Secondary school place notifications
Secondary school place notifications are being sent 1 March 2022. Ahead of this here is some useful info.
If your child did not get offered a place in your preferred school/s don't panic.
We have a clear appeals process and the closing date for submitting your appeal is not until 29 March, so you do not need to contact the schools admissions team straight away.
When will I find out about my child's place?
Online applications
Emails are sent in groups from midnight on 1 March 2022. If you haven't got an email from us yet please check your spam folder. Some emails may take longer to arrive than others depending upon your provider so hold tight if you don't have it straight away.
Paper applications
School place notification letters are sent second class from 28 February. These usually take between one to four days to arrive.
If your school place notification hasn't arrived:
- We advise waiting a few days beyond the times given above for your notification to arrive before contacting us. We understand that you may be concerned but the delay will not make any difference to the places offered or subsequent appeals.
- If you are certain it has not arrived after a few days, email ed-admission@sheffield.gov.uk. We usually respond within 1-2 working days though this could be longer during notification periods.
- The School Admissions pages provide lots of useful information. Click the button below to go there.
If your child is offered their first preference school you do not need to take any further action.
If your child isn't offered their first preference school
We know that not being offered your preferred school can cause concern and you may have questions. We've answered some of these below including how to contact us.
The appeals process is open until 29 March so you have several weeks to contact the team if you need to. It does not make any difference to the appeal outcome when you contact us during that period.
Appeals are not dealt with on a first come, first served basis.
Why haven’t I been offered a place at my first preference school?
The school was oversubscribed, when the criteria were applied all places were offered to children with a higher right of admission.
Waiting lists & changes to preferences
Where is my child on the waiting list(s)?
Email the Admissions Team to get this information - ed-admission@sheffield.gov.uk
How is the waiting list prioritised?
Priority on the waiting list is determined by the oversubscription criteria for that school not by the length of time on the list or date of application.
A child’s position on a waiting list can go down as well as up because late applications in a higher category would be placed higher on the list.
How long does the waiting list run for?
From 1 March until 31 December 2022
Can I change or add to my preferences?
Yes. Any change or addition will be managed as a late application, you can submit up to three preferences. Any changes or late preferences must be made by email to ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk
Appeals
How can I appeal the decision to refuse a place at my preferred school(s)?
Details of how to appeal are provided to parents with their decision notification. More information can be viewed on the Oversubscribed Schools and Appeals page. The deadline for submitting appeals is 29 March.
When are appeals heard?
Appeals submitted on time will normally be held in May and June.
Is there any point in appealing if the school is full?
Yes. The appeal panel is independent and is legally empowered to exceed the admission number on a case by case basis although there is no guarantee. The appeal panel decision is binding on all parties.
How many schools can I appeal for?
You can appeal for any school that you have been refused admission for, up to a maximum of three.
What happens if my appeal is successful?
Your allocated school will be changed to the school you have been successful for. Your previously allocated school will be withdrawn at this point.
How does the appeal panel work?
Full details are on the Oversubscribed Schools and Appeals page.
What should I do if I think an error has been made with my application?
Provide details to ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk who will investigate your concerns.
Reporting suspicion of fraudulently obtained places
If you believe that someone has lied about their address and obtained a place fraudulently please provide details to ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk and the allegation will be thoroughly investigated.
We will not pass on your details to any other parent.
We hope this has been helpful. The School Admissions Team appreciate your patience during the notification period. Contact into the team from parents will be much higher than usual and it may take us longer to reply than usual.
We will reply to all parents who contact us. The easiest way to do this is via the email address above.
If you would like to receive information about school admissions or other Council services by email you can sign-up using the button below and choose which information you would like to receive from the list of topics.
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