Changing your Child's School Reading Answer

Mar 7, 2025

Changing your Child's School is an IELTS Reading Answer which contains 7 questions and needs to be completed within 10 minutes. This reading answer also helps you to prepare for your IELTS exam. Changing Your Child's School consists of questions like: Write no more than three words and/or a number for each answer. Participants should go through the IELTS Reading passage to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions. Also, Changing Your Child's School Reading Answers chats about things to look at while changing your child's school. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Topic:

Changing your Child's School

There is always a time when someone needs to change their child's school. This does not happen very often, but we have provided these guidelines to help you if this is necessary for you.

Applications for schools open on different days in each local council area - usually at the start of the autumn term of the year before your child is due to start school. Therefore, schools don't usually have many spaces during a school year. Schools try and get full as this influences their government funding.

To apply for a school mid-year, you follow the same procedure as you would normally at the beginning of the year. You begin by contacting your local education authority and get your child on the waiting list. As your child will already be at a school, the authority will want to know why a change is necessary. The most frequent explanation in this country for a child going to a new school is moving house. Your reasons for changing school will be kept confidential if you ask. We aim to let you know the outcome of your application within 10 working days after we receive your completed form and necessary paperwork, including:

- proof of address (dated within the last 3 months)

- proof of arrival into the country (if applicable).

We need agreement from some schools that are their own admitting authority (such as an Academy) before we can allocate a place. As such, there could be a delay over the summer break when schools are closed.

Sometimes it is difficult to know when a place becomes available in a new school. If a place becomes available, you have to take it up within two weeks or you will risk losing it to another applicant. In each local council area, there is the children's bureau that can give you help and advice with the application procedure or any problems that might crop up. These offices are open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but they are closed all day on Wednesdays when they catch up with administration. Things they might help you with could include:

- Child care while you wait for a new place

- Lists of available schools and their contacts

- Financial assistance for your situation

- Help with special educational needs

- Criteria for schools' admissions

All schools have admission criteria that they use to decide which children can be allocated places. Admission criteria are different for each school. For example, schools may give priority to children who have a recommendation from their former school. Changing school can be a stressful time for your child. There is the problem of settling in and making new friends and catching up with work that might be a bit different to what they were doing. Most schools have a councillor and it is important that your child gets together with him or her to help with the transition. If you feel that you are treated unfairly at any point, you can issue a grievance to the schools' adjudicator. He or she will consider all evidence provided before reaching an independent decision within the law.

Questions 1-7

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS

AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

1. What does having no empty places at a school affect?

Answer: Government funding

Supporting statement: "Schools try and get full as this influences their government funding."

Keywords: Schools, government

Keyword Location: para 1, line 3

Explanation: The passage explains that schools aim to be full because their funding depends on it. This directly answers the question about what is affected by a lack of empty places.

2. What is the most common reason given for changing a child's school?

Answer: Moving house

Supporting statement: "The most frequent explanation in this country for a child going to a new school is moving house."

Keywords: new school, moving house

Keyword Location: para 2, line 4

Explanation: The passage explicitly states that moving house is the most common reason for changing schools.

3. How quickly must an available place at a school be taken up before it might be lost?

Answer: Two weeks

Supporting statement: "If a place becomes available, you have to take it up within two weeks or you will risk losing it to another applicant."

Keywords: available, another applicant

Keyword Location: para 3, line 2

Explanation: The passage specifies the timeframe in which parents must accept an available school place to avoid losing it.

4. Which organisation can provide help for people with the changing school process?

Answer: Children's bureau

Supporting statement: "In each local council area, there is the children's bureau that can give you help and advice with the application procedure or any problems that might crop up."

Keywords: children's bureau, application procedure

Keyword Location: para 3, line 5

Explanation: The text clearly mentions that the Children’s Bureau supports the process of changing schools.

5. What could people ask their child's previous school to provide that might help a school's acceptance?

Answer: Recommendation

Supporting statement: "Schools may give priority to children who have a recommendation from their former school."

Keywords: Schools, recommendation

Keyword Location: para 5, line 2

Explanation: The passage highlights that a recommendation from a previous school could be helpful for acceptance into a new school.

6. Who is it advised that children meet with when they go to a new school?

Answer: School councillor

Supporting statement: "Most schools have a councillor and it is important that your child gets together with him or her to help with the transition."

Keywords: Schools, councillor

Keyword Location: para 6, line 2

Explanation: The text advises that children meet with a school councillor to assist with settling in and transitioning to the new school environment.

7. To which person can people complain if they wish?

Answer: Schools' adjudicator

Supporting statement: "If you feel that you are treated unfairly at any point, you can issue a grievance to the schools' adjudicator."

Keywords: treated unfairly, schools' adjudicator

Keyword Location: para 6, line 4

Explanation: The passage mentions that grievances can be addressed to the schools' adjudicator for independent review and resolution.

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