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St Thomas' CofE Primary, Kidsgrove

Consultation 2026/20272024/2025 & 2025/2026 


Consultation on admission arrangements 2026/2027 

In accordance with the School Admission Regulations and the School Admissions Code, Three Spires Trust is consulting on its proposed admission arrangements for 2026-27 for all academies within the Trust.

There are no proposed changes to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for any academy within the Trust. The only changes relate to the oversubscription criteria. Please use the links below to view the draft admissions policy for each academy:

The consultation will run from Friday 20 December 2024 to 5.00pm on Friday 31 January 2025.

To submit a response or provide comments for consideration please email: consultation@threespirestrust.org.

Alternatively, postal comments can be submitted at the following address:

FAO: Mandy Prince, Senior Business Manager, Three Spires Trust, New Beacon Building, Stafford Education and Enterprise Park, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BF.

Proposed admission arrangements 2026/2027 

General

  1. This Admission Policy is part of the admission arrangements for St Giles’ & St George’s C of E Academy (School), which is part of Three Spires Trust (Trust), a multi academy trust.
     
  2. The School is a co-educational, non-selective, publicly funded primary school welcoming applications for the admission of children regardless of aptitude, ability, special educational or other needs, disabilities or other protected characteristics.
       
  3. The School admits children into Reception Year, who will usually continue until Year 6. The School also has a nursery which caters for children from the age of two years. Parents should note that children who attend the nursery do not transfer to Reception Year automatically, an application for admission in the 'normal admission round' for Reception Year must be made in the usual way, with no priority being given to those attending the nursery. Admissions to the School's nursery are dealt with under a separate Nursery admission policy, available here.
     
  4. The 'admission authority' for the School is the Trust via its Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees delegates some of its admission tasks to an Academy Admissions Committee formed of a minimum of three Local Governors.
     
  5. The application of this policy and the performance of all admission related functions are carried out by the Trust and the Academy Admissions Committee in compliance with the School Admissions Code 2021 (Admissions Code) and the School Admission Appeals Code 2022 (Appeals Code), as well as other relevant laws such as the Equality Act 2010, Human Rights Act 1998, and the law and statutory guidance relating to special educational needs.
       
  6. In education law and this policy, a 'parent' means a birth parent or adoptive parent of a child (irrespective of whether they have care of, contact with or parental responsibility for the child), as well as other persons who are not the birth parent or adoptive parent of the child but who have care of and/or parental responsibility for them.
       
  7. In determining whether a 'parent' has care of a child at the time of application or appeal, any absence of the child or young person at a hospital or boarding school and any other temporary absence will not be taken into account.
       
  8. In this policy, applicants for places Reception Year to Year 6 are referred to as "child" or "children".

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

9. Children with an EHCP are not admitted under this policy as they are admitted under separate statutory processes set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years and Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Their EHCPs are maintained by their home Local Authority, which is responsible for making decisions as to which educational setting will be named in the EHCP as the one the child will attend.

10. Where the parents of a child with an EHCP want them to be educated at the School, they must discuss this with the SEN team at their home Local Authority. The home Local Authority may then consult the School on its suitability and compatibility, before deciding whether to name the School in the child's EHCP.

11. Where the School is named in section I of the child's EHCP, it will admit the child. Where this happens in the 'normal admission round' (i.e. admission to Reception Year at the start of September), these places will be allocated within the PAN, reducing the number remaining for allocation under this policy. Where this happens at any other time, they will be admitted when the School is named regardless of numbers.

Child's Home Address

12. The child's home address is defined below, and it is the address meeting this definition that must be stated in the application, and which will be used when processing the application.

13. The child's home address is the residential (not business) address at which they will normally live and sleep for more than 50% of their time from Sunday to Thursday night each week during term time, at the time of their application. The home address will usually (but not always) be the address at which the child is registered with their GP, hospital, dentist and/or optician, at the time of application.

14. Where the child resides with more than one parent and there is a factual 50% split between the time described above, the home address will be that used in the application.

15. Parents will be expected to provide satisfactory documentary evidence of the child's home address, and/or the home address of others (e.g. siblings, children of staff) where appropriate. This may include family court orders setting out child arrangements and/or proof of ownership and renting.

16. Where the family owns or rents another property, additional documentary evidence that the address stated in the application is the child's permanent home address may be requested. If the child/sibling moves address during the course of the application process, Staffordshire Local Authority, or (if different) their home Local Authority must be notified as soon as possible, and provided with satisfactory documentary evidence that the new address meets the definition in this admissions policy, and of the expected moving date.

17. Applications are welcome for the admission of the children of UK Armed Forces personnel and Crown Servants. Where the family is relocating from overseas, the address used will be the address at which the applicant will live when they return, as long as the parents provide some evidence of this address. Alternatively, a Unit or Quartering address may be used, at the parent's request.

Age at Starting School and Compulsory School Age

18. All children are entitled to a full-time place at school in the September following their fourth birthday. However, they do not reach compulsory school age (the age at which they are legally required to attend school full-time) until one of three prescribed dates after their fifth birthday:

18.1. Children born on or after 1 September to 31 December reach compulsory school age on 31 December on or after their fifth birthday.

18.2. Children born on or after 1 January to 31 March reach compulsory school age on 31 March on or after their fifth birthday.

18.3. Children born on or after 1 April to 31 August reach compulsory school age on 31 August on or after their fifth birthday. These children are known as 'summer born children'.

Deferred Entry, Delayed Entry and Part-Time Attendance

19. Parents have a right to decide that their child will not start school until they reach compulsory school age. Where this is for one or two terms, this is known as 'deferring' entry, and the place offered and accepted will be retained for that child until they start school.

20. However, entry cannot be deferred beyond the end of the second term of the school year. The parents of summer born children can defer entry for one or two terms (and retain their place), however if they decide that do not want their child to start school until the following school year in September (known as 'delaying' entry), the place offered and accepted will be lost, and the parents will have to make a new application for admission the following year.

21. Parents also have a right to decide that their child will attend school part-time until they reach compulsory school age. Unlike with deferred entry, this may be for the whole school year (in the case of summer born children), and it can also be combined with the right to defer entry. For example:

21.1. Children born on or before 1 September to 31 December can defer entry until the first day of school in January, or attend part-time until then.

21.2. Children born on or before 1 January to 31 March can defer entry until the first day of school in January or April, or attend part-time until either of those dates, or a combination of the two can be arranged (e.g. defer until January, then attend part-time until April).

21.3. Summer born children born on or before 1 April to 31 August can either:

a) Defer entry until the first day of school in January or April, or attend part-time until either of those dates or for the whole school year, or a combination of the two can be arranged (e.g. defer until January or April, then attend part-time until April or the end of the school year); or

b) Delay entry until September the following year, when the place offered and accepted will be lost and a new application for admission must be made the following year. This would normally be for admission to Year 1 with the child's normal age group, unless a Request for Admission Outside Normal Age Group is made and agreed in principle for entry to Reception Year instead (see further below).

22. In all cases, parents are asked to let the School know their decisions as soon as possible, to assist with operational planning.

Statutory Maximum Infant Class Size

23. The statutory maximum infant class size for Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2 is 30 pupils per teacher.

24. Some categories of children may still be admitted over the statutory maximum. These categories are set out in regulations and summarised in the relevant section of the School Admissions Code. These additional pupils are 'excepted pupils' who do not count towards the class size until it falls back to 30.

Published Admission Number (PAN)

25. The PAN for Reception Year is 30.

Oversubscription Criteria

26. Where there are fewer applications than places available, all children will be offered a place. Where there are more applications than places available, the order in which places will be allocated will be:

26.1. Looked after and previously looked after children A ‘looked after child’ is one who is (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, in England. A ‘previously looked after child’ is one who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a Child Arrangements Order or Special Guardianship Order, as well as a child who appears to the Admission Committee to have been in state care outside England (i.e. in the care of or accommodated by a public authority, religious organisation or any other provider whose sole/main purpose is to benefit society), but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted.

Applications in this criterion may need to be supported by documentary evidence, such as a signed letter from the child’s current or former Social Worker confirming their status. Documentary evidence must only include confirmation of the child's status as a Looked After Child or Previously Looked After Child and no other details such personal details about parents and families, the first language of the child, details of parents' or a child's disabilities, special educational needs or medical conditions.

In the case of children adopted from state care outside England, evidence of having been in state care outside England and of being adopted may be required, ideally accompanying the application. When considering the evidence provided, the DfE's current guidance Admissions priority for children adopted from state care outside England will be followed. The guidance can be found here.

Where the Virtual School Head (VSH) at the Local Authority has already verified the child’s status and the School is able to confirm this with them, there will be no need for evidence to be provided with the application.

Where no documentary evidence can be provided, the application will be considered on the available evidence.

26.2. Children with at least one parent who has attended worship at St Thomas’ Church, Kidsgrove, at least twice a month for one year prior to the date of application

Applications under this criterion must be accompanied by a supplementary information form, signed by the minister of the parish church, confirming eligibility under this criterion. This form is available to download on the School's website here or in hard copy format from the School's main office.

For clarity, the parent qualifying under this criterion is not required to live at the home address of the child.

26.3. Children with a sibling at the School at the time of application and at the time of starting at the School

The sibling must be on the roll in Reception Year to Year 6 at St Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy at the time of application, and it is anticipated that the sibling will still be on the roll when the applicant child starts at the School. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that children attending the nursery or siblings in Year 6 who will have left at the time the applicant child starts at the School will not meet the definition of a 'sibling' for the purposes of this policy.

A 'sibling' means a full brother or sister (sharing both parents), a half brother or sister (sharing one parent), an adopted brother or sister (sharing one or both parents), a foster brother or sister on a long term placement (a looked after child), a stepbrother or sister (where one child's parent is married or in a civil partnership with the other child's parent) and a child of the applicant's parent's partner where they have cohabited for at least one year.

In all cases, the sibling must live at the applicant child's home address (as defined in this policy) as part of the child's family unit. For the avoidance of doubt, a child of an extended family member (e.g. cousin, grandchild or child of another child of the family), or the child of a friend, will not meet the definition of a 'sibling' even if they live at the same address as the applicant child.

Parents will be expected to provide satisfactory documentary evidence of the child applicant's home address, and/or the home address of others (e.g. siblings, children of staff), and/or family relationships where appropriate. This may include proof of ownership and renting.

26.4. Children of a staff member of St Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy or the children of the partner of a member of staff of St Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy where they have cohabited for at least one year at the child's home address

For inclusion in this criterion, the staff member must be based at St Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy for more than 50% of their normal working hours each week during term time, and have been:

a) Working at the School for at least two years at the time of application; or

b) Recruited to fill a vacant post at the School for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage, as confirmed by the Trust HR Manager.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is not possible for a staff member to have priority at more than one School within the Trust.

The staff member may be full or part time and teaching or non-teaching staff.

For clarity, where the staff member is also the parent of the child, the staff member is not required to reside at the same home address as the child.

A child of the partner of a staff member would qualify under this criterion if they have cohabited for at least one year at the child's home address.

Applications in this criterion must be accompanied by a completed Children of Staff Supplementary Information Form, to be received by the application deadline. The same parent must complete both this form and the application form giving only their own details.

Part A must be completed by the parent, and Part B must be completed and signed by the parent’s HR Manager at the Trust. This form is available to download on the Three Spires Trust Academy Portal, or in hard copy format from the School's main office.

26.5. Children with at least one parent who has attended worship at least twice a month for one year prior to the date of application at a church that is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or Churches Together in England and/or the Evangelical Alliance, and who live within the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove or live within the Local Authority's designated catchment area for the school.

For inclusion in this criterion, the child must satisfy the following requirements:

a) a parent has attended worship at a church that is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or Churches Together in England and/or the Evangelical Alliance at least twice a month for one year prior to the date of application. The list of churches falling into this definition can be found below;

• Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

• Churches Together in England

• Evangelical Alliance

and

b) the child's home address is located in:

i. the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove. A child's home address is located in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove if it can be found within these boundaries here or

ii. the Local Authority's designated catchment area for the School. The Local Authority's designated catchment area for the purpose of admission can be checked here.

Applications under this criterion must be accompanied by a supplementary information form, signed by the principal minister/faith leader of the church, confirming eligibility in this criterion. This form is available to download on the School's website or in hard copy format from the School's main office.

For clarity, the parent qualifying under this criterion is not required to live at the home address of the child.

26.6. Children whose home address is situated in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove, or in the Local Authority's designated catchment area for the school.

For inclusion in this criterion, the child's home address must be situated in:

a) the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove. A child's home address is located in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove if it can be found within these boundaries here; or

b) the Local Authority's designated catchment area for the School. The Local Authority's designated catchment area for the purpose of admission can be checked here.

26.7. Children with at least one parent who has attended worship at least twice a month for one year prior to the date of application at a church that is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or Churches Together in England and/or the Evangelical Alliance, and who live outside the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove and the Local Authority's designated catchment area for the school.

For inclusion in this criterion, the child must satisfy the following requirements:

a) a parent has attended worship at a church that is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or Churches Together in England and/or the Evangelical Alliance at least twice a month for one year prior to the date of application. The list of churches falling into this definition can be found below;

• Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

• Churches Together in England

• Evangelical Alliance and b) the child's home address is located:

i. outside the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove; and

ii. outside the Local Authority's designated catchment area for the School. The Local Authority's designated catchment area for the purpose of admission can be checked here.

Applications under this criterion must be accompanied by a supplementary information form, signed by the principal minister/faith leader of the church, confirming eligibility in this criterion. This form is available to download on the School's website or in hard copy format from the School's main office.

For clarity, the parent qualifying under this criterion is not required to live at the home address of the child.

26.8. All other children

All applicant children not included in any of the criteria above will be allocated places in this criterion.

If there are more children than remaining places after the oversubscription criteria has been applied, places will be allocated in accordance with the tie breaker. 

Tie Breaker

27. In each of the oversubscription criteria above, where there are more applicants than places in any of the oversubscription criteria above, the order in which places are allocated will be determined by reference to the distance between the child's home address (as defined in this policy) and the School, with those living closer having higher priority.

28. 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 front gate of the school. The co-ordinates of an applicant's home address are determined and provided by the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) and OS address point data.

29. Where the distance between two or more applicant children is equal (e.g. where they may live in the same block of flats), random lottery will be used to determine the order in which places are allocated, which will take place in front of a person who is independent of the School.

30. In the case of twins, triplets or siblings of a higher multiple birth, where one or more of this sibling group achieve a place in the usual way, but the remaining sibling(s) do not, all of them will be offered a place even where this means exceeding the PAN or normal maximum pupil number for that year group. These children will be 'excepted pupils' in Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2 for the purpose of the statutory maximum infant class size rules.

Application Process in the 'Normal Admission Round'

31. All local authorities are required to coordinate admission in the 'normal admission round' for all schools in their area.

32. The 'normal admission round' for applications for admission to Reception Year in September covers all applications made by the statutory deadline for applications (15 January 2026), as well as applications made after this date but in time for the Local Authority to offer a place by 'national offer day' (16 April 2026 or the next working day).

33. Applications in the 'normal admission round' for Reception Year must be made to the child's home Local Authority using their Common Application Form, which will be available on their website. For children resident in Staffordshire the webpage can be accessed by clicking here.

34. Parents must carefully consider the oversubscription criteria above to check whether any additional forms or documentation must accompany the application for inclusion in a particular oversubscription criterion, as failing to do so is likely to prevent the right criterion being identified, which could result in a place not being offered.

35. A 'late application' is one received before the first day of term but not in time for the Local Authority to offer a place on 'national offer day'. As these applications cannot be processed until after the first round of place allocations has happened, this is likely to adversely impact on the chances of achieving a place. Parents are therefore strongly encouraged to submit applications by the statutory deadline.

Application Process for In-Year Admission

36. An application is an 'in-year application' if it is for the admission of a child to a relevant age group (i.e. Reception Year'), but it is submitted on or after the first day of the first term of the admission year, or if it is for the admission of a child to an age group other than a relevant age group.

37. In-year applications made for Reception Year may be refused on the basis that there are no places available within the PAN.

38. In respect of other year groups where there are places available in the relevant age group in accordance with the PAN applicable to that age group, a place will be offered unless admitting an additional child would prejudice the efficient provision of education, and/or the efficient use of resources at the School.

39. Where there are multiple in-year admissions and there are not sufficient places for every child who has applied for one, places will be allocated on the basis of the oversubscription criteria in these admission arrangements.

40. For an in-year application, the application must be made directly to the School by completing the InYear Admission Application Form which is available here. This form can be downloaded and printed out or obtained in hard copy format from the School's main office and then submitted to the School either by email to office@stgg.org.uk, or by post/hand delivery to the School's main office, marked for the attention of the Academy Admissions Committee.

41. In all cases, parents must carefully consider the oversubscription criteria above to check whether any additional forms or documentation should accompany the application for inclusion in a particular oversubscription criterion, as failing to do so is likely to prevent the right criterion being identified, which could result in a place not being offered.

42. All In-Year applications will be processed in line with the above and the outcome of in-year applications will be notified in writing to parents within a maximum of 15 school days of receipt of the application.

Requests for Admission Outside Normal Age Group

43. Parents have a right to request permission for admission to a year group outside their normal age group, which may be above or below. However, this is not an absolute right. The request must be considered by the Academy Admissions Committee which must decide whether to agree it in principle, or refuse it, taking into account the factors set out below.

44. These requests are not applications for admission, which must still be made in the usual way. Parents are strongly encouraged to make these requests as early as possible, preferably well ahead of any deadlines for their normal age group, so that they make informed decisions as to preferences when they subsequently apply for admission. A request must be made to the 'admission authority' for each school for which admission is sought outside normal age group, as the outcome may not be the same for all.

45. The Academy Admissions Committee make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned, taking into account the parents' views, the Headteacher's views, information about the child's academic, social and emotional development, the child's medical history and the views of their medical professionals, whether they have previously been educated or attended Reception 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. This is not an exhaustive list, and parents may put forward any matters or documents for consideration.

46. Parents must complete a Request for Admission Outside Normal Age Group Form. This form can be downloaded and printed out or obtained in hard copy format from the School's main office and then submitted to the School either by email to office@stgg.org.uk or by post/hand delivery to the School's main office marked for the attention of the Academy Admissions Committee.

47. The Academy Admissions Committee will notify the parents of the outcome of their request in writing within 15 school days, and will explain its reasons in sufficient detail for them to understand why it came to that decision.

48. Where the request is agreed in principle in advance of an application being made, the letter should accompany the subsequent application. Parents should note that receiving agreement in principle to admission outside normal age group does not guarantee a subsequent offer of a place, it simply opens the door for an application for that year group to be accepted and processed with all others received at the same time.

49. Parents do not have a statutory right of appeal against a refusal of a request for admission outside normal age group, however they may complain to the School about the outcome under its published Complaints Policy, if they wish.

Statutory Right of Appeal

50. Parents have a statutory right of appeal to an independent Admission Appeal Panel against the refusal of a place at the School. The refusal letter will set out full details of this right, including where the grounds of appeal must be sent and the deadline for doing so.

51. All appeals will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022 (as revised and republished from time to time).

52. The School will publish an admission appeal timetable for appeals against refusals in the 'normal admission round' on or before 28 February 2026.

Waiting List

53. The School only operates a waiting list for Reception Year and the waiting list will remain open until 31 December of the school year of admission. After this date, all names are deleted. A waiting list is not operated for any other year group.

54. The waiting list is ranked by reference to the oversubscription criteria above, and not by reference to the date that the child's name was added to the list or any other criterion. This means a child's name can go up, as well as down, the list as more names are added.

55. When a place becomes available, if there is more than one child in the highest criterion, the same tie breaker will be applied to determine which child will be offered the place.

56. Children allocated a place under the Fair Access Protocol (which all schools are required to participate in) will take precedence over children on the waiting list.

Review and Determination of Admission Arrangements

57. The admission arrangements for the School must be determined every year by the Board of Trustees. Where any changes are proposed from the substantive criteria determined for the previous intake, these must be consulted on for a minimum of 6 calendar weeks between 1 October and 31 January ahead of determination on or before 28 February.

58. The admission arrangements for the 2026 intake were determined by the Board of Trustees on [this date will be inserted after determination on or before 28 February 2025, ahead of publication on or before 15 March 2025].

59. Please submit any queries regarding these admissions arrangements directly to the Academy Admissions Committee via The Chair, C/O St Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy, Poplar Drive, Kidsgrove, Stoke on Trent, ST7 4HT, or email to office@stthomascofeacademy.org.


Admission arrangements 2025/2026, 2024/2025

St. Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy welcomes children from all backgrounds, faiths and no faith. The Governors of the School are committed to developing an inclusive school that reflects the diversity of the local community. Admission to the school is not dependent on being a member of a particular faith community.

As well as being an inclusive neighbourhood school, as a Church school St. Thomas’ has a distinctive character and ethos that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ and Christian values. We ask all parents applying for a place here to respect this ethos and its importance to the school community. We hope that all children who come to the school will be able to participate (as appropriate) in the religious life of the school (including collective worship and religious education (see note 5). This does not affect the right of parents who are not Christians to apply for a place. Indeed, through our commitment to inclusivity, we actively welcome families of other faith and no faith.

Responsibilities for admission to this Church of England Primary Academy sit with its Governing Body. A maximum of 30 children are accepted into Reception Class in September of the academic year in which they attain their fifth birthday.

The Governing Body is required to abide by the maximum limits for infant classes (5, 6 and 7 year olds) i.e., 30 pupils per class.

The Governors would wish to accept all children whose parents seek admission on their behalf. But if the number of applications for the Reception year exceed the places available, pupils will be given preference according to the following criteria, which in order of priority are:-

  1. Children in care and children who ceased to be in care because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order), 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, at least one of whose parents (see note 2) is a faithful and regular worshipper (see note 3) at St. Thomas’ Church, Kidsgrove. 
  3. Children, at least one of whose parents (see note 2) is a, faithful and regular worshipper (see note 3) of a church which is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) or Churches Together in England  and who lives (see note 1) within the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove or in the LA designated catchment area for the school. (A map of the parish is available at school.) 
  4. Children who have an elder sibling (see note 4) attending the school and who will still be attending at the proposed admission date. 
  5. Children of members of staff, who have been employed by St Thomas’ CE(VA) Primary for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made. 
  6. Children living (see note 1) in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove or in the LA designated catchment area for the school. (A map of the parish is available at school.) 
  7. Children, at least one of whose parents (see note 2) is a, faithful and regular worshipper (see note 3) of a church which is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) or Churches Together in England and who lives (see note 1) outside either the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kidsgrove or the LA designated catchment area for the school. (A map of the parish is available at school.) 
  8. Any other children. 

Tie-breaker: If there is over subscription within a category listed above, the Governors will give priority to children living (see note 1) closest to the school by a straight line measurement from the school gate to the home address as measured by the Local Authority’s Geographical Information System. The distance is measured in miles and calculated using Ordnance Survey (OS) data from an applicant’s home address to the main front 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.

  • Note 1 The home address of a pupil is considered to be the permanent residence of a child. The address must be the child’s only or main residence for the majority of the school week. Documentary evidence may be required. Where care is split equally between mother and father, parents must name which address is to be used for allocating a school place. 

  • Note 2  For admission purposes a parent is defined as the ‘Prime Carer’.

  • Note 3 A “Faithful and regular worshipper” of a church community is defined as worshipping at least twice per month for a period of one year prior to application.

    Parents 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 an appropriate faith leader.

  • Note 4  For admission purposes ‘Sibling’ refers to a brother or sister living at the same address and either: have one or both natural parents in common; are related by a parents marriage; are adopted or fostered by a common parent or are unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners.

  • Note 5 Parents have a statutory right of withdrawal from Collective Worship and Religious Education. Nevertheless, we hope that in choosing a Church of England school, they will wish to support the school’s ethos.

  • Note 6 Children with statements of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care Plan whose statement specifically names St Thomas CE(VA) Primary School must be admitted.

  • Note 7 When meeting the requirements of infant class size legislation will result in separation of twins or siblings from multiple births, careful consideration will be given to exceeding the published admission number.

Late Applications 

Applications received after the closing date will only be considered alongside those received by the closing date under the following circumstances:

  • The family were unable to complete an application form before the closing date because they moved into the area after the issue of application forms.

or

  • The family were unable to comply with the admissions timetable because of exceptional circumstances which prevented the application arriving on time - the circumstances must be given in writing and attached to the application form.

Repeat Applications

Unless there are significant and material changes in the circumstances of a parent's application for their child, or of the school, the governors will not consider a repeat application in the same academic year.

Applications to join the school outside the normal age of admission should be made to the local authority who will need to consult with the governing body. The above criteria will be applied if casual vacancies arise during the school year and there are more applicants than places.

Appeals

Parents who are not offered a place for their child are entitled to appeal to an independent committee. Parents wishing to appeal should do so in writing, to the Clerk of Appeal Committee (care of the School). The letter should be sent within a fortnight from the notification of the decision not to admit.

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 their circumstances

Waiting Lists

Unsuccessful applicants will be automatically placed on a waiting list that will operate until the end of the Autumn term. Where refusals have been made due to infant class size legislation, the waiting list will normally be kept open until the cohort leaves Year 2.

Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out above. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Deferred Entry to Reception Class

The governors will consider requests from parents to retain a place in the school where the parents wish to defer their child’s entry to Reception Class until later in the same academic year when it appears to be in the best interest of the child. Where it is possible to offer a place, deferral will be supported if the request is made at the normal time of application.

Governors will also consider requests from parents for their child to attend Reception class on a part-time until they reach 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, for example if the child is exceptionally gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health. In addition, the 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 which 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

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