School Admissions Policy 2026 -27

• By law, Parents/Guardians must make an application to the Authority for a place.
• Closing dates for applications are set in the Admissions Schedule of Events Timetable detailed at the end of this document.
• Applications must be made by the deadlines.
• There is no automatic transfer from a Nursery to Primary School.
• There is no automatic transfer from a Primary to Secondary School.
• Applications received after the deadlines are unlikely to get a preferred school place.
• There are specific Oversubscription Criteria used when allocating a school place.
• The nursery and primary school a pupil attends is not taken into account when allocating places. It is the home address which is taken into account when considering admission to a school.
• It is not possible for any person or school to guarantee, in advance, a place for a child at a school. Any such comments or assurances must be disregarded.
• An email or letter will be sent from the Authority advising if the application has been successful or refused.
• A child cannot start at a school until the parent/guardian has confirmed the place with the Authority.

Early Years education is a non-statutory provision available to 3-year-olds and an application for admission to provision within a school must be made to the Admissions Authority. Applications for admission should be submitted to the Authority by the date set in the Admissions Schedule of Events Timetable.

There are various forms of provision:

• Nursery School -Ammanford Nursery School is the only nursery school in the County.
• Nursery/Early Years classes in Primary Schools (3-11 age schools).
• Provision by the non-maintained sector who are partners in the Early Entitlement Group, such as Wales Pre-school Playgroup Association (WPPA) and Mudiad Meithrin (MM) and private providers. The Carmarthenshire Family Information Service can assist you in this process. Contact via ChildrenInfo@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or 01267 246555.

All 3-year-olds are entitled to 10 hours per week of free placement, at a registered setting, through the Early Entitlement Group from the term following their third birthday.

Children will normally be admitted to Early Years provision on a part-time basis at the beginning of the term following their third birthday, as indicated below:

Deadline for applications for part-time nursery place is 31st July 2026.

Parents do not have a right of appeal if a place is not secured at an early years setting of their choice. Pupils who are admitted to early years or nursery age provision within a school do not have an ‘automatic’ right to continue their education into a full-time place at that school.

The part-time provision a pupil attends will not be considered when the full-time Primary school place is allocated.

A separate application must be made to the Authority for admission into a full-time place (age 4 at the school).

Applications for admission should be submitted to the Authority by the date set in the Admissions Schedule of Events Timetable.

Should there be more applications than places available, the Authority will prioritize applications in accordance with its over-subscription criteria detailed in this document.

Any applications received after the prescribed closing date will not be considered until those received before the deadline date have been allocated places. These will be considered as Late Applications as detailed in this document.

Wherever practical, the Admissions Authority allows non-maintained providers to use school premises. Attending such provision will not be considered when allocating part-time Nursery or full-time Primary School places.

Where there is no early years provision in a maintained setting. Full time learners will be admitted to primary schools in the school term following their fourth birthday.

The deadline for applications for a full-time primary place is 31st January 2026.

In accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, a limit of 30 pupils per qualified teacher is placed on Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 classes, known as Infant Class Size Legislation.

The nursery school and early years provider which the pupil is attending is not a factor taken into account when allocating places.

Should there be more applications than places available, the Authority will prioritise applications in accordance with its over-subscription criteria detailed in this document.

Any applications received after the prescribed closing date will not be considered until those received before the deadline date have been allocated places. These will be considered as Late Applications as detailed in this document.

By law, parents must arrange for their children to receive full-time education at the beginning of the following terms:

• The Autumn Term for those who are 5 years old between 1st April and 31st August
• The Spring Term for those who are 5 years old between 1st September and 31st December
• The Summer Term for those who are 5 years old between 1st January and 31st March

Legislation does not require a child to start school until the term following the child’s fifth birthday. A parent may defer the admission of a child to school until the beginning of the term following the child’s fifth birthday, as long as that date is in the same school year for which they applied.

Primary school children are required to start at a secondary school in the September following their 11th birthday.

It is a requirement that a parent/guardian must complete an online application for these pupils by the prescribed closing date as set in the Admissions Schedule of Events Timetable. Any applications received after the prescribed closing date will not be considered until those received before the deadline date have been allocated places. These will be considered as Late Applications as detailed in this document.

Should there be more applications than places available, the Authority will prioritise applications in accordance with its over-subscription criteria detailed in this document. The primary school which the pupil is attending is not a factor taken into account when allocating places.

Deadline for Applications for Full-Time Secondary Place is 28th November 2025

Application forms must be completed online by the prescribed closing date. If the form is not submitted by the deadline, the chances of getting a place at the preferred school are diminished, as is the possibility of free transport to school.

It is our intention to issue decision letters in respect of these applications received by the deadline by the offer date set in the Admissions Schedule of Events Timetable.

It is the responsibility of each individual school to process their own sixth form applications. Arrangements for admission to Sixth Form Community Schools should therefore be discussed with the individual school prior to submitting an application for admission.

Please note that early applications cannot be used as a criterion for giving priority in allocating places. All applications received up to the closing date are treated equally.

Applications received after the application closing deadline will not be considered until those received before the deadline have been awarded. Applications received after the closing date are less likely to be awarded a place at the preferred school parents applied for.

Waiting lists for admission outside of the normal admissions arrangements are detailed in part 11 of this document.

Where it has not been possible to admit a pupil in the normal admissions arrangements to a preferred school choice due to over subscription, parents must inform the Authority by email at admissions@carmarthenshire.gov.uk if they wish their child’s name to be placed on the waiting list. The waiting list will be retained until the 30th September following the notification of decision date as set in the admissions schedule of events timetable detailed in this document.

It should be noted that fresh applications must be made after the 30th September deadline. Pupils on the waiting list will only be considered for a school place, if the number of places allocated/on roll in the relevant year group drops below the admission number for the school. Should vacancies become available, all new and late applications received at that time will be considered for the vacancies along with those on the waiting list. Any available places will be allocated in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Applications on the waiting list for the normal admissions arrangements will be kept reviewed on a monthly basis until the 30th of September after the notification of decision date as set in the admissions schedule of events timetable detailed in this document.

Parents can appeal a decision while on the waiting list for multiple schools.