Secondary School Admissions 2025Information for parents / carers

Dear Parent / Carer,

This document is to help you, as a parent / carer of a child who is about to transfer into Secondary School in September 2025. It contains information about all of our schools and we hope you will find it easy to read and understand and helpful in its content.

The Council is committed to working in partnership with yourselves, teachers, governors and other partners to provide the best educational and learning opportunities for South Tyneside children. This includes providing you with accurate and up to date information to help you decide which school is right for your child. Please read this document carefully and make sure you understand how your application will be processed.

We have made the process of applying for a school place even more convenient for parents/carers by introducing online admissions. Applying for a school place online is quick, safe and an efficient way of making your application. The process offers many benefits, which are outlined in this document. Whilst we recommend that you apply online, we appreciate you may alternatively prefer to complete a paper application.

The Council is keen to improve the quality of the information we provide to parents. If there is anything else you would like to see in this document or have any other comments about the service you have received from the Authority please let us know by contacting the School Admissions Team on telephone number 0191 424 7704.

The Authority believes that school attendance is the best opportunity for your child to learn and develop friendships; we seek your support in this area. We wish your child every success in their future.

The School Admissions Team

• Admission to Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools
• Admission to Voluntary Aided Schools (Church Schools) Trust and Academies
• Your Catchment Area - Please contact us to confirm what catchment area your address is in
• In-year Transfers

Contact

The School Admissions Team

Telephone:

0191 424 7704

Email:

school.admissions@southtyneside.gov.uk

Contact

Performance Tables - Department for Education

Telephone:

0870 00 2288

Contact

Exclusions from School - Services for Young People

Telephone:

0191 424 6763

Contact

School Attendance - Services for Young People

Telephone:

0191 424 6763

Contact

Elective Home Education

Telephone:

0191 454 6254

Contact

School Transport (Travel Passes)

Telephone:

0191 424 7755

Contact

Bullying in Schools

Telephone:

The school direct

Contact

Gateshead Admissions Team

Telephone:

0191 433 3909 or 0191 433 2756

Contact

Newcastle Admissions Team

Telephone:

0191 278 7878

Contact

North Tyneside Admissions Team

Telephone:

0191 643 8724

Contact

Sunderland Admissions Team

Telephone:

0191 561 1447 or 0191 561 1425

Contact

Apna Ghar

Telephone:

0191 456 4147

Contact

Other Enquiries

Telephone:

0191 427 1717

How do I get an application?

From 6 September 2024 you can apply online. This is a quick and easy process and will provide immediate notification of receipt of your application. Please make sure you apply by the closing date.

Alternatively you may complete a paper application (available to download from the website or by contacting the Admissions Team).

Returning your application

If you have applied online you will have received notification that we have received your application. However, if you have chosen to complete a paper application you must return it by the closing date of 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

You should not include Private / Independent schools on your application.

Advantages of applying on-line:

• Applying online is quicker, as well as safe and secure.
• Your application cannot get lost in the post.
• There are clear simple prompts to guide you through making your application.
• You will get an email confirmation that we have received your application.
• By making a note of your reference number you can change the details on your application up until our deadline date. Changes to your address in your e-services account does not transfer to your application. It is your responsibility to notify the School Admissions Team of any change of address.
• Available 24 hours a day 7 days a week up until the deadline date of 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm.
• If you apply for your school place online you will be notified on our ‘offer day’ (Monday 3 March 2025) which school your child has been offered via your email account. You must make a note of the email address that you use when applying as this will be the email address that will be used to send notification of your school offer.

If you want to change anything on your form before the closing date, visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/schooladmissions, select your online application and make any changes.

You must then click ‘submit application’. You will get a confirmation email to say that your application has been re-submitted successfully.

If you have any questions about the online admissions process please contact The School Admissions Team on telephone number 0191 424 7704.

Alternatively you can complete your paper copy to apply for a school place.

How to complete your online application

Before you complete an application, you must register for an e-services account. To do this, go to www.southtyneside.gov.uk and click ‘My account’ in the hand top right-hand corner of the screen and click ‘Register now’. Or you can go to South Tyneside Council: Register.

Once you have an account:

1. Type in www.southtyneside.gov.uk/schooladmissions
2. Click on ‘Apply for a secondary school place’.
3. Click on 'Apply for a place' and follow the instructions for completing the form.
4. Please check that you have selected the correct school(s).
5. Press the ‘submit application’ button. If you do not press the ‘submit’ button then we will not receive your application and it will not be processed.

Returning your application

If you have applied online you will have received notification that we have received your application. However, if you have chosen to complete a paper application you must return it by the closing date of 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

Remember:

• Do not return your application form to your child’s current school.
• Please make sure you put the correct postage on your envelope, as your application may not reach us. You may want to return your application by recorded delivery to make sure you have receipt of postage.
• Do not include Private / Independent Schools on your application form.

Remember it is your responsibility to return your application form by Thursday 31st October 2024 at 4.30pm to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

We recommend you complete your form online.

South Tyneside Council is responsible for all admissions to all Community and Voluntary Controlled schools. As a parent or carer you have the right to express a preference for the school you would like your child to attend. Parental preference will be followed as far as possible but this clearly depends on the number of places available. We will admit pupils up to the published admission number shown in this document. If a school is not oversubscribed all parents who apply will be normally given a place.

School Organisation

South Tyneside has a two-tier school system with children progressing from Primary and Junior Schools to Secondary Schools.

There are 45 Primary Schools.

Breakdown of the organisation of our schools

There are:

• 4 Infant Schools for children aged 3 to 7
• 4 Junior Schools for children aged 7 to 11
• 37 Primary Schools for children aged 3 to 11

Consisting of:

• 27 Community Schools
• 1 Voluntary Controlled (Church of England) School
• 1 Voluntary Aided (Church of England) School
• 16 Academy Schools

There are:

• 8 Secondary Schools

Consisting of:

• 3 Community Schools
• 1 Trust School
• 4 Academy Schools

Academy

An Academy is a school that is directly funded by central government (the Department for Education) and is independent of local government control. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind. They must meet the National Curriculum core subject requirements and are subject to inspection by Ofsted.

Academies are self-governing and most are constituted as registered charities or operated by other educational charities. Most are secondary schools but some cater for children from nursery age upwards.

Trust School

A Trust School is a state-funded foundation school supported by a charity, referred to as a Trust. The Trust is made up of partners working together for the benefit of the school. The Governing Body decide their own admissions using their own admission policy, which may be different to Voluntary Controlled and Community Schools in South Tyneside.

Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

Places are allocated at Voluntary Controlled Schools using the Council’s Admission Criteria published in this document. We consult with Governing Bodies each year about our Admission Criteria and arrangements.

Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

In determining admissions, priority will be given to those applications where the parental application is received by the published deadline date Thursday 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm.

All Community Secondary Schools in South Tyneside operate an equal preference system for processing parental preferences.

Where we receive more applications than places available at a particular school, the following admission arrangements are used to decide on admissions to Secondary Schools.

In accordance with the Education Act (1996), children with a Statement of SEN or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan are required to be admitted to the school named in the Statement or Plan. Thereafter, the following oversubscription criteria will apply.

Oversubscription Criteria

That the criteria to be utilised in the event of oversubscription at Community and Voluntary Controlled schools be as follows:

In determining admissions where there is pressure on places, account will be taken of the following factors, in priority order:

1. A ‘Looked After Child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangement, or special guardianship order (see Note 1 below), including children (who appear to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (see Note 2 below).
2. Parental home residence within the defined catchment area of school.
3. Concurrent sibling link – brother or sister only attending the school in September 2024 (to include adoptive siblings, half siblings, step siblings, long-term fostered children residing at the same address)
4. Shortest distance measured as a straight line, from the Ordnance Survey coordinates for the parental home residence (including flats) to the school main entrance, using South Tyneside Council’s Geographic Information System (GIS), with those living closer to the school receiving higher priority.

The above distance measurement will also be used as a ‘tie breaker’ within each criterion, if necessary.

How will the equal preference system work?

Stage 1

All first, second, and third preference applications are considered equally against the admission criteria. At this stage there is no distinction between first, second and third preference applications. For example, if the school has 120 places and there are 300 first, second and third preference applications all applications are considered equally against the admission criteria.

Stage 2

If a pupil qualifies for a place at more than one school the parents highest ranked preference will be offered and any lower ranking offers will be disregarded. For example, a parent’s first and third preferences might both qualify for a place, in which case the parent would be offered their first preference, leaving the place at the third preference school available for another pupil.

Explanation of Oversubscription Criteria

A ‘Looked After Child’

We give a ‘Looked after Child’ priority in our oversubscription criteria. This means that when a place becomes available in the school year it can be offered to these children to ensure that they are quickly placed in an appropriate school. This is necessary as it is recognised that such children are a disadvantaged group who, because of frequent changes of school following their care placements, may have lower than average levels of attainment. It is also a statutory requirement that Admission Authorities give top priority to ‘Looked after Children’ in their oversubscription criteria.

Parental Home Residence

A pupil’s home address is considered to be a residential property that is the child’s only or main residence, and is either:

• Owned by the child’s parent(s) or the person with parental responsibility for the child; or
• Leased to or rented by the child’s parent(s) or the person with parental responsibility under a lease or written rental agreement of not less than twelve months duration.

Evidence of ownership or rental agreement may be required, plus proof of permanent residence at the property concerned.

Parental Responsibility

Who is a ‘parent’ in relation to education legislation?

Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 defines the term parent as:

• All natural parents married or not
• Any person who has obtained ‘parental’ responsibility (we will require documentary evidence)
• Any person without being a natural parent or having ‘parental responsibility’ who has care of the pupil (we will require documentary evidence).

Shared Parental Responsibility

Where two adults have shared responsibility for a child, they should agree before submitting the application which schools to name as their preferred schools and the order of preferences. In cases of dispute, or when two applications are submitted, the LA will process the application received from the adult with whom the child is living the majority of the week. If parents fail to agree on preferred schools, and two applications are received for the same child from both parents, then the LA may decide to put a hold on both applications reducing the chances of that child gaining a place at a school.

Where parents have a 50/50 split responsibility for their child and child spends the same amount of time with parents at both addresses then it would be the responsibility of both parents to agree on who is making the application and what address is being used but also provide documentation to confirm this.

Catchment Areas

All community and voluntary controlled schools in South Tyneside have a defined geographical area called a catchment area. You can find out which particular school’s catchment area you live in by contacting the School Admissions Team on telephone number 0191 424 7704. Catchment area maps are available on our website.

Sibling Link

If your child has a brother or sister residing at the same address (including adoptive siblings, half siblings, step siblings, and long term fostered children) attending your preferred school in September 2025, we will consider this as a sibling link (this does not include 6th form pupils). Please note, no guarantee is given that siblings can transfer to the same school where the school is oversubscribed.

Distance from Parental Home Address

Shortest distance measured as a straight line, from the Ordnance Survey coordinates for the parental home residence (including flats) to the school main entrance, using South Tyneside Council’s Geographic Information System (GIS), with those living closer to the school receiving higher priority.

‘Tiebreaker’ - Distance Measurement

The above distance measurement will be used as a tie breaker within each criterion, if necessary. Where 2 or more applicants meet the same admission criteria and the measured distance between home and school is the same to 3 decimal places, the tie break will be random allocation and will be by the drawing of lots to determine the rank order for each child. In order to ensure fairness the School Admissions Team will administer the random allocation system overseen by an independent adjudicator in accordance with the random allocation procedure.

In the situation that two or more applications measure the same distance to the school, random allocation will be used. The use of this is rare but the situations that random allocation would be required are:

• Same cohort siblings living at the same address. This does not include twins or multiple births who are an exception to Infant Class Size regulation but does include same cohort siblings applying for places in Year 3 and above.
• Unrelated applicants who live equidistant from the school
• House of multiple occupation (where living accommodation is shared but not bedrooms. e.g. not a block of flats).
• Forces families applying with a Forces Post Office address and for admission purposes the unit address is used as there is no allocated housing order.

Each random allocation event is only valid for the allocation of the available school place. On any waiting list the remaining applicants will remain equally ranked and any further place offered will be the result of a further random allocation.

The random allocation will be overseen by a person who is not involved in the allocation process. The roles involved with the random allocation are:

• Independent Adjudicator (IA) – this is a person who ensures the process is carried out in a fair and transparent way. The IA must be independent of the school for which the allocation is to be made and must not be a member of the Admissions Team.
• Admissions Officer (AO) – this is an officer from the Admissions Team who is responsible for carrying out the administration of the random allocation procedure and recording the results, under the scrutiny of the IA.
• Person who makes the draw (P) – this must be a person independent of the school for which the allocation is to be made and must be a person who is not a member of the Admissions Team.

Deciding your Child’s School

The most important decision you will make in your child’s education will be to decide on the right school. Making the right choice for you and your child will involve a lot of research and planning. The most important thing you can do before deciding on a school for your child is to find as much information as possible about the school you are interested in.

Please follow the advice below before completing your application for your child.

Visit the School

One of the best ways to assess the school is by visiting it in person. You should make an appointment with the Head Teacher. Consider the distance and accessibility of the school. When your child is older, will they be able to safely walk to the school?

Attend the Open Evenings

It is strongly recommended that parents / carers and pupils attend the open evenings of the schools, which interest them.

Open evenings give parents and pupils the opportunity to gain a good overview of the school by meeting staff and pupils and gathering information about the school. You should note attending an open evening does not guarantee your child a place at the school.

Obtain the School Prospectus

Each year, every school publishes a brochure called a prospectus. The prospectus can tell you more about a particular school than the Council document. You can obtain a copy from the school direct. It is an important document, so be sure to receive the prospectus from all the schools you are interested in.

Check the Performance Tables

Every year the Department for Education (DfE) publishes performance tables for Primary and Secondary Schools. Though they cannot give a complete picture of a school, performance tables provide a guide to how well a school is doing. You can obtain a copy of the schools performance tables from www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/

Research OFSTED Reports

It may also be helpful to read the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) reports, which are produced by the Government’s School Inspectors. A report is available for every school and copies of the reports are available from the schools direct or at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/

Consider the Admission Policy

A school admission policy lays down the method by which a school will allocate its places. Admission Authorities have a legal responsibility to publish a clear admission policy and to implement it rigorously when considering applications. This is to ensure that the process is fair and transparent. You can find the admission policy for all Secondary Schools in this document.

Before completing your application consider the admission policy for the school(s), at which you are applying for a place and estimate your realistic chance of being offered a place at a particular school. You can assess this by working out how high up in the oversubscription criteria your child will be.

If you have special reasons for wanting a place at a particular school will they be considered?

Your views are very important to us; however, we cannot always comply with your wishes. Where a school is oversubscribed, places are allocated according to the published oversubscription criteria, which does not take into account individual reasons (for example child care, school links, medical and social reasons).

In relation to medical conditions you can contact the school directly to discuss their policy and procedures in regards to your child’s needs.

Check the Published Admission Number (PAN) for a School

All schools have a published admission number largely based on the size of the school buildings and their capacity to accommodate pupils. Once a published admission number has been set, the Authority must respect that number. Pupils should not normally be admitted above the published admission number unless exceptional circumstances apply. Each schools published admission number (PAN) is listed in the statistics section.

Look at the Statistics from Previous Years

You can check which schools were oversubscribed in the last two years from the statistical information. This will tell you the number of applications which we received and the number of appeals that were heard. However, these figures should not be taken as a guarantee that your child will automatically transfer to that Secondary School. You should also be aware that these figures could change dramatically from year to year.

Completing your Application Form

When completing your application, you need to consider very carefully at which schools you wish to apply for a place and assess accurately at which school you have the best chance of being offered a place for your child.

Some parents assume that because their child is attending a particular Primary / Junior School that their child will automatically transfer into the Secondary School.

You can submit only one application form for consideration and can apply for up to 3 schools.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS – PLEASE ENSURE YOU READ CAREFULLY.

• Please ensure that when you do submit your application online that you check your emails to see if you have received a confirmation email with a reference number. This is essential as this would only happen when an application has been submitted correctly.
  
  If you do not have a confirmation email and reference number, please contact the School Admissions Team immediately on 0191 424 7704.
  
  It is the responsibility of parents to ensure they have submitted their online application correctly and check for confirmation.
• Complete the form stating up to three preferences for your child. We strongly advise that you name more than one school.
• Please note that changes to your address in your e-services account does not transfer to your application. It is your responsibility to notify the School Admissions Team of any change of address.
• You must make a note of the email address that you use when applying as this will be the email address that will be used to send notification of your school offer.

Putting down more than one preference does not affect how your application is dealt with.

If you would like your child to attend your catchment area school you must specify the school as a preference on your application form. Where your catchment area school is oversubscribed, those living in the catchment area and not identifying it as a preference will forfeit a place at the school. You should state on the form your reasons why you have chosen your preferences. You may include preferences for schools in other neighbouring Authorities.

Applying for a Voluntary Aided school, Trust school or Academy

If you wish to apply for a Trust school or Academy you should include it on your application. Everyone must complete the Council’s application as well as any other supplementary form which may be required as part of the school’s own application process.

You need to be aware that Trust schools and Academies have different Admission Policies and Admission Criteria to Community and Voluntary Controlled schools in South Tyneside which decide how they will offer places. Their respective Admission Policies can be found in the admission policies section.

You will need to consider the Admission Policy for any Trust school or Academy you express a preference for, whether this is in South Tyneside or a neighbouring Authority in order to determine what criteria each individual school will use to consider your application. Requests to Trust schools or Academies will be forwarded to the individual school so they can consider your application. They will let us know the outcome of your application to their school.

Contacts in Other Authorities

You can seek advice about admission to schools in neighbouring Council’s on the following telephone numbers:

Make Sure your Application is Received on Time

The preference period lasts for 6 weeks from 6 September 2024 to 31 October 2024. It is your responsibility to ensure your application is received by Thursday 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm. We recommend that you apply online at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/schooladmissions as it is quicker and easier.

If you have decided to complete a paper application please make sure your application is received by Thursday 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

You may want to return your application form by recorded delivery as, in the event that we do not receive your application proof of posting will be required.

Allegations from ‘Late’ applicants stating that their application form has been lost in the post or lost by the school or the council will not be considered without proof of receipt from you.

Remember it is your responsibility to ensure that the application is received on time.

Fraudulent Address Claims

Places are withdrawn every year because parents give a false or misleading address on their application form. This includes cases where parents take out a short term let or buy a property solely to use its address on the application form without any intention of taking up permanent residence there. In fairness to all parents, the council will investigate all allegations of fraudulent addresses brought to their attention and, where appropriate, may seek further proof of residency details you provide, particularly if use of a temporary or permanent address causes concern. Please note that any offers for a place which is then found to be fraudulent and where the place is not withdrawn the parents will lose any priority for applications for siblings.

Families applying from overseas

Families who currently live overseas can make an application but this will be based upon their current residence and they may be asked to provide additional information to confirm their return to the UK.

Change of Address after Closing Date (moving into a particular schools catchment area)

It is your responsibility to notify us immediately of any change of address after submitting your application form. We cannot reserve places for families expecting to move into a particular school’s catchment area. If you have not exchanged contracts or have not signed a tenancy agreement to support your new address we will be unable to use this address for the purpose of allocating places on 3 March 2025. If you can provide us with the above evidence by 6 January 2025, we will be able use your new address for the purpose of allocating places on 3 March 2025.

However, please note that if you move into a particular schools catchment area after the submission of your application form and do not provide us with proof of your new address by 6 January 2025, your new address will not be taken into consideration when allocating places.

Change of Address after Closing Date (moving out of a particular schools catchment area)

It is your responsibility to notify us immediately of any change of address or change in circumstance after submitting your application form that may affect how your application is considered. For example, If you move out of the catchment area for the school you applied to after the submission of your application form, this may affect the category in which your child was considered. If it is determined that your child would not have been eligible for a place at the school offered based on your new address, your child’s school place could be withdrawn.

If necessary, we will withdraw places for change of addresses that take place up to and including 6 January 2025. However we will still continue to investigate any change of addresses following this date up until 31 August 2025 and will withdraw places if a school place has been obtained at any stage using a temporary address, relatives address or if we feel a property has been purchased or leased solely to use its address to obtain a place at a particular school, without any intention of ever taking up permanent residence there.

Children with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans

The admission arrangements for children with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans are specifically excluded from the usual arrangements, including the appeal arrangements, under Section 424(3)b of the Education Act 1996. The appeal in the case of a child with a Statement or Plan is to the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal, which is different from an admissions appeal panel.

If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan you will still need to complete an application to express your preference(s). Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan that names a school are required to be admitted to the school that is named. The Admission Authority (even when it is the Governing Board) does not have a right to refuse admission. Children with Statements or EHC naming schools count toward the published admission number.

If your child has special needs but not a Statement or ECHP your application for a school place will be considered on the basis of the Admission Authorities published admission arrangements.

At What Age Does my Child Transfer into Secondary School?

Every parent whose child is in their last year of Junior or Primary education (Year 6) whose date of birth is between 1 September 2013 to 31 August 2014 will need to complete an application for admission into Secondary School.

What happens if I do not reside in South Tyneside?

If you do not reside in South Tyneside and would like your child to be admitted to one of our Secondary schools, you will need to contact your ‘Home’ Authority for an application and return it to them by our deadline date of Thursday 31 October 2024 at 4.30pm. However, if you are not offered the South Tyneside School you applied for, you need to know that we will not automatically offer you an alternative school in South Tyneside if no other preferences were expressed. It is up to your ‘Home’ Authority to ensure your child has a school place.

Applying for Schools outside of South Tyneside

If you reside in South Tyneside and would like your child to be admitted to a Secondary school outside of this Authority you will need to complete one of our application forms. However, if you are not offered the school you applied for, you need to know that we will automatically offer you an alternative school in South Tyneside if no other preferences were expressed. It is up to your ‘Home’ Authority to ensure your child has a school place.

Co-ordinated Admission Scheme

South Tyneside operates a Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Secondary Schools with our neighbouring Authorities. These Authorities are North Tyneside, Gateshead, and Sunderland. This means that we compare applications we receive against those submitted to the Authorities above to ensure we have received only one application for each child who is due to transfer into a Secondary School. The procedure makes it simpler for parents to apply on one form for schools administered by different Admission Authorities.

All parents will be sent an offer of a school place on Monday 3 March 2025. You may obtain a full copy of our Co-ordinated Admission Scheme by contacting the School Admissions Team on telephone number 0191 424 7704. Alternatively you can download a copy by visiting our web site at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/schooladmissions

Acknowledgement Letter

All parents who complete an application (either online or paper copy) will be sent an acknowledgement by the end of December 2024 to confirm that we have received and are processing your application. Parents who have applied online will receive an acknowledgement to their individual email accounts. Parents who have completed a paper application will be sent an acknowledgement letter through the post.

Proof of Address

If you have listed a school which is normally oversubscribed on your application form (please see statistics section) you will be asked to provide us with proof of address to confirm that you are living within the schools catchment area. Each year Admission Authorities have to withdraw offers of places because parents have given false information abut their child’s true residence. If the address on your application form is not your child’s normal address, you must provide a child arrangements order, issued by a court, if you wish that address to be considered.

Change of School Preference(s)

Once you have submitted your application form and the closing date has passed you cannot change your preferences without a genuine reason i.e. you have moved address proof of ownership or tenancy of a South Tyneside property will be required. Your original application will be cancelled and a new application must be submitted which will be considered as ‘Late’. You should be aware that this will reduce your chance of gaining a place at the school(s) you want. If you change your preference(s) after the ‘offer’ date any place previously offered at a school in South Tyneside will be withdrawn and you will be notified of the outcome.

Please contact the School Admissions Team on telephone number 0191 424 7704 to obtain an application form.

Late Applications

If you return your application after 4.30pm on Thursday 31 October 2024 your application will be considered as 'LATE' unless exceptional circumstances exist. You should be aware that this will reduce your chance of gaining a place at the school you want. Parents returning their application after the deadline date must give a reason why their application is ‘LATE’. The Local Authority will consider your reasons and if they are exceptional will consider your application along with those received on time.

Applications received before 6 January 2025 for a good reason or in exceptional circumstances may be considered. Examples of what may be considered as a good reason or exceptional circumstances include a family who has just moved into the area (proof of ownership or tenancy of a South Tyneside property will be required in this case). Other cases may be considered and each case will be decided on its own merits.

Applications, which are not deemed to be exceptional, will not be processed until after 1 March 2025.

All applications received by the closing date will be considered before any applications received after this closing date unless exceptional circumstances apply.

3 March 2025 - ‘Offer Day’

On Monday 3 March 2025, parents will be notified via their individual email accounts if they have applied online. For those parents who have not applied online, a letter will be sent to you by second class post informing you which school your child has been offered.

If you have applied for your place online you will be notified on offer day via your individual e-mail account. Please note this is the email address attached to your eservices account. If parents are dissatisfied with the response to their preferences they have the right to present their case to an Independent Appeals Panel. Please see the appeals section.

Acceptance / Decline Slip – Deadline Date Friday 14 March 2025

If your child has been allocated a place at a school which is oversubscribed you must ensure you accept the place by accepting online at www.southtyneside.gov.uk or by completing and returning the acceptance slip by the deadline date Friday 14 March 2025 to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

We would always advise you accept an offer of a school place even if you want to appeal / go on the waiting list for other schools. Please note; having a school place does not impact an appeal outcome and / or place on a waiting list. If you still wish to decline your child’s school place you must put your request in writing by the deadline date Friday 14 March 2025 to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

Pro-forma – Deadline Date 14 March 2025

If your child has not been allocated a place at any school that you ranked higher on your application than the school you were offered on 3 March 2025 you may request to place your child’s name on a waiting list by completing and returning the pro-forma by the deadline date Monday 11th March 2025 to:

Address

The School Admissions Team,
Town Hall and Civic Offices,
Westoe Road,
South Shields,
NE33 2RL

Waiting Lists

The Council will hold waiting lists for all Community Schools and where requested for Trust Schools. Whitburn C of E Academy will hold their own waiting list.

If you have been refused any of your preferred school(s), you will have the opportunity to place your child’s name on a waiting list. You may wish to place your child’s name on a waiting list for more than one school.

Waiting lists are established after 14 March 2025.

Children are placed on the waiting list according to the oversubscription criteria regardless of when their application was received and within each criterion their place is ordered by shortest distance measured as a straight line, from the Ordnance Survey coordinates for the parental home residence (including flats) to the school main entrance.

If pupil numbers fall below the published admission number the place will be offered to the child at the top of the waiting list. This means a child who is on the waiting list will move down the list if another late application is received that falls within a higher priority under the oversubscription criteria.

However, children who have been the subject of a direction by an Authority to admit or who have been referred for admission by the In Year Fair Access Protocol Placement Panel will receive priority above children in all other criterion.

If appropriate we may decide to exceed the Published Admission Number to admit a child who is referred for admission through the In-Year Fair Access Protocol.

Waiting lists for all schools will be kept for the first term in the academic year. No lists will be kept for any school thereafter, either by the Council or by any individual school.

Withdrawing Offers of a School Place

It should be noted that an offer of a school place may be withdrawn if information supplied by you on your application is intentionally misleading or fraudulent (for example, a false claim to residence in a catchment area).

We may also withdraw places if acceptance slips are not returned by the deadline of Friday 14 March 2025.

Cancelling your School Place

If you move out of South Tyneside or your child will be attending a Private School you should notify the School Admissions Team immediately in writing, as your child may be holding a place at an oversubscribed school. This will enable the admission authority to offer a place to the next child on the waiting list.

Reserved Places

Places in South Tyneside Schools will not be held back or reserved in the expectation of further applications from families moving into the area.

If parents are dissatisfied with the response to their preferences they have the right to present their case to the Independent Appeals Panel.

Before deciding to appeal you will probably want to think about the Admission Policy, your reasons for wanting your child to attend the school, your child’s view of what school he/she should attend and how strong a case you have.

You can express a preference for up to three schools in order of priority; you may want to attend an appeal for more than one school. The outcome of one appeal does not prevent you from attending another.

Who is at the appeal?

• The Panel - who make the decision
• Note taker - who records the content of the appeal but does not take any part in the decision
• Clerk to Panel - who advises the Panel
• Presenting Officer - who presents the case on behalf of the admission authority
• Possibly, a staff member from the school
• You and your representative (please see below)

Who are the Panel?

The Appeal Panel will be made up of three (or possibly five) Panel members who have no connection with the people and schools involved in the appeal. At least one panel member will have experience in education and another will be a lay member (an independently appointed member of the public). The other members may be drawn from either of these categories.

No member of the panel will have been involved in the decision against which you are appealing.

Date, time and place

Staff from Democratic Services will give you notice in writing no later than 10 school days of the date, time and place for your appeal hearing. This will usually be at the Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL.

Preparing for the appeal

You will receive a copy of the same papers that are sent to the Appeal Panel a reasonable time before the date of the hearing.

If you have any additional documents such as a letter or medical report, which you want to bring to the attention of the Appeal Panel, please send a copy as soon as possible to the:

Address

Democratic Support Officer,
Town Hall,
Westoe Road,
NE33 2RL

If new issues are raised for the first time at the hearing it may be necessary to adjourn the hearing to allow the other party to consider them. However, it may not be possible for the evidence to be considered at all.

Can I bring someone with me?

You can bring a friend, adviser, family member or representative (or interpreter) to either help you, offer support or speak on your behalf. The friend or adviser can be a locally elected politician or a Council employee such as an educational social worker provided that this will not lead to a conflict of interest.

A member of staff from the school in question or a member of the admission authority cannot attend.

Legal representation is not necessary.

It is not necessary for your child to attend.

If necessary, you may also call a witness to help you put your case.

If you require the services of an interpreter or signer the Council can provide one.

What happens if I do not come to the appeal?

It is better if you can attend, as you are the best person to tell the Panel why you want your child to go to the school. If you cannot attend the Panel will give the same attention to your appeal by considering your written reasons.

Attendance on the Day

Unless you tell us otherwise, we will assume that the date and time we have given you is convenient. If the date is not convenient, it may not be possible to change it but please ask as soon as possible. If you tell us that you will attend and fail to do so, the Panel may decide to hear the appeal in your absence.

The appeal is heard in private and all papers and discussions are treated as confidential. However, a representative of the Council on Tribunals is entitled to attend as an observer.

We try to make your appeal as informal as possible, but to make sure everyone has their say there is a simple order of speaking that we follow. A copy of the procedure will be sent to you with your papers.

Further Appeals

You cannot appeal again until the next academic year unless there has been an exceptional change in the circumstances of the parent, child or school, since the original application e.g. you have changed address.

What can I do if I’m unhappy about the Panel’s Decision?

Nothing, there is no further appeal. There is no right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Education, but you are entitled to write to the Secretary of State about any aspect of your child’s education.

The Local Government Ombudsman can investigate written complaints about maladministration on the part of an admission appeals panel. This is not a right of appeal and has to relate to issues such as a failure to follow correct procedures or a failure to act independently, rather than just the person making the complaint thinks the decision is wrong.

For further information please call the Advice Line on 0300 061 0614 or visit the web site www.lgo.org.uk

The Governing Board manages pupil admissions to Trust and Academy schools and any appeals should be made directly to the Chairman of the Governors at the school address.

Community Secondary Schools – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 1 March 2023)

* Mortimer Community agreed to admit to 240 for September 2023 due to a new building being introduced in 2024.

Community Secondary Schools – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 21 July 2023)

*Mortimer Community agreed to admit to 240 for September 2023 due to a new building being introduced in 2024.

Education Appeals Community Schools – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 21 July 2023)

Trust School – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 1 March 2023)

Trust School – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 21 July 2023)

Education Appeals Trust School – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 21 July 2023)

Academy Schools – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 1 March 2023)

Academy Schools - Places offered under Published Criteria
(numbers as of 21 July 2023)

* Harton Academy - One placement became available after appeals

Education Appeals - Academy Schools - Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 21 July 2023)

Community Secondary Schools
(Information as of 1 March 2024)

Community Secondary Schools
(Information as of 22 July 2024)

Education Appeals - Community Schools - Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 22 July 2024)

Trust School – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 1 March 2024)

Trust School – Admission into Year 7
(Information as of 22 July 2024)

Education Appeals - Trust School - Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 22 July 2024)

*Three places become available after appeals but school on their Published admission number

Academy Schools – Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 1 March 2024)

*Harton Academy - The Published Admission Number (PAN) is 271, however, because the Academy was significantly oversubscribed, following discussions with the Department for Education (DfE) and the Local Authority, the Academy exceptionally agreed to admit an additional 25 pupils for September 2024. Places have therefore been offered to 296 pupils, comprising the PAN of 271, plus an additional 25 pupils.

Academy Schools - Places offered under Published Criteria
(numbers as of 22 July 2024)

*Harton Academy - The Published Admission Number (PAN) is 271, however, because the Academy was significantly oversubscribed, following discussions with the Department for Education (DfE) and the Local Authority, the Academy exceptionally agreed to admit an additional 25 pupils for September 2024. Places have therefore been offered to 296 pupils, comprising the PAN of 271, plus an additional 25 pupils.

Education Appeals - Academy Schools - Admission into Year 7
(numbers as of 22 July 2024)

Admission policies for Academy schools can be found on the following pages:

• Harton Academy
• St Wilfrid's Roman Catholic College
• Whitburn Church of England Academy
• St Joseph’s Catholic Academy

Admission policies for Trust schools can be found on the following pages:

• Jarrow School

In Year Transfers

In Year admissions are those that occur other than at the normal time of entry to school. You can submit only one application form for consideration. You may express up to three preferences, we strongly advise that you name more than one school.

If any of your preferences are for a school other than a South Tyneside School, then you must contact the chosen local authority and complete their own in year transfer form. They will contact you in regard to the outcome of your application.

If there are places available, the start date may not be immediate and would normally be at the beginning of a half term. If the year group is full, the admission authority will write to you and inform you of your right to appeal to the Independent Appeals Panel.

Before submitting your request to the Local Authority, you must discuss the transfer with the Head teacher of your Child’s current school. If this is a school within South Tyneside Local Authority, you must get him/her to sign the application form.

We do not advise you to withdraw your child from one school before you have made satisfactory arrangements for admission to another and it is expected that your child will continue to attend his/her current school.

In the case of house moves or permanent exclusion, a move of schools may be unavoidable. At other times your application to change your child’s school will need careful consideration. It is vital that parents consider the effect on their child(ren) if they are considering changing schools.

A ‘why change school meeting’ will need to be arranged with yourself and the head teacher before admitting a child into a new secondary school. This is vital in regard to a secondary placement as it is acknowledged that changing schools at this stage may mean that some topics or areas of work are repeated and some missed because subjects are taught at different times, in different ways in different schools.

The last two years of Secondary School (years 10 and 11), when pupils prepare for their GCSE and other public examinations, are particularly important. It is generally considered that changing schools at this stage should be avoided if possible, because it might have a damaging effect on the examination results a pupil may achieve. At public examination level, schools do not always offer the same combination of subjects and syllabi. Examination requirements can also differ as schools do not all use the same examination boards. Problems may arise in subjects involving course work that must be sent to examination boards by set dates, and pupils who have not completed essential course work may be unable to complete the examination. The meeting will allow parents the opportunity to discuss this with the head teacher and ensure that a change of secondary school would be appropriate for your child.

Sometimes a change is considered because there has been a disagreement between the parents or child(ren) and school. There are very few differences that cannot be resolved if an issue is discussed openly and reasonably between the school and parent. Services for Young People can also be contacted to help parents resolve difficulties. Parents are encouraged to settle any differences with schools and only move their child(ren) to another school as a last resort. If you believe your child is being bullied you should contact your child’s school who will advise you of the procedure to follow.

Bullying in Schools

It is a statutory responsibility for all schools to have an Anti-Bullying Policy. This Policy will explain how they will respond to all reported incidents. If you are worried or concerned about bullying issues, or your child has reported bullying to you, it is important that you make contact with the Head Teacher of the school, who will ensure a member of staff follows up your enquiry, as outlined in their school's policy. Schools will endeavour to meet with you to discuss your concerns so that they can work with you and your child to resolve the issues. If the matter remains unresolved the next step would be to refer the matter through the school's complaints procedure, which would involve the Schools Governing Board.

Excluded Pupils

Exclusion from school is viewed as a very serious step, for this reason only the Head Teacher has the power to exclude a pupil. There are two types of exclusion:

Fixed Term Exclusion – these are usually for short periods (up to 45 days in an academic year). Pupils can be excluded from school across a lunch period, for statistical purposes this is counted as a half day. The pupil returns after the exclusion period has expired. In the case of one to five days exclusion, pupils are excluded to home with work set by the school. Pupils must not be in a public place, during school hours, without justifiable cause during this period of exclusion and if caught, their parents may face a fine of up to £100. Pupils who have been excluded for more than five days are entitled to full time education from the sixth day; this is provided by the pupil's home school using a range of alternative options. Schools should aim to provide full time education from day one of exclusion for a vulnerable pupil. The Head Teacher will inform you in writing of the period of the exclusion and the reason for the decision. If you are unhappy about the exclusion you have the right to put your case to the Governing Board Discipline Committee. If you wish to make representations to the Governing Board Discipline Committee you should write to the Chair of Governors c/o the school.

Permanent Exclusion - this means the child cannot return to the school unless re-instated. In the case of permanent exclusion the above procedures will be followed but if the Discipline Committee upholds the Head Teacher’s decision to permanently exclude your child you have the right to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. If you decide to appeal it is important that you lodge your appeal within 15 school days from the date of the Discipline Committee decision. If your child is not re-instated by the Independent Appeal Panel your child’s name will be removed from the school roll. If your child is permanently excluded, the Local Authority has the duty to provide other suitable education. This may be a place in another school or in alternative provision.

Exceptions to the Duty to Offer a School Place

If there are more places available than applicants, the Admission Authority must accept all the applications except in the circumstances described below: -

1. Twice-Excluded Pupils
   Where a child has been permanently excluded from two or more schools parents can still express a preference for a school place, but the requirement to comply is removed for a period of two years from the date on which the latest exclusion took place. This does not apply to children with a statement of special educational needs; children who were below compulsory school age when excluded; children who were reinstated following a permanent exclusion; and children who would have been reinstated following a permanent exclusion had it been practicable to do so.
2. Pupils with Challenging Behaviour It is normally unacceptable for a school to refuse to admit a child on the basis of their behaviour elsewhere. It is also unacceptable for a school to refuse to admit a child thought to be potentially disruptive, or who has exhibited challenging behaviour, on the grounds that the child ought first to be assessed for Special Educational Needs. If a pupil, once admitted is found to be seriously disruptive then the school may consider disciplinary action, including exclusion procedures.
   
   Exceptionally outside the normal year of entry, and where an application is made outside arrangements covered by an In year Fair Access Protocol, admission authorities may decide to refuse to admit a child with challenging behaviour even though there are places available, on the grounds that admission would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources. This will normally only be appropriate where a school has a particularly high concentration of pupils with challenging behaviour or previously excluded children and one or more of the following exceptional circumstances exists, namely that the school:
   1. requires special measures or has recently come out of them (within the last 2 years);
   2. has been identified by Ofsted as requiring significant improvement and therefore given ‘notice to improve’;
   3. is subject to a formal warning notice by the Council;
   4. is a Fresh Start school or Academy open for less than two years; or
   5. is a secondary school where fewer than 20 per cent of children are achieving 5 or more A* -C GCSEs including English and mathematics, or a primary school where fewer than 55 per cent of pupils achieve Level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in both English and mathematics for four or more consecutive years.
3. In Year Fair Access Protocols (Hard to Place Pupils) In Year Fair Access Protocols exist to ensure that access to education is secured quickly for pupils who have no school place, and to ensure that all schools admit their fair share of pupils with challenging behaviour. All schools in South Tyneside participate in the protocol in order to ensure that unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. The protocol ensures that no school, including those with places available is asked to take an excessive or unreasonable number of pupils who have been excluded from other schools. Pupils placed by the Fair Access Panel are given priority for admission over others on a waiting list or awaiting an appeal.
4. Pupils with Special Educational Needs
   The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice recommends that when a child is identified as having special educational needs the school should intervene initially through School Action. If concerns about a pupil’s progress continue then an outside agency such as the Education Psychology Service may be involved at what is termed School Action Plus. For a few pupils, the Council may make additional resources available through the Inclusion Panel or through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or Statement of Special Educational Needs. Most pupils with special educational needs are educated within mainstream school, some are in specialist units attached to mainstream schools and others are in special schools. Detailed information relating to special schools and units in South Tyneside can be obtained from the individual school or on our website www.southtyneside.gov.uk

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Information Advice and Support Service)

SENDIASS is an independent service offering impartial support and information to parents whose child(ren) have, or may have, Special Educational Needs (SEN). The service offers parents and carers information and advice about the following:

• How special educational needs (SEN) are identified and assessed by schools and the Local Authority
• How progress is monitored and reviewed
• Who to talk to in school about your concerns
• The SEN Code of Practice, Education Health and Care Plan process.
• Parents / Carers rights and responsibilities
• Someone to attend meetings and reviews with about your child’s needs
• Help with filling in forms and expressing your views in writing
• What to do if you are not happy with a decision made about your child’s SEN
• Details of local and national organisations, which may be able to offer help and support in relation to your child’s SEN

Pupils with Disabilities

If your child has a disability, he/she will be treated no less favourably than other applicants for admission. Schools are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that pupils with disabilities are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Admissions Outside the Normal Age Group

Most children will be admitted to a school within their own age group but it is possible for you to request a place outside your child’s normal age group. This might be because you have an exceptionally gifted and talented child, or your child has missed part of a year maybe due to ill health. In addition, South Tyneside operates a flexible admission system particularly in Infant and Nursery schools to help pupils with special educational needs to be placed in the most appropriate year group. This might be because your child was born prematurely or has some degree of special educational needs and would be better placed within the following year group. This option should be discussed with the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and Educational Psychologist. We will consider such requests on the basis of the circumstances of each individual child and in consultation with the appropriate colleagues and with the written recommendation of an Educational Psychologist. If your application for a place outside the normal age group is refused, you have a right to appeal against the decision but this does not apply if parents are offered a place other than the year group in which they applied for.

Elective Home Education

It is the duty of parents to secure an appropriate education for their child(ren). This can be done either by regular attendance at a school or ‘otherwise’. For most children in South Tyneside this means that they will attend their local school, but for a wide variety of reasons a minority of parents decide to take on the ‘duty to educate’ their child at home. Parents are advised to carefully consider the decision to Home Educate, as it is a great responsibility and a considerable commitment of time and energy.

Education for Children and Young People with Medical Needs

Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 provides that each Local Authority ‘shall make arrangements for the provision of suitable education at school or otherwise than at school for those children of compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion from school or otherwise, may not for any period receive suitable education unless such arrangements are made for them,’ Local Authorities also have the power to provide suitable education otherwise than at school for young people over compulsory school age but under the age of 19.

Access to education: All pupils should continue to have access to as much education as their medical condition allows so that they are able to maintain the momentum of their education and to keep up with their studies.

• Education for pupils who are unable to attend school because of medical needs is provided through the home education service. It is important that each of the component elements forms part of a strategic planning framework.
• Home teaching services, or discrete parts of services, which provide education in a unit or school type setting, must either be registered with the Department for Children Schools and Families as a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). It is good practice for PRUs that provide for pupils with medical needs to cater exclusively for them.
• Children, Adults and Families Directorate should in partnership with parents and health professionals ensure that:
  • Pupils are not at home without access to education for more than 15 working days.
  • Pupils who have an illness/diagnosis which indicates prolonged or recurring periods of absence from school, have access to education, so far as possible from day one.
  • Pupils educated at home receive a minimum entitlement of 5 hours teaching per week. This is a minimum and should be increased where necessary to enable a pupil to keep up with their studies. This is particularly important when a pupil is approaching public examinations.
  • Whether the child or young person is able to access this will depend on medical advice.

Alternative Education Behaviour Support Service

A central team of specialist staff who provide education throughout South Tyneside for pupils who are not being educated within mainstream or special school for reasons of exclusion or in danger of exclusion, social and emotional difficulties, sick at home new to the borough who may be awaiting a specialist school placement. The Children, Adults & Families Directorate is the provider of Education Otherwise than at School (EOTAS).

School Attendance

Improving school attendance is a major priority for the Council. Children who attend school regularly perform better and gain better qualifications than those who attend less regularly. By missing out on education children risk leaving school without qualifications and nothing to show for their time at school.

Parents have a moral and a legal duty to make sure that their children are properly educated. From time to time problems may arise that cause children to miss school; these include teenage rebellion, bullying at school, peer pressure, family problems or problems with studying.

Should problems arise help should be sought in the first instance from the school. In most cases the person to contact is the Head Teacher. Services for Young People can help sort out problems and offer independent advice and support. Your child’s school will be able to put you in touch with the Services for Young People or you can contact them directly by telephoning 0191 424 6763.

Pupils from Overseas

Families who are not entitled to remain permanently in South Tyneside may be granted leave to enter for a stay of several months or for a short holiday. It may be reasonable for an application for a school place not to be granted if the stay is so short that it would not be practicable to admit the child to school. Each application for a school place will be considered on its merits in terms of the educational welfare of the child.

Accessing your Child’s School Records

As a Parent/Carer you have a right to see or have a copy of your child’s educational records. You should put your request in writing direct to the Head Teacher of your child’s school.

School Uniform

For further information on school uniform you should obtain a copy of the individual school prospectus.

Complaints about Schools

If you are not happy with what is happening at your child’s school you should obtain a copy of the schools complaints procedure (available from the school direct) and follow the procedure in the documentation.

Black and Minority Ethnic Children (BME)

South Tyneside Local Authority supports children from BME communities, including Travellers, to achieve success in our schools. The Ethnic Minority Traveller and Refugee Achievement Service (EMTRAS) helps children to overcome any barriers of language or racism preventing them from making progress.

Please be aware in making applications if you tick the refugee box, information may be shared with other agencies, this is to ensure your needs are met and you receive any support required.

School Transport

The Council as part of its commitment to enhancing the Borough is proactive in promoting sustainable modes of transport for school and everyday journeys. This includes ongoing projects to reducing traffic congestion, improving road safety and lower air quality concerns.

The Council also promotes environmentally friendly, sustainable home to school transport. All schools within South Tyneside have, or are working towards an accredited School Travel Plan and there is an ongoing Healthy Schools initiative ran by Public Health to promote physical activity amongst children. Both programmes are interlinked and complement each other.

Furthermore to help staff, parents and pupils to make informed choices about the range of available travel options a range of tools and information is below.

Online Journey Planning

In order to plan your journey either by foot, bicycle or public transport there is the Go Smarter Journey Planner. This allows you to determine where and when various travel options are available and it’s very easy to use. To access it, please visit Nexus Journey Planner

Public Transport

Discounted tickets are often available for young people and journeys to school. Depending on where your school is located you can contact individual Operators for more information. Alternatively discounted fares for young People are available for young people across Tyne and Wear from Nexus, Information on these can be found on their website; nexus.org.uk/pop

Walking and Cycling

In order for you to plan journeys with South Tyneside and beyond, a cycle map is also available. This outlines all of the advisory cycle routes in the Borough and many of these connect to schools. To download copies of the map please visit Go Smarter Go Active website

The maps are also available on paper and available across the region free of charge, or by contacting the Strategic Transport Team.

Any questions

For more information on these links, ongoing transport projects in the Borough, or to request a paper copy of the map please contact the Strategic Transport Team at South Tyneside Council using the following email address; strategictransport@southtyneside.gov.uk

Atypical Admissions

If you have a child who is due to move into Year 10 in September 2025 it’s important to know there are other opportunities for education in the North East area, which you may not be aware of. These schools have atypical admission ages, taking pupils at a different age to 11-16 or 18 secondary schools. This does not mean that you are required to move your child from their existing school if this is the best option for them.

Detailed below is a list of educational establishments within a reasonable travelling distance which you may wish to investigate and consider applying for a place for September 2025. In addition this information will be included on the Local Authority website from September 2022. You should also look at the GCSE curriculum in your child’s current school, to help consider the best option for your child’s education in the next two years.

Contact:

North East Futures UTC

Address

Stephenson Quarter,
Newcastle Upon Tyne

Telephone:

0191 917 9888

Website:

www.northeastfuturesutc.co.uk

Email:

info@northeastfuturesutc.co.uk

Contact:

UTC South Durham

Address

Long Tens Way,
Aycliffe Business Park,
Newton Aycliffe,
Co Durham

Telephone:

01325 430250

Website:

www.utcsouthdurham.org

All schools have a statutory duty to secure impartial careers guidance for all Year 8 to Year 13 students to inspire young people to fulfil their potential and to make them aware of all opportunities open to them. I would strongly recommend that your child discusses their options with a Careers Adviser in their current school or college.

If you decide that you would like to have more information or apply for a place at any of the educational establishments, I would suggest that you make contact using the information detailed above.

Travel Arrangements for Pupils of Statutory School Age

Pupils Under 8 years of age

Where any pupil who attends their nearest suitable school and lives more than two miles statutory walking distance from the school, the Council will meet the cost of travel to and from school.

Pupils aged between 8 and 11 years of age

Where a child of a low-income family attends their nearest suitable school and lives more than two miles from that school the Council will meet the cost of travel to and from school.

Pupils aged between 11 and 16

Where any pupil who attends their nearest suitable school and lives more than three miles statutory walking distance from the school, the Council will meet the cost of travel to and from school. In addition to this, children of parents who are on low incomes will be able to benefit from Council transport assistance if their child is attending the nearest suitable school more than two miles away. To qualify for this benefit children of low-income groups are defined in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 as “those entitled to free school meals, or those whose families are in receipt of their maximum level of working tax credit.”

The provision of free transport does not extend to schools more than six miles away.

Children from low-income groups aged 11-16 attending the nearest suitable school based on a preference of religion or belief can benefit from local authority transport to a school not more that 15 miles distant.

Applications for travel passes must be made on the application form which can be obtained from Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear NE33 2RL telephone number 0191 424 7755. Upon completion the application will be assessed against the distance and suitability of the route to school, the age of the child and any additional needs they may have and family circumstances.

Where pupils qualify for free travel the authority will issue Nexus travel passes. Passes are valid for one school year and a fresh application should be made in June for the start of the next school year. Should your family circumstances; the route or the child’s needs have changed during the course of the year your child may no longer be entitled to free transport.

Post 16

Young people attending 6th forms or local college can obtain discounted travel passes from Nexus. For further information, please contact your local Nexus Travel Shop.

Transport arrangements for Pupils with Special Educational Needs and / or disability

Where any child is attending their nearest suitable school and, as a result of their SEN and/or disability is unable to walk to school, then the Council will make suitable travel arrangements. More information is available in the full SEN Transport Policy; this is available from the SEN Transport Unit.

Appeals

Should the Council decide that your child is not entitled to free transport you may appeal against the decision. Appeals must be made to the Corporate Director, Children, Adults and Families Directorate, South Tyneside Council, Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 2RL. Your appeal should state why you disagree with the decision, appeals will be considered within 21 days of receipt.

Definitions

Suitable School

For a school to be “suitable” it must have places available.

Statutory walking distance

“Statutory walking distance” is two miles for children aged under eight and three miles for children aged eight and over. (Section 444(5) Education Act 1996). The measurement of the “statutory walking distance” is not necessarily the shortest distance by road. It is measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk with reasonable safety. As such this may include footpaths, bridle ways and other pathways as well as recognised roads.

Routes between 3 and 6 or 15 miles

These will be measured along routes that can be used by motor vehicles.

Home

Is the normal place of residence of the child.

Religion or Belief

Section 44(a) of the Education Act 1996 defines “religion” as “any religion”, a broad definition inline with the freedom of religion guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It includes those religions widely recognised in this country and must have a clear structure and belief system.
Section 44(b) of the Education Act 1996 defines “belief” as “any religious or philosophical belief”. For a belief to be worthy of protection it must attain a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance; be worthy of respect in a democratic society; and not be incompatible with human dignity or the fundamental rights of the child.

School Leaving Date (year 11 pupils)

The school leaving date for year 11 pupils is the last Friday in June and for 2025 it will be 27 June. Young people will not be able to leave school before that date even if they are already 16 years old.

Fair Processing Notice

All Local Authorities are required to collect information on children and young people who are in need of services or who are “looked after” by the Local Authority. Some of this information is sent to the central government Department for Education (DfE) each year in what are called Statutory Returns, and some information is shared by the people working with children and young people to provide them with better services.

This notice, (called a “Fair Processing Notice”) is to inform you what the information will be used for. Information may be shared on an individual basis with other agencies as required by law, and to help us to provide better services for you / your child. In these instances, personal information will be made available.

For a copy of the full Fair Processing Notice please visit our website or contact the Information Development Team in 0191 424 7702.

Sixth Form Open Evenings

Harton Academy, St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Northern Saints Catholic Trust - St Wilfrids RC College and Whitburn C of E Academy are designated as 11-18 schools and provide a full range of post 16 courses. Applicants refused admission are entitled to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. Where a child is already attending a school and is refused permission to transfer to Year 12 at that school, they and their parents have the same right of appeal as an external candidate or their parents; where the pupil and parent appeal separately the appeal panel must hear the appeals together. An appeal panel would normally follow the process described in the appeals section.

Admission policies for Sixth Form Education can be found on the following pages:

• Harton Academy
• St Joseph’s Catholic Academy
• St Wilfrid’s RC College
• Whitburn Church of England Academy

Nursery Schools Age 3-5

Community Primary Schools

Voluntary Controlled School - Church of England

Academy Schools

Voluntary Aided Schools - Church of England

Community Secondary Schools

Trust school

Academy School

Special Schools and Special Units

Other Units for Secondary age pupils

Alternative Education Service

The service caters for pupils, who have been excluded from school or have been referred to the service for respite.

Holidays in Term Time

Some parents arrange holidays during term time and this often leads to problems such as:

• Your child’s education can suffer
• Lessons and extra-curricular activities are missed
• Continuity of work is lost
• Friendship groups can break down
• The form group is disrupted

Every school will have its own policy regarding this matter and you must check with the school what the policy is and seek permission to take your child out of school before booking any holiday in term time. If parents fail to do this, or if permission is not granted and the child is taken out of school each parent will be liable to receive a Penalty Notice for each child kept away from school

Dates of Terms and Holidays for 2024/2025

Dates of Terms and Holidays for 2025/2026

Definitions and Explanation of Terms used in this document

Academy

An academy in the education system in England is a school that is directly funded by central government (the Department for Education) and is independent of local government control. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind. They must meet the National Curriculum core subject requirements and are subject to inspection by Ofsted. Academies are self-governing and most are constituted as registered charities or operated by other educational charities. Most are secondary schools, but some cater for children from nursery age upwards.

Acceptance Form

Form used for Parents to accept a school place at an oversubscribed school.

Admission Criteria/Policy

The arrangements, which govern the procedures and decision making for the purpose of admitting pupils to schools.

Admission Authority

The Admission Authority is responsible for pupil places and setting the admissions criteria; The Council is the Admission Authority for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools (except where the Authority delegates the responsibility to the Governing Board) for Voluntary Aided schools, the Admission Authority is the Governing Board.

Appeal

Any parent whose child is refused a school place(s) for which they applied has a statutory right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel.

Catchment Area

A defined geographical area linked to each school. When a year group is oversubscribed in Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools, pupils living within the school catchment area will be given priority.

Class Size Limit

No Infant Class being taught by a single teacher can contain more than 30 pupils.

Community Schools

Schools wholly funded by the Council. The Council employs the school staff, owns the school’s land and buildings and has the primary responsibility for deciding the arrangements for admitting pupils.

Comprehensive School

Secondary school designed to educate children from the whole ability range.

Consultation

Council's should carry out full public consultations whenever options are being considered for a new policy or if a new regulation is planned.

Department for Education (DfE)

Central Government Department with responsibility for education.

Diocesan Board

The Christian denominations divide the country into church districts called Dioceses. Each Diocese will have a committee or a board to administer its church schools.

Efficient Education

Means providing a good standard of education.

Equal Preference

This means the Admission Authority considers all the preferences against the admission criteria without any reference to how the school applied for has been ranked. If you child can be offered a place at more than one school, we will refer to your original ranking and offer a place at the one you have ranked the highest.

Exclusion

When a pupil is removed from the school premises by the Head Teacher, either temporarily or permanently, on disciplinary grounds.

GCSE

General Certificate of Secondary Education, the common public examination at age 16.

Governing Board

A Board of people appointed or elected to work with the Head Teacher to oversee the general conduct and curriculum of each Council maintained Community, Voluntary Controlled and Voluntary Aided School. It includes representatives of parents.

Governing Board Discipline Committee

Group of people from the Governing Board to consider pupil exclusions.

Independent Appeal Panel

An Independent panel established by the Council or in the case of VA schools, the governors to consider a parent’s appeal against the refusal for a school place or their child’s exclusion from school.

Indicated Admission Number

The calculated capacity of the school for a particular year group determined by dividing the school’s net capacity by the number of year groups. A school’s published admission number (PAN) should be equal to or greater than the indicated admission number. A school that wishes to set a PAN lower than the indicated admission number must go through a period of consultation.

Key Stages

The four stages of pupil’s progress in acquiring knowledge and skills as set out in the National Curriculum. Pupils are tested at the end of each stage.
Key Stage 1 - pupils are aged 5 – 7
Key Stage 2 - pupils are aged 8 – 11
Key Stage 3 - pupils are aged 12 – 14
Key Stage 4 - pupils are aged 15 – 16

Council / Local Authority

The Local Government Board responsible for setting and financing education policy.

Local Government Ombudsman

The Local Government Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration by Local Authorities and other bodies. The Local Government Ombudsman investigates complaints about how the Authority has done something, but cannot question what a Council has done because a person does not agree with it.

Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)

The Board that arranges and sets standards for school and LA inspections.

Online Application

A quick and easy way to apply for your school place by using a computer

Oversubscribed

Where there are more requests for admission to a year group in a school than there are places available.

Parent/Carer

A parent/carer means any person who holds parental responsibility, and with whom the child normally resides.

Preference

The legal right of parents to state the school they would prefer their child to attend.

Prejudice the provision of efficient education

A legal term used to describe when a school is oversubscribed; it means it would have an adverse effect on providing a good standard of education.

Prejudice the efficient use of resources

A legal term used to describe when a school is oversubscribed; it means it would have an adverse impact on the resources already allocated at a school and or at neighbouring schools in the Authority.

Pro forma

Form used for parents to request to place their child’s name on a waiting list of any school they ranked higher on their application than the school place they have been offered.

Prospectus

A document required to be published annually by schools to provide information to parents on the school.

Published Admission Number (PAN)

The number of pupils a school can admit to the relevant age group in any one year. The Admission Criteria will only be applied if we receive more applications than the PAN.

Secondary School

A school for children aged 11 - 16+

Services for Young People

Staff employed to help pupils and parents where there are problems, particularly regarding attendance. They are a valuable link between home and school.

Special Measures

Judgement by OFSTED inspectors that a school is failing and requires measures, which are determined mainly through an Action Plan used to secure improvement in the school.

Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan

Document drawn up by a Council, which describes a child’s educational needs and the provision that should be made to meet them. Incorporates advice from teachers, educational psychologists, doctors, parents, social workers and others.

Surplus Places

Excess amount of space.

Technology College

Technology Colleges have direct commitment and support from their business sponsors and the DCSF to provide to a more focused curriculum around a specialism.

Year Group

Name given to describe a pupil’s stage of schooling.

Waiting List

A list of pupils who have been refused a school they ranked higher on their application than the school place they were offered. The list held in order of the Admission Criteria/Policy for oversubscribed schools.

Currency of Information

The information contained in this publication, which was prepared in July 2024, and relates to the academic year 2025/2026 which begins in September 2025. The information was accurate at the time of preparation but it must not be assumed that no changes will occur before the start of, or during the school year or in the subsequent years. Such changes could occur as a result of a variation in Government Policy or in Council Policy.