Wingfield Academy
Introduction
Wingfield Academy is a 11-16 mixed comprehensive school in the Borough of Rotherham. As part of a Multi Academy Trust, we are our own Admissions Authority.
The Trustees and Local Advisory Body will ensure that:
• The admission arrangements are reviewed annually and consultation takes place on changes with all other admission authorities and the Local Authority (LA).
• The admission arrangements are made available to parents and potential parents. .
• Students are admitted in accordance with this policy.
• Where places are available, students are admitted in accordance with the agreed priorities..
• The number of students on roll and reasons for unsuccessful appeals will be reported to the Trustees and Local Governing Body each term with advice on any implications.
The Trust will comply with all relevant provisions of the statutory codes of practice (the School Admissions Code of Practice and the School Admission Appeals Code of Practice), including Section 149 Equalities Act, as they apply at any given time to Foundation Trust Schools and with the law on admissions as it applies to Foundation Trust Schools.
The Trust participates in the coordinated admission arrangements operated by Rotherham Local Authority (LA). The Local Authority Admission to Secondary School 2025 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 2025 booklet is available to view online:
Applications must be made using the Common Application Form (CAF) which will be made available by the Local Authority. Applications must be made direct to the council by the deadlines specified by them. All places will be offered by the council on behalf of the Trustees and Local Advisory Board. 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.
Allocations will be notified by the Council in accordance with their procedures. More information and detail can be found from Rotherham Borough County. Use the contact link on the www.rotherham.gov.uk
Admission Arrangements
Wingfield Academy as a member of New Collaborative Learning Trust has agreed a pupil admission number (PAN) of 200. Students will not be admitted above the PAN unless exceptional circumstances.
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 30th November 2023, 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.
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 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:
Finding and choosing a school – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Please see appendix 1 for a catchment area list of streets.
Admissions Criteria
a) 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.
b) 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 30 November 2023, have a specific medical reason, confirmed by a medical practitioner, which the Admissions and Local 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 30 November 2023 have a compelling social reason which the Admissions and Local 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
4 Children who, on 30 November 2023, live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the 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 2025 (see notes (b), (c) and (d) below)
5 Children who, on 30 November 2023, live in the catchment area of this school as defined by the Authority (see note (b) below)
6 Children who, on 30 November 2023, 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)
7 a) Children who, on 30 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)
8 Children of staff at the school meeting the following criteria:
a) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made;
and/or
b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post at the school for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
9 Children who, on 30 November 2023, live nearest to the school measured by a straight line on a horizontal plane, (commonly known as measurement “as the crow flies”).
Notes
a) 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.
b) Places will be allocated based on your residential address on 30 November 2023. 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.
c) 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
d) 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
Associated Primary Schools for Wingfield Academy
Below is a list of our catchment area and associated Primary, Junior and Junior and Infant Schools: Greasbrough, Redscope, Rockingham, Roughwood and Thorpe Hesley.
Waiting Lists
On the National Offer Day of 1 March 2024, the Admissions Team will establish a waiting list for secondary schools in Rotherham 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 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.
In-Year Admissions – Transferring School During the School Year
Current Admission Number for entry to Years 8-11;
• Y8:200
• Y9:200
• Y10:200
• Y11: 200
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 most of the schools in Rotherham. Further information and the relevant application form is available on the 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 Trustees/ Advisory Body (as the Admissions Authority) by the Local Authority Admissions Team.
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 LA to 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 website:
https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/schools-schooling/school-admission-appeals
Email schoolappeals@rotherham.gov.uk
Appendix 1
FIND YOUR CATCHMENT AREA SCHOOL
You can use the catchment map to find your catchment area school.
- Visit RMBC Mapping
- Close the disclaimer
- Type your postcode in the address bar to search
- Select a property from the list (if yours is not shown press MORE)
- Click or tap on the property to select it
- The property will be shown on the map
- Select What would you like to do? in the top left corner
- Select Map features
- Select Education
- Tick the Primary & Secondary catchment boxes as required
- Click or tap the map and catchment area school/s will appear in a pop-up box
Appendix 1
FIND YOUR CATCHMENT AREA SCHOOL
You can use the catchment map to find your catchment area school.
• RMBC Mapping
• Close the disclaimer
• Type your postcode in the address bar to search
• Select a property from the list (if yours is not shown press MORE)
• Click or tap on the property to select it
• The property will be shown on the map
• Select What would you like to do? in the top left corner
• Select Map features
• Select Education
• Tick the Primary & Secondary catchment boxes as required
• Click or tap the map and catchment area school/s will appear in a pop-up box
USEFUL CONTACTS
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