London School Guide for Schlumberger

School Year and Holidays The school year runs from September to July and id divided into three terms (semesters). The Autumn term (Fall) runs from September to December, the Spring term runs from January to April and the Summer term runs from April to July. Each term lasts approximately 12 weeks and a half term holiday is given in the middle of each term, usually a weeks’ duration. Half term holidays are usually held in October, February and May. The Christmas and Easter holidays are usually 2-3 weeks long and the summer holiday is around 6-8 weeks long. State (public) schools State schools are government run schools which are free of charge. The local authority in the area you move to (local government administration body) will guarantee your child a place in a school but they will not guarantee a place in your preferred school(s), it will depend on if there is a space available for your child at the time of submission/entry. Admission Process – Key points The admissions process varies from local authority to local authority but the general points to keep in mind are as follows; + You must have a permanent address in the UK before you can apply for a school place (temporary accommodation address is not acceptable) – a signed lease/rental contract and one proof of address document (utility bill or council tax bill) are usually required + Your children must be in the UK before you can apply, and some local authorities will ask you to go to their offices so that they can see the children + Applications can be made in person at the local authority office or online + You can apply for up to 6 schools (depending on the local authority) + Distance from home to school is used by many schools to decide which children qualify for a place, this is known as a ‘catchment area’ + If you apply for a faith school which gives priority based on attendance at a place of religion or worship, you should read the admission criteria carefully to decide if you are likely to be offered a place + There are usually no entry requirements for children, though some specialist schools will require them, and most schools like to see a copy of the child’s last school report. Please note that availability within a school can change weekly and therefore local authorities are often reluctant to even confirm what schools may have places when you are looking for your permanent home. Choosing a School It is important to collect as much information as possible about the schools you want to apply for and their admission procedures.

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