General Introduction

This policy supports the work of the school in promoting its mission statement, aims and values.

 

Mission statement

Like a lighthouse, St Michael’s is a beacon of safety and stability. It takes courage to learn and remember knowledge, develop new skills and allow your own light to shine in the world. We respect our differences and know that working peacefully together allows our lights to shine more brightly.

‘Let your light shine’  Matthew 5:16

 

School aims

At St Michael’s we value every member of our school community and our aims are for every child, whatever their background or circumstances, to have the support they need to:

 

• Develop their understanding of the value of leading a healthy lifestyle
• Work and play in a secure and safe environment in which they are encouraged to develop moral values and mutual respect
• Experience an exciting curriculum which fosters their enthusiasm, develops an enquiring mind and enables every child to achieve his/her full potential
• Access an education for life which promotes British Values that enable all learners to become effective and reliable members of the wider community
• Foster ambition and expectation to carry through to adult life

 

To achieve these aims all learners, staff, parents and governors will work together to promote our core values of peace, courage and respect.

 

Policy’s aims and objectives

The governing body of St. Michael’s Church of England Primary School applies the regulations on admissions fairly and equally to all those who wish to attend this school.  This policy conforms to the regulations and guidance of all of the following:  The School Standards and Framework Act 1998; The School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012; School Admissions Code 2014 and School Admissions Appeals Code 2012.

 

We are an inclusive school that welcomes children from all backgrounds and abilities.

All applications will be treated on merit and in a sensitive manner.

 

The only restriction we place on entry is that of number. If the number of children applying for entry 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 a place at the school of their choice.  However, this is not always possible, due to the excess demand on the school places available.

 

The Governing Body of St Michael’s Church of England Primary School is the Admissions Authority.

 

Admissions to Year R

This policy will apply to all admissions from 1 September 2021, including in-year admissions. It will be used during 2020-2021 for allocating places for September 2021 as part of the normal admission round for Year R.

 

The Governing Body of St Michael’s Church of England Primary School is the Admissions Authority for The School. The admission arrangements are determined by the Governing Body, after statutory consultation.

 

The Published Admission Number (PAN) for St Michael’s Church of England Primary School (The School) is 90. The PAN is the number of places for children available in the year group above.

 

A guiding principle of admissions to this school is that a church school should serve its local community, defined in the trust deed of 1878.  A list of roads within the school’s catchment form part of this document.

 

The policy aims to be clear, fair and objective and to comply with all relevant legislation.

 

Outside the normal admissions round, the Local Authority’s Fair Access protocol will be applied alongside the policy to secure the admission of vulnerable pupils from specific groups.

 

Every child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday.  A child’s parents can defer the date their child 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 beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made. Where the parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.

 

Starting school and deferred entry to Year R

Admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. The authority must make it clear in their arrangements that, where they have offered a child a place at a school:

a) that child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday;

b) the child’s parents can defer the date their child 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 beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made; and

c) where the parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.

 

It is recommended that parents considering such a request as defined above, contact The School as early as possible to ensure that an informed decision is made.

 

Notes on compulsory school age and summer born children

A child is not required to start school until they have reached compulsory school age following their fifth birthday. For summer born children this is almost a full school year after the point at which they could first be admitted. Compulsory school age is set out in section 8 of the Education Act 1996 and The Education (Start of Compulsory School Age) Order 1998. A child reaches compulsory school age on the prescribed day following his fifth birthday (or on his fifth birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). The prescribed days are 31 December, 31 March and 31 August.

 

All children born from the beginning of April to the end of August reach compulsory school age in the September following their fifth birthday. It is likely that most requests for children to be admitted out of their normal year group will come from parents of children born in the later summer months or those born prematurely.

 

PLEASE SEE DELAYED ENTRY AND SUMMER BORN POLICY

 

Admission of children outside their normal age group

Parents who have deferred entry into Year R or of a gifted and talented child or a child who has experienced problems or missed part of a year, for example due to ill health, can request a place outside the normal age group. The Governing Body will make a decision on the basis of the circumstances of each case. Parents do not have a right to appeal if they have been offered a place and it is not in the year group they would like.

 

Admissions Criteria

If The School or Pre-school is oversubscribed, places will be offered in the following priority order. Places for applications received after the deadline will be allocated using the same criteria:

 

             First priority

Children who are ‘Looked After’, who were previously ‘looked after’ by the Local Authority but immediately after being looked after became subject to adoption, or appear to the Admissions Authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

 

             Second priority

Children living in the designated catchment area of the school who will have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission.

(see note A below)

 

             Third priority

Children living in the designated catchment area of the school.

 

             Fourth priority

Children living outside the designated catchment area of the school who will have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission.

(see note A below)

  

 Fifth priority

Children living outside the catchment area of the school who live closest to the school as measured by straight-line distance.

 

             Notes

1. ‘Sibling’ refers to a brother or sister, half brother or half sister, adoptive brother or adoptive sister, step brother or step sister, foster brother or foster sister and includes children living as siblings in the same family unit. It will also be applied to situations where a full or half brother or sister are living at separate addresses.

 

The governors will admit any pupil whose education, health and care plan (previously a final statement of special educational needs) names the School.  Where possible such children will be admitted within the PAN.

 

How parents can apply for their child to be admitted to our school

The Local Authority operates a timetabled co-ordinated admissions procedure for all schools and academies in line with Government legislation.

 

The Local Authority will manage the process on behalf of The School according to the scheme which they will publish in their Admissions Booklet for that year but it is still The Governing Body, as the Admissions Authority for this school who will offer the available places in line with this policy.

 

The closing date for admission application forms to be received by the Local Authority will be as published in the Local Authority’s Admissions Booklet for that year. Also contained in that booklet will be information on how to complete their application form on-line, dates for notification to parents of admissions decision and the closing dates for accepting places or lodging appeals. In case of any doubt on these dates, please contact the Local Authority or The School.

 

How parents can apply for their child to be admitted to our pre-school

Admission arrangements are administered by St Michael’s Church of England Primary School on behalf of the Governing Body.

Admission arrangements are outlined in St Michael’s Pre-school prospectus available to parents/carers on request. They are also available on the School’s website.

Application forms can be obtained from the school office or downloaded from the School’s website and should be completed by the date stipulated on the form. The school notifies parents about the pre-school place as soon as all the applications have been considered.

A child who is in attendance at St Michael’s pre-school does not gain an automatic admission into the Reception year at St Michael’s Church of England Primary School. Places in school reception classes are allocated according to a separate application process.

 

Looked after children or children who were previously looked after

A “Looked After Child” means any child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with Section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989. A child who was “previously a Looked After Child” means a child who after being Looked After became subject to an Adoption Order under the Adoption Act 1976 or under Section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, a Residence Order or Child Arrangement Order under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 or Special Guardianship Order under Section 14A of the Children Act 1989. Applicants can be asked to provide additional evidence in order to verify the previously looked after status of a child. It is at the discretion of the Admissions Authority what evidence is required. The final decision will be made by the Admissions Authority. If any information supplied by an applicant is judged by the Admissions Authority to be fraudulent or intentionally misleading, the Admissions Authority may refuse to offer a place, or if already offered, may withdraw the offer.

 

A child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society. Applicants can be asked to provide additional evidence in order to verify the previously looked after status of a child. It is at the discretion of the Admissions Authority what evidence is required. The final decision will be made by the Admissions Authority. If any information supplied by an applicant is judged by the Admissions Authority to be fraudulent or intentionally misleading, the Admissions Authority may refuse to offer a place, or if already offered, may withdraw the offer.

 

Tie-breaker

If The School is oversubscribed from within any of the above criteria or sub-criteria, straight line distance will be used to prioritise applications using the Synergy system (currently used by the Local Authority) to calculate distance; applicants living nearer The School have priority.

If distances are equal (for example within a block of flats) lots will be drawn by a person independent of The Governing Body to determine the allocation of a place.

 

Parents

Parents include all those people who have a parental responsibility for a child as set out in the Children Act 1989.

 

Home Address

 The home address where a child lives is considered to be a residential property that is the child’s main or only address during term time. Applicants can be asked to provide additional evidence in order to verify addresses and/or other details provided. It is at the discretion of the Admissions Authority what evidence is required (evidence may include, but is not limited to, Child Benefit, GP registration, evidence of home ownership/tenancy etc.). The final decision on the home address of a child will be made by the Admissions Authority. If any information supplied by an applicant is judged by the Admissions Authority to be fraudulent or intentionally misleading, the Admissions Authority may refuse to offer a place, or if already offered, may withdraw the offer.

 

Applications from separated Parents/Carers

Only one application can be considered for each child. Where parents/carers are separated it is essential that agreement is reached by both parties concerning the nominated preferred schools. Where a child spends part of their week with one parent and part with the other, only one address can be used. This must be the address at which the child spends most of their time during term time. Applicants can be asked to provide additional evidence in order to verify addresses and/or other details provided. It is at the discretion of the Admissions Authority what evidence is required (evidence may include, but is not limited to, Child Benefit, GP registration, evidence of home ownership/tenancy etc.). The final decision on the home address of a child will be made by the Admissions Authority. If any information supplied by an applicant is judged by the Admissions Authority to be fraudulent or intentionally misleading, the Admissions Authority may refuse to offer a place, or if already offered, may withdraw the offer.

 

Multiple births

Where a twin or child from a multiple birth is admitted to a school under this policy then any further twin or child of the same multiple birth will be admitted, if the parents so wish, even though this may raise the number in the year group above The School’s PAN.

 

Moving home & UK service personnel & crown servants

Places may only be offered on the basis of future moves subject to one of the following:

• a letter from the solicitor (or equivalent) confirming exchange of contracts to buy a property relevant to the application;
• a tenancy agreement confirming the renting of a specific property relevant to the application;
• a letter from a housing association confirming that the parent(s) will be living at a specific address relevant to the application; or
• in the case of UK service personnel and Crown servants, an official government letter (MOD, FCO or GCHQ) declaring a relocation date to the catchment area of The School (or to establish distance from The School).

To qualify for consideration, all evidence must be submitted at the time of application.

 

Warnings

Places may be withdrawn if parents give a false ‘home address’ on application forms.

In fairness to all parents, all allegations of fraudulent practice brought to The Governing Body’s attention will be investigated. The Governing Body reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place if fraudulent or intentionally misleading information has been used on an application. The Governing Body may request proof of residency to prevent fraudulent practice.

 

Admission appeals

If we do not offer a child a place at this school, it is because to do so would prejudice the education of other children by allowing the numbers of children to be above the number stipulated in the PAN.

 

If parents wish to appeal against a decision to refuse entry, they can do so by applying to the School.    An independent appeals panel then meets to consider all appeals by parents who have been refused a place at our school and who wish to appeal against this decision.  An appeals panel’s decision is binding for all parties concerned.  If the appeals panel decides that we should admit a child to our school, then we will accept this and continue to do all we can to provide the best education for all the children at our school, (details of appeal arrangements are set out in the Code of Practice on School Admissions Appeals Code, February 2012).

 

Waiting List

When all available places have been allocated, The School will operate a waiting list for at least the first term of the academic year of admission. Parents should confirm with the school that their child’s name is included on the list or if they want their child’s name removed from the waiting list.

Any places that become available will be allocated by The Governing Body according to the criteria of the admissions policy with no account being taken of the length of time on the waiting list or any priority order expressed as part of the main admission round.  Those children allocated a place within the In-Year Fair Access Protocol will take precedence over other children on the waiting list.

The waiting list will be reviewed and revised

• each time a child is added to, or removed from, the waiting list;
• when a child’s changed circumstances will affect their priority;
• at the end of each school year, parents wishing to remain on the waiting list must reapply, in writing, to the school

 

In-Year Fair Access placements by the Local Authority

The Local Authority must ensure that all pupils are placed in schools as quickly as possible.  It may therefore sometimes be necessary for a pupil to be placed by the Local Authority, or a local placement panel acting on behalf of the authority, in a particular school even if there is a waiting list for admission.  Such placements will be made in accordance with the provisions of the protocol and based on legislation and government guidance.  If an admission through In-Year Fair Access raises the number on roll above the PAN, no further pupil will be admitted from the waiting list until a place becomes available within the PAN.

 

Offering places

The Governing Body will consider first all those applications received by the published deadline of midnight on 15 January 2022. Notifications to parents offering a place will be sent by the Local Authority on 15 April 2022.

Applications made after midnight on 15 January 2022 will be considered after all on-time applications have been fully processed unless exceptional circumstances merit consideration alongside on-time applications.

 

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually.

 

DELAYED and SUMMER BORN ADMISSION TO RECEPTION YEAR GROUP

 

Introduction

This policy sets out the process and criteria for considering requests for delayed admission to the Reception Year Group to the following academic year and applies to summer born children only.  Summer born is defined as any child born between 1 April and 31 August.

 

Background

Paragraph 2.16 of the School Admissions Code (the code) requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday, but children do not reach compulsory school age until after their fifth birthday.  There is flexibility for parents who do not feel their child is ready to start school before compulsory school age.  They may defer the date their child is admitted to school until later in the school year following their fourth birthday, provided they do not defer beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age, or beyond the start of the final term of that school year. 

Parents can choose to have their child attend school part time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.

 

Paragraph 2.17 of the code states that parents of a summer born child may choose not to send their 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.  This policy aims to make clear our process for requesting admission out of the normal age group.

 

The school recognises that whilst most parents are happy for their child to start school in the September following their fourth birthday, some parents will have concerns about whether their child will be ready for school at this point, and will consider delaying entry until compulsory school age.  The School’s Admission policy and this policy help parents to understand what options are available to them and to provide them with the necessary information to make an informed decision.

 

Paragraph 2.17 also allows for parent to seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health.  Such requests will be dealt with on an individual basis.

 

Decision Making Process

As the Admissions Authority, the school will make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case and always in the best interest of the child concerned as stipulated in 2.17A of the code.  This will include taking account of parents’ 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 have naturally fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely.  The views of the Head Teacher of the school will also be taken into account.

 

Where the School agrees to a parental request for their child to be admitted out of their normal age group the application will be processed in exactly the same way as all other applications using the criteria stipulated in the School’s Admissions Policy to determine whether or not to offer a place. Neither favour nor bias will be shown to an application out of the normal year group.

 

Appeal

Parents have a statutory right to appeal against the refusal of a place at a school for which they have applied.  However, this right does not apply if they are offered a place at the school but it is not in their preferred age group.

 

Process

Process for consideration of parental requests for summer born children to be admitted to reception a year later than their chronological age group.

 

Parents should make a written request if they wish the School to consider a delayed admission for their child to the Reception age group.

 

Parents should discuss this with the Head Teacher or member of the Senior Leadership Team who will be able to provide them with additional information that will help them to make an informed decision.

 

The School will notify the parent in writing within 15 working days of the date on which the Admissions Panel will next meet to consider their request.

 

Parents may be asked to provide the School with additional information, including from other agencies, so that, as the Admissions Authority, it can make an informed decision taken in the best interest of the child.  The School will allow at least 15 working days for the submission of additional documentation.

 

The School will notify the parents within 5 working days of the Admissions Panel meeting of its decision.

 

What to do after the Admissions Panel has reached a decision

If the Admissions Panel does not agree to the parents’ request for delayed entry into the Reception year group, the parents will have the right to proceed with an admissions application as normal and consider choosing one of the options for delayed entry within the normal age group as outlined in the School’s Admissions policy.

 

If the Admissions Panel agrees to the parents’ request for delayed entry into the Reception year group, any offer of a place will be withdrawn if it has already been made or the parents will withdraw their application for a place if the decision has been reached prior to an offer being made.  The parents must then reapply the following year in the normal way.  Their application the following year will be treated without bias or favour and the same criteria will be applied as to all applications.

 

Roads within the catchment area for St Michael’s Church of England Primary School