Newcastle City Council - Our commitment to you

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How quickly will my query be dealt with?

Phone calls

Most queries are dealt with straight away. However, at peak times such as around the deadline for applications to be received (31 October 2011) and allocation day (1 March 2012) the volume of calls and correspondence is high.

We aim to deal with your telephone enquires as quickly as possible. However, to ensure that each case is thoroughly investigated, response times may be longer at these particular times of the year.

Letters and emails

You will usually receive an answer within 15 days.

What do I do if I want to make a complaint?

See Complaints about Children’s Services section

What happens if people provide fraudulent or misleading information?

We take allegations that parents or carers have provided false information on their application form very seriously. We work closely with schools to ensure that fraudulent applications are detected. We may also carry out spot checks.

• If we write to you, please provide copies of the evidence we ask for within the timeframe given.
• If you do not provide the evidence we ask for and your application is found to be fraudulent, it will be reprocessed based on the correct information.
• If an offer of a school place has already been made, it may be withdrawn and we will offer your child a place at the nearest school to your home address with an available place (if you live in Newcastle). This may be some distance away.