Admissions

The Academy will consider all applications for places without reference to the order in which the school is expressed as a preference. Where the Academy receives fewer applications/preferences than the admission number it will offer places to all those applicants. Where more applications are received than the admission number the Academy will use the criteria below to rank applications.

Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be offered places first. The following criteria will then apply:

Criteria

1. Children in Public Care (Looked After Children) including adopted children who were previously in care and children who leave care under a special guardianship or child arrangements order and all previously looked after children, including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted . Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted17 (or became subject to a child arrangements order18 or special guardianship order19). All references to previously looked after children in this Code mean such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. Children for whom there is a child protection plan or has been within a 12-month period. A Child Protection Plan is one which is made under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989.
3. Children who have older siblings in Years 7 to 11 of the preferred school at the date of application and the date of admission. Siblings can include full. step, half, foster and adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address.
4. Children who suffer from a medical condition or disability which makes it better to them to attend the school rather than another. Places will only be offered under this criterion if the child has a certified medical condition with strong professional supporting evidence confirming that existing exceptional problems with the child’s health would be seriously exacerbated if a place was not made at the preferred school. Medical evidence must be provided at the time of application. Parents applying under the criteria must provide a letter from the child’s GP/Consultant setting out the reasons why the school is the most suitable school and details of the child’s medical condition. Medical evidence must be submitted by 31st October 2023. Evidence received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
5. Proximity (where you live). Children who live nearest the school (geographical proximity). Under this category, the remaining places will be offered to children who live nearest the preferred school. The distance will be measured in a straight line using Routefinder, a computerised mapping system which measures from the home address point to the designated main entrance to the school. In the event of a tie-break within a block of flats those living furthest from the communal entrance will be given priority. Where a single place remains at the school and the application being considered is for twins, etc. the school will allocate above the admission number to accommodate each child.

The Academy will consider all applications for places without reference to the order in which the school is expressed as a preference. Where the Academy receives fewer applications/preferences than the admission number it will offer places to all those applicants. Where more applications are received than the admission number the Academy will use the criteria below to rank applications.

Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be offered places first. The following criteria will then apply:

Criteria

1. Children in Public Care (Looked After Children) including adopted children who were previously in care and children who leave care under a special guardianship or child arrangements order. A ‘Looked after Child’ is a child 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 (see definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school.
2. Children for whom there is a child protection plan or has been within a 12-month period. A Child Protection Plan is one which is made under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989.
3. Children who have older siblings in Years 7 to 11 of the preferred school at the date of application and the date of admission. Siblings can include full. step, half, foster and adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address.
4. Children who suffer from a medical condition or disability which makes it better to them to attend the school rather than another. Places will only be offered under this criterion if the child has a certified medical condition with strong professional supporting evidence confirming that existing exceptional problems with the child’s health would be seriously exacerbated if a place was not made at the preferred school. Medical evidence must be provided at the time of application. Parents applying under the criteria must provide a letter from the child’s GP/Consultant setting out the reasons why the school is the most suitable school and details of the child’s medical condition. Medical evidence must be submitted by 31st October 2022. Evidence received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
5. Proximity (where you live). Children who live nearest the school (geographical proximity). Under this category, the remaining places will be offered to children who live nearest the preferred school. The distance will be measured in a straight line using Routefinder, a computerised mapping system which measures from the home address point to the designated main entrance to the school. In the event of a tie-break within a block of flats those living furthest from the communal entrance will be given priority. Where a single place remains at the school and the application being considered is for twins, etc. the school will allocate above the admission number to accommodate each child.

The school follows the LA appeals procedure which is in line with the school’s admissions appeals code. This is also included in the document below.

Usually, your child will be offered a place at a preferred school, but if you are not offered a place in one of your preferred schools or you are unhappy with the school place allocated for whatever reason, you have the right to appeal to an independent panel. Bolton Council’s Democratic Services unit will set up appeals on behalf of all the schools in Bolton.

Before deciding whether to appeal, it may be helpful to visit the school you have been offered a place at. You may decide that you are happy with the alternative offered and have no need to use the appeal procedure. The offer you receive from Bolton Council will also provide information about your right to appeal. You must make sure your appeal is submitted within the deadline given. If you want to appeal for more than one school, you must complete a separate appeal form for each school you are appealing for.

Appeals are usually held in May/June/July. You will be given approximately two weeks’ notice of the date, time and place of the appeal. You are advised to attend the appeal hearing, where you will be given the opportunity to put your particular case forward and ask questions.

The result of your appeal will depend on the strength of your case. In most admission appeals the panel goes through two stages:

Stage 1

The panel hears the case put by the Admission Authority explaining how places have been allocated and why it could not offer a place at your preferred school. The panel must consider if the admission arrangements comply with the School Admissions Code, whether the admission arrangements were correctly applied and if the admission of additional children into the school would prejudice the provision of efficient education or efficient use of resources.

Stage 2

If the panel does decide there was good reason for turning down your application and the admission of additional children would prejudice the provision of efficient education or use of resources, they begin the second stage of the appeal. The panel hears your case, and you give your reasons for appealing against the decision. You can mention all the reasons why the school is best for your child, and what special factors justify your child being offered a place in the school. The panel then makes a ‘balancing judgement’ to decide whether the benefits for your child going to this school instead of the one they have been offered, outweigh the problems caused to the school in having one extra pupil. If the panel decide that your case is stronger, it will uphold your appeal and the Admission Authority is then under a duty to admit your child to the school.

If the appeal succeeds, the Admission Authority must offer your child a place at the school. If your appeal does not succeed, your child will be kept on the waiting list for your preferred school. There is no set number of appeals that are allowed. The panel may allow some, all or none at all. Unless there are significant and material changes in circumstances relevant to a further appeal the policy is not to consider repeat appeals for the same school. If you are unsuccessful with your appeal, you may appeal for other schools in the same way stated above providing they were listed as one of your preference schools. You cannot appeal for a place in a school unless you have been refused a place.