Remember to return school applications

Parents whose children are due to start reception classes in Manchester primary schools next September 2008 or January 2009 are being urged to get their application forms in to the Council on time.

Completed application forms must be sent back to the Council's school admissions team by next Friday 14 December.

Application forms for reception class places which are not received by this date will be considered after those received on time. Parents who send in their application forms late are therefore at greater risk of not being allocated places at their first preference school for their child - even if they already have other children in the school.

Applications for places may also be made online if parents prefer. Log on to www.manchester.gov.uk/education/admissions and fill in the online application form. The same deadline of 14 December applies.

All parents whose children are due to start reception next September should have received an application pack. Anyone who hasn't should either complete an online application or contact Manchester School Admissions' team on tel: 234 7163/ 7151/ 7150 and ask for a pack to be sent urgently to them.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Manchester City Council's Executive Member, Children's Services, said: "We need an application form sending back to us for every child who requires a reception class place, even those who already attend a school nursery.

"Parents must send application forms back to us either by post or online to arrive no later than Friday 14 December.

"All application forms received by this date are considered at the same time. Late applications are not considered until after those received on time.

"Parents are therefore far more likely to get their first preference school if they fill in the form correctly and send it back to us by the deadline."

Letters notifying parents of the school allocated to their child will be sent out by second class post on April 1 2008.

Media contact:

Jane Lemon, tel: 0161 234 3179