Primary Schools
Contents
Introduction
New and clarified requirements of the Code
Faith aspects
What the Diocesan Boards of Education expect of all schools
Prohibited criteria
Acceptable criteria
Admission arrangements
Supplementary form
The Admissions Committee
Admissions arrangements: Particulars to be included in schools’ information
Example admission policies
Download
Supplementary form
Theological basis for admission policy
Introduction
The Education & Inspection Act 2006 provides for revised school admission
arrangements to take effect from September 2008 following consultation on the
school admissions code, school admission appeals code and admission regulations
laid before Parliament and brought into force in February 2007.
The Act requires all admission authorities to whom the Code applies to ‘act in
accordance with’ it rather than as with previous Codes to ‘have regard to’ it.
The Code specifies for admission authorities many requirements which are either
mandatory and must be complied with or forbidden and must not be used.
In other areas it includes guidelines that they should comply with unless
they are justified in not doing so.
New and clarified requirements of the Code
There is greater stress on equity and fair access, and on diversity and increased parental choice.
Schools MUST NOT give priority to children according to the order of other schools named as preferences by their parents, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements;
Governing Bodies should set the admission number with regard to capacity assessment for school – if setting a lower one, then they must publish notices. They should not admit above the published number unless exceptional circumstances apply or as part of hard to place scheme.
Statemented children must be counted towards the admission number.
Oversubscribed schools must consider ALL applicants against published criteria and must not normally admit above admission number in normal round – but hard to place children or late arrivals are not to be disadvantaged.
Once parents have made their preferences they are not allowed to change them without a genuine reason for doing so – e.g. moving.
Late applications – should be accepted if there are good reasons for lateness, provided that the application is made before offers are finalised.
Governing Bodies must provide the Local Authority with a list of all children who applied for places, showing each child ranked in order of priority under the admission arrangements, showing which criterion each child met.
Governing Bodies can only withdraw the offer of a place in exceptional circumstances, normally a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application, often to do with the address used.
The decision to refuse admission must not be made by one individual in a school; the whole Governing Body or its admissions committee should make such decisions. Head Teachers and other school officials should not give parents an expectation that their application will be successful, or tell them their child has been offered a place before the official date.
Schools mustn’t have expensive school uniform, sportswear, expensive school trips etc, unless arrangements are in place to ensure that parents on low incomes can afford them. Required items must be widely available in high street shops or on the internet. Schools can use their own purchasing power to buy in bulk but must pass on savings to parents; i.e. governors should not seek to raise additional funds through sale of new school uniforms.
Charging: schools must make it clear in all literature and admissions policies that donations and voluntary contributions are NOT expected; school trips must not be compulsory.
Governing Bodies should analyse information on intakes and applicants in order to find out whether the school is attracting a wide range of families or failing to attract all sections of local community. This analysis is to be done only after children have been admitted. Schools should note that OFSTED inspections will be looking at “community cohesion” and this information is likely to be needed for inspection.
Faith aspects
Voluntary aided and foundation schools with a religious character may continue
to give preference in their admission arrangements to members of their faith or
denomination, provided this does not conflict with other legislation, such as
equalities legislation or the mandatory provisions of the Code. As with all
other maintained schools, faith schools must not keep open places if they have
insufficient applicants of their own faith and other families have applied for a
place at the school.
The new Code requires Dioceses to provide guidance for their governing bodies
setting out what processes and criteria should be used to establish membership
of the faith. Such guidance should clearly define the terms used and how
membership of the faith/denomination is to be determined, and must be consistent
with the provisions and guidelines of the Code. As with all other
over-subscription criteria, the faith-related ones must be simple for parents to
understand and to estimate the chances of their child being admitted. The Code
also states that where such guidance is produced, the admissions authorities for
schools of the faith should follow it.
All Church of England Governing Bodies must consult their local Diocesan Board
of Education about the admission arrangements they are proposing for their
schools before they go out to statutory consultation with other admission
authorities and they should follow their Board’s advice.
The Boards agree with the need to have clear, unambiguous, objective and fair
criteria set within appropriate admission arrangements which enable parents to
state realistic preferences. They offer the following guidance which they expect
schools to follow; doing so will ensure that schools are not referred to the
adjudicator on the grounds of unacceptable criteria.
What the Diocesan Boards of Education recommend to all schools
To take all Children in Care (Looked After Children) who apply; they should be treated at the same level as those children with statements of special educational need naming the school. Such children are deserving of our compassion and should benefit from the Christian care expected in our schools.
To give a high priority to children with special medical or social circumstances which affect their education or ability to get to school. This criterion is definitely NOT about educational needs. Usually there is a strong argument on physical / geographical grounds for a particular school. The Code indicates that this is an acceptable criterion, but schools must be clear whether it is the child’s needs or the parents’ needs which are considered, citing the example where either parent or child has a disability that might make travel to a school further away more difficult. It could be that both needs are important for primary but only the child’s for secondary. Schools must also give a clear explanation of what supporting evidence will be required, and state that this should set out the particular reasons why the school in question is the most suitable school and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
To admit a
proportion of local children regardless of faith as appropriate to each
school.
The Dearing report highlighted the need for the Church schools, in the words
of the late Lord Runcie when he was Archbishop of Canterbury, to
Nourish those of the faith;
Encourage those of other faiths;
Challenge those who have no faith.Given this view of the schools as the centres of the Church’s mission, and the highlighting of the dangers of secularisation as well as the need for community cohesion, the Boards encourage schools to provide a Christian service to as many local families as appropriate for their situation.
Where faith commitment is used as a criterion
4(a) To use regular attendance at worship as the measure of faith commitment.
Worship attendance should be at public worship on Sundays and / or other days of the week. It must always be verified by a member of the clergy or a church officer. It is good practice for clergy to discuss their reference with the parents involved. Even if the reference is not discussed with the parent at the time, it will form part of the evidence used by the school if there is an appeal.
4(b) To have clear, transparent criteria against which faith commitment will be assessed.
At its most basic level this could be baptism, certificate of thanksgiving or admission to membership. It may take the form of a single hurdle based on regularity of attendance over a set number of years
or
it may be a three tier system which distinguishes between levels of commitment.
4(c) To consider how widely the faith criteria should be drawn
Although governing bodies may desire to serve the Anglican church as a priority, schools are encouraged to be inclusive of the wider Christian community. This wider community must be definable in terms of a national or local list such as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (www.ctbi.org.uk).
Prohibited criteria
The Code prohibits giving higher priority to children according to:
likely parental support for school finances
parental occupational / financial / educational / social / marital status
parental interests / hobbies
whether they have siblings or relatives who are former pupils at the school
whether their parents are current or former staff or governors of the school or have other connection with the school.
Acceptable criteria
After the admission all children in care and those with statements of special
educational needs, the governing body therefore needs to work out the order of
its criteria from:
Special medical or social circumstances affecting the child
Where the family lives
Whether there will be a sibling in the school
Faith criteria
Distance of home from school.
Admission arrangements
Governing bodies must consult on their admission arrangements by 1st March in
the year preceding that to which they apply. The arrangements must include
information about:
the timetable and how to apply for a place, including the use of supplementary forms
the admission number for the year group
the oversubscription criteria
last year’s admissions criteria and the number admitted under each
how late applications can be made and will be handled
whether a waiting list is maintained and for how long
the definition of home address and evidence
how non routine admissions are dealt with
how parents can appeal if they are refused a place
how fraudulent applications are dealt with
how twins are considered when there is only one place left
deferred admission to reception
Model admission arrangements are
here.
Supplementary form
Faith schools may use a supplementary form which asks parents about their
membership of, or relationship with, the church or religious denomination. Such
forms may only ask for additional factual information which has a direct bearing
on decisions about oversubscription criteria, e.g. the name of the member of the
clergy or a church officer from whom a reference can be obtained.
The following information will be obtained from the local authority form, but
certain information needs to be replicated in order to match up the two
application forms:
Name and address of people with whom child normally lives
Siblings
Social/medical/welfare reasons for choice of school
Children in care and statemented children.
The Admissions Committee
Voluntary aided governing bodies are required, by law, to have an admissions
committee. The committee is to be constituted along with other committees at the
first meeting of the academic year.
It may not include any non-governors, except in the case where the headteacher
is not a governor.
Decisions as to whether any child should be admitted or not may not be delegated
to the headteacher or any other individual, unless the governors are advised
that there are fewer applications than places.
Membership
The committee must include the headteacher and at least two more governors. (It
is helpful if one or two members are available during the daytime in order to
present the school’s case at an Admission Appeal hearing).
A clerk who is not a governor (nor the headteacher) must be appointed.
Terms of
Reference:
The committee is responsible for all matters to do with admissions, subject to
the requirement that the full governing body must approve the policy. Decisions
as to whether any child may be admitted may not be delegated to the headteacher
or any other individual, unless governors are advised that there is a vacancy in
the year group.
Delegated Powers:
To draft the admissions arrangements, including criteria, which must be reviewed and approved annually by the full governing body.
To ensure that consultations with other bodies are carried out when required.
If the school is over-subscribed, to apply the admissions criteria to all applicants and provide the local authority with a list of pupils ranked in order of the criteria by the due date.
To prepare the case of the governing body ready to go to the Appeals Panel
To deal with all non-routine admissions.
Making an
application
Applications for admission to the school should be made on the common
application form enclosed with the Local Authority’s brochure and also on the
School’s own form between ….September 2007 and Friday, … ….. 2007.
Applications may also be made on-line by using both the common application
form and the Supplementary Form. It is not normally possible to change the order
of your preferences for schools after the closing date. Whether application is
made on paper or electronically, both forms must be completed.
Letters informing parents of whether or not their child has been allocated a
place will be sent out by the Local Authority by … 2008. Parents of children not
admitted will be informed of the reason and offered an alternative place by the
Authority.
Admission procedures
The number of places available for admission to the Reception class in the year
2008 will be a maximum of.... This arrangement follows consultation between the
governing body, the Diocesan Board of Education, Local Authorities and other
admissions authorities in the area. The governing body will not place any
restrictions on admissions to the reception class unless the number of children
for whom admission is sought exceeds this number. By law, no infant class may
contain more than thirty children.
The Governing Body operates a system of equal preferences under which they
consider all preferences equally and the Local Authority allocates places
according to its policy. In the event that there are more applicants than
places, the governing body will allocate places using the following criteria,
which are listed in order of priority:
List here your oversubscription criteria and notes.
Your notes must spell out all definitions: parental involvement in work and
worship; other Christian churches; siblings; how distance from home to school
will be measured; tie breaker for each category. If you use a parish boundary,
you need a copy of a map showing the boundaries. Sample policies are on the
Board’s web-site.
Admissions information:
Last year the school was able to admit all pupils whose parents applied.
OR
Last year there were … applications for … places The Admissions Committee
applied the criteria and offered places to
x children under criterion 1; [say what it is – e.g. residence in parish]
y children under criterion 2;
z children under criterion 3.
There were z + n children who fell into this third criterion so the tie break of
distance was applied. The line was drawn at A.B miles. Children living further
away from the school were placed on the waiting list.
Late applications for admission
Where there are extenuating circumstances for an application being received
after the last date for applications, and it is before the governors have
established their list of pupils to be admitted, then it will be considered
alongside all the others.
Otherwise, applications which are received after the last date will be
considered after all the others, and placed on the waiting list in order
according to the criteria.
Waiting list (include if the school operates one)
Where we have more applications than places, the admissions criteria will be
used. Children who are not admitted will have their name placed on a waiting
list. The names on this waiting list will be in the order resulting from the
application of the admissions criteria. Since the date of application cannot be
a criterion for the order of names on the waiting list, late applicants for the
school will be slotted into the order according to the extent to which they meet
the criteria. Thus it is possible that a child who moves into the area later to
have a higher priority than one who has been on the waiting list for some time.
If a place becomes available within the admission number, the child whose name
is at the top of the list will be offered a place. This is not dependent on
whether an appeal has been submitted.
This waiting list will operate until the second week of the autumn term only.
Address of pupil
The address used on the school’s admission form must be the current one at the
time of application. If the address changes subsequently, the parents should
notify the school. Where the parents live at different addresses, the
current-at-the-time-of-application, normal address of the child will be the one
used. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of
Monday to Friday mornings. Parents may be asked to show evidence of the claim
that is being made for the address, e.g. identity cards of various sorts showing
the child’s address as the one claimed. Where there is dispute about the correct
address to use, the governors reserve the right to make enquiries of any
relevant third parties, e.g. the child’s GP. For children of UK Service
personnel and other Crown Servants returning to the area proof of the posting is
all that is required.
Non-routine admissions
It sometimes happens that a child needs to change school other than at the
“normal” time; such admissions are known as non-routine admissions. Parents
wishing their child to attend this school should arrange to visit the school.
They will be provided with an application form once they have a definite local
address. If there is a place in the appropriate class, then the governors will
arrange for the admission to take place. If there is no place, then the
admissions committee will consider the application and information about how to
appeal against the refusal will be provided. Appeals for children moving into
the area will not be considered until there is evidence of a permanent address,
e.g. exchange of contracts or tenancy agreement with rent book.
Please note that you cannot re-apply for a place at a school within the same
school year unless there has been relevant, significant and material change in
the family circumstances.
Appeals
Where the governors are unable to offer a place because the school is over
subscribed, parents have the right to appeal to an independent admission appeal
panel, set up under the School Standards and Framework Act, 1998, as amended by
the Education Act, 2002. Parents should notify the clerk to the governors at the
school within 14 days of receiving the letter refusing a place. Parents will
have the opportunity to submit their case to the panel in writing and also to
attend in order to present their case. You will normally receive 14 days’ notice
of the place and time of the hearing.
If your child was refused a place in Reception or Key Stage 1 because of
Government limits on Infant class sizes, the grounds on which your appeal could
be successful are limited. You would have to show that the decision was one
which in the circumstances no reasonable governing would have made, or that your
child would have been offered a place if the governors’ admissions arrangements
had been properly implemented.
Please note that this right of appeal against the governors’ decision does not
prevent you from making an appeal in respect of any other school.
Fraudulent applications
Where the governing body discovers that a child has been awarded a place as the
result of an intentionally misleading application from a parent (for example a
false claim to residence in the catchment area or of involvement in a place of
worship) which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, then
the governing body is required to withdraw the offer of the place. The
application will be considered afresh and a right of appeal offered if a place
is refused.
Deferred admission
If your child is due to start school during the next academic year, it is
important that you apply for a place for September. If your child’s fifth
birthday is between the months of September and December, then, if you wish it,
admission may be deferred until January; if it is between January and April,
then admission may be deferred until the start of the summer term though it is
likely to be in your child’s interest to start no later than January.
Twins
Where there are twins wanting admission and there is only a single place left
within the admission number, then the governing body will exercise as much
flexibility as possible within the requirements of infant class sizes. If only
one place can be offered then parents will be advised that the place will be
offered to the older twin. Parents should go to appeal for the other twin,
though with the Infant Class Size legislation, it is unlikely that an appeal
panel will overturn the decision of the governing body.
Example 1
DIOCESE OF CHESTER
.........CHURCH OF ENGLAND AIDED SCHOOL
ADMISSION POLICY 2008
Parents should be aware before
applying that in this school RE, collective worship and our whole ethos are
based on the teachings of the Church of England.
Applications for admission to the
school should be made on the common application form enclosed with the Local
Authority’s brochure and also on the School’s own form between ….September 2007
and Friday, … ….. 2007.
Applications may also be made on-line
by using both the common application form and the Supplementary Form. It is not
normally possible to change the order of your preferences for schools after the
closing date. Whether application is made on paper or electronically, both forms
must be completed.
Letters informing parents of whether
or not their child has been allocated a place will be sent out by the Local
Authority by … 2008. Parents of children not admitted will be informed of the
reason and offered an alternative place by the Authority.
The number of places available for
admission to the Reception class in the year 2008 will be a maximum of.... This
arrangement follows consultation between the governing body, the Diocesan Board
of Education, Local Authorities and other admissions authorities in the area.
The governing body will not place any restrictions on admissions to the
reception class unless the number of children for whom admission is sought
exceeds this number. By law, no infant class may contain more than thirty
children.
The Governing Body operates a system of equal preferences under which they consider all preferences equally and the Local Authority allocates places according to its policy. In the event that there are more applicants than places, the governing body will allocate places using the following criteria, which are listed in order of priority:
Children in Care, children with statements of special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this school.
Children whose parents are faithful and regular worshippers in the Parish Church(es) of ....
Children whose families are faithful and regular worshippers in a neighbouring Anglican Church for whom this is the closest Church school.
Children whose families are faithful and regular worshippers of another Christian denomination, as recognised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and for whom this is the closest Church school.
Children who have a sibling in school who will still be attending school the following year.
Children resident in the parish(es) of ..... A map showing the parish is available in school.
Other children.
Notes
Professional supporting evidence from eg a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for special medical or social circumstances, and such evidence must set out the particular reasons why the school is question is the most suitable school and the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
By “faithful and regular” we mean attendance at a minimum of two services per month for at least six months prior to the closing date for applications. A letter from your incumbent or minister or other church officer will be required as proof of attendance.
A map showing the boundaries is available in school.
Siblings include step, half, foster, adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address and full brother and sister living apart.
Where the above criteria are not adequate to distinguish between requests for admission which cannot all be accepted without exceeding the admission limit, priority will be decided on the basis of the distance from the school to home measured by the shortest safe walking route, those living nearest being given priority.
All children with birthdays between 1 September … and 31 August … are admitted in September. For children with a birthday after Christmas or after Easter parents may defer entry until later in the year and the headteacher should be consulted if this option is being considered.
Admissions information:
Last year the school was able to admit all pupils whose parents applied.
OR
Last year there were … applications for … places The Admissions Committee
applied the criteria and offered places to
p children under criterion 1 (Children in Care, children with statements of
special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social
circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this
school);
q children under criterion 2 (Children whose parents are faithful and regular
worshippers in the Parish Church(es) of ....);
r children under criterion 3 (Children whose families are faithful and regular
worshippers in a neighbouring Anglican Church for whom this is the closest
Church school);
s children under criterion 4 (Children whose families are faithful and regular
worshippers of another Christian denomination for whom this is the closest
Church school);
t children under criterion 5 (Children who have a sibling in school who will
still be attending school the following year);
u children under criterion 6 (Children resident in the parish(es) of .....)
There were u + n children who fell into this sixth criterion so the tie break of
distance was applied. The line was drawn at A.B miles. Children living further
away from the school were placed on the waiting list.
Late applications for admission
Where there are extenuating circumstances for an application being received
after the last date for applications, and it is before the governors have
established their list of pupils to be admitted, then it will be considered
alongside all the others.
Otherwise, applications which are received after the last date will be
considered after all the others, and placed on the waiting list in order
according to the criteria.
Waiting list (include if the school operates one)
Where we have more applications than places, the admissions criteria will be
used. Children who are not admitted will have their name placed on a waiting
list. The names on this waiting list will be in the order resulting from the
application of the admissions criteria. Since the date of application cannot be
a criterion for the order of names on the waiting list, late applicants for the
school will be slotted into the order according to the extent to which they meet
the criteria. Thus it is possible that a child who moves into the area later to
have a higher priority than one who has been on the waiting list for some time.
If a place becomes available within the admission number, the child whose name
is at the top of the list will be offered a place. This is not dependent on
whether an appeal has been submitted.
This waiting list will operate until the second week of the autumn term only.
Address of pupil
The address used on the school’s admission form must be the current one at the
time of application. If the address changes subsequently, the parents should
notify the school. Where the parents live at different addresses, the
current-at-the-time-of-application, normal address of the child will be the one
used. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of
Monday to Friday mornings. Parents may be asked to show evidence of the claim
that is being made for the address, e.g. identity cards of various sorts showing
the child’s address as the one claimed. Where there is dispute about the correct
address to use, the governors reserve the right to make enquiries of any
relevant third parties, e.g. the child’s GP. For children of UK Service
personnel and other Crown Servants returning to the area proof of the posting is
all that is required.
Non-routine admissions
It sometimes happens that a child needs to change school other than at the
“normal” time; such admissions are known as non-routine admissions. Parents
wishing their child to attend this school should arrange to visit the school.
They will be provided with an application form once they have a definite local
address. If there is a place in the appropriate class, then the governors will
arrange for the admission to take place. If there is no place, then the
admissions committee will consider the application and information about how to
appeal against the refusal will be provided. Appeals for children moving into
the area will not be considered until there is evidence of a permanent address,
e.g. exchange of contracts or tenancy agreement with rent book.
Please note that you cannot re-apply for a place at a school within the same
school year unless there has been relevant, significant and material change in
the family circumstances.
Appeals
Where the governors are unable to
offer a place because the school is over subscribed, parents have the right to
appeal to an independent admission appeal panel, set up under the School
Standards and Framework Act, 1998, as amended by the Education Act, 2002.
Parents should notify the clerk to the governors at the school within 14 days of
receiving the letter refusing a place. Parents will have the opportunity to
submit their case to the panel in writing and also to attend in order to present
their case. You will normally receive 14 days’ notice of the place and time of
the hearing.
If your child was refused a place in Reception or Key Stage 1 because of
Government limits on Infant class sizes, the grounds on which your appeal could
be successful are limited. You would have to show that the decision was one
which in the circumstances no reasonable governing would have made, or that your
child would have been offered a place if the governors’ admissions arrangements
had been properly implemented.
Please note that this right of appeal against the governors’ decision does not
prevent you from making an appeal in respect of any other school.
Fraudulent applications
Where the governing body discovers that a child has been awarded a place as the
result of an intentionally misleading application from a parent (for example a
false claim to residence in the catchment area or of involvement in a place of
worship) which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, then
the governing body is required to withdraw the offer of the place. The
application will be considered afresh and a right of appeal offered if a place
is refused.
Deferred admission
If your child is due to start school during the next academic year, it is
important that you apply for a place for September. If your child’s fifth
birthday is between the months of September and December, then, if you wish it,
admission may be deferred until January; if it is between January and April,
then admission may be deferred until the start of the summer term though it is
likely to be in your child’s interest to start no later than January.
Twins
Where there are twins wanting admission and there is only a single place left
within the admission number, then the governing body will exercise as much
flexibility as possible within the requirements of infant class sizes. If only
one place can be offered then parents will be advised that the place will be
offered to the older twin. Parents should go to appeal for the other twin,
though with the Infant Class Size legislation, it is unlikely that an appeal
panel will overturn the decision of the governing body.
Notes for Governors
This policy uses each criterion separately, so if the admissions number is
reached part way through one criterion, it is distance from home which will be
used to decide which children in that group should be admitted and which refused
a place. Model 2 uses subsequent criteria to make such a distinction. Governors
can, of course, in producing their policy use either method.
Example 2
DIOCESE OF CHESTER
.........CHURCH OF ENGLAND AIDED SCHOOL
ADMISSION POLICY 2008
Parents should be aware before
applying that in this school RE, collective worship and our whole ethos are
based on the teachings of the Church of England.
Applications for admission to the
school should be made on the common application form enclosed with the Local
Authority’s brochure and also on the School’s own form between ….September 2007
and Friday, … ….. 2007.
Applications may also be made on-line
by using both the common application form and the Supplementary Form. It is not
normally possible to change the order of your preferences for schools after the
closing date. Whether application is made on paper or electronically, both forms
must be completed.
Letters informing parents of whether
or not their child has been allocated a place will be sent out by the Local
Authority by … 2008. Parents of children not admitted will be informed of the
reason and offered an alternative place by the Authority.
The number of places available for
admission to the Reception class in the year 2008 will be a maximum of.... This
arrangement follows consultation between the governing body, the Diocesan Board
of Education, Local Authorities and other admissions authorities in the area.
The governing body will not place any restrictions on admissions to the
reception class unless the number of children for whom admission is sought
exceeds this number. By law, no infant class may contain more than thirty
children.
The Governing Body operates a system of equal preferences under which they consider all preferences equally and the Local Authority allocates places according to its policy. In the event that there are more applicants than places, the governing body will allocate places using the following criteria, which are listed in order of priority:
Children in Care, children with statements of special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this school.
Children resident in the parish(es) of .....
Children who have a sibling in school who will still be attending school the following year.
Children whose parents are faithful and regular worshippers in a Christian church, as recognised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Children who live nearest to the school, measured along the shortest safe walking route.
If there are not enough places to admit all applicants meeting any one
criterion, the governors will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of
priority, to all these applicants.
Notes
Professional supporting evidence from eg a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for special medical or social circumstances, and such evidence must set out the particular reasons why the school is question is the most suitable school and the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
By “faithful and regular” we mean attendance at a minimum of two services per month for at least six months prior to the closing date for applications. A letter from your incumbent or minister or other church officer will be required as proof of attendance.
A map showing the boundaries is available in school.
Siblings include step, half, foster, adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address and full brother and sister living apart.
All children with birthdays between 1 September … and 31 August … are admitted in September. For children with a birthday after Christmas or after Easter parents may defer entry until later in the year and the headteacher should be consulted if this option is being considered.
Admissions information:
Last year the school was able to admit all pupils whose parents applied.
OR
Last year there were … applications for … places The Admissions Committee
applied the criteria and offered places to
p children under criterion 1 (Children in Care, children with statements of
special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social
circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this
school);
q children under criterion 2 (Children resident in the parish(es) of .....);
r children under criterion 3 (Children who have a sibling in school who will
still be attending school the following year);
s children under criterion 4 (Children whose parents are faithful and regular
worshippers in a Christian church, as recognised by Churches Together in Britain
and Ireland);
t children under criterion 5 (Distance from school);
There were t + n children who fell into this sixth criterion. The line was drawn
at A.B miles. Children living further away from the school were placed on the
waiting list.
Late applications for admission
Where there are extenuating circumstances for an application being received
after the last date for applications, and it is before the governors have
established their list of pupils to be admitted, then it will be considered
alongside all the others.
Otherwise, applications which are received after the last date will be
considered after all the others, and placed on the waiting list in order
according to the criteria.
Waiting list (include if the school operates one)
Where we have more applications than places, the admissions criteria will be
used. Children who are not admitted will have their name placed on a waiting
list. The names on this waiting list will be in the order resulting from the
application of the admissions criteria. Since the date of application cannot be
a criterion for the order of names on the waiting list, late applicants for the
school will be slotted into the order according to the extent to which they meet
the criteria. Thus it is possible that a child who moves into the area later to
have a higher priority than one who has been on the waiting list for some time.
If a place becomes available within the admission number, the child whose name
is at the top of the list will be offered a place. This is not dependent on
whether an appeal has been submitted.
This waiting list will operate until the second week of the autumn term only.
Address of pupil
The address used on the school’s admission form must be the current one at the
time of application. If the address changes subsequently, the parents should
notify the school. Where the parents live at different addresses, the
current-at-the-time-of-application, normal address of the child will be the one
used. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of
Monday to Friday mornings. Parents may be asked to show evidence of the claim
that is being made for the address, e.g. identity cards of various sorts showing
the child’s address as the one claimed. Where there is dispute about the correct
address to use, the governors reserve the right to make enquiries of any
relevant third parties, e.g. the child’s GP. For children of UK Service
personnel and other Crown Servants returning to the area proof of the posting is
all that is required.
Non-routine admissions
It sometimes happens that a child needs to change school other than at the
“normal” time; such admissions are known as non-routine admissions. Parents
wishing their child to attend this school should arrange to visit the school.
They will be provided with an application form once they have a definite local
address. If there is a place in the appropriate class, then the governors will
arrange for the admission to take place. If there is no place, then the
admissions committee will consider the application and information about how to
appeal against the refusal will be provided. Appeals for children moving into
the area will not be considered until there is evidence of a permanent address,
e.g. exchange of contracts or tenancy agreement with rent book.
Please note that you cannot re-apply for a place at a school within the same
school year unless there has been relevant, significant and material change in
the family circumstances.
Appeals
Where the governors are unable to
offer a place because the school is over subscribed, parents have the right to
appeal to an independent admission appeal panel, set up under the School
Standards and Framework Act, 1998, as amended by the Education Act, 2002.
Parents should notify the clerk to the governors at the school within 14 days of
receiving the letter refusing a place. Parents will have the opportunity to
submit their case to the panel in writing and also to attend in order to present
their case. You will normally receive 14 days’ notice of the place and time of
the hearing.
If your child was refused a place in Reception or Key Stage 1 because of
Government limits on Infant class sizes, the grounds on which your appeal could
be successful are limited. You would have to show that the decision was one
which in the circumstances no reasonable governing would have made, or that your
child would have been offered a place if the governors’ admissions arrangements
had been properly implemented.
Please note that this right of appeal against the governors’ decision does not
prevent you from making an appeal in respect of any other school.
Fraudulent applications
Where the governing body discovers that a child has been awarded a place as the
result of an intentionally misleading application from a parent (for example a
false claim to residence in the catchment area or of involvement in a place of
worship) which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, then
the governing body is required to withdraw the offer of the place. The
application will be considered afresh and a right of appeal offered if a place
is refused.
Deferred admission
If your child is due to start school during the next academic year, it is
important that you apply for a place for September. If your child’s fifth
birthday is between the months of September and December, then, if you wish it,
admission may be deferred until January; if it is between January and April,
then admission may be deferred until the start of the summer term though it is
likely to be in your child’s interest to start no later than January.
Twins
Where there are twins wanting admission and there is only a single place left
within the admission number, then the governing body will exercise as much
flexibility as possible within the requirements of infant class sizes. If only
one place can be offered then parents will be advised that the place will be
offered to the older twin. Parents should go to appeal for the other twin,
though with the Infant Class Size legislation, it is unlikely that an appeal
panel will overturn the decision of the governing body.
Notes for Governors
This policy uses subsequent criteria to decide which children in that group
should be admitted and which refused a place if the admissions number is reached
part way through one criterion. Model 1 simply uses distance from home to make
such a distinction. Governors can, of course, in producing their policy use
either method.
Example 3
DIOCESE OF CHESTER
.........CHURCH OF ENGLAND AIDED SCHOOL
ADMISSION POLICY 2008
Parents should be aware before
applying that in this school RE, collective worship and our whole ethos are
based on the teachings of the Church of England.
Applications for admission to the
school should be made on the common application form enclosed with the Local
Authority’s brochure and also on the School’s own form between ….September 2007
and Friday, … ….. 2007.
Applications may also be made on-line
by using both the common application form and the Supplementary Form. It is not
normally possible to change the order of your preferences for schools after the
closing date. Whether application is made on paper or electronically, both forms
must be completed.
Letters informing parents of whether
or not their child has been allocated a place will be sent out by the Local
Authority by … 2008. Parents of children not admitted will be informed of the
reason and offered an alternative place by the Authority.
The number of places available for
admission to the Reception class in the year 2008 will be a maximum of.... This
arrangement follows consultation between the governing body, the Diocesan Board
of Education, Local Authorities and other admissions authorities in the area.
The governing body will not place any restrictions on admissions to the
reception class unless the number of children for whom admission is sought
exceeds this number. By law, no infant class may contain more than thirty
children.
The Governing Body operates a system
of equal preferences under which they consider all preferences equally and the
Local Authority allocates places according to its policy. In the event that
there are more applicants than places, the governing body will allocate places
using the following criteria, which are listed in order of priority:
(A) Foundation Places
The governors have designated X places, to be offered to pupils whose families
are faithful and regular worshippers in an Anglican church (or of a Trinitarian
church).
If there are more than X qualified applicants, places will be allocated
according to the following criteria. These are stated in order of priority:
Children in Care, children with statements of special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this school;
the presence of a sibling in the school who will still be attending school the following year;
the nearness of the home to the school, measured along the shortest safe walking route.
It may happen that there are not
enough places to admit all applicants meeting any one criterion.
In this case the governors will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of
priority, to all these applicants.
If there are fewer than X qualified applicants for foundation places, any
unfilled places will become additional open places.
Unsuccessful applicants for foundation places will be considered for any open
places remaining unfilled at the end of the allocation procedure.
(B) Open Places
The governors have designated Y places each year as open places, to be offered
to pupils who do not qualify for a foundation place but whose parents have
chosen the school for the type of education it provides. Parents applying for an
open place do so knowing that RE, collective worship and the whole ethos of the
school are based on the teachings of the Church of England.
If there are more than Y applicants, places will be allocated according to the
following criteria. These are stated in order of priority:
Children in Care, children with statements of special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this school;
the presence of a sibling in the school who will still be attending school the following year;
the nearness of the home to the school, measured along the shortest safe walking route.
It may happen that there are not
enough places to admit all pupils meeting any one criterion. In this case the
Governors will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of priority, to all these
pupils.
Notes
(a) Professional supporting evidence from eg a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for special medical or social circumstances, and such evidence must set out the particular reasons why the school is question is the most suitable school and the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
(b) By “faithful and regular” we mean attendance at a minimum of two services per month for at least six months prior to the closing date for applications. A letter from your incumbent or minister or other church officer will be required as proof of attendance.
(c) Siblings include step, half, foster, adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address and full brother and sister living apart.
(d) All children with birthdays between 1 September … and 31 August … are admitted in September. For children with a birthday after Christmas or after Easter parents may defer entry until later in the year and the headteacher should be consulted if this option is being considered.
Admissions information:
Last year the school was able to admit all pupils whose parents applied.
OR
Last year there were … applications for … places The Admissions Committee
applied the criteria and offered places to x children as foundation places
p children under criterion i (Children in Care, children with statements of
special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social
circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this
school);
q children under criterion ii (Children who have a sibling in school who will
still be attending school the following year);
r children under criterion iii (Distance from school).
There were r + n children who fell into this third criterion. The line was drawn
at A.B miles. Children living further away from the school were placed on the
waiting list.
The Admissions Committee applied the criteria and offered places to x children
as open places
s children under criterion i (Children in Care, children with statements of
special educational needs naming the school or special medical or social
circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this
school);
t children under criterion ii (Children who have a sibling in school who will
still be attending school the following year);
u children under criterion iii (Distance from school).
Late applications for admission
Where there are extenuating circumstances for an application being received
after the last date for applications, and it is before the governors have
established their list of pupils to be admitted, then it will be considered
alongside all the others.
Otherwise, applications which are received after the last date will be
considered after all the others, and placed on the waiting list in order
according to the criteria.
Waiting list (include if the school operates one)
Where we have more applications than places, the admissions criteria will be
used. Children who are not admitted will have their name placed on a waiting
list. The names on this waiting list will be in the order resulting from the
application of the admissions criteria. Since the date of application cannot be
a criterion for the order of names on the waiting list, late applicants for the
school will be slotted into the order according to the extent to which they meet
the criteria. Thus it is possible that a child who moves into the area later to
have a higher priority than one who has been on the waiting list for some time.
If a place becomes available within the admission number, the child whose name
is at the top of the list will be offered a place. This is not dependent on
whether an appeal has been submitted.
This waiting list will operate until the second week of the autumn term only.
Address of pupil
The address used on the school’s admission form must be the current one at the
time of application. If the address changes subsequently, the parents should
notify the school. Where the parents live at different addresses, the
current-at-the-time-of-application, normal address of the child will be the one
used. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of
Monday to Friday mornings. Parents may be asked to show evidence of the claim
that is being made for the address, e.g. identity cards of various sorts showing
the child’s address as the one claimed. Where there is dispute about the correct
address to use, the governors reserve the right to make enquiries of any
relevant third parties, e.g. the child’s GP. For children of UK Service
personnel and other Crown Servants returning to the area proof of the posting is
all that is required.
Non-routine admissions
It sometimes happens that a child needs to change school other than at the
“normal” time; such admissions are known as non-routine admissions. Parents
wishing their child to attend this school should arrange to visit the school.
They will be provided with an application form once they have a definite local
address. If there is a place in the appropriate class, then the governors will
arrange for the admission to take place. If there is no place, then the
admissions committee will consider the application and information about how to
appeal against the refusal will be provided. Appeals for children moving into
the area will not be considered until there is evidence of a permanent address,
e.g. exchange of contracts or tenancy agreement with rent book.
Please note that you cannot re-apply for a place at a school within the same
school year unless there has been relevant, significant and material change in
the family circumstances.
Appeals
Where the governors are unable to
offer a place because the school is over subscribed, parents have the right to
appeal to an independent admission appeal panel, set up under the School
Standards and Framework Act, 1998, as amended by the Education Act, 2002.
Parents should notify the clerk to the governors at the school within 14 days of
receiving the letter refusing a place. Parents will have the opportunity to
submit their case to the panel in writing and also to attend in order to present
their case. You will normally receive 14 days’ notice of the place and time of
the hearing.
If your child was refused a place in Reception or Key Stage 1 because of
Government limits on Infant class sizes, the grounds on which your appeal could
be successful are limited. You would have to show that the decision was one
which in the circumstances no reasonable governing would have made, or that your
child would have been offered a place if the governors’ admissions arrangements
had been properly implemented.
Please note that this right of appeal against the governors’ decision does not
prevent you from making an appeal in respect of any other school.
Fraudulent applications
Where the governing body discovers that a child has been awarded a place as the
result of an intentionally misleading application from a parent (for example a
false claim to residence in the catchment area or of involvement in a place of
worship) which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, then
the governing body is required to withdraw the offer of the place. The
application will be considered afresh and a right of appeal offered if a place
is refused.
Deferred admission
If your child is due to start school during the next academic year, it is
important that you apply for a place for September. If your child’s fifth
birthday is between the months of September and December, then, if you wish it,
admission may be deferred until January; if it is between January and April,
then admission may be deferred until the start of the summer term though it is
likely to be in your child’s interest to start no later than January.
Twins
Where there are twins wanting admission and there is only a single place left
within the admission number, then the governing body will exercise as much
flexibility as possible within the requirements of infant class sizes. If only
one place can be offered then parents will be advised that the place will be
offered to the older twin. Parents should go to appeal for the other twin,
though with the Infant Class Size legislation, it is unlikely that an appeal
panel will overturn the decision of the governing body.
Notes for Governors
This policy enables the school to balance service to the neighbourhood with
service to the Church community.