Admissions Criteria
WESTLEIGH ST PAUL’S ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 26/27
At St Paul’s we will provide a nurturing and inspiring environment where everyone is empowered to reach their fullest potential. Guided by faith and grounded in the belief that ‘With God all things are possible,’ we strive to cultivate a love of learning, resilience in the face of challenges and a deep sense of purpose. We nurture everyone’s unique gifts, encourage their curiosity and build character that reflects God’s love, so that everyone can grow into compassionate, respectful, capable and confident individuals.
Admissions to a Voluntary Aided school are the responsibility of the Governors, in agreement with the Diocesan Board of Education and the Local Authority.
The Governors of Westleigh St Paul’s Primary School and the Local Authority undertake that 30 children may be admitted to the Reception class. If no more than 30 applications are received, all the applicants will be offered places.
The Governors will admit all children having an Educational Health and Care Plan in which the school is named.
In the event of oversubscription places will be allocated by use of the following criteria, which will be applied in the order of priority.
THE SCHOOL HAS AN ADMISSION NUMBER OF 30
CRITERIA IN ORDER OF PRIORITY
- Looked after children and previously looked after children* [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. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order)]. This criteria also includes looked after children and all previously looked after 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.
- Children with sisters or brothers in school on the date that the list of children (who have named us on their admissions application) is ranked; (to include full brothers and sisters, half-brothers & sisters, stepbrothers & sisters and foster brothers/sisters who live at the same address as part of the same family unit).
- Children who, with their appropriate adult are regular worshippers at a Church of England church. (a regular worshipper is deemed as one who attends Sunday worship on at least 12 occasions during the 12-month period prior to the closing date for applications – January - January). Written verification by a member of the clergy or designated church officer.
- Regular attendance at other Christian Churches are members of “Churches together in England.” Or regular attendance at other places of worship. a list of Churches in membership of Churches Together in England can be viewed at www,cte.org.uk/MemberChurches
- Proximity to school premises measured in a straight line distance as measured by the LA from the child’s home address to the rear entrance point.
TIE BREAKER
Where there are more applicants in one category than there are places left to offer, the governing body will offer places to those pupils who live nearest to the school. The distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the rear entrance point at school.
In cases where there are two or more children with the same distance measurement (for example if more than one child lives in a block of flats), where to admit another child would breach the infant class size regulations, the governing body will apply the admissions criteria as to who will be offered a place. This process will be supervised by someone independent of the school.
In cases where there are two or more children with the same measurement (for example if more than one child lives in a block of flats), or where to admit another child would breach the infant class size regulations, a fair draw will pick who will be offered a place. This process will be supervised by someone independent of the school.
If we offer the last place available to one of twins (or triplets and so on) our policy is to admit the other twin or triplet too.
School admission appeals timetable (wigan.gov.uk)
Waiting Lists
Places may become available at a school after the offer date. To decide which children have these places, we will:
- put all children who we refused a place at one of their preferences on the waiting list for the school;
- keep the list in priority order, decided by the oversubscription criteria for the school only;
- offer places that become available to the next child on the waiting list; and
- keep the waiting list until the end of the autumn term.
Important information about the waiting list: We cannot take into account the length of time a child’s name has been on the waiting list, only the admission criteria for the school. This means that your child’s position on the list may change if another parent asks to be put on the list and their child has higher priority in the admission criteria.
Residence
When considering your child’s application, we will use the permanent home address we have for you at the closing date for applications. If parents are separated and the child spends time at each parents’ address, the address which will be used for admission to schools is the address where the child sleeps the majority of the school nights (Sunday to Thursday) during the week in term time. Where there is dispute or equal nights are slept, parent will be asked to provide proof of the address registered with the child’s GP. We may ask to see additional forms of evidence of your home address (photocopies are acceptable). This may include:
Þ proof of where you are registered for council tax
Þ your television licence
Þ wage/ salary slip
Þ proof of your child tax credits
Any evidence you provide must show that the parent or main carer lives at this address. We may seek evidence by other means if the parent/carer is unable to provide sufficient proof of their residence.
Brothers and Sisters
‘Brother’ or ‘sister’ includes half-brothers & half-sisters, stepbrothers & stepsisters and foster brothers & foster sisters who live at the same address as part of the same family.
Deferred Entry
Where parents wish, they can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in that school year. Where entry is deferred, the place will be held open and not offered to another child. Parents cannot defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted.
Part-time Attendance
Where parents wish, their child can attend part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age.
Admission of children outside their normal age group
-
Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group, for example, to a higher year group if the child is gifted and talented or to a lower year group if the child has experienced problems such as ill health. The parents of a summer born child (born 1st April and 30th August) may choose not to send their child to school until the September following their 5th birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group – to reception rather than year 1. A decision is made on the basis of the circumstances of each case.
The process is as follows: -
Stage 1 - request
Parents make a formal request to the Local Authority School Organisation Team in writing with any supporting evidence that they wish to be considered.
- A request for delayed entry to reception class should be made at the same time as applying for a place for normal entry (i.e. by the closing date of 15th January) in order to give sufficient time for the case to be considered prior to the offer of school places on 16th April.
- A request for in year admission outside of the normal age group should be made on the normal in year transfer form. We do not accept requests for early entry into reception class for children who will not be of statutory school age.
Stage 2 - decision
Requests for voluntary-aided schools will be referred to the school to be considered. Requests for community and voluntary controlled schools will be considered by the Local Authority.
We will look at the following factors but these are not exhaustive:
Parent’s views.
- The needs of the child and the possible impact on them of being educated out of year group.
- The child’s medical history and views of medical professionals if appropriate. In the case of children born prematurely the fact that they may have naturally fallen into the lower age group if they had been born on their expected birth date.
- Whether delayed academic, social, emotional or physical development is adversely affecting their readiness for school
- Any other information which the parent requests the Local Authority to consider
Stage 3 - outcome
Parents are notified of the decision in writing by the School Organisation Team.
Request Agreed: If the request is agreed the application will be considered for the year group requested and ranked alongside any other applications. There is no guarantee that a place will be offered at the preferred school. Parents have a statutory right to appeal against the refusal of a place at a school for which they have applied. The right does not apply if they are offered a place at the school but not in the preferred year group. Where a child has been educated out of their normal age group, the parent may again request admission out of the normal age group when they transfer to secondary school. It will be for the admission authority of that school to decide whether to admit the child out of their normal age group.
Request Refused: There is no statutory right of appeal against the refusal of a request for admission outside the normal age group. However, if the parents are dissatisfied, they have the right to complain through the council’s complaints procedure for decisions made by the local authority or under the schools complains procedure where the decision has been made by the school.
Late Applications
Late applications (those received after the closing date) will only be considered after those received by the closing date. The only exception to this is applications for looked after children that are received by 15 February will be included with on time applications.
Waiting lists
Where we have more applications than places, the admissions criteria will be used.
Places may become available at the school after the offer date. To decide which children have these places, we will:
- put all children who we refused a place at one of their preferences on the waiting list for the school;
- keep the list in priority order, decided by the oversubscription criteria for the school only;
- offer places that become available to the next child on the waiting list; and
- keep the waiting list until 31 December at the end of the autumn term.
Important information about the waiting list
We cannot take into account the length of time a child’s name has been on the waiting list, only the admission criteria for the school. This means that your child’s position on the list may change if another parent asks to be put on the list and their child has higher priority in the admission criteria.
Right of Appeal:
Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 , parents have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel if the school governing body refuse a place at this school. Information about this is also provided by the LEA. Under the School Admission Code 2021, parents have the right to refer a school’s admission policy to the School’s Adjudicator if it fails to conform to the provisions of the Code.