Consideration of the relevant area
Every two years, the Authority must review its determination of the ‘relevant area’ for the purposes of admissions consultation. This requires consultation with all schools in Rotherham, together with all primary schools lying within 1 mile of any border and all secondary schools lying within 3 miles. Since the inception of this requirement the determined area has been the whole of the Rotherham borough. There have been no previous objections to this and no change to the ‘relevant area’ is proposed for consultation on admissions in 2024/25.
The admission criteria for LA maintained community and controlled schools for 2023/24 is shown below. (There are no proposed changes for 2024/25).
Governing Bodies/Academy Trusts should note that the below criteria in accordance with the Admissions Code 2021 will be adopted by all maintained schools as their admissions criteria.
Schools/Academies which are their own admissions authority are advised that they may wish to continue to adopt the policy in full set by the LA as their admissions policy for 2024/25. However, this must be personalised as the admissions policy for that particular own admission authority school and must follow the consultation and publication process as detailed above in accordance with the Admissions Code 2021.
It should be noted that for a number of years the DfE has given priority to looked after children and previously looked after children which also includes those children who appear (to the admissions authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in care as a result of being adopted. This is shown in the following admissions criteria (see also note 3 below for full definition).