Community school admissions criteria
When there are more applicants than there are places available, places will be allocated in the following order.
- Children in public care and other children who are deemed by the Council’s Fair Access Panel to have a particular need that justifies priority;
- Children who have an exceptional medical or social, need requiring attendance at a particular school that specifies the school as the placement school. When you apply, these needs must be supported by reports or letters from suitable professionals such as GPs, consultants or social workers. If you don’t provide this information when you apply, you may affect whether or not your child is allocated a place at the preferred schools. All information submitted will be regarded as confidential. In-borough children who, when the waiting lists are in operation, have not been offered a school place may, at the local authority’s discretion, be prioritised under this criterion if it appears unlikely that they would subsequently be offered a school place from the waiting lists;
- Children who have siblings (by which is meant full, step-, half- and adopted siblings living in the same household) at the school, or at a linked junior school, at the point of admission;
- Children transferring to a junior school from a linked infant school, if applicable; and
- Children living closest to the preferred school, measured by the shortest route by road or maintained footpath, accompanied as necessary, from the ‘seed-point’ of their home to the nearest pedestrian school gate used by the relevant yeargroup.
- Accessibility of private or public transport will not be considered. All distances will be measured using a computerised geographical information system.
Notes:
- Criterion 5 will be used as a ‘tie-breaker’ should any of the first four criteria be oversubscribed.
- Any offer of a place on the grounds of proximity is conditional on the child living at the address provided on the closing date for application. A business address, a childminder’s address, or any address other than the child’s home will not be accepted. Proof of address will be sought and may be the subject of further investigation.
- Children with a statement of special educational need that specifies the school as the placement school will be allocated a place through a separate procedure, in accordance with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
- These criteria apply to all applicants, regardless of the borough they live in.
- The Council reserves the right to check the information parents have given on the application form and to withdraw the place if false information had been given or important information has been deliberately withheld.
Trafalgar Infant School
Please note that distance measurements for this school will be measured to the Elmsleigh Road site.
Casual admissions
From September 2010 onwards: If you are new to the borough and want to apply for a place for your child in Years 1 to 6 (or Reception once that year has already started), you should contact the Admissions Section to obtain an application form and find out which schools have vacancies. If you live outside the borough, you should contact your home council to obtain their application form and they will liaise with our Admissions Section on your behalf.
Class Size Legislation
Class size legislation ensures that no 4, 5, 6 or 7 year olds in an infant class at a maintained school can be taught in a class of more than 30 pupils (other than very exceptiopnal circumstances).