School Admissions Policy 2026 -27
In this section
- Meeting Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
- Normal Admissions Arrangements
- Admissions Outside the Normal Admissions Arrangements (Transferring between schools)
- Making an Application
- Over Subscription Criteria
- Appeals Regarding Admission of Pupils to Community / Voluntary Controlled Primary or Secondary Schools
- Schedule of Events Timetable for Normal Admissions Arrangements to Schools 2026-27
- Appendix A
Over Subscription Criteria
For Admission to Community and Voluntary Controlled Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools
If there are more applications for admission than places available at a particular year group within a school, the allocation of places will be based on the following criteria listed in priority order:
- Children Looked After and previously Children Looked After.
- Children who live in the school’s catchment area and have a sibling on the roll of the school at the time the child is to start at that school.
- Children who live in the school’s catchment area and who do not have a sibling on the roll of the school at the time the child is to start at that school.
- Children who reside outside of the school’s catchment area and have a sibling on the roll of the school at the time the child is to start at that school.
- Children who reside outside of the school’s designated catchment area and who do not have a sibling on the roll of the school at the time the child is to start at that school.
N.B. Where there is an Individual Development Plan (IDP) naming a particular school for Admission then this must be stated clearly on the admission to school application form. Such applications are dealt with before the award of any places by the Authority through the application of the oversubscription criteria stated above.
For Full Time 4 year old Primary School applications: the 3 year old part time Nursery or early years provision allocated cannot be used as a criterion for giving priority in allocating Full time 4 year old Primary school places.
For Year 7 Secondary applications: The primary school a pupil attends cannot be used as a criterion for giving priority in allocating a secondary school place.
Siblings
Children will be classified as siblings if they are: A full brother or sister (children who have two parents in common), a half brother or sister (children who have one parent in common), an adopted or fostered brother or sister, a step brother or sister (children who are related because their parents are married, co-habiting or in a civil partnership), but in every case the children must be living in the same family unit at the same address for the majority of the week.
Where there is 50/50 residency it is the address of the parent/guardian in receipt of child benefit which is used to process the application and the sibling must be enrolled and attending the school when your child is due to start school. The Authority reserves the right to request evidence if required. Failing to provide evidence when asked, will result in your application being ranked as having no sibling at the school.
Multiple Birth Children
In any circumstances in which there is one place available, and the next eligible children are twins/triplets, then the Local Authority will admit both/all children.
Distance Criteria
Where there are more applications than places for a school, the distance from home to the school will be used in order to allocate priority for places with those living nearest the school being given priority and a place at the school before those living further away. The distance will be measured using the shortest available route on Google Maps.
The distance from the home address to school will be measured from the nearest available route from the nearest school entrance to the nearest available access point by highway or public footpath to the home address as measured by Google Maps.
Notification of Offer of a Place at a School
Parents will be advised by e-mail confirming, or otherwise, that a place is available at the school and offering them the opportunity of accepting the place in line with the admissions arrangements set in the Admissions Schedule of Events timetable as detailed in this document.
A parent must accept the offer email to secure a place in school. If a parent does not respond by the date on the email, the place may be taken away and offered to another pupil.
Withdrawing the Offer of a Place
The offer of a school place may be withdrawn on the basis:
- that it is subsequently discovered that a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application was made (e.g. falsely claiming to reside within a catchment area of a school); or
- the offer of a place has not been accepted by the dates on the letter/email. The Authority may then re-allocate the place to another child.
- A place at another school is confirmed by a parent/guardian
- If a pupil has not started at a school at the end of the school term which they were due to start in accordance with the Authority policy.
