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Admissions

SeAM - HCC School Admissions Software System

A new web based system has been introduced in Hertfordshire, called SeAM (Schools electronic Admissions Module). SeAM is being phased in to replace the current School’s OnLine Admissions (SOLA) System.

• Full details and link to SeAM - updated March 2010 with advice on improving performance

Thank you to all those colleagues who gave us their views on using SeAM. The data will be used to inform future training and processes. The summary of results is available here for your interest.

Summary Results of SeAM Survey

• Word 2003, 47kb/4 pages, 01/12/2009, summary_results_seam_survey_nov09.doc

Nursery

Nursery Admissions Procedure 2011- 2012 New

Frequently Asked Questions

• Adobe pdf, 25kb/4 pages, 14/07/2010, nursery_admissions_faqs_jul2010.doc

Nursery Admissions Booklet

• Adobe pdf, 1.49MB/112 pages, 20/10/2009, nursery_admissions_booklet_2010-11.pdf

2010/11 booklet available 09/10/2009

Nursery Admissions Guidance for Headteachers

• Adobe pdf, 917kb/32 pages, 05/10/2009, nursery_admissions_guidance_2010-11.pdf

• Early Years Admissions Review - updated December 2009

Under 11's

Under 11's Admissions Booklet

• Adobe pdf, 1.28/144 pages, 06/11/2009, under_11_admissions_booklet_2010-11.pdf

Starting School - A Guide for Parents and Carers of Children Applying to Primary Schools 2010-2011

• Adobe pdf, 1.54MB, 6 pages, 06/11/2009, starting_school_under_11_leaflet.pdf

Middle Open Events

• Adobe pdf, 565b/4 pages, 06/11/2009, middle_open_events.pdf

Under 11's Admissions Guidance for Headteachers

• Adobe pdf, 897kb/32 pages, 06/11/2009, under_11_admissions_guidance_2010-2011.pdf

Secondary

Secondary Admissions Booklet 2010-11

• Adobe pdf, 2.44MB/142 pages, 01/09/2009, secondary_admissions_booklet_2010-11.pdf

Secondary Admissions Guidance for Headteachers 2010

• Adobe pdf, 1.99MB/37 pages, 25/09/2008, secondary_admissions_guidance_2010-11v2.pdf

Secondary - What You Can Do Now?

A Guide for Parents Whose Children Have Not Been Offered a Place at Their Preferred Secondary School 2010-2011

• Adobe pdf, 133kb/7 pages, 17/02/2010, secondary_guide_parents_2010.pdf

Admissions - All Processes

The Determined Admissions Arrangements for 2011-12 can be found on Herts Direct:

• www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn/admission/admissionsinfo/fai/adms1112/

More information on admissions for nursery, infant, junior, primary, middle, upper and secondary schools can be found on the Herts Direct website:

• www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn/admissions/

Information on the appeals procedure for parents is available:

• Schools Admission Appeals Panel

Why would you apply online ?

We recommend that you apply online for a school place because:

• It is quick, safe and secure
• We will let you know which school your child has been offered after 9am on the day allocation letters arrive
• There are clear, simple prompts to guide you through making your application
• We will confirm we have received your application and you can view it at any time online
• You can check or change your application at any time right up to the deadline.

Will online applications benefit my child’s school?

Yes – schools will benefit from

• Less paperwork
• Easy confirmation of siblings at the school
• Better informed parents/carers
• Easier access and better quality information
• As a secondary school, there is the ability to check on line, the number of applications made to the school and any sibling information
• As a primary school, there is the ability to check which  pupils have made an application

The form is available on:

• www.hertsdirect.org/admissions

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Early Years Admissions Review

The Early Years Admissions Review has been considering 3 strands:

• Support for the quality of delivery of EYFS to younger children
• Development of a universal nursery admissions process for all sectors
• Review of the impact of an annual or bi-annual intake to nursery and/or reception

The consultants from Cordis Bright Consulting who were commissioned to support this work have completed their report, which can be accessed below:

Review of Early Years Admissions - Executive Summary

• Adobe pdf, 279kb/4 pages, 03/09/2009, review_early_years_admisisons_execsummary.pdf

Review of Early Years Admissions - Final Report

• Adobe pdf, 1.3MBkb/36 pages, 03/09/2009, review_early_years_admisisons_finalreport.pdf

Review of Early Years Admissions - Appendices

• Adobe pdf, 1.3MBkb/38 pages, 03/09/2009, review_early_years_admisisons_appendices.pdf

Early Years Admissions Review - Update December 2009

Following a report from independent consultants, Cordis Bright Consulting, and a series of road shows for Heads and early years practitioners, the early years admissions review identified the need for a county policy for nursery and reception admissions.  The policy needs to support the best outcomes for young children, meet the needs of their families and allow the local authority to meet its statutory duty under Childcare Act 2006 to provide sufficient free places for 3 and 4 year olds and sufficient childcare places for 0-5 year olds whose families chose to use this.

In addition, an online solution is being developed to replace the previous centrally coordinated admission system for nursery children into maintained provision.  Feedback from the review has identified key features that could reduce the administrative burden for schools and allow PVI providers to use the same system, which would offer parents a single process and an introduction to education e-systems without involving a coordinating role for CSF.

Although the review suggested that there was no great body of evidence to suggest the current Hertfordshire policy of two intakes to nursery and reception classes should be changed, the DCSF has since announced its intention to require all local authorities to offer a single intake to reception for the September 2011 intake.   This follows the recommendations from the Rose report. (DCSF Independent Review of Primary Curriculum – recommendation 14(1) – points of entry into Reception class).

•  Nationally about 100 local authorities already offer a single intake to reception
• classes.   The DCSF proposes that parents should be able to choose whether to
• take up a full-time or part-time funded place in either the maintained or PVI sector from the
•   September after their child’s 4th birthday.  The DCSF would fund local authorities to provide 25 hours of provision a week, for 39 weeks a year based on the parents’ choice of provision.
•  In Hertfordshire it would provide a single intake to reception whilst still allowing parental choice and flexibility if parents chose to defer entry.       

HCC’s Cabinet approved the following recommendations, which will form the early years admissions policy for September 2011:

• Move to a single intake to reception following the DCSF guidelines
• Continue a biannual intake policy into maintained nursery provision from the September following the child’s 3rd birthday
• To show commitment to this by the continued funding of maintained nursery provision on this basis
• To develop and implement more robust quality improvement strategies
• To recognise the part that PVI provision plays in Hertfordshire by providing early years places for 0-4 year olds
• To continue the direction and development of an online solution for the admission of nursery aged children

Because of the impact this will have on funding for all sectors, and particularly for maintained sector nursery schools, it was agreed to set up an early years funding working group to develop solutions for minimising the financial impact whilst supporting the policy.

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