Tillington Manor Primary
2023/2024 & 2024/2025 (pre academy conversion)
Admission arrangements 2025/2026
Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust (PHMAT) is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) of seven schools and the Trustees of the MAT are its admission authority. The Trustees apply the regulations on admissions fairly and equally to all those who wish to attend the school. All seven schools will comply with the provisions within the Schools Admissions Code and the School Appeals Code
The Schools within the MAT are: Perry Hall Primary, Berrybrook Primary, Dunstall Hill Primary, Birds Bush Primary, Woodthorne Primary, Stanley Road Primary, Forest Hills Primary, Mesty Croft Primary, Sledmore Primary and Tillington Manor Primary.
All schools are inclusive, that welcome children from all backgrounds and abilities. The only restriction we place on entry is number. If the number of children applying exceeds the places available, we enforce the procedure set out below in order to determine whether a child is accepted or not. It is our wish to allow parents the right to have the place at the school of their choice. However, this is not always possible, due to the excess demand on the school places available.
The City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC) will co-ordinate Admissions on behalf of Perry Hall Multi Academy Trust
Published Admission Numbers (PAN):
Perry Hall Primary School - 60
Berrybrook Primary School - 30
Dunstall Hill Primary School -60
Birds Bush Primary School - 45 for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 and 30 from 2025/2026
Woodthorne Primary School - 60
Stanley Road Primary School - 60 for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 and 45 from 2025/2026
Forest Hills Primary School - 30
Mesty Croft Primary School - 60
Sledmore Primary - 90
Tillington Manor Primary - 30
How parents can apply to be admitted to our schools
Reception admissions
The admissions arrangements outlined in this section apply to children starting Reception for the first time.
Forest Hills Primary, Bird’s Bush Primary and Tillington Manor Primary are part of the Staffordshire Local Authority co-ordinated admissions scheme.
Perry Hall Primary, Berrybrook Primary, Dunstall Hill Primary and Woodthorne Primary are part of the Wolverhampton LA admissions scheme and Stanley Road are part of the scheme at Worcester LA.
Mesty Croft Primary School are part of the Sandwell admissions scheme.
Sledmere Primary School are part of the Dudley LA admissions scheme.
The closing date for admissions will be 23:59 on 15 January. Allocation results will be notified on 16 April by the applicants’ home Local Authority (LA).
All applicants must:
1. Complete the Common Application Form by applying online to the Local Authority where they reside:
2. In addition, applicants applying under the oversubscription criteria relating to Children whose parent/carer is a member of staff employed at the school must complete the Supplementary Information Form and return it direct to the School Admissions Team, City of Wolverhampton Council
Parents who would like their child to be admitted to this school during the year their child is five should ensure they complete all the necessary application forms.
Admission to nursery does not mean automatic entry to the Primary school and a separate application must be made.
Admission Criteria for the schools in PHMAT for Reception and In-year admissions
A child with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school will be admitted. Remaining places are allocated as detailed below.
Where there are fewer applicants than the PAN, all children will be offered a place. In the event the school is oversubscribed, the admission authority will apply the following oversubscription criteria in order of priority
1. Children and Young People in Care and previous Children and Young People in Care Children and young people in care are children who are in (a)in the care of the local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of the social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time the application is made to school. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
Supporting evidence
If the child is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority this must be indicated on the common application form and evidence (e.g. evidence of child in care from the placement authority) to support this claim must be submitted with the common application form. If the child has previously been in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by them and has subsequently been adopted, or is subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order this must be indicated on the common application form and evidence (e.g. adoption certificate/copy of court order) to support this claim must be submitted with the common application form. For children in state care outside England who ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted the relevant legal document(s) must be supplied.
2. Medical/Social
Whether there are specific medical or social circumstances that can be met only by the child’s attendance at the preferred school.
Supporting evidence
If parents believe there are specific reasons, medical or social, for claiming priority for their child to attend a particular school these special factors must be indicated on the form and evidence (e.g. a letter from a registered health professional such as a doctor or a social worker) to support this claim must be submitted with the common application form. The information submitted must state clearly the effects of the condition/illness and why the preferred school is the only school that can meet theirchild’s needs. This is necessary because parents would be asking the Authority to assess their child as having a stronger case than many other children, even some who live closer to the school in question than they do. The information provided will be used to prioritise the request for the school. Please note that only in exceptional cases are places prioritised in respect of a child’s/parent’s medical/social grounds.
3. Children with a sibling already attending the school at the time of admission. For admission purposes, a sibling is a child who resides permanently at the same address as the child for whom a place is being requested, and is one of the following:
- half brother/sister (i.e. share one common parent)
- or stepbrother/sister (i.e. related by a parent’s marriage)
- any other child for whom it can be demonstrated that s/he is residing permanently at the same address (e.g. under the terms of a residence order).
The sibling connection only applies where the child concerned has a sibling attending the school at the time of the application as well as at the time of admission, (i.e. for normal year of entry applications siblings are expected to be attending the same school in September 2021). A sibling connection will not be accepted if the original place was obtained by using fraudulent or false information.
4. Children whose parent/carer is a member of staff* employed at the school for two or more years at the point at which the application for admission to the school is made or where the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage evidence by completing the Supplementary Information Form (SIF).
* Priority can only be given to children of staff at the individual Academy that the application is for.
Parents should be aware that where the SIF is completed it will not be regarded as a valid application unless the home Local Authority has also received a completed application showing an expressed preference for the school(s) concerned.
This criteria applies to all permanent staff members.
5. Children who live closest to our schools
The distance from the applicant’s home and school is taken in a straight line between the respective school and the child’s home address. The distance is measured using the CWC software, with those living closest to the school receiving the highest priority. If there are a limited number of spaces available and we cannot distinguish between applicants using the above criteria, children who live in the same block of flats will be offered the available spaces randomly selected by drawing lots.
Please note: For Tillington Manor Primary School children living within the catchment area will be prioritised to allocate available places. Further information can be found on the following link:
Catchment areas - Staffordshire County Council
Home address
Parents are asked to provide their child’s home address, i.e. the usual place of residence on weekdays and nights. Please note that childminder’s addresses will not be accepted. This applies to both formal childminders and relatives and friends acting in a childminding capacity.
The home address of a pupil is considered to be the permanent residence of a child in a residential property when the place is offered.
The address must be the child’s only or main residence and is either:
- Owned by the child’s parent(s), carer(s) or guardian(s)
- Leased to or rented by the child’s parent(s), carer(s) or guardian(s) under lease or written rental agreement.
Documentary evidence of ownership or rental agreement may be required together with proof of actual permanent residence at the property concerned.
Acceptable proof of address includes:
- a copy of a council tax bill
- a copy of a recent utility bill (gas, electric, dated within the last six months)
- a solicitor’s letter stating that contracts have been exchanged and specifying a completion date
- a copy of your Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit award letter (if you receive either of these benefits)
- a signed and dated tenancy agreement
Where parents have shared responsibility for the child and the child lives with both parents for part of the week then the main residence will be determined as the address where the child lives for the majority of the school week. If the child equally shares living with both parents, the parents must inform the City of Wolverhampton Council (and the home Local Authority if this is not the same) which address should be used for admission purposes and which parent will make the application. Parents will be requested to supply documentary evidence to support the address used for the application.
In the event that the family moves between the application and date of allocation, it is the parent’s responsibility to inform the City of Wolverhampton Council School Admissions Team (and the home Local Authority if this is not the same) as soon as possible of these circumstances.
Additional arrangements and information
Applications for children to be admitted outside their normal age group
Parents who wish for their child to be considered for admission to a class outside their normal age group must make an application for the normal age group in the first instance by 15 January.
This will include Parents of a "summer born child" that may choose not to send that child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group – to reception rather than year 1. Any parent wishing to make such a request must put the request in writing to the Admissions and Appeals section at CWC no later than 15 January 2025.
This request should be in the form of a written letter of application outlining the reasons why they wish for their child to be admitted into a class outside their normal age group and enclosing any supportive evidence and documentation that they wish to be taken into account as part of that request.
Requests will be considered on an individual basis and decisions will be reached by taking account of the parent’s views; information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional; whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group; and whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely. The view of the head teacher of the school concerned will also be sought as part of the decision-making process.
If the request is agreed and the year group for which the parents have requested a place is for a future year group, i.e. Reception in September 2026, then the original application is withdrawn and the parents must submit a fresh application for Reception 2026 when applications open in the autumn term of 2025. Please note that parents only have the right to re-apply for a place. Where the decision is to agree the request for an application in Reception the following year, that application is considered alongside all other applications received and parents will be advised of the outcome of that application on national offer day. No place is reserved or held for the child in advance.
Before any application is submitted it is strongly recommended that parents/carers also read the DFE guidance.
Deferred entry
A child’s parents may defer the date at which their child, below compulsory school age, is admitted to the school, until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the first day of the summer term 2021. A child may take up a part-time place until later in the school year, but not beyond the point at which the child reached compulsory school age. Upon receipt of the offer of a place a parent should notify the school, as soon as possible, that they wish to either defer their child’s entry to the school or take up a part-time place.
Late applications
Applications received after the closing date will be treated as late.
Applications received after the closing date and before the final date for late submissions (11 February) with approved written evidence will only be incorporated into the initial allocation process if the late submission is for a valid reason or parents can demonstrate a material change of circumstances (see below).
When submitting late applications parents must give reasons in writing and supporting documentary evidence for the late submission. The appropriate admission authority will give consideration to the reasons, following which the application will be:
Either 1) incorporated into the initial allocation and assessed against the over-subscription criteria for the school(s) concerned
Or 2) considered only after all other applications.
Applications without written reasons for the late application or received after the final date for late submissions will only be considered after all other applications and the notification may be sent shortly after the national offer day.
Material changes of Circumstance
In claiming material changes of circumstances, the applicant, at the time of application, must supply documentary evidence to confirm the changes. An example of material changes of circumstances is a house move that necessitates a change of preferences. This would need to be validated by documentary evidence such as a solicitor’s letter confirming the completion of a house purchase or rent book confirming tenancy. An impending change of circumstances should not delay the submission of the preference form.
If applicants’ circumstances change during the course of making the application that relate to any of the published criteria it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide evidence to the City of Wolverhampton’s Admissions and Appeals Team as this may affect the outcome of the application.
Special educational needs
The admission of children with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) will be agreed between the home Local Authority's SEN Statutory Assessment and Review Team, parents and school in accordance with parental preference, as far as possible, and the child's individual needs. Children an EHCP are given overall priority to the named school. This will reduce the number of places at the school, which are available for allocation in accordance with the above criteria.
Tie-breaker for oversubscription
If there are an insufficient number of places to accommodate all the children of a particular criterion, the next criterion will be used to assess the applications concerned in order to prioritise applications.
In-year fair access protocol
The Trustees of PHMAT are committed to taking its fair share of children who are vulnerable and/or hard to place, as set out in locally agreed protocols.
Children who are the subject of a direction by the Local Authority to admit or who are allocated to a school in accordance with the Fair Access Protocol take precedence over those on a waiting list.
Multiple births
We understand that parent/carers would like to keep twins, triplets and other children of multiple births together. In the event that there is an insufficient number of places to allocate to twins, triplets, etc. all children will be allocated together.
Response to allocation
Parents/Carers must respond to an allocation of a school place within 2 weeks of the notification of the availability of a school place. Response should be made to the school you have been allocated a place. In the absence of a response, the offer may be revoked and the place may be allocated to someone else
Waiting lists
If a place cannot be offered at the time of application, the child’s name will be placed on a waiting list. Unless offered a higher preference school. Those on the waiting list and late applicants will be treated equally and placed on the same waiting list. Waiting lists will be held in order of the published admission criteria.
The Admitting Authority will maintain the waiting list until 31 December 2022.
Parents and carers will be asked to confirm on a termly basis their wish for their child to remain on the waiting list in order for the list to be kept up to date.
In-year admissions
The admissions arrangements outlined in this section apply to in-year admissions for this and subsequent academic years.
An In-year admission is any entry to school other than at the normal point in Reception, for example, transferring school due to a move of house or personal reasons. With the exception of a child with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) requests for places in reception after the normal round of admissions or request for places in other year groups should be made directly to CWC.
For Stanley Road requests for places should be made to: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/inyearapplications
For Mesty Croft Primary, in-year applications should be made to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council at Changing schools | Sandwell Council Admissions 2025/26
For Sledmere Primary School, applications should be made via Changing Schools | Dudley Council
For all other schools within in the MAT requests for places should be made on the Wolverhampton Council's website
All applicants must:
1. Complete the In Year Transfer Form:
2. In addition, applicants applying under oversubscribed criteria relating to Children whose parent/carer is a member of staff employed at the school must complete the Supplementary Information Form and return it direct to the School Admissions Team, CWC.
Admission appeals
In the event that an applicant is denied a place at the school, the parent/carer will have the right to appeal to an Independent appeal panel.
Fraudulent or misleading applications
The CWC will follow up any reports they receive that allege that a fraudulent or misleading application has been made.
Withdrawing offer places
Any allegations received by the admission authority of people providing false accommodation addresses when applying for school places shall be fully investigated and, if found to be true, allocated places may be withdrawn, as appropriate.
Financial implications
There is no charge or cost related to the admission of a child to Perry Multi-Academy Trust.