Application classed as late

[Guest55]

Wasn't the requirement in the admissions booklet as well?

It's certainly on the Warwickshire website: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/grammarschool" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some people on here have had a school allocated that they did not even name or no school at all. Please don't assume it has gone swimmingly for everyone.

Whatever happens on March 1st people on here will help if you have to appeal.

[Sosalou]

It is definitely mentioned on both the website and in the admissions leaflet but only in so much as it states that proof of address will be required and failure to meet the deadline will result in applications being classed as late.
The website and leaflet were obviously consulted at the stage of applying for 11+ but after the test is sat we wait for communication from Warwickshire admissions regarding scores. We got this in October and read it thoroughly along with all FAQS which applied to us. The problem is we did not receive the letter which is the trigger for sending the crucial documents. The statement telling us what to do in that eventuality was placed in a location where we were unlikely to look. So I'm certainly not assuming that things go swimmingly for everyone but I think I can assume that the majority of parents got that crucial letter and so we will never know whether they would have read the statement that was placed in a section for people who were intending to move house. Or indeed if they would have gone back to the website and then contacted Warwickshire Admissions to say that they had not been asked for proof of address. Or maybe like us they may have assumed that the proof of address was not required or the letters were coming out later than it implied on the website.

[MadDad1975]

POA is not asked for at the time of application because Warwickshire schools want up date info. They want proof of where applicants are living as close to offer day as possible. This helps avoid the issue of parents applying for places, providing POA, moving to an address less likely to lead to an offer, and not notifying the Council. It happens. A lot.

I really don't see anything wrong with wanting to operate a robust system. Yes, it places a responsibility on parents. But, if parents care enough to be on here, it shouldn't be that difficult to remember to post in the POA. As the date approached, I'd be on the phone to the Council asking what was happening.

[Fatnorville]

POA is not asked for at the time of application because Warwickshire schools want up date info. They want proof of where applicants are living as close to offer day as possible. This helps avoid the issue of parents applying for places, providing POA, moving to an address less likely to lead to an offer, and not notifying the Council. It happens. A lot.

I really don't see anything wrong with wanting to operate a robust system. Yes, it places a responsibility on parents. But, if parents care enough to be on here, it shouldn't be that difficult to remember to post in the POA. As the date approached, I'd be on the phone to the Council asking what was happening.

I am aware of previous fraudulent applications and that I would need to.privide POA.

When I submitted my CAF firm I had to include my Council Tax number. I assumed that would be my POA. I didn't study the admissions leaflet to the nth degree however if I didn't get the letter asking for further POA i doubt I would have approached the council for clarification.

It's more by luck than judgement that I am not in a similar position.

[streathammum]

Only the GS in Warks ask for this extra evidence. All other schools, which are the vast majority, don't. Making all do it would add a huge amount of admin to an already under resourced LA. As a previous poster has already said, it's the GS who want this, no the LA.

JD

That's interesting. If it's only a small number of schools who want this information, why is it being co-ordinated by the LA? I thought that if schools want particular details that aren't being obtained as part of the LA's overall application process, they should ask parents to complete a Supplementary Information Form, and make that part of the admissions process in October.

[MadDad1975]

Only the GS in Warks ask for this extra evidence. All other schools, which are the vast majority, don't. Making all do it would add a huge amount of admin to an already under resourced LA. As a previous poster has already said, it's the GS who want this, no the LA.

JD

That's interesting. If it's only a small number of schools who want this information, why is it being co-ordinated by the LA? I thought that if schools want particular details that aren't being obtained as part of the LA's overall application process, they should ask parents to complete a Supplementary Information Form, and make that part of the admissions process in October.

Because they are paying the Council to do it. And as above, they don't want the proof in October, they want it as late as possible.

[streathammum]

OK, they pay the LA to do it, but why ask for it late?

Most people won't move between 31 October and 29 December, so why not just collect the proof of address with the CAF and then have a separate process for the very small number of people who do move? That would be far more efficient for all parties than having to send out a second lot of letters in December to GS applicants and collate the separate replies.

The more letters that are sent from the school to parents and from parents to schools, the more chance there is of something getting lost.

[ToadMum]

OK, they pay the LA to do it, but why ask for it late?

Most people won't move between 31 October and 29 December, so why not just collect the proof of address with the CAF and then have a separate process for the very small number of people who do move? That would be far more efficient for all parties than having to send out a second lot of letters in December to GS applicants and collate the separate replies.

The more letters that are sent from the school to parents and from parents to schools, the more chance there is of something getting lost.

It would seem that for the Warwickshire grammar schools, requiring this extra layer of proof works in three directions - for those moving into catchment before the final cutoff date, a chance to prove that they have moved and for everyone else originally in catchment and not moved, a check on this. Then an attempt to catch those who were in catchment (temporarily or otherwise) at submission of CAF, but have now moved (?back) OOC or at least, further away? Although in the third case, if they have retained ownership of the IC address, they would presumably still be able to provide 'proof' of living there.

[guest201]

Is there not a thread just below this one about sending in proof of address? As a user of this forum I am surprised the OP didn't see that and question why they had not received the request from the council at the time.

[MadDad1975]

OK, they pay the LA to do it, but why ask for it late?

Most people won't move between 31 October and 29 December, so why not just collect the proof of address with the CAF and then have a separate process for the very small number of people who do move? That would be far more efficient for all parties than having to send out a second lot of letters in December to GS applicants and collate the separate replies.

The more letters that are sent from the school to parents and from parents to schools, the more chance there is of something getting lost.

Because as explained above, it's best to have the POA as late as possible. If the POA was submitted with the CAF, there would be parents who then moved and did not notify the Council. The arrangement is to avoid this and fits in with the school's admission arrangements and the last date for moving into the area.

The arrangements might involve some more work, but they are there for a reason.

Make sure you object to the school's admission arrangements next time they consult. The Council's POA is the Council Tax reference number. Everything else is driven by the grammar schools.