Department of Education issues advice for parents following Transfer Procedure test results
Saturday, 7 February 2009Following today’s transfer procedure test results, the Department of Education wishes to remind parents about the next stages in the Transfer Procedure and about the advice it has already issued about nominating post-primary schools.
Parents received advice last year on the steps to take following the results and more recently, parents were also given a checklist of issues to consider when deciding on their preferred post-primary schools. This will also help them to prepare for their meeting with their child’s primary school Principal.
A Department of Education spokesperson said: “Information about post-primary schools is available in school prospectuses which can be obtained from each school on request and in the Transfer Booklet recently sent to parents by their Education and Library Board.
“Principals of primary schools will be inviting parents to discuss their child’s progress and to nominate on their Transfer Form the post-primary schools to which they would like their child to transfer.
“They should nominate, in order of priority, all those schools (at least three) where they wish their child to be considered for admission and always include at least one non-grammar school.
“It is very important that parents carefully consider the admissions criteria of schools and that they provide, on the Transfer Form, all the information which each of their nominated schools will require in order to consider their child’s application against its admissions criteria. Parents are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all information is complete and accurate.
“Every effort is made in the Transfer Procedure arrangements to accommodate parental preferences, but it must be stressed that no grade can guarantee a pupil’s admission to any particular school and no grade, of itself, confers an entitlement to a grammar school place.
“In relation to school transport, a child will only be eligible for transport assistance to a school which is more than three miles distant from home where he or she has been unsuccessful in gaining a place at all suitable schools within three miles from his or her home. Suitable is defined as: denominational or non-denominational grammar, controlled or maintained secondary, integrated or Irish Medium only. No other definition of “suitable” is acceptable. Parents must therefore apply to all suitable school(s) within walking distance (three miles) of a pupil’s home even though, on the evidence of past patterns, there would be little prospect of obtaining a place at them. To do so will not affect their application to other schools, but will keep open the possibility of eligibility for transport assistance. Parents should carefully study the detailed information about transport arrangements set out in the Education and Library Board’s Transfer Booklet.
“Parents are also advised to read carefully the Department’s ‘Dear Applicant’ guidance which is located near the beginning of the Education and Library Board Admissions Criteria Booklets. This explains the need for all applicants to provide alongside their application forms, documents verifying particularly the residential information contained on their application forms. The precise details of these requests will be contained in the individual entries of post-primary schools contained within that booklet. Responsibility to ensure all verification documents are attached to the Transfer Form (in the case of applications to post-primary school) rests solely with the applicant and they should ensure that all documents are attached before signing off the Transfer Form. The provision of false or incorrect information or the failure to provide verifying documents according to the required deadline may result in either the withdrawal of a place or the inability of a school to offer a place.
"Once Transfer Forms are completed they will be sent by the Principal of the primary school to the appropriate Education and Library Board. Parents will be advised by the Board in writing on Friday, 29 May 2009 of the post-primary school to which their child has been accepted.”
Notes to Editors:
Open Enrolment
1. While the open enrolment arrangements give parents as much flexibility as possible to decide which post-primary schools their children attend, it must be borne in mind that parental preferences are limited by the physical capacity of any particular school. In particular, many grammar schools may be over-subscribed and it is likely that not all pupils wishing to attend grammar schools will be admitted.
2. Where there are more applicants than places, a school’s published admissions criteria will be used to decide which pupils will be admitted. In the case of grammar schools which use the Transfer Procedure Test results to select pupils, those with grade A must be admitted before those with grade B1, grade B1 before those with grade B2, and so on. This applies irrespective of the order of school preference expressed by parents. Schools cannot take account of a parent’s order of preference of schools in taking admissions decisions.
The Tests
3. The 2008/2009 tests are based on the programmes of study in English, mathematics and science and technology.
4. The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) was responsible for setting the tests, for their conduct, for the marking of papers and the issue of results.
5. Pupils taking the tests are graded on the basis that:
- the top 25% of the transfer age group are awarded grade A;
- the next 5% are awarded grade B1;
- the next 5% are awarded grade B2;
- the next 5% are awarded grade C1;
- the next 5% are awarded grade C2; and
- the balance are award grade D.
Transfer Form / Verifying Documents
6. This is a very important document listing a parent’s preferences for the post-primary school they would like their child to attend and containing all the information, including any special circumstances, which schools will use in considering a child’s application.
Due to the recent media coverage/judicial review in respect of false or incorrect addresses in the process of school admissions, the Department issued guidance to schools and pre-schools and included in the Education and Library Board Booklets guidance to parents on the need to provide verifying documents alongside their application forms, particularly documents verifying residential information.
Choosing Schools
7. A leaflet was issued recently by the Department of Education to the parents of all Year 7 pupils. This is a checklist of points to consider when parents are deciding on the schools where they would like their child to be considered for a place.
Admissions Number
8. While schools are required to admit transfer age pupils up to an approved admissions number, they may not exceed that number or their approved enrolment number. These numbers have been determined by the Department of Education in consultation with school authorities and are based on the physical capacity of schools.
Appeals
9. Parents whose children are refused a place in a school of their choice will be able to appeal to an Independent Appeal Tribunal only if they think a school has not applied, or has not properly applied, its admissions criteria. Decisions of the Appeal Tribunals are binding.
Tuition Fees
10. With the exception of pupils from outside Northern Ireland, pupils admitted to grammar schools (other than “Group B” voluntary grammar schools) are not liable for any tuition fees. The two “Group B” voluntary grammar schools, Campbell College and The Royal Belfast Academical Institution continue to be able to levy a “parental contribution” which includes elements towards capital and recurrent expenditure in those schools. All other voluntary grammar schools are permitted to charge a capital fee.
11. Media queries to the Department of Education Press Office on 028 9127 9356. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
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