Admissions Policy 18/19
Revision History
| Version | Date | Comments | Review Date |
| 15 | Autumn 2017 | Amended, approved and issued (Consultation) | Autumn 2018 |
| 14 | Autumn 2016 | Amended, approved and issued (Consultation) | Autumn 2017 |
| 13 | Spring 2016 | Amended, approved and issued | Spring 2017 |
| 12 | Spring 2015 | Amended, approved and issued | Spring 2016 |
| 11 | Spring 2015 | Approve and issued (no amendments) | Spring 2016 |
| 10 | Spring 2014 | Approved by Diocese & issued (no amendments) | Spring 2015 |
| 9 | Summer 2013 | Approved & Issued (No Amendments) | Spring 2014 |
| 8 | April 2012 | Amended re LA, approved and issued | Spring 2013 |
| 7 | June 2011 | Approved and issued (no amendments) | Spring 2013 |
| 6 | February 2011 | Amended re Diocese/LA, approved and issued | July 2011 |
| 5 | July 2010 | Amended re LA, approved and issued | February 2012 |
| 4 | April 2010 | Amended, approved and issued | February 2012 |
| 3 | March 2009 | Approved and issued (no amendments) | January 2011 |
| 2 | June 2008 | Amended, approved and issued | May 2009 |
| 1 | September 2005 | First draft | September 2007 |
St John’s CE (A) Primary School welcomes children from all backgrounds, faiths and no faith. The Governors of the schools are committed to developing an inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of the local community. Admission to a Church of England Aided Primary School is not dependent on being a member of a particular faith community.
As well as being an inclusive neighbourhood school, a Church school has a distinctive ethos and character that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ and Christian values. All parents/carers applying for a place at a Church of England Aided Primary School are asked to respect this ethos and its importance to the school community in which it serves. It is hoped that all children who attend a Church of England School will be able to participate (as appropriate) in the religious life of the school (including collective worship and religious education). This does not affect the right of parents/carers who are not Christians to apply for a place. Indeed, through the commitment to inclusivity, families from other faiths and no faith are actively welcomed.
The Governing Board of each school is responsible for the admission of pupils to the school and will admit up to the admission limit that has been agreed between the Governing Body and the Local Authority.
The Governing Board is required to abide by the maximum limits for infant classes (5, 6 and 7 year olds) i.e., 30 pupils per class.
The school will admit 39 pupils each September to Nursery.
The school will admit 45 pupils each September to Reception (60 agreed for September 2012 only).
Oversubscription Criteria
In the event of more applications being received than places available, the following Oversubscription Criteria will be applied:
Nursery & Reception Admissions:
- Children who are in the care of a local authority (looked after children) or provided with accommodation with them (Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order).
- Children or families who have a serious medical, physical or psychological condition which makes it essential that the child attends the preferred school rather than any other. Appropriate medical or psychological evidence must be provided in support.
- Children who have a sibling attending the school at the time of application and at the time of admission.
- Children who are themselves, or whose families are, faithful and regular worshippers at a Church of England parish church. Written evidence of the applicant’s commitment to their place of worship will be required using the Supplementary Information Form.
- Children who are themselves, or whose families are, faithful and regular worshippers of another Christian denomination as recognised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and/or the Evangelical Alliance. Written evidence of the applicant’s commitment to their place of worship will be required using the Supplementary Information Form.
- Children who are themselves, or whose families are, committed members of another religious faith. Written evidence of the applicant’s commitment to their place of worship will be required using the Supplementary Information Form.
- Children living in the area served by the school, given in order of the nearness of the home to the school, measured along the shortest safe walking route from the home address point to the school’s main gate.
- Children living out of the area served by the school.
Definitions
Looked after children or children who were previously looked after.
This criterion provides a priority for children who are (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions of the Children Act 1989. It can also be used for children who were previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order. An adoption order is an order under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. A residence order is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a special guardianship order as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian(s). Applications under this criterion should be accompanied by evidence to show that the child is looked after or was previously looked after (eg a copy of the adoption, child’s arrangements or special guardianship order).
Serious medical, physical or psychological condition.
Where a place is requested for a child or family who have a serious social or medical condition, you must supply supporting independent evidence at the time of application confirming the reason(s) why attendance at St John’s CE (A) Primary School is essential rather than any other school or academy. Parents/Carers must describe the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school or academy. A suitable medical professional should provide the evidence. The admissions committee of the local Governing Board will endeavour to reach a fair and equitable decision and will consider the evidence carefully.
Siblings.
“Siblings” refers to brother or sister, half-brother or sister, adopted brother or adopted sister, foster brother or foster sister, step brother or step sister, and includes children living as siblings in the same family unit at the same address.
Distance
Distance will be measured by the shortest walking route from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats) to the main gate of the school, using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.
The area served by the school.
The school’s trust deed of 1860, states that the school was established to provide education for children living in the ecclesiastical parish of St John’s Church. The ecclesiastical parish is referred to as ‘the area served by the school.’
The child’s permanent residence is where they live normally including weekends and during school holidays as well as during the week, and should be used for the application. The permanent address of children who spend part of their week with one parent/carer and part with the other, at different addresses, will be the address at which they spend most of their time.
Additional Information
Home Address
The home address means the address where the child usually lives. Where parents/carers have shared residence of a child and the child lives for part of the week with each parent/carer, the Governing Board will take the home address to be the address at which:
- The child lives most of the school week.
- Where the child lives at each address for equal parts of the school week, then the address receiving Child Benefit payments and/or as determined by a court order will be used.
Moving home and UK service personnel and crown servants.
Places can be offered regarding future moves on the basis of:
- A letter from the solicitor confirming exchange of contracts to buy a property relevant to the application;
- A tenancy agreement confirming the renting of a specific property relevant to the application;
- A letter from a housing association confirming that the parents/carers will be living at a specific address relevant to the application; or
- In the case of UK service personnel and Crown servants, an official government letter (MOD, FCO or GCHQ) letter declaring a relocation date.
Tie-breaker
If the school is oversubscribed from within any of the above criteria or sub-criteria, distance will be used to prioritise applications; applicants living nearer the school have priority. The shortest walking route from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats) to the main gate of the school will measure distance.
Casual Admissions
For applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, the Governing Board will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child. If more applications are received then the oversubscription criteria shall apply.
Who can apply?
Only the parent/carer can apply for a place at a school. A parent/carer is any person has parental responsibility for, or is the legal guardian of the child, as set out in the Children Act 1989.
How to apply
You must complete a Local Authority Application Form for your relevant council.
Please select from www.stoke.gov.uk/admissions
Parents/Carers applying for a place on faith grounds must complete the Supplementary Information Form (which can be obtained from the school) and return this form direct to the school, signed by the appropriate faith leader.
When to apply
The national closing date for admission application forms to be received by the local authority will be published in the Local Authority’s Admission Booklet on the website for that year.
For the normal admissions round, all on time preferences will be considered simultaneously and ranked in accordance with the admission criteria.
Multiple Births
Where parents/carers are seeking to place twins, triplets etc they must submit separate applications for each child. When considering twins, triplets or larger numbers of siblings which are the product of a multiple birth, where there are insufficient spaces for all siblings, the remaining place(s) will be offered to the sibling(s) in order of time of birth and the parents/carers may decide whether a) they will accept the place(s) or b) they will decline the place(s) which will be offered to the next person(s) in the allocations after the twins/triplets/multiple births. If the parents/carers accept the place(s) for one or more of the twin/triplets/multiple birth then the unsuccessful sibling(s) will be considered first priority on the waiting list, for one term, if a space becomes available and the parents/carers confirm in writing that this is their wish when accepting the original place(s).
Waiting Lists
When all places have been allocated, waiting lists will be operated by the Local Authority on behalf of the school. The school will operate a waiting list until the end of each academic year. Priority will not be given to children based on the date their application was received or when their name was added to the waiting list. Looked after children, previously looked after children and those allocated a place at the school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol, must take precedence over those on a waiting list.
The waiting list will be reviewed at the school by the Local Authority/Governing Board:
- Each time a child is added to, or removed from it;
- When a child’s changed circumstances affect their priority;
- Periodically, when parents/carers with a child on the waiting list will be contacted and asked if they wish to remain on the list for the following school year.
Starting the school in Reception Year
St John’s CE(A) Primary School will provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. Places in the Reception year will be provided from the beginning of the academic year.
Compulsory school age and summer born children
A child is not required to start school until they have reached compulsory age following their fifth birthday. For summer born children this is almost a full school year after the point at which they could be first admitted to St John’s CE(A) Primary School. Compulsory school age is set out in section 8 of The Education Act 1996 and The Education Order 1998. A child reaches compulsory school age on the prescribed day following his/her fifth birthday (or on their fifth birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). The prescribed days are 31st December, 31st March and 31st August. All children born from the beginning of April to the end of August reach compulsory school age in the September following their fifth birthday.
Deferred entry into Reception
The parents/carers of summer born children may choose not to send their child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted outside their normal age group – to reception rather than year 1. All requests for deferred entry must be sent directly to the school and the Local Authority.
Admissions of children outside their normal age group
Parents/Carers may seek a place for their child outside their normal age group, for example, if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health. All applicants must process the application as part of the main admissions round. The Local Authority and Governing Board will make the decision based on the circumstances of each case. Parents/Carers do not have a right to appeal if they have been offered a place and it is not in the year group they would like.
Admission Appeals
Parents/Carers who are not offered a place for their child have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. Parents/Carers wishing to appeal should obtain an appeal form from the school and return it directly to the school. The form/letter should be sent to reach the Clerk to the Appeal Panel, care of the school, within 14 days of the date of the letter confirming the governors’ decision not to offer a place. Should some appeals be unsuccessful, the Governing Board will not consider further applications from those parents/carers within the same academic year unless there have been significant and material changes in their circumstances.
Admissions Policy -Version 15 – Autumn 2017
