7 March 2025.

42. 9 May 2025 is the last date for second round offers to be accepted by parents. Parents should complete the slip attached to the decision letter and return it to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the place.

If the parent does not respond to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the offer by 09 May 2025, the Local Authority will send a reminder to the parent informing them that failure to respond could result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. Should the offer be withdrawn then it will then be the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

Third Round Applications for Secondary YR 7, 2025 Intake(applications received after 7 March 2025)

43. Third round applications, i.e. those received after 7 March 2025 for the YR7 Intake round will not be considered until after all the second round applications have been processed. Third round applications will be considered together with any applicant previously refused a place and if necessary will be prioritised using the oversubscription policy in place at the time.

Only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. If the Local Authority receives a further application for a child who has already secured a place in an earlier round, the new stated preferences will automatically supersede any earlier preferences stated.

During the third round of applications parents should note that the school initially allocated will be retained for their child pending the outcome of the later application and that there is no guarantee of gaining a place at the preferred school named on the new application.

Parents can only hold one offer. Therefore, if an offer is made to a child during the third round of allocations any offer made in the first or second round will automatically be withdrawn.

The LA will contact all Foundation, Aided schools and Academies named as a preference on the application form to determine whether or not a place is available. An offer will be made for the school named as the highest preference where there is an identified place. Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools, and the child lives in Wiltshire, the child will be allocated a place at their designated school if possible, unless an alternative place is available within the safe statutory walking distance from their home address.

44. Applications received after the 7 March 2025 will be considered in date order of receipt and will be looked at after 16 May 2025 (i.e. once the second round of applications have been processed).

45. Any applications received by the LA after 7 March 2025 will be dealt with as soon as possible with allocations to a single school being made and offer letters sent out from the LA as soon as is practicably possible.

Parents should return the acceptance slip attached to the letter to the LA to inform them if they are accepting or declining the place.

If the parent does not respond to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the offer by date stated in the letter, the Local Authority will send a reminder to the parent informing them that failure to respond could result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. Should the offer be withdrawn then it will then be the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

46. Any applications received by any school should be forwarded to the LA within five days of receipt.

Applications for Secondary YR7, 2025 Intake (applications received after 24 July 2025 - end of term)

47. Any applications received by the LA after 24 July 2025 will be forwarded to the school within two school days of receipt at which time the process for in year applications will apply.