How do we offer places if there are more applicants than places available?
After offers have been made on 1st March 2023, parents can ask to go on the waiting list for Guiseley School. All waiting lists will be held in criteria order of the admission policy. The waiting list will close at the end of the academic year – July 2024. Each time a child is added, the list is ranked again in line with the published oversubscription criteria in this policy. Under the Admissions Code, children looked after and those allocated a place at the school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those on a waiting list.
When will we get confirmation of secondary school allocation?
National Offer day is Monday 1st March 2024. On this day we will write to parents/carers who have been allocated Guiseley School to request they return the slip to accept their place in writing. You do not need to phone the school directly to accept the place.
What happens once we have accepted our place?
After the deadline for accepting the place, we will write to parents/carers to outline the next steps in the transition process including access to information on the school website. We will communicate mainly through email after accepting a place and send an information pack with forms for you to return.
How will you get information about my child from their current school?
We will also begin working with our local primary schools to gather information about the children transitioning to Guiseley School throughout March-May. We communicate with every primary school where we have a child transitioning to us whether there is a number of students or just one student coming from there. We hold meetings with each school and share pastoral and academic information. Later in the year we will invite you as parents/carers to discuss any additional information with us about your child that is important for their transition and their academic progress.
My child has Special Educational Needs, how can I best communicate with the school around this?
Once we have held meetings with our primary schools, our SENDCO and their team will contact each parent of a child on the SEN register to discuss their needs. If you have concerns around your child’s learning needs but they are not currently on the SEN register, there will be an opportunity at a Parents’ Information Event in the Summer Term, for you to discuss this with the SEN team.
What is the best way to discuss pastoral concerns I have for my child?
Following the information sharing by primary schools, the Year 7 pastoral team will contact each parent/carer of a child that receives additional pastoral support at primary school. From this we will develop a pupil passport to share with their form tutor and teaching staff ready for their start with us. If your child is not currently receiving additional pastoral support but you would like to have a discussion with the pastoral team, there will be an opportunity for you to speak to the pastoral team following the Parents’ Information Event in the Summer term.
How do I find out about school uniform?
There is information about school uniform on our Uniform page. We will also write to you regarding uniform and suppliers in the coming months.
My child is worried about their transition to Guiseley School; what support is available?
From March, we will be sending a child-centred transition booklet, containing key information, advice & activities for your child to use and revisit. These booklets will focus on key aspects of the school that will help them to quickly settle into their new routines, as well as addressing common areas of worry they may have e.g. making friends, homework and finding their way around the school building. There will also be an opportunity for your child to meet their form tutor in the summer term, where their form tutor will introduce themselves and reassure them about any worries they may have.
How are the Year 7 forms allocated?
This is a very complex process, as we use information from primary schools, parental & child requests, modern foreign language requests (this determines their year half), hobbies/interests, form tutor expertise and SEND requirements. We communicate closely with primary schools throughout the entire process, who will make suggestions about groupings based on their in-depth academic and pastoral knowledge of each child. We endeavour to put your child with at least one friend that they have requested from their primary school (or another primary school if your child’s classmates will be attending another secondary school). Your child will also have the opportunity to complete an ‘all about me’ document that aids the transition process, further enabling us to select the most appropriate form group, as well as getting to know them better.