How We Perform
Pupil Admissions - How We Perform
This page provides information about the service and customer service standards that the Pupil Admissions Team has set and more importantly how we perform against these standards.
The page has information about:
Service Standards
- To ensure that allocation letters for Secondary admissions are sent to you on the national allocation date (1 March or nearest working day if 1 March falls at the weekend)
- To ensure that every Sheffield pupil transferring to secondary school, is allocated a school place by July, prior to the start of the new term.
- To ensure allocation letters for entrance into Reception and transfer to Junior School are sent to you on the date published in our booklet.
- To receive 33% of Y6-Y7 applications online.
- To receive 30% of Junior applications online.
- To receive 25% of reception applications online.
The following shows how we have performed against the above service standards during the 2009/2010 academic year.
How We Perform Against Service Standards
Secondary Admissions
- 100% of Y7 allocation letters sent to parents who had applied before the latest date for receiving applications sent on national allocation date.
- 100% of children allocated a Y7 place before July 2009.
- Allocation letters sent to customer on 1 March (2009/10) 100%
- 37% of Y6-Y7 applications received online (2009/10)
Primary Admissions
- 100% of allocation letters sent to customer on allocation date (2009/10)
- 36% of Reception applications received online (2009/10)
- 24% of Junior applications received online (2009/10)
Customer Service Standards
- We will answer your call within 4 rings
- Give our name when answering the telephone
- We will wear our name badges to identify who we are
- We will be polite and courteous
- We will treat you fairly and sensitively and in confidence
- We will respond to letters within 10 working days (20 days for more complex letters)
- We will acknowledge e-mail enquiries within 5 working days
How we perform against customer service standards
The following statistics and comments were recorded through a recent mystery shopper exercise.
Telephone Speed & Greet
School Crossing- 273 5818 - 94% (not 100% as didn't say "how may I help you?")
School Crossing- 273 5818 - 88% (not 100% as didn't give name or say "how I help you?"
School Crossing- 273 5818 - 71% (ansaphone)
School Crossing- 273 5818 - 71% (ansaphone)
Email
Pupil Admissions (Primary) -97% (comment that very complete answer let down by appearance of email)
In-depth calls
Bus passes -85% (Comment Sufficient information, information good, but no alternative method of getting an application form given apart from telephoning)
Pupil Admissions Primary -71% ( Full answer given but didn't check that the response was understood or avoid using technical jargon. Mystery shopper didn't rate as polite and professional.)
Pupil Admissions Secondary-85% (Full answer given but didn't ask "how may I help you and greeting
Improvements to Service
As a result of the above comments, all staff have been reminded to answer the telephone with the correct greeting. Eg, “good morning, pupil admission Nichola speaking how may I help you”.
Staff have also been reminded to confirm with the caller that they have understood the information given and to ask whether further clarification is required.
The Team has been reminded to use plain language and avoid jargon and to remain polite and courteous at all times.
The Admissions team will also review email responses given to enquiries.
The Team has also discussed options to alleviate the problem of lines being engaged. There are certain times of the year when the team is very busy and therefore this is a very difficult problem to resolve. The Team has therefore agreed to make information available on the website and in the Guide for Parents booklet about the busy times of the year for the Pupil Admissions Service. In addition customers are advised of alternative ways to contact the service. If you find you are unable to get through to us on the public numbers, please make use of our e-mail facility ed-primary.admissions@sheffield.gov.uk or ed-secondary.admissions@sheffield.gov.uk
We apologise if you are one of our customers who has been unable to get through to us on the telephone and hope you understand that we do our best to be available.
Comparison With Other Authorities
Processing mid-term applications
Sheffield 10 working days
Barnsley 15 working days
Doncaster 10 working days
Rotherham 10 working days
Wakefield 20 working days
Responding to e-mails
Sheffield 5 working days
Barnsley No standard set
Doncaster 24 hours
Rotherham Acknowledge 24 Hrs. full response in 5 days
Wakefield 10 working days
Answering the telephone
Sheffield 4 rings
Barnsley 6 rings
Doncaster 5 rings
Rotherham 5 rings
Wakefield 4 rings
Having undergone a benchmarking exercise with other Authorities we are happy that the standards set were appropriate and sufficiently challenging.
If you have a comment on how we perform or you would like to make a suggestion on other statistics that you would like to see monitored. Please make a comment on our feedback/survey sheet.