Primary school offer day 2023: Everything you need to know including date and how to appeal in South Tyneside

The day parents will discover which primary school their children will attend in the next academic year is nearly here, and this is all you need to know about the event.

What is primary school offer day?

This offer day marks the date families will find out whether or not a child has been given a place in their preferred primary school for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Anyone waiting for an application will be made aware of the decision by either letter or email.

When is the national primary school offer day in 2023?

This year most families will know their children’s school on Monday, April 17. Any families who submitted paper applications will be sent their response by second class post on the same day.

How can I respond to a school place offer?

Each letter and email sent to parents today will include a set of instructions for the next steps as well as a deadline for accepting or declining the offer.

My application has been rejected, what comes next?

Even if an application has been rejected, local councils have an obligation to provide a school place for every child. This means a school place will still be allocated, even if it is not at a school of the family’s choice.

Parents can accept the alternative offer of a place in another school, put their child on a waiting list of preferred schools or make an appeal. Any response must be sent by the given deadline to avoid the place going to another student.

How can I appeal a school offer?

The letter or email which includes the offer will include the steps for anyone wanting to appeal a decision.

Appeal letters can be requested by families until 4:30pm on Tuesday, April 25 and the deadline for appeal forms to be returned is on Tuesday, May 23. Appeals will then be heard over June and July.

On what grounds can I appeal a decision?

The majority of appeals come as a result of the needs of the child. If a school is unable to have their special or educational needs met by a school, an appeal is more likely to be successful.

Grounds of appeal such as commuting distance to a school and childcare arrangements are known to have been rejected in the past.

What are the criteria for allocating primary school places?

The criteria may differ by school, but according to government guidelines, priority is more likely to be given to children who:

• Live close to the school
• Went to a particular ‘feeder school’
• Have a parent who has worked at the school for 2 years or more
• Have a sibling at a specific school
• Are from a particular religion (in faith schools)
• Pass an entrance exam (in selective schools)

When does the 2023-24 academic year start?

The new school year will begin on Monday, September 4 for most schools in South Tyneside, although it is recommended to ask your child’s school in case they are different from the majority of the region’s other schools.

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