Looked after children
These are defined as children who are looked after by a local authority, i.e. in their care or provided with accommodation by the authority for a continuous period of more than 24 hours.
Children who were previously looked after*, but ceased to be so because they were adopted or subject to a residence or special guardianship order. A copy of the relevant court order will be required.
*A child is considered as ‘Looked After’ as defined in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989. A child is considered ‘Adopted’ as defined in section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Residence order- as defined in section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Since 2014 replaced by Child Arrangement Order. Special guardianship order – as defined in section 14a of the Children Act 1989.
Medical, physical, psychological or social need
If a child or a family member has a significant medical, physical, psychological or social need that you would like taken into account when places are allocated, applicants should tick the relevant box on the application form and submit supporting evidence to support their request. The evidence must be in writing from a doctor or other appropriate professional involved with the child/family member’s health, wellbeing or specific family circumstances. In all cases evidence must show why it is appropriate that the child attends the preferred school and why other schools in the city are inappropriate.
Catchment Areas
A catchment area is a geographical area defined by the council. The idea of having a catchment area is to give some priority for the admission of children living in the local area of the school. Please note – living in the catchment area does not guarantee a place at the school. The catchment area determined by the home address (the child’s permanent residence). Further details of the individual school’s catchment area will be provided on the council’s website or by contacting the Admissions Team.
Sibling link
A sibling link is defined as a child’s brother or sister (living in the same household) already on roll and attending the school you have applied to or at an adjacent infant/junior school and who will still be attending the school the following academic year. This category includes step-brothers/step-sisters; adoptive and foster brothers/sisters living in the same household or children whose parents are married or cohabiting and live together within the same household. This does not include siblings who live in a different household. Twins, triplets and other children of multiple births will be admitted above the admission limit of a school if the limit has been reached by admitting one of the multiple birth children. A sibling link at the school does not guarantee admission to the school. Feeder Junior School
Every infant school has a linked feeder junior school some of which are on adjacent sites to infant schools. Please see list below.
Children eligible for service premium
Service premium is paid to eligible children of armed services personnel under S14 of the Education Act 2002. The service premium is designed to support children with parents serving in the regular British armed forces. Pupils attract the premium if they meet the following criteria:
• One of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces.
• One of their parents served in the regular armed forces in the last 3 years.
• One of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil is in receipt of a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).
Children of Staff employed at the school
a) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for 2 or more years at the time at which the application is made, and or
b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a skill shortage.
Distance measurement
Where it is necessary to prioritise applications the criterion will be prioritised based on the shortest distance from the child’s home to school, measured in a straight line ‘as the crow flies’. Distances will be measured using the council’s Geographical Information System (GIS) department. The Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) unique property reference co-ordinates will be used to represent the school, whilst home co-ordinates will be primarily derived from the LLPG, with Ordnance Survey’s ADDRESS-POINT® product used as support. Only distances measured by GIS will be taken into account for the purposes of the distance criterion. Should there be two or more identical distances, the prioritisation will be done by casting lots. The Admissions Team will arrange for this to be carried out by the LA’s Democratic Services who are independent of the school and the admissions process.
Fair Access Protocol
The Local Authority operates a Fair Access Protocol which prioritises admissions certain categories of secondary school age children. This protocol relates to admission applications during the year but does not apply to children applying in the normal admissions round. The protocol takes priority above the school’s admission policy for those on a waiting list and the LA may require the school to admit above their published admission number.
Appeals
If a parent is unsuccessful with any of their preferences they will have the right of appeal to an independent appeal panel and will be provided with the relevant documentation and advice by the LA’s Admissions Service.
Waiting lists
All parents who have been refused a place at the school will have the option to remain on the waiting list – via a tick box on the allocation response form online or on a paper reply slip. Children will be held on the waiting list by order of the criteria in the admissions policy. No account can be taken of the length of time a pupil is on the list. A pupil’s position can change on the list as new join or other applicants come off the waiting list. Children will remain on a waiting list only until the end of the academic year August 2022, if parents/carers want their children to be on the waiting list for the following academic year, they must reapply.
