St. Leonard's CE (A) Primary, Wigginton

Admissions arrangements 2023/2024, 2024/2025 & 2025/2026

Admission into Reception 

The Governing Body is responsible for the admission of pupils to St Leonard’s Church of England (Aided) School and admits up to 15 pupils to Reception each September. This admission number has been agreed between the Governing Body and the Local Authority.

The school does not have any specific units or facilities for pupils with particular special needs, but there is a toilet available for pupils with physical disabilities. The school is on a level site and all the accommodation is on one floor, so all classrooms may be entered without steps. As far as possible, the school will ensure that pupils with disabilities have access to the same opportunities as other pupils.

The Governing Body is required to comply with the maximum limits for Key Stage 1 classes (30 pupils per class) 

Foundation places

The Governing Body has designated 8 places to be offered to pupils whose ‘families are faithful’ and regular worshippers in an Anglican church.” By this we mean that they attend services at least once a month for two years. Written evidence of applicants’ commitment to their place of worship (in the form of a clergy reference) will be required at the time of application. If there are more than 8 applicants, places will be allocated according to the following criteria. These are stated in the order of priority:

1. Looked after children and previously looked after children, including 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. 
2. Children who have a brother or sister in the school at the time of admission.
3. Residence in the parish of St Leonard’s Wigginton.
4. Children with known special medical or social needs. Written supporting evidence must be supplied at the time of application, from a relevant professional such as a doctor, social worker or educational psychologist;
5. The nearness of the home to the school, measured along the shortest safe walking route from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats) to the school’s main pedestrian gate, [using the Local Authority's computerised measuring system] with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. 

In the event that two or more applicants have equal right to a place under any of the above criteria, the child or children who will be offered the available spaces will be randomly selected. This process will be independently verified.

If there are less than 8 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. 

Open Places 

The Governing Body has designated 7 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 the school aims to provide an education based on Christian principles and, therefore, the Governing Body hopes that all pupils will take part in the Christian worship of the school and will attend religious education lessons. Applications for Open Places need to be made to both the school and the local authority. 

If there are more than 7 applicants, places will be allocated according to the following criteria:

1. Looked after children and previously looked after children, including 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. 
2. Children who have a brother or sister in the school at the time of admission
3. Residence in the parish of St Leonard’s,
4. Children from other Christian denominations who worship regularly at churches of other Christian denominations. (in communion with the Anglican church.)
5. Children with known special medical or social needs whereby St. Leonard’s is named on an Education Healthcare plan. Written supporting evidence must be supplied at the time of application, from a relevant professional such as a doctor, social worker or educational psychologist;
6. The nearness of the home to the school, measured along the shortest safe walking route from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats) to the school’s main pedestrian gate, [using the Local Authority's computerised measuring system] with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. 

In the event that two or more applicants have equal right to a place under any of the above criteria, then the child or children who will be offered the available spaces will be randomly selected. This process will be independently verified.  

All applicants will receive a letter from the Local Authority confirming whether they have a place in the school or not. Parents refused a place will be advised of their right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel established by the Governing Body. Parents wishing to appeal, should obtain an appeal form from the school and send the completed form 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 body will not consider further applications from those parents within the same academic year unless there have been significant and material changes in circumstances. 

Distance

The Local Authority uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to calculate home to school distances in miles. The measurement is calculated using Ordnance Survey (OS) data from an applicant’s home address to the main pedestrian gate of the school. The coordinates of an applicant’s home address are determined and provided by the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) and OS Address Point data. 

Siblings

For admission purposes a sibling is a brother or sister who lives at the same address and either: have one or both natural parents in common, are related by a parents marriage, or are adopted or fostered by a common parent or are unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners. A sibling will have a place offered in the Foundation class when there is an older child at St. Leonard’s School at the point of admission.

N.B. there is no automatic right of entry for siblings into other year groups, although favourable consideration will be given to such applications where possible. 

Where parent(s)/guardians(s) are seeking to place twins, triplets etc., they must submit separate applications for each child. When considering places for twins, triplets or larger number of siblings, which are the product of a multiple birth, every effort will be made to accommodate all siblings, however, there is no guarantee of a place being offered. 

Admissions to Reception Year

Parents have to complete both a St Leonard’s and a Local Authority admission form (available online). Application for admission to Reception should be submitted by 15 January 2019 for admission during the following academic year. Both of these application forms must be completed even if the child is already attending provision in Nursery as a place in our Nursery does not mean that a place will automatically be given for Reception. St Leonard’s application forms must be returned to the school. 

Deferred Entry to Reception Class

The Governors will consider requests from parents to retain a place at St Leonard’s where the parents wish to defer their child’s entry to Reception Class until later in the same academic year. Where it is possible to offer a place, deferral will be supported if the request is made at the normal time of application. Parents will be required to enter into a discussion with the Headteacher who will determine if it is acceptable to defer entry. The Governors will also consider requests from parents who wish their child to attend Reception on a part-time basis until the child reaches compulsory school age. 

Admission Outside the Normal Age Group

Parents may seek to apply for their child’s admission to school outside their normal age group (e.g. if the child is exceptionally gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health).

Parents 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. 

These parents will need to make an application alongside children applying at the normal age which should explain why it is in the child’s best interest to be admitted outside their normal age. This may include information such as professional evidence as to why this is the case and why an exception should be made in the case of the child. A decision as to whether this is an appropriate course of action will be made by the Governing Body who will take into account the circumstances of the case and views of the Headteacher. Parents do not have the right to insist that their child is admitted to a particular year group. 

Admissions to the Nursery Class 

From September 2018, our Nursery provision has been extended. These changes include:

• 30 hours provision is now available (9-3 daily).
• If all spaces are not filled from the September intake, the school may be in a position to admit Nursery children the term after their 3^rd birthday. This however is subject to places being available and parents should contact the school directly to see if this is applicable and to register their interest. 
• Children may now also have lunch at school. If a school meal is required, the meal is charged at £2.15 in line with the costs for key stage 2 children. Nursery children are not eligible for free school lunches. 
• For families not eligible for the 30 hours funding, additional sessions can be paid for. The cost of each session is £5.00 per hour and must be booked for each half term and paid in advance. Sessions booked, need to be whole sessions i.e. all morning (3 hours) or all afternoon (3 hours including an hour for lunch). 
• We can take up to 11 children into the Nursery. The governors can agree to go over this number, if there are vacancies in the Reception class. 
• Please be advised that being allocated a place in our nursery does not mean that your child is entitled to a place the following year in Reception. The normal admissions criteria still apply. 
• If a child is offered an ‘early place’ i.e. the term after their 3^rd birthday, they will be offered priority admission the following year however admission into the Reception class is not guaranteed as application need to be made as detailed above. 

Parents will have to complete both a St Leonard’s and a Local Authority admission form (available online.) Application for admission to Nursery class should be submitted by 5 March for admissions in September. However, late applications will always be considered. Criteria for admission will be the same as for admission to the Reception year. St Leonard’s application forms must be returned to the school. 

Funding

Parents must apply to HMRC for additional funding over 15 hours which must be agreed by 31 of the month preceding the start date of term and supply the code to the school and the parents’ National Insurance number otherwise, any additional hours will be charged at £5 per hour.

Parents must complete the parent declaration for Early Education Funding and every term they must come into the school office to sign the declaration for each term.

Admissions after Reception Year

This will be subject to the number of children in each year group. Where a particular year group falls below the PAN of 15, the Governors reserve the right to still admit children to the year group above or below in order to maintain viable numbers in each mixed age class. A decision will not be made that will lead to any class exceeding 30.