School Admissions Policies 2024-2025

Swinton Academy Secondary School

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Admission Arrangements for Entry to School 2024/25

Name of School: Swinton Academy

Admission Authority: Aston Community Education Trust

Approved date: July 2023

Next review date: January 2024

PAN: The agreed PAN for Y7 in September 2023 at Swinton Academy is 200

*Admissions to Swinton Academy are controlled by the Local Governing Body (LGB) and administered on behalf of the LGB by Rotherham Local Authority

School Admissions Code 2021

The Local Governing Body / Trust Board of an Academy is the Admissions Authority for their school. 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.

The Local Authority Admission to Secondary 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 Secondary School 2024 booklet is available to view online:

https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/download/216/apply-for-secondary-school-places 

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

Closing Date for Receipt of Applications

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 Secondary School Place

Parents of children resident in Rotherham MUST apply via Rotherham Authority. However, for a 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:

https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/schools-schooling/starting-secondary-school.

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.

Telephone 01709 823777 

email admissions.enquiries@rotherham.gov.uk

Admissions Criteria

  1. Children with Special Educational Needs:

A small number of children will have an Education Health Care Plan that names the 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, as outlined below.

  1. For all other applications places will be allocated in the following order of priority:
  1. Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children (see note (a) below).
  2. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, have a specific medical reason, confirmed by a medical practitioner, which the Admissions Authority is satisfied makes attendance at this particular school essential. Parents should ensure that they provide full supporting information to be considered along with their application.
  3. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, have a compelling social reason which the Admissions Authority is satisfied make attendance at this particular school essential. The kind of overriding social reasons which could be accepted are where there is evidence that the children’s education would be seriously impaired if he or she did not attend this 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

  1. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Admission Authority and it is expected will have an older brother or sister on the roll of this school in Years 8-11 at the start of the academic year 2024 (see notes (b), (c) and (d) below) 
  2. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, live in the catchment area of this school as defined by the Admission Authority (see note (b) below)
  3. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, it is expected will have an older brother or sister on the roll of this school in Years 8-11 at the start of the academic year 2024 (see notes (c) and (d) below)
  4. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, are on the roll of one of our associated primary/ junior/junior and infant catchment area schools as identified by the Admission Authority. (see note (f) below)
  5. Children who, on the specified closing date for secondary admissions, live nearest to the school measured by a straight line on a horizontal plane, (commonly known as the measurement “as the crow flies”).

Notes

Where the published admission number for the school is likely to be reached, in the event of any oversubscription within any criterion preference, priority will be given to children who live nearest to the school as the crow flies. Distance measurements are calculated using GIS which applies seed points as determined by Ordinance 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. In the event of two distances being equal, lots will be drawn by a representative independent of the Admission Authority.

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 Admission Authority’s co-ordinated admissions schemes for secondary schools.  In assessing preferences, the Admission Authority 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.

Admission of children outside their normal age group

Families may seek a place for their child outside of his/her normal age group under various circumstances such as ill health, if the child is gifted and talented or when the child has experienced problems.

Catchment area

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: RMBC Mapping (Rotherham.gov.uk)

  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 arrangements 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.

  1. Places will be allocated based on your residential address.  Therefore, you must notify the Admissions Authority in writing if you change address. 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 Authority reserves the right to request an affidavit where there is uncertainty regarding a child’s ordinary place of residence.
  2. 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
  3. At Swinton Academy, 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 the specified closing date for secondary admissions.
  4. 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.
  5. Associated Primary Schools for Swinton Academy, Swinton:
    • St Thomas CE (Kilnhurst),
    • Kilnhurst,
    • Brookfield,
    • Swinton Fitzwilliam,
    • Swinton Queen.

Waiting Lists

On the National Offer Day of 1 March 2024, the Admissions Authority will establish a waiting list where the number of applications for those schools has exceeded the available places in Year 7.

The Local Authority Admissions Team will administer the waiting list on behalf of this academy 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. 

In-year Admissions – Transferring school during the School Year

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 the admissions authority, Swinton Academy.  Further information and the relevant application form is available on the Local Authority website:

Transferring School during the school year – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. 

A paper copy of the application form can be requested from the Admissions Team:

Telephone 01709 823777

or

E-mail admissions.enquiries@rotherham.gov.uk

If you are moving homes, 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 (as the Admissions Authority) by the Local Authority Admissions Team.    An admissions meeting with members of the leadership team will be convened prior to a student taking up their place at the Academy.

It should be noted that it is the Admissions Authority position 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.

You have the right to appeal should you be unsuccessful.

Further information is available on the Local Authority website:

https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/schools-schooling/school-admission-appeals. 

Email schoolappeals@rotherham.gov.uk

FIND YOUR CATCHMENT AREA SCHOOL

You can use the catchment map to find your catchment area school.

  1. Visit RMBC Mapping
  2. Close the disclaimer
  3. Type your postcode in the address bar to search
  4. Select a property from the list (if yours is not shown press MORE)
  5. Click or tap on the property to select it
  6. The property will be shown on the map
  7. Select What would you like to do? in the top left corner
  8. Select Map features
  9. Select Education
  10. Tick the Primary & Secondary catchment boxes as required
  11. Click or tap the map and catchment area school/s will appear in a pop-up box

USEFUL CONTACTS

ADMISSIONS – SWINTON ACADEMY

East Avenue

Swinton

Rotherham

S64 8 JW

01709 570586

ADMISSIONS TEAM

Children and Young People’s Services

Riverside House

Main Street

Rotherham

S65 1AE

Contact an Admissions Officer on  (01709) 823777

or

email:  admissions.enquiries@rotherham.gov.uk

APPEALS CLERK

Legal and Democratic Services,

Town Hall, The Crofts,

Moorgate Street,

Rotherham

S60 2TH

Tel: (01709) 822054

Email: schoolappeals@rotherham.gov.uk

 

Admissions Arrangements Ratified by Governing Body / Academy Trust:  July 2023