Starting School

Schools in Chester are under the control of the Cheshire Local Education Authority.  The information contained in this section should be used in conjunction with information at Cheshire County Council's Education Website (external link)

Your Rights as a Parent

Every child has the right to a school place while he or she is between the ages of five and sixteen and parents have the right to say which school they want their child to go to, whether the school is inside or outside the area in which they live.

If your child is not offered a place at the school of their choice, parents have the right to appeal to an independent panel.

Children aren't automatically accepted to schools with their parents having to apply first. Even if your child is at a nursery linked to an infant school, or an infant school linked to a junior school, you still need to make an application to move them on to the next stage. Visit the DfES Parents Centre (external link) for more information.

Your Child's Needs

Primary school education in England generally begins at the age of five and local education authorities must provide all children with a school place no later than the start of the term after their fifth birthday.

The precise age at which schools take children varies from one area, and often what type of school, to another, but it is common for children to go to school at the start of the term in which they will become five.

There are a lot  of important considerations when choosing a school for your child, such as 

• which school will she or he like best?
• which school will do best for him or her?
• how will your child get to school safely?
• where are your child's friends are going - is it best to stay with those friends, or make new ones?
• If your child is particularly bright, or needs special help or attention, which schools will handle that best?
• if your child has particular interests or you want him or her to learn a particular subject or subjects, is the school strong in those areas?
• on the other hand, does it have weak areas that worry you?

 

If you aren't sure about the educational opportunities available to you, BBC Online (external link) has a section devoted to the UK education system and what alternatives are available for you.

Finding a school

You may already know which school you want to send your child to, you may even have moved to a specific area so that your child has better access to the school of your choice.  You can search for local schools in your area (external link) at the DFES Parents Centre, which also offers advice on what you should do when you are researching schools (external link).  In Cheshire, details of local schools can be found on the Cheshire County Council's Education Website (external link)

Applying to a school

When you have made your choice, you need to apply to your chosen school, and you must remember to apply in plenty of time for an application to be processed.

• You will usually need to apply for a primary school place well before your child reaches five - many schools admit children at four.
• You will usually need to apply for a secondary place before Christmas in the year before your child is due to start at secondary school.

Details of when and how to apply to a school can be found on the DfES website (external link)

If your application to a school is refused for any reason, you can appeal against the school's decision. (external link)