Richard Shepherd’s County Councillor’s Blog
Richard Shepherd's County Councillor's Blog
Applications for school places
Applications are open for school places for children who will be starting at primary or secondary school for the first time in Leicestershire in the Autumn of 2025.
Applications for children moving from primary to secondary need to be made by 31st October, while first-time primary applications and applications for transfers between infant and junior schools need to be in by 15th January.
Applications for 2025/26 may be made at: leicestershire.gov.uk/admissions, where there is also information about County schools and hints and tips on applying. There is no automatic entry for any school, so it is very important for applications to be made before the closing dates.
Environmental Action Volunteers
The County Council's Environmental Action Volunteers (EAVs) play a central role in raising awareness and encouraging positive behavioural change in local communities about a range of issues, from home composting and reducing food waste to carbon reduction and managing non-native species. One volunteer has set up a pre-worn uniform scheme at her children's school.
New volunteers to be EAVs are being encouraged to come forward, with a training session taking place on Saturday, 12th October, at County Hall. The session will focus on a range of topics and give guidance on how to get started in the EAV role. A further session will be taking place online on Friday, 8th November.
Anyone who would like to apply or find out more about becoming an EAV can visit the Less Waste volunteering page on the Council's website or email wasteprevention@leics.gov.uk
The 1620s House and Garden
The County Council manages this historic house in Donington le Heath, which has improved its rating as a tourist attraction after an inspection by VisitEngland. It received its highest marks yet, an overall score of 93%.
The inspector noted that the house and garden are maintained to the highest standard, including the garden's "period-appropriate plants and layouts, adding to the authentic experience". The inspector also praised the way staff welcome visitors and described the guided tour as the "highlight of the visit", that "provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of the 1620s House and Garden and leaves guests with a memorable and enriching experience".
More information, including opening times, admission prices and autumn/winter events is available on the website by entering: 1620s House and Garden.
Getting in touch with the Council
Individuals and organizations are being asked to comment on a plan – the Customer Experience Strategy - to enable their communication with County Council services to become quicker via modern, accessible technology. The new approach is also intended to help people who telephone the Council get through, instead of being delayed when lines are busy.
Nearly half a million people have contact with the Council every month; over half, 295,000, make use of the Council's online contact options. Some 130,000 telephone calls are also received each month – an average of 6,500 every working day – seeking assistance on one of the Council's services, ranging from registering a birth to applying for a bus pass.
The Council is clear that it isn't trying to make everyone go online – not everyone has access – but wants to free up phone lines for people who really need to use them by greater use of online access, providing a faster, more modern means of communication.
A consultation on the Strategy is open until 10th November and is available on the Draft Customer Experience Strategy page of the Council's website.
Richard Shepherd, County Councillor
Telephone: 01509 413903
Posted: Mon, 30 Sep 2024