Allocation
If there are more places available than the number of places requested, all applicants will be offered a place.
There is a maximum number of children which can be admitted to a school in each year group. If more applications are received than available places, the school is said to be oversubscribed. When this happens, places have to be allocated in strict order of priority, according to the oversubscription criteria.
- Children with a statement of special educational needs naming a particular school will be offered a place at that school. The priority for places is then as follows:
- Priority 1- Looked After Children and previously Look After Children.
- Priority 2 - Children living within the catchment area Firstly to children who will have an older sibling at the school on the day they are due to start there and then to other children who live in the catchment area.
- Priority 3 - Children living outside the catchment area. Any places left will be offered firstly to children who will have an older sibling at the school on the day they are due to start there. Secondly, to other children who live outside the catchment area.
If in any of the above groups there are more applications than places available, priority will be based on distance. This will be measured as a straight line, from home to school on a computerised mapping system. The shortest distance being given priority.
Priority due to exceptional circumstances:
Very exceptionally where a child has a particular health reason requiring them to attend a specific school, that child may be given a place before any of the children who qualify under Priority 2 and 3. This will only be allowed if parents/carers can provide medical evidence that attending that particular school is essential to the medical well being of their child. The council reserves the right to check the relevance of the medical condition.