Leek High School
2025/2026
2024/2025 & 2023/2024
This policy published a maximum number of students who can be admitted at year 9 and this is 90 learners (Published Admission Number).
Normal Age of Entry
Secondary and High Schools
Full time places in Year 9 classes will be available in September of the academic year within which the child becomes 14 years old.
Although parents have the right to express a preference for the Academy that they wish their child to attend, there is no guarantee of a place being offered at that Academy.
It is the Trust’s policy to try and meet parents’ wishes where possible, however in some cases there may be more applications for a particular Academy in The Talentum Learning Trust than there are places available. Admissions are determined by the oversubscription criteria detailed below.
Oversubscription Criteria
If the total number of preferences for admission to Leek high School exceeds the Academy’s Published Admission Number (PAN), the order of priority is used to by the Local Governing Body to allocate available places based on the criteria below:
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 who have an elder brother or sister in attendance at the preferred Academy and who will still be attending the Academy at the time of the proposed admission date. (For admission purposes, a brother or sister is a child who lives at the same address and either: have one or both natural parents in common; are related by a parent’s marriage; are adopted or fostered by a common parent or are unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners.)
3) Children who live outside the deemed catchment area. 10 places will be allocated, arranged in order according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of Academy, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the local authority’s geographical information system.
4) Children of staff, where the member of staff has been employed at the school for 2 or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made. Confirmation of the member of staff’s work destination to be sought from the Trust Central Executive Team
5) Children living within the defined catchment area.
6) All other children arranged in order of priority according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of Academy, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the local authority’s geographical information system.
Applicants can view the admission application process on the school’s website, https://lhs.ttlt.org.uk/
Where it is not possible to accommodate all children applying for places within a particular category then the available places will be allocated in accordance with the remaining criteria. If for instance, all the catchment area children cannot be accommodated at a school, children who are resident within the catchment area will be arranged in order of priority according to distance.
Additional Notes
Copies of school catchment area maps are available from the Local Authority or the school office on request.
There is no charge or cost related to the admission of a child to Leek High School. Applications for admissions are received through Staffordshire County Councils coordinated admission scheme. Information about Staffordshire’s catchment and transport policies are available on the council’s website: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Education/Schooltransport/policy.aspx.
Each child will receive only one offer of a place at a Staffordshire school.
In accordance with legislation, children who have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) that names a particular school as being the most appropriate to meet the child’s needs must be admitted to that school. This will reduce the number of places available to other applicants.
Children in Care means children who are in the care of or provided with accommodation by a local authority in accordance with section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989 at the time of making the application.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide any supportive information required in order for the application to be assessed against the published admissions criteria, the Local Governing Body will not seek to obtain this information on behalf of the applicant.
Leek High School uses Staffordshire County Councils 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 Academy. 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. More details regarding this can be found on the Local Authorities website.
The home address is considered to be the child’s along with their parent’s main and genuine principal place of residence at the time of the allocation of places i.e., where they are normally and regularly living. If a child is resident with friends or relatives (for reasons other than legal guardianship) the friends or relatives address will not be considered for allocation purposes.
Where parents have shared responsibility for a child, and the child lives with both parents for part of the school week, parents will be required to provide documentary evidence to support the address they wish to be considered for allocation purposes.
It is expected that parents will agree on school places before an application is made, and it may be necessary to request evidence from you to confirm that this is the case. The Local Governing Body is not in a position to intervene in disputes between parents over school applications and will request that these are resolved privately.
If a place is offered on the basis of information submitted that is subsequently found to be incorrect at the time of allocation of places, then that place is likely to be withdrawn.
If there are a limited number of spaces available and we cannot distinguish between applicants using the criteria listed, such as in the case of children who live in the same block of flats, then the child or children who will be offered the available spaces will be randomly selected. This process will be independently verified.
Waiting lists
Unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria stated above and not based on the date their application was received. There will be a period of two weeks after the national offer date whereby available places will not be reallocated. If places become available after this date, they will be offered according to the child at the top of the waiting list.
Waiting lists will be kept until the end of the autumn term of admission by the local authority.
A child’s position on a waiting list is not fixed and is subject to change during the year i.e., they can go up or down the list since each added child will require the list to be ranked again in line with the oversubscription criteria. It is ranked purely on eligibility for a place not length of time on the list.
Children who are subject of a direction by a local authority to admit or who are allocated to a school in accordance with the Fair Access Protocol will take precedence over those on the waiting list.
Late Applications
Applications which are received after the last local authority published date will be considered after all of the others. A late application does not affect the right of appeal or the right to be placed on a school’s waiting list.
Repeat Applications
Parents do not have the right to a second appeal in respect of the same school for the same academic year unless, in exceptional circumstances, there has been a significant and material change in the circumstances of the parent, child but still refused admission.
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.
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 Local Governing Body who will take into account the circumstances of the case and views of the Headteacher/Head of School of that Academy. Parents do not have the right to insist that their child is admitted to a particular year group.
“In-Year Admissions” Arrangements
Parents or carers seeking to transfer to a particular Academy may make an application using the appropriate application form, which can be obtained from the individual Academy. In year applications for school places will be responded to within a maximum of 15 school days. This application will be processed in line with the availability of spaces and the criteria outlined in the determined admission arrangements. Whilst an application is considered the parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that their child continues to receive appropriate education in the interim.
In the interests of safeguarding all schools must inform the Local Authority when a pupil has left.
Right of Appeal
Where the Academy is unable to offer a place because the school is oversubscribed, parents have the right to appeal to an independent admission appeal panel. Parent/carers should complete an online appeal form available from Staffordshire County Councils website: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Education/Admissionappeals/home.aspx and submit this within 20 school days of receiving the letter refusing admission.
Sixth Form Admission Arrangements
Applications for admission to Year 12 will be dealt with by Leek High School and details of courses are available on the school website https://lhs.ttlt.org.uk/
All applications are welcomed for Year 12.
Any applicant refused a place in year 12 is entitled to make an appeal to an independent appeal panel whether the child is already attending the Academy or is an external candidate. Minimum entry requirements are the same for internal and external applicants
Schools must not interview children or their families for entry to Year 12, although meetings can be held to provide advice on options and entry requirements for particular courses. Entry must not be dependent on attendance, behaviour record or perceptions of attitude or motivation.
Those attending Leek High School Sixth Form will be drawn from: Students in Year 11 at Leek High School and new applicants from other schools/colleges. The Published Admissions Number (PAN) for new applicants joining Leek High School Sixth Form from neighbouring schools is 60.
The entry requirements for admission to the Sixth Form shall be the same for students on roll in Year 11 at the school and new applicants.
Oversubscription Criteria
Should the number of applications exceed the criteria below, places will be allocated according to these criteria with priority given to those living nearest to the school.
An application form, which is available from Leek high School office and via the website, must be completed and returned to the school no later than the application deadline published on the website, https://lhs.ttlt.org.uk/
Minimum Entry Requirements for admission to Year 12
Students must have attained passes of numerical grade 3 or higher in four separate courses at GCSE or BTEC equivalent, including English and Mathematics.
Oversubscription Criteria
Where eligible applications from new applicants exceed the number of places available, places will be allocated according to the following priority order:
a) A ‘looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order as defined in the Admissions Code 2021.
b) All other children arranged in order of priority according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of Academy, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the local authority’s geographical information system.
Procedure
The closing date for applications is the deadline published on the website, https://lhs.ttlt.org.uk/ Guidance discussions will be held with all students who have expressed an interest (there are no formal interviews).
Conditional offers of places for on-time applications (subject to GCSE results) will be made no later than the date published on the individual Academy website. Courses will be confirmed on enrolment day. Confirmation will be subject to the student meeting the Year 12 entry criteria and the availability of courses
Early in the autumn term of Year 8 you will receive a letter from the LA advising you of your catchment High School. You will be asked to complete a form stating which school you wish your child to attend. Forms should be returned to the LA by the deadline stated (normally towards the end of October).
At the beginning of March the LA will inform you of the name of the school at which your child has been offered a place. If you are unhappy with their decision you have the right to appeal. Appeals are heard during the first part of the summer term by an independent appeal panel.
In accordance with legislation, children who have a statutory statement of special educational need or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names Leek High School must be admitted to that school. This will reduce the amount of places available to other applicants.
If the number of students requesting a place at Leek High exceeds the Published Admission Number (PAN), which is currently 175, the LA will use the following criteria to allocate places:
1) Children in Care and children who ceased to be in care because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order).
2) Children previously in care outside England or Wales who ceased to be in care because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order)
3) Children who satisfy both of the following tests:
Test 1: the child is distinguished from the great majority of applicants either on their own medical grounds or by other exceptional circumstances.
Medical grounds must be supported by a medical report (obtained by the applicant and provided at the point of application). This report must clearly justify, for health reasons only, why it is better for the child’s health to attend the preferred school rather than any other school.
Exceptional circumstances must relate to the choice of school and the individual child,
i.e. the circumstances of the child, not the economic or social circumstances of the parent/carer. It should be supported by a professional report (obtained by the applicant and provided at the point of application), e.g. social worker. This report must clearly justify why it is better for the child to attend the preferred school rather than any other school.
Test 2: the child would suffer hardship if they were unable to attend the preferred school.
Hardship means severe suffering of any kind, not merely difficulty or inconvenience, which is likely to be experienced as a result of the child attending a different school. Applicants must provide detailed information about both the type and severity of any likely hardship at the time of application.
4) Children who have an elder sibling in attendance at the preferred school and who will still be attending the school at the proposed admission date; (For admission purposes, a brother or sister is a child who lives 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.)
5) Children living within the catchment area of the preferred school
6) Children who attend certain primary schools defined as major contributory primary schools. The Board of The Talentum Learning Trust has named Churnet View Middle School as the major contributory Middle School for Leek High School.
7) Other children arranged in order of priority according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of the school, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the Local Authority’s Geographical Information System.
Where it is not possible to accommodate all children applying for places within a particular category then the Local Authority will allocate the available places in accordance with the remaining criteria. If for instance, all the catchment area children cannot be accommodated at a school, children who are resident within the catchment area will be arranged in order of priority according to distance i.e. category (6).
If you wish your son/daughter to transfer to Leek High School at a time other than the start of Year 9, please contact the school directly.
Additional Notes for Schools in The Talentum Learning Trust
Copies of school catchment area maps are available from the Local Authority or individual schools. There is no charge or cost related to the admission of a child to a school.
Admissions for the Trust are administered by the Local Authority School Admissions and Transport Service through a coordinated admission scheme and preferences schools will be processed centrally by them. Each pupil will receive one offer of a place at a maintained school.
In accordance with legislation, children who have a statutory statement of special educational need or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names a particular school as being the most appropriate to meet the child’s needs must be admitted to that school. This will reduce the amount of places available to other applicants.
Children in Care means children who are in the care of, or provided with accommodation by a local authority in accordance with section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989 at the time of making the application.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide any supportive information required in order for the application to be assessed against the published admissions criteria, the Local Authority will not seek to obtain this information on behalf of the applicant.
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 coordinates of an applicant's home address is determined and provided by the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) and OS Address Point data.
The home address is considered to be the child’s along with their parent’s main and genuine principal place of residence at the time of the allocation of places i.e. where they are normally and regularly living. If a child is resident with friends or relatives (for reasons other than legal guardianship) the friends or relatives address will not be considered for allocation purposes.
Where parents have shared responsibility for a child, and the child lives with both parents for part of the school week, parents will be required to provide documentary evidence to support the address they wish to be considered for allocation purposes.
It is expected that parents will agree on school places before an application is made, and it may be necessary to request evidence from you to confirm that this is the case. The local authority is not in a position to intervene in disputes between parents over school applications and will request that these are resolved privately.
If a child’s home address changes during the admissions process it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to inform the Local Authority immediately. Where there is a proposed house move taking place during the admissions process the Local Authority will only accept the revised address for purposes of allocation where parents/carers can provide documentary evidence of the move by 26 January 2018. It will be necessary for sufficient evidence of a permanent move to be provided by the applicant by this date before it will be taken into account for allocation purposes at the national offer date.
If a place is offered on the basis of an address that is subsequently found to be different from the child’s normal and permanent home address at the time of allocation of places then that place is likely to be withdrawn.
If there are a limited number of spaces available and we cannot distinguish between applicants using the criteria listed, such as in the case of children who live in the same block of flats, then the child or children who will be offered the available spaces will be randomly selected. This process will be independently verified.
Any Staffordshire child not obtaining a place at any of their parents preferred schools will be allocated a place at their catchment area school (if places remain available) or the next nearest school with a space available and advised about the independent appeals process.
Waiting lists
Unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria stated above and not based on the date their application was received. There will be a period of two weeks after the national offer date whereby available places will not be reallocated. If places become available after this date they will be offered according to the child at the top of the waiting list.
Waiting lists will be kept until the end of the autumn term of admission. No other waiting lists will be maintained.
Inclusion on a school’s waiting list does not mean that a place will eventually become available at the preferred school.
A child’s position on a waiting list is not fixed and is subject to change during the year i.e. they can go up or down the list since each added child will require the list to be ranked again in line with the oversubscription criteria.
Children who are subject of a direction by a local authority to admit or who are allocated to a school in accordance with the Fair Access Protocol will take precedence over those on the waiting list.
Late Applications
Preferences received after the closing date will be considered alongside those applicants who applied on time wherever possible. Where it is not practicable because places have already been allocated, or are shortly to be allocated, then late preferences will be considered only after those that were made before this point.
A late application does not affect the right of appeal or the right to be placed on a school’s waiting list.
Repeat Applications
Parents do not have the right to a second appeal in respect of the same school for the same academic year unless, in exceptional circumstances, the local authority has accepted a second application from the appellant because of a significant and material change in the circumstances of the parent, child or school but still refused admission.
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.
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 Local Authority who will take into account the circumstances of the case and views of the headteacher of the school concerned. Parents do not have the right to insist that their child is admitted to a particular year group.
“In-Year Admission” Arrangements
Parents or carers seeking to be admitted to a School may make an application directly to the preferred school using the appropriate application form. This application will be processed in line with the procedure outlined in the determined admission arrangements and parents and carers need to be aware that in the case of transfers between local schools, any date set for joining the new school may be after the next term or half term holiday and those parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that their child continues to receive appropriate education in the interim.
Relevant Area
Staffordshire County Council’s relevant area for consultation is the administrative area of Staffordshire County Council.