London EXPO Barbican 20 April 2005

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London EXPOBarbican 20 April 2005

• Amanda Derrick eAdmissions
• Lao Cooper Hertfordshire County Council
• Tim Spiers eAdmissions

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Overview

• Project Aims and Objectives
• Parents Experiences of Applying Online
• Hertfordshire LEA Experience of developing an
  online system
• Project Deliverables
• Project Benefits

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Introduction / Background

• Need to simplify and speed up the schools
  admissions process for
• Parents/carers and children
• LEAs
• Schools
• Requirement for relevant, accurate and timely
  information to assist parents/carers and children
  in making their decision

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Project Target - September 2006

• All 150 LEAs to offer online schools admissions,
  for the 2006 process for 2007 entry.

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Project Target - September 2006

• Take-up by parents/carers to be
• 5 - 10 in first year of operation
• 10 - 15 in second year of operation

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Applying OnlineThe benefits
What do parents say are the benefits of applying
online?

• Virtually everyone aware of the option to apply
  online but..
• ..benefits not obvious to those who have not used
  this method.
• However those who attended an introductory event
  in the last 2 years appear to be more aware of
  the benefits.

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Applying OnlineThe barriers
What do parents say are the barriers to applying
online?

• There is definite potential for the number of
  online applications to grow...
• However, there are several issues and barriers,
  preventing it having universal appeal...

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• Hertfordshire Experiences

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Hertfordshire Experiences

• The pilot
• Hertfordshire piloted an online nursery
  admissions system in 2002
• 3.5 of parents/carers applied online for a
  nursery school or class

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Hertfordshire Experiences

• Online admissions in 2004
• Parents/Carers can apply for nursery, primary,
  junior and secondary school places online
• Parents/Carers can retrieve their allocation
  details online
• Parents/Carers can lodge an appeal or apply for
  continuing interest online

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Hertfordshire Experiences
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Hertfordshire Experiences

• Lessons Learned
• In larger LEAs, ensuring the correct school is
  selected
• include the schools town in the drop down list
• Ensuring UACs (Unique Application Code) are not
  duplicated
• Issue the UAC through the online admissions
  system rather than recording it on the paper
  application form

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Hertfordshire Experiences

• Lessons Learned
• Parents/Carers not remembering their security
  details
• Ensure there is an automated process to deal with
  forgotten security details
• Communication with schools
• If appropriate, schools need access to
  information with regard to online applications

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eAdmissions LEA Toolkit

• LEA Toolkit will include step by step guidelines
  as follows
• LEA Timeline/Gantt Chart
• Implementation plans
• Minimum feature list
• Legal compliance guidelines
• Case studies and best practice/lessons learned
• Glossary/ FAQs
• Disability Discrimination Act guidelines
• Interactive Admissions Booklet
• Schools Website Template
• Online Appeals software and specifications
• In Year Admissions software and specifications
• GIS Software prototypes
• Marketing collateral
• Full list of schools and postcodes
• Website literature guidance
• Business case
• Benefits study

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Benefits of eAdmissions

• For Parents/Carers and Children
• Makes process quicker and easier
• Makes process more reliable by online validation
• Provides more easily accessible, accurate and
  relevant information
• Enables them to register Continued Interest or
  Appeals online
• Enables them to change the application right up
  to the deadline date
• Allows them to view their childs allocated place
  without waiting for post

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Benefits of eAdmissions

• For LEAs
• Receive applications faster with less errors
• Save time in importing data into the allocation
  system
• Save costs if application brochures available
  online and allocation details sent via email
• Enables LEAs to provide their citizens
  (parents/carers) with an alternative service
  channel for admissions and up to date and
  accurate information
• Enables LEAs to achieve some of the ODPMs
  Priority Outcomes related to Schools
• R1 (online admissions)
• G1 (admissions portal)
• E1 (take up targets)

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Website

• The Online Schools Admissions National Project
  website is at

www.eAdmissions.org

• Visit it to find out about the project framework,
  research results, events and the toolkit