v3.02 May 10, 2008

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Guidelines for completing the Common Application Form ‘CAF’

 

 

 

To apply for a place in any state secondary school, including those outside your home borough, you must complete and submit a ‘CAF’ — Common Application Form.  Send the completed form to your home borough or submit on-line using e-Applications.

Section1:  Child’s details

Complete your child’s name as it appears on their birth certificate.  Do NOT use nicknames or shortened names.  Complete the child’s current address — you will be asked to prove this address.   In ‘Current School’ enter the name of the primary school which your child is currently attending.

Section 2:   School preferences

The order you list schools is very important.  Put your first preference at the top, your second preference next, and so on, with your last preference at the bottom so they’re ranked in order.

You can list up to six schools, including schools located outside your home borough.  Note that some state schools also require a supplementary application or SIF to be submitted as well as being listed on the CAF.  Independent (private) schools are not covered by the CAF and you must apply direct to the school.

The borough will try to make an offer of a place based on your highest ranked preference, however there are no guarantees.  It is important to list the details of a brother or sister who will be attending one of your preferred schools.  This may increase your chances of an offer, depending on the school’s published admission criteria.

Reasons for preference:  supply details here if you wish to make a case for exceptional needs that can best be met at a particular school.  This must be done now, with your application, and not at the appeal stage.  You may also support your preferences by stating if, for example, you prefer a religious or non-denominational school, or a single-sex or co-educational school.

Section 3:  Children in public care

If you are a carer of a child in public care (a ‘looked-after child’) state which local authority is responsible for the child.  You must attach a letter to the application from the child’s social worker confirming who the social worker is, the legal status of the child, and specific reasons for the school preferences made.  A ‘looked-after child’ means a person under the age of 18 for whom a local authority provides accommodation by agreement with their parents or carers (Section 20 of the Children Act 1989) or who is the subject of a care order under Part IV of the Act.  Children who are looked after under a series of short-term placements (such as respite care) are not included.

Section 4:  Parent’s or carer’s details.

Make sure this section is completed fully so you can be contacted if necessary.

Section 5:  Declaration and signature of parent or carer

The common application form is a legal document and it is not valid without your signature.  Unsigned forms will be returned to you for signature and you must sign and resubmit the form by the deadline or it will be considered late.  Online applications cannot be signed, but the registration process has a number of security measures aimed at verifying the identity of the parent or carer.