Coordinated admission arrangements timetable 2025

There will be a standard form known as the Common Application Form (CAF) which will be used for the purpose of admitting pupils into the reception class for primary school and the first year of secondary education in the determination year. In the main rounds for applications for primary and secondary places, an on-line facility will be set up to enable parents to apply for places online. A separate form known as the 'In-Year Application for a school place or a change of school place' will be available for any applications made for an "in year transfer" into any year group. There is no online facility yet although a form can be requested by contacting the School Admissions team via email school.admissions@stockton.gov.uk or by phoning 01642 526605.

The online application / CAF and 'In-Year Application for a school place or a change of school place' form must be used as a means of expressing one or more preferences for the purposes of section 86 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, by parents permanently resident in the LA area who wish to express a preference for their child:

• to be admitted to a school within the LA area (including VA schools, Academies and Free School)
• to be admitted to a school located in another LA's area (including VA schools and Academies)

The online application or CAF and 'In-Year Application for a school place or a change of school place' form will:

• invite parents to express up to four preferences (secondary only) by completing the form including, where relevant, any schools outside the LA's area, in rank order of preference
• invite parents to give their reasons for each preference

The CAF will specify a closing date (for the determination year) and where it must be returned. 

The LA will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that:

• the online application or CAF is available on request from the LA and the 'In-Year Application for a school place or a change of school place' form will be available from the LA
• a written explanation of the scheme is available from the LA and on their website

All preferences expressed on the online application or CAF are valid applications. The governing body of a VA school or Academy can require parents who wish to nominate, or who have nominated their school on the CAF, to provide additional information on a supplementary form only where the additional information is required for the governing body to apply their over subscription criteria to the application. Where a supplementary form is required, this will be requested after the VA schools and academies have received information from the LA about who has applied for their schools. Information requested on the supplementary form should be returned by the parent to the individual school by the due date specified by the school.

Where a school receives a supplementary form it will not be regarded as a valid application unless the parent has also completed either the Stockton - on - Tees online application or CAF or, if resident in another area which has a CAF, their home area's common application form, and the school is nominated on it. Where supplementary forms are received directly by VA schools or Academy, the school must inform the LA immediately so it can verify whether a CAF or neighbouring area's CAF has been received from the parent and, if not, contact the parent and ask them to complete one. In these circumstances, the school should also send the LA a copy of the supplementary form if so requested. Under the requirements of the scheme, parents will not be under any obligation to complete an individual school's supplementary form where this is not strictly required for the governing body to apply their over subscription criteria.

Very few Voluntary Aided schools and Academies governing bodies have opted out of the coordinated admissions scheme for in year transfers, a list of these schools will be made available for parents by September 2024 on the Stockton website. Parents are still required to complete an application form from the LA and schools need to inform the parents and the LA of the outcome of the request.