Appendix 1
The admission criteria for community and controlled schools for 2022/23 is shown below. (There are no proposed changes for 2023/24).
It should be noted that for a number of years the DfE has given priority to looked after children. The School Admissions Code also prioritises previously looked after children. This is shown in the criteria below.
Primary Reception
Places will be allocated in the following order of priority:
Those who on the closing date are:
i) Relevant looked after children and previously looked after children. (see note 3 below).
ii) Children who have a specific medical reason confirmed by a medical practitioner which the Authority is satisfied makes attendance at that particular school essential.
iii) Children with a compelling social reason which the Authority is satisfied makes attendance at that particular school essential. The kinds of overriding social reasons which could be accepted are where there is evidence that the pupil’s education would be seriously impaired if he or she did not attend the preferred school. Parents should ensure that they attach full supporting information to the Common Application Form.
iv) Children who on the closing date live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority who will also have an older brother or sister on the roll of the preferred school or its associated junior school at the time of their admission. Parents should ensure that they attach full supporting information to the Common Application Form.
v) Children who on the closing date live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority.
vi) Children who on the closing date live outside the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority whose older brother or sister will be on the roll of the preferred school or its associated junior school at the time of their admission.
vii) Children who on the closing date live nearest to the school measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane (as the crow flies).
Year 3
Places in Year 3 at a Junior School will be allocated in the following order of priority:-
Those who on the closing date are:
i) Relevant looked after children and previously looked after children (see note 3 below).
ii) Children who have a specific medical reason confirmed by a medical practitioner which the Authority is satisfied makes attendance at that particular school essential. Parents should ensure that they attach full supporting information to the Common Application Form.
iii) Children with a compelling social reason which the Authority is satisfied makes attendance at that particular school essential. The kinds of overriding social reasons which could be accepted are where there is evidence that the pupil’s education would be seriously impaired if he or she did not attend the preferred school. Parents should ensure that they attach full supporting information to the Common Application Form.
iv) Children in attendance at Y2 in the associated Infant School.
v) Children who on the closing date live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority who will also have an older brother or sister on the roll of the preferred school at the time of their admission.
vi) Children who on the closing date live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority.
vii) Children who on the closing date live outside the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority whose older brother or sister will be on the roll of the preferred school at the time of their admission.
viii) Children who on the closing date live nearest to the school measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane (as the crow flies).
Secondary Year 7
Places will be allocated in the following order of priority:-
Those who on the closing date are:
i) Relevant looked after children and previously looked after children (see note 3 below).
ii) Children who on the closing date have a specific medical reason confirmed by a medical practitioner which the Authority is satisfied makes attendance at that particular school essential. Parents should ensure that they attach full supporting information to the Common Application Form.
iii) Children who on the closing date have a compelling social reason which the Authority is satisfied make attendance at that particular school essential. The kind of overriding social reasons which could be accepted are where there is evidence that the pupil’s education would be seriously impaired if he or she did not attend the preferred school. Parents should ensure that they attach full supporting information to the Common Application Form.
iv) Children who on the closing date live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority whose older brother or sister will be on the roll of the preferred school in Years 8-11 at the start of the academic year 2023.
v) Children who on the closing date live in the catchment area of the school as defined by the Authority.
vi) Children who on the closing date live outside the catchment area of the school as define by the Authority whose older brother or sister will be on the roll of the preferred school in Years 8-11 at the start of the academic year 2023.
vii) Children who on the closing date are on the roll of one of the associated Primary/ Junior/Junior and Infant schools as identified by the Authority.
viii) Children who on the closing date live nearest to the school measured by a straight line on a horizontal plane, (commonly known as measurement, “as the crow flies”).
Notes
1 Where the admission number for any 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 living closest to the school measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane (commonly known as measurement, “as the crow flies”).
2. Where any final place at a school is available and two or more pupils are judged to be living equidistant from the school (e.g. in flats), the final place will be allocated by the drawing of lots by officers of the authority outside of the Access to Education Service.
3. 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 residence order or special guardianship order). This 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. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society. For further information please refer to the Admissions Code 2021 which can be downloaded from School admissions code - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
4. 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 ranked of the potential offer schools.
5. Children issued with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) will gain a place at the school named in the Plan as part of that process.
In-Year Applications.
What is an in-year application?
An in-year application is a request for the admission of a child to a relevant age group if it is submitted on or after the first day of the first term of the admission year, or for admission to a higher year group within a school or academy.
The majority of in-year applications for school places in Rotherham will be dealt with through normal in-year arrangements. However, some children in vulnerable groups may find it difficult to secure a school place. In these cases, applications may be referred for placement under the Fair Access Protocol. Rotherham’s Fair Access Protocol (FAP) works in partnership with schools to ensure that children and young people in vulnerable circumstances, including those at risk of exclusion, or those excluded from school, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible. The operation of the FAP is triggered when a parent/carer of an eligible child has not secured a school place under in-year admission and appeals procedures.
Rotherham’s arrangements for in-year applications to Rotherham schools.
Own admission authority schools and academies work closely with the Local Authority to manage and process applications in-year.
The School Admissions Code 2021 requires that the Local Authority and Schools who are their own admissions authority must, on receipt of an in-year application, work in partnership to ensure all parties are notified of the outcome, so that figures on the availability of places in the area can be kept up to date. The admission authority must also inform parents of their right to appeal against the refusal of a place.
In-year applications for school places outside of Rotherham should be submitted to the local authority in which the preferred school is situated. In-year applications for a Rotherham school should be made direct to Rotherham Authority. Contact details for neighbouring local authorities can be found in the Admissions to Primary/Secondary school booklets for parents available at www.rotherham.gov.uk/education
Admission authorities are responsible for setting and applying a school’s admission arrangements:
• for foundation or voluntary aided schools, including trust schools, the governing body is the admission authority
• for academies, the academy trust is the admission authority
• for all other schools in Rotherham, the Local Authority is the admission authority.
All admission authorities must comply with the requirements of the School Admissions Code and admissions legislation.
Admission authorities should ensure that their processes for admitting children who have been allocated a place under in-year arrangements or through the Fair Access Protocol do not lead to unreasonable delay, particularly where a child is otherwise without a place.
Governing bodies can refer applications to the local authority for consideration under the provisions of the Fair Access Protocol in certain circumstances, as per the Admissions Code 2021.
Rotherham Authority will also share information, by secure electronic means, with neighbouring authorities where an application is received for a pupil who lives in that local authority area and who applies for a place in one of the schools participating in the scheme.
Our neighbouring authorities are Barnsley, Derbyshire, Doncaster, Nottinghamshire and Sheffield.
Applying for an in-year transfer to a Rotherham 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.
An online application is available on the Authority website or a paper copy is available by contacting the Admissions Team. Parents can state up to three preferences on an application form for Rotherham schools. We recommend that parents use all three preferences, thereby maximising their chances of securing a place at a school of their choice. Details of applications will be sent to your preferred schools.
Applications for Looked After Children must be submitted by the child’s social worker or virtual school in the Authority in whose care the child is placed.
Parents applying for academy, foundation, voluntary aided or voluntary controlled schools should check whether any additional supporting information is required. This may be written evidence from a minister to demonstrate commitment to religion. This information enables the admission authority to apply admission oversubscription criteria correctly.
Details of oversubscription criteria for Rotherham schools is available on our website www.rotherham.gov.uk
Applying for a place in year 10 or year 11
Performance and level of achievement/attainment are adversely affected each time a child experiences a transfer to a new school. Avoidable and unnecessary changes should be carefully considered and parents need to be aware of the consequence of moving schools in key groups such as year 10 and year 11.
It may be difficult to find schools that can offer courses compatible with the previous school. However, schools are not able to refuse to admit children because they followed a different curriculum at their previous school.
How in-year applications are considered
Applications for school places are considered in accordance with the requirements and timescales set out in the Admissions Code 2021 to ensure that every child of school age accesses an appropriate school place.
Upon receipt, applications are forwarded to the preferred schools for consideration. Notification of the outcome of the application will be sent to parents by post or email by the Admissions Team.
If an application is refused at any school applied for, parents are notified of their right to an independent appeal.
Following communication with preferred schools, Rotherham Local Authority will identify all preferences that can be met. When a place potentially can be offered at more than one of the schools listed on an application, the Authority will usually offer a place at the highest preferred school where a place is available. Rotherham Authority will write to parents detailing the outcome of the application.
Infant classes only
The School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 permit children to be admitted as exceptions to the infant class size limit. Section 1 of the SSFA 1998 limits the size of an infant class (i.e. a class in which the majority of children will reach the age of five, six or seven during the school year) to 30 pupils per school teacher. The School Admissions Code 2021 (2.16) states that additional children may be admitted under limited exceptional circumstances. These children will remain an ‘excepted pupil’ for the time they are in an infant class or until the class numbers fall back to the current infant class size limit. A child who falls into any of these categories will not automatically be admitted as an excepted child.
