Criteria for school admission
If the number of pupils applying to attend a school is greater than the number of places available at the school, we use a series of criteria to allocate places.
The council has a catchment area policy. If you want to see which schools are in each catchment area, please look at: contact your local school. Pupils with a statement of special education needs, naming a specific school which the child should attend because their needs can be best met by that school will be automatically allocated a place.
Admissions criteria
The Local Authority has adopted, in order of priority, the following criteria:
- Looked after children or previously looked after children. (Evidence of a previously looked after child will be required to accompany the application form)
- The presence of an elder sibling, residing at the same household, in the school when the home is within the catchment area of the school. For primary pupils the sibling must be in Nursery to Year 6 when the child commences school and for secondary pupils the sibling must be in Year 7 to Year 13. However, a sibling attending only the sixth form at the school will not be taken into consideration for the purpose of the admission of a younger child.
- The location of the home if it is within the current catchment area of the school.
- Any special medical and social needs relating to the individual child where attendance at a particular school is essential. (Evidence will be required to accompany the application form)
- The presence of a brother or sister at the school when the home is not in the original or revised catchment area for the school and the older sibling will be on roll when the younger sibling is admitted. However, a sibling attending only the sixth form at the school will not be taken into consideration for the purpose of the admission of a younger child.
- The location of the home in relation to the school and alternative schools if it is outside the current catchment area of the school.
(Sibling includes half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted and looked after, or previously looked after children living in the same household)
Within each criterion, places will be allocated on the basis of the safest, shortest, practicable walking route to the school, in strict order of distance, up to the number of places available, the highest priority being given to the pupil living closest to the school. The distance will be measured from the closest access point on the public highway to the pupil's *ordinary place of residence which is nearest to the school and measured to the nearest school gate. The LA uses the MapInfo Geographical Information System to measure all distances.
* ordinary place of residence is the residence of the parent who receives the Child Benefit for the pupil. (This is also the case where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility for part of a week)
Special Medical and Social Needs
You should make sure you tell us about special medical or social needs your child has when you apply, if you want us to consider them if the school is full.
You should give us supporting evidence from a registered health professional such as a Doctor or Social Worker, outlining the social/medical reasons why a particular school would be the most suitable for the child. You must give details of any difficulties that could be caused if the child could not attend the school.
This information will be discussed with the Additional Learning Needs Team and other council officers, and all facts will be considered before we allocate places. Late information will not be taken into consideration.
Twins, triplets or siblings in same year group
If you apply for places for two or more children born in the same school year, and there aren't enough places for all of them, the place(s) will be allocated in alphabetical order of the child's first forename. In these cases, we will also discuss class size options etc with the school.
Tie Breaker
If two applications in the same category are being considered for a remaining place, priority will be given to whoever lives nearer to the school as measured by the safest, shortest walking route using the MapInfo Geographical Information System. If the two applicants live in the same block of flats, the place will be allocated to the applicant living in the flat with the lowest number.
We try to meet parental preferences whenever we can. However, it may not be possible to do so if a school will be in breach of the requirement to comply with the law on infant class sizes.
We operate a waiting list for children who do not get a place at their preferred school. Waiting lists will not be maintained beyond 31 August in the year of entry to school. After that date, all names will be removed from the list. We do not keep waiting lists for year groups that are not the normal year of admission to the school.
Late applications
We will only consider late applications if there are exceptional reasons why you couldn't apply on time.
This can be where the family moved into the LA between the closing date and the offer date (in which case evidence of the change of address is required) or there are other exceptional reasons which prevented the family from applying on time.
Reasons for late applications must be included in writing with the application along with any supporting documentation.
All late applications that are not deemed as exceptions will be dealt with after those who made their application at the correct time.
For information on current educational provision for children and young people with additional learning needs please contact:Contacts
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