Warwickshire parents and carers with children due to start Year 6 in September are being encouraged to start preparing now for their child’s application to secondary school.
Warwickshire County Council are inviting all parents and carers with children currently in Year 5 to join their school admissions team at an online webinar on Thursday 13 July at 7pm.
The webinar is to give parents and carers an opportunity to understand more about the process of applying to secondary school, and how to choose a shortlist of schools to include on their application form. By doing research into their options now and including realistic choices of schools when they apply, parents and carers can increase their chances of an offer of a place at one of their preferred schools on offer day next year.
At the event, called “Applying for Secondary School in Warwickshire”, parents and carers will get advice and guidance from the education team who manage the applications process. Places should be booked online at: https://bit.ly/3XHu0U1. Anyone not able to join on the evening will be able to watch a recording of the event a few days later, when it will be available on Warwickshire County Council’s YouTube channel.
Councillor Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for education, said “School is one of the most important parts of a child’s life and this event is there to give parents and carers as much support as possible in getting ready for their child’s future secondary school. I hope as many people as possible will take this opportunity to hear from the admissions team and ask any questions they have. They can then use the summer holiday to start to find out which schools might be right for their child.
“There’s also plenty of useful resources on the Council’s website to help, including a priority area map, a list of all local schools and a video full of more top tips for parents and carers”.
As part of the research into possible schools, the Council is encouraging parents and carers to look at school admissions arrangements, visit school websites, read inspection reports and talk to parents who already have children at those schools. Then families will be ready to visit those schools for open evenings once the autumn term has started.
Secondary school applications can be made online from the start of September and must be submitted by 31 October 2023.
Parents and carers wanting more information on how to apply to secondary school should visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/applying-secondary-school-place