School Admissions Policies 2024-2025

School Admissions Code 2021

The purpose of the Code is to ensure that all school places for maintained schools and Academies (excluding maintained special schools and special academies are allocated and offered in an open and fair way. The Code has the force of law, and where the words 'must or must not' are used, these represent a mandatory requirement. Admission authorities and local authorities must also comply with the regulations and legislation set out in the Appendix to the Code.

In drawing up their admission arrangements, admission authorities must ensure that the practices and the criteria used to decide the allocation of school places are fair, clear, and objective. Parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated.

How Admissions Works

In summary, the process operates as follows ;

All schools must have admission arrangements that clearly set out how children will be admitted, including the criteria that will be applied if there are more applications than places at the school. Admissions arrangements are determined by admission authorities.

Admission authorities must set 'determine' admission arrangements annually. Where changes are proposed to admission arrangements, the admission authority must first publicly consult on those arrangements. If no changes are made to the admission arrangements, they must be consulted on at least once every 7 years.

Consultation must be for a minimum of 6 weeks and must take place between 1st October and 31st January of the school year before those arrangements are to apply (the determination year). For example: for arrangements which are to apply for entry in September 2024, consultation must be completed by 31st January 2023. This consultation period allows parents, other schools, religious authorities, and the local community to raise any concerns about the proposed admission arrangements.

Once all arrangements have been determined, arrangements can be objected to and referred to the Schools Adjudicator. Objections to admissions arrangements must be referred to the Adjudicator by 15th May in the school year before those arrangements are to apply (the determination year). For example, for arrangements which are to apply for entry in September 2024, objections must be referred to the Adjudicator by 15th May 2023.

Any decision of the Adjudicator must be acted on by the admission authority and admission arrangements amended accordingly. The Local Authority will collate and publish all the admission arrangements in the area in a single composite prospectus.

In the normal admissions round parents apply to the Local Authority in which they live for places at their preferred schools. Parents are able to express a preference for at least three schools. The application can include schools outside the Local Authority where the child lives. A parent can apply for a place for their child at any state-funded school in any area. If a school is undersubscribed, any parent that applies must be offered a place. When oversubscribed, a school's admission authority must rank applications in order against its published oversubscription criteria and send that list back to the Local Authority. 

Primary Applications: All preferences are collated and parents then receive an offer from the Local Authority at the highest preference school at which a place is available. The offer is made on
National Offer Day – this is 16th April for Primary schools (or the next working day where 16th April fallson a weekend or bank holiday), in the year in which the child will be admitted. The National Offer
Day for admission in 2024/25 will be 17th April 2024.

Secondary Applications: All preferences are collated and parents then receive an offer from the Local Authority at the highest preference school at which a place is available. The offer is made on
National Offer Day – this is 1 March for secondary schools (or the next working day where 1 March falls on a weekend or bank holiday), in the year in which the child will be admitted.

Parents, and in some circumstances children, have the right of appeal against an admission authoritiy's decision to refuse admission. The admission authority must set out the reasons for the decision, that there is a right to appeal and the process for hearing such appeals. The admission authority must esablish an independant appeals panel to hear the appeal. The panel will decide whether to uphold or dismis the appeal . Where a panel upholds the appeal, the school is required to admit the child.

Further information is available on the Local Authority website: Apply for a school place

Email schoolappeals@rotherham.gov.uk

Determining admissions arrangements

Admissions authorities are responsible for admissions and must act in accordance with the Code, the School Admission Appeals Code, other laws relating to admissions, and relevant human rights and equalities legislation.

Published Admissions Number(PAN)

As part of determining their admission arrangements, all admission authorities must set an admission number for each ‘relevant age group’. (Relevant age group is the first year of entry – Reception year in a primary school/Year 7 in a secondary school).

Own admission authorities are not required to consult on their PAN where they propose either to increase or keep the same PAN. For community or voluntary controlled school, the Local Authority (as admission authority) must consult at least the governing body of the school where it proposes either to increase or keep the same PAN. All admission authorities must consult where they propose a decrease to the PAN.

Community and voluntary controlled schools have the right to object to the Schools Adjudicator if the PAN set for them is lower than they would wish. There is a strong presumption in favour of an increase to the PAN to which the Schools Adjudicator must have regard when considering any such objection.

Admission authorities must notify their Local Authority of their intention to increase the school's PAN and reference to the change should be made on the school's website. If, at any time following determination of the PAN, an admission authority decides that it is able to admit above its PAN, it must notify the Local Authority in good time to allow the Local Authority to deliver its co-ordination responsibilities effectively.

Admission authorities may also admit above their PAN through in-year admissions. The PAN only applies to the relevant age group. This means that admission authorities may not refuse admission to other age groups on the grounds that they have already reached their PAN. They may, however, refuse admission where the admission of another child would prejudice the provision of efficient education or efficient use of resources.

Oversubscription Criteria

The admission authority for the school must set out in their arrangements the criteria against which places will be allocated at the school when there are more applications than places and the order in which the criteria will be applied. All children whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school must be admitted. If the school is not oversubscribed, all applicants must be offered a place (with the exception of designated grammar schools - see paragraph 2.8 of the Code).

All schools must have oversubscription criteria for each ‘relevant age group’ and the highest priority must be given, unless otherwise provided in the Code, to looked after children 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 adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order). All references to previously looked after children in the 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. Oversubscription criteria must then be applied to all other applicants in the order set out in the arrangements.

Oversubscription criteria must be reasonable, clear, objective, procedurally fair, and comply with all relevant legislation, including equalities legislation. Admission authorities must ensure that their arrangements will not disadvantage unfairly, either directly or indirectly, a child from a particular social or racial group, or a child with a disability or special educational needs, and that other policies around school uniform or school trips do not discourage parents from applying for a place for their child. Admission arrangements must include an effective, clear, and fair tie-breaker to decide between two applications that cannot otherwise be separated.

The Trust Board of an Academy Trust is the Admissions Authority for the schools within their Trust. Places will be allocated using the admissions criteria given below and will be co-ordinated by the Local Authority. Places will be offered by Rotherham Local Authority on behalf of the Governing Body / Trustees.

Information on primary admissions

The Local Authority Admission to Primary School 2024 booklet contains information on all Rotherham schools and is a guide for parents/carers to the admissions process.

Parents/carers are strongly advised to read the booklet and familiarise themselves with the process and the admission criteria given below prior to submitting their application. The Admission to Primary School 2024 booklet will be available to view online by 31st August 2022:

https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/education-learning/starting-primary-school

A hard copy of the booklet can be posted to parents/carers on request by telephoning the Local Authority Admissions Team on 01709 823777 or email: admissions.enquiries@rotherham.gov.uk

Primary Academies-Closing date for receipt of application

For admission to primary school in 2024, the Government has deemed that the National Closing Date for receipt of applications will be 15 January 2024.

Parents/carers must submit their primary school application by this date to be considered in the first round of offers made on the National Offer Day.

Secondary Acadamies - Closing date for receipt of application

For Admission to Secondary School in 2024, the Government has deemed that the National Closing Date for receipt of applications will be 31st October 2023. Parents/carers should submit their secondary school application by 31 October 2023.

How to apply for a primary school place

Parents of children resident in Rotherham must apply via Rotherham Authority.

However for, looked after child, the application must be submitted by the social worker via the Local Authority responsible for the child’s care rather than the foster carer. Rotherham Authority operates an online admissions service to enable parents to submit an application for their preferred school(s) via the Authority’s website where you will find a link to the school admissions online service (Capita Citizen Portal). Parents who are unable to apply online or would simply prefer to complete a paper application form can contact the Admissions Team to request a paper copy.

How to apply for a secondary school place

Parents of children resident in Rotherham MUST apply via Rotherham Authority. However, for Looked After Child, the application must be submitted by the social worker via the Local Authority responsible for the child’s care rather than the foster carer. Rotherham Authority operates an online admissions service to enable parents to submit an application for their preferred school(s) via the Authority’s website. Parents who are unable to apply online or would simply prefer to complete a paper application form can contact the Local Authority Admissions Team to request a paper copy.

Published Admissions Number (PAN)

Primary Acadamies - The published admissions number for entry to reception

Secondary Academies - The published Admissins number for Entry to Year 7

Where the Published Admission Number for the school is likely to be reached mid category, places will be prioritised within that category by reference to the distance between the home address and the school. Highest priority will be given to those who, on the date specified below, live closest to the school measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane (commonly known as measurement, “as the crow flies”). Distance measurements are calculated (by the Local Authority Admissions Team) using a Geographical Information System which applies seed points as determined by Ordnance Survey. Measurements are taken from the seed point of the ordinary place of residence to the seed point of the school. Where the school has more than one seed point, the seed point closest to the geographical centre of the school site is used.

National Cloising days for applications are;

Primary Academies -15 January 2024

Secondary Academies - 31 October 2023

Where places are being allocated based on the distance criteria or as part of the distance tie breaker, and there are insufficient places within the admission number for two (or more) children living in the same building (e.g., flats) or otherwise equidistant from the school, then any final place will be allocated by the simple drawing of lots by a representative of the Local Authority independent of the School Admissions Team.

Where applications are received for twins, triplets, siblings born in the same academic year etc these will be treated equally as there is nothing within the admission criteria to distinguish between them.

Places will be allocated in accordance with the LA’s co-ordinated admissions schemes for Primary and Secondary schools. In assessing preferences, the LA will operate an ‘equal preference’ system, which means that no priority will be given according to the ranking of the preference, except where a potential offer can be made in respect of more than one school. In that situation, the final offer of a place will be made at the highest preferred school as named on the application form of the potential offer schools.

Children issued with an Education and Health Care Plan will gain a place at the school named in the plan as part of that process.

Information on the catchment area for the school can be obtained by contacting the School Organisation Team on (01709) 254831 or on the Local Authority website at: Reviewed: November 2022 8 Rotherham School Catchment Areas: Finding and choosing a school – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 

Admissions Criteria

1. Children with Special Educational Needs: A small number of children will have an Education Health Care Plan that names this school and these children must be admitted to the school if named as part of that process. The majority of children with special educational needs will not require an Education Health Care Plan. Applications for children who have special educational needs but no Education Health Care Plan, will be considered on the basis of the Admission Authority’s published admissions criteria.
2. For all other applications places will be allocated in the following order of priority:

1. Relevant Looked After Children and previously looked after children (see note (a) below).
2. Children who, on 15th January 2024 (Primary Academies) or 30th November 2023 (Secondary Academies), have a specific medical reason, confirmed by a medical practitioner, which the Admission and Local Authority are satisfied makes attendance at this school essential. Parents should ensure that they provide full supporting information to be considered along with their application.
3. Children who, on 15th January 2024 (primary academies) or 30th November 2023 (secondary academies), have a compelling social reason which the Admission and Local Authority are satisfied makes attendance at this school essential. The kind of overriding social reasons which could be accepted are where there is evidence that the child’s education would be seriously impaired if he or she did not attend the preferred school. Parents should ensure that they provide full supporting information to be considered along with their application. Please note: Very few cases are agreed annually on exceptional medical or social grounds
4. Children who, on 15th January 2024 (primary academies) or 30th November 2023 (secondary academies), live in the catchment area of this school as defined by the Local Authority and it is expected will have an older brother or sister on the roll of this school in Years 1-6 (Primary) or Year 8 - 11 (Secondary) at the start of the academic year 2024 (see notes (b), (c) and (d) below)
5. Secondary Only: Children who, on 30th November 2023, are on the roll of one of our associated primary/ junior/ junior and infant catchment area schools as identified by the Authority.(see note (f) below)

6. Children who, on 15th January 2024 (primary academies) or 30th November 2023 (secondary academies), live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Local Authority (see note (b) below)

7. Children who, on 15th January 2024 (primary academies) or 30th November 2023 (secondary academies), it is expected will have an older brother or sister on the roll of the preferred school in Years 1-6 (primary) or Years 8-11 (secondary) at the start of the academic year 2024 (see note (c) and (d) below)
8. Children who, on 15th January 2023 (primary academies) or 30th November 2023 (secondary academies), live nearest to the school measured by a straight line on a horizontal plane, (commonly known as measurement “as the crow flies”).

Notes

1. A ‘relevant looked after child’ is a child that is looked after by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time an application for admission to a school is made, and who the Local Authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the time when he/she is admitted to the school. 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 arrangement order or special guardianship order). All references to previously looked after children in the 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. Places will be allocated based on your residential address on 15th January 2024 (primary academies) or 30th November 2023 (secondary academies). Therefore, you must notify the Local Authority Admissions Team in writing if you change address before this date. You may be asked to provide proof of residence (e.g., utility/Council Tax bill). Documentary evidence of ownership or rental agreement may be required together with proof of actual permanent residency at the property concerned. The Admissions and Local Authority reserves the right to request an affidavit where there is uncertainty regarding a child’s ordinary place of residence.
3. For a child to be considered a sibling, one of the following conditions must exist: (you may be asked to provide proof e.g., Birth Certificate and proof of residence)
   • brother/sister to be permanently resident at the same address.
   • stepbrother/stepsister to be permanently resident at the same address.
   • half-brother/half-sister to be permanently resident at the same address.
   • brother/sister who do not live at the same residence but, who share the same parents.
   • child of the parent/carer’s partner to be permanently resident at the same address.
   • adopted brother/sister permanently resident at the same address
   • foster brother/sister resident at the same address
4. Secondary Only - Children with an older brother or sister on the roll of a school which has a sixth form will be considered as having a sibling at the preferred school if the older child is in Y11 or Y12 on 30th November 2023.
5. Children of UK service personnel (UK Armed Forces) – For families of service personnel with a confirmed posting to their area, or crown servants returning from overseas to live in that area, admission authorities must allocate a place in advance of the family arriving in the area provided the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares a relocation date and a Unit postal address or quartering area address when considering the application against their oversubscription criteria. This must include accepting a Unit postal address or quartering area address for a service child. Admission authorities must not refuse a service child a place because the family does not currently live in the area, or reserve blocks of places for these children.
6. Secondary Only – Associated Primary Schools Below is a list of our catchment area and associated Primary, Junior and Junior and Infant Schools. Maltby Maltby Crags, Maltby Lilly Hall, Maltby Manor, Maltby Redwood, Ravenfield. Wath Brampton the Ellis, Wath CE, Wath Central, Wath Victoria, Wentworth, West Melton.

Waiting Lists

On the National Offer Day of 1st March 2024 (Secondary) or 17 April 2024 (Primary), the Admissions Team will establish a waiting list for Primary schools in Rotherham where the number of applications for those schools has exceeded the available places for entry into Year 7 (Secondary) or Reception (Primary).

The Local Authority Admissions Team will administer the waiting list on behalf of this school which will operate until the 31 December 2024 when it will cease. The child’s name will automatically be put on the waiting list for a school where they have not been made an offer of a place and where that school is named as a higher preference than the school at which an offer has been made.

Children’s positions on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria, with no reference to the date of receipt of the application. The waiting list will be re-ordered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria whenever anyone is added to or leaves the waiting list. Should a place become available it will be allocated to the child whose name is at the top of the waiting list on the day that the Local Authority receives written confirmation of the vacancy.

Current in year admissions number -Transfering school during the school year

Primary Academies

Secondary Academies

Any application for an in-year school transfer should be made via the Local Authority Admissions Team in the first instance. The Local Authority will co-ordinate in-year transfers for all primary and secondary schools in Rotherham. Further information and the relevant application form is available on the Local Authority website.

A paper copy of the application form can be requested from the Admissions Team. If you are moving home, please apply in advance of your move to reduce the risk of your child being out of school while your application is processed. You will need to provide details of your new address and when you intend to move.

You are advised to discuss your transfer request with a member of staff at your child’s present school.

The Local Authority Admissions Team will record all in-year transfer applications and will forward your application via secure email for consideration by the relevant Admissions Authority.

• Applications received will be forwarded to preferred schools on the day of receipt where possible, or the following working (school) day.
• Applications received during a weekend or bank holiday or during school holidays will be forwarded to the preferred schools on the next working (school) day.

It is not possible to process any applications during school holidays and your application will be considered as soon as schools re-open. Schools are required to respond to in-year transfer requests within a maximum of 15 school days from receipt of the application therefore, although in-year applications may be forwarded to schools during school holiday periods, it is unlikely that you will be notified of the outcome of your application until schools re-open and the 15 school day response time commences.

In many cases a child will transfer to a new school only at the beginning of a new term, unless there is agreement by all concerned that the transfer should take place earlier. Until the transfer arrangements have been approved it is expected that your child will continue to attend their present school.

Parents can make applications up to one term before the date when they would like their child to start at the preferred school. Parents can apply from the 1 May onwards for Admission in the following September. Any application for admission in the following September which is received prior to this date will be considered as having been received on 1st May.

You will be notified in writing of the outcome of your application. This decision will usually be sent on behalf of the Governing Body/Trustees (as the Admissions Authority) by the Local Authority Admissions Team. The Academy will contact you prior to your child’s admission and inform you of arrangements for any visits and transition etc.

It should be noted that it is the Local Authority’s policy that repeat applications made for entry to the same year group at the same school will not be considered unless there has been a significant and material change of circumstances which is relevant to the application for admission.

Information on appeals

Where it is not possible to offer your child a place at the school you have applied for, you will receive a letter advising you of the reasons for this decision. This will usually be sent on behalf of the Governing Body / Trustees (as the Admissions Authority) by the Local Authority Admissions Team. All parents/carers have the right of appeal to an independent appeal panel if you have received written confirmation that it has not been possible to offer your child a place at the schools you have applied for.

All independent appeals are organised by an Appeals Clerk and follow procedures, which are set out in legislation and the School Admission Appeals Code of Practice. The Appeals Clerk, Panel and process are independent of the Admissions Authority.

Important requirements to note are:

• Appeals must be in writing stating the grounds on which the appeal is made;
• every parent has the right to attend the independent appeal in order to make their case;
• the parent can be accompanied by a friend or be represented by them;
• independent appeals are heard in private;
• the decision of the Appeals Panel is binding on both parents and the Admissions Authority;
• parents will receive written notification of the Appeals Panel decision.
• Dates – (parents will be advised at the earliest opportunity of appeal dates by the Clerk)

General Information on Appeals

A separate document containing details of the appeals procedure is available from the Local Authority for parents whose applications could not be satisfied.

Any member of the Authority may attend, as an observer, any hearing by an Independent Appeal Panel established by the Authority.

Parents will be given at least 14 days written notice of the date, time and place of the appeal hearing and will receive prior to the appeal, written documentation summarising the reasons for refusing the admission.

If a parent does not attend the appeal or is not represented by another person, the hearing may be held, and the case dealt with in the absence of the parent using only the written documentation submitted.

In some cases, parents who are not successful at the appeal occasionally consider applying again for the same school in the same academic year. Unless there has been a significant and material change of circumstances which is relevant to the application for admission, the Authority is not required to reconsider its decision and therefore parents do not have the right of another appeal. Further information is available on the Local Authority websites.