‘Unexpected development’ delays school places

Parents waiting to hear whether their children have been accepted for local state schools have been told of an ‘unexpected’ delay in the process.

A letter has gone out from Hertfordshire County Hall to say that the development means that "it may not now be possible to offer you a secondary school place for your son or daughter until 31 March 2004."

The letter, reproduced in full on this site, explains that a problem has arisen following an objection to the admission rules to five schools, which the county says it thought had been resolved.

The local authority says the Schools Adjudicator is now investigating the objection, and the process will not be completed until the second half of this month (February 2004).

The letter goes on to say that if the Adjudicator does change the admission rules for any of the five schools, then all of this year’s 16,000 applications will need to be processed again.

The delay is particularly worrying for parents who are considering entering their children for independent schools as a fallback should they fail to win admission to the state school of their choice.

Several of the private schools are demanding deposits up front, some by early March, and the delay could be costly for those who have to try to secure a place at a fee-paying school while they wait for the Schools Adjudicator to issue a ruling.

You can discuss this issue in this site's forum.

2 February 2004

Related news and other information
Admission letter to parents 2 February 2004
Chancellor’s admissions 2004 2 March 2003
The history of Chancellor's School Lilian Caras - 1989
Herts admission rules for secondary schools - 2003
Chancellor’s above average at all levels - 23 January 2003
Chancellor's School - improved results - 22 November 2002
Chancellor’s admissions - Adjudicator's report - 16 September 1999
Adjudicator decision imminent - 5 September 1999
MP 'shares concerns' over admissions - 20 August 1999
Adjudicator to rule in September - 28 July 1999
Council sustains admissions objection - 21 July 1999
Governors oppose admission changes - 12 July 1999
Primary school objects to admissions plan - 12 July 1999
School seeks backing for admission changes - 7 July 1999
Chancellor's governors defend position - 6 July 1999
Chancellor's Admission Policy 2000 - 17 June 1999
Chancellor's new admission criteria - 16 June 1999

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