Admissions
Admission arrangements for 2025-26
St Paul’s C of E Primary School (academy)
Chester Diocesan Academies Trust is the admissions authority for St Paul’s C of E Primary School and will allocate places according to the criteria indicated below. This policy will be reviewed by the Local Governing Body and trust on an annual basis.
Making an application
Although Chester Diocesan Academies Trust is the admissions authority, admissions to reception for all schools and academies are coordinated by the Local Authority and so parents will need to fill in an online application form provided by the Local Authority. Applications for admission to Paul’s C of E Primary should be made on the form online at:
http://admission.tameside.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/Account/Login
by the closing date set out in the LA's coordinated scheme. It is not normally possible to change the order of your preferences for schools after the closing date.
Letters informing parents of whether or not their child has been allocated a place will be sent out by the Local Authority on the 16th April or the next working day. Parents of children not admitted will be informed of the reason and offered an alternative place by the Authority.
Admission procedures
The planned admission number (PAN) is 30. This arrangement follows consultation with other admission authorities in the area. There will be no restrictions on admissions to the reception class unless the number of children for whom admission is sought exceeds this number.
The academy trust operates a system of equal preferences under which all preferences are treated equally and the Local Authority allocates places according to its policy. Children who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) will have stated within the plan, the school that they are to be admitted to. In the event that there are more applicants than places remaining, the academy will allocate these places using the following criteria, which are listed in order of priority:
- Looked after children and all previously looked after children, including 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. 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).
- Children and families with exceptional medical or social circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this academy.
- Children who have a sibling currently attending the academy who will still be attending the following year
- Children who live closest to the academy. Distance will be measured as a straight line from the child’s home address, using the address point assigned by the National Land and Property Gazetteer, to the main gate to the school property. Measurements will be made using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software, which uses a Geographical Information System based on Ordnance Survey. In the event of a tie break a lottery overseen by an independent body will be undertaken.
Definitions and notes
- a) A looked after child is a child who is a) in the care of the Local Authority, or b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions (under section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989). A previously looked after child is one who immediately moved on from that status after becoming subject to an adoption, residence child arrangements or special guardianship order.
- b) Professional supporting evidence from e.g. a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for exceptional medical or social circumstances, and such evidence must set out the particular reasons why the school is question is the most suitable school and the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
- c) Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, stepbrother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner, and in every case, the child should be living in the same family unit at the same address.
Late applications for admission
Where the Local Authority Trust accepts that there are extenuating circumstances for an application being received after the last date for applications, and it is before the list of pupils to be admitted has been established, then it will be considered alongside all the others.
Otherwise, applications which are received after the last date will be considered after all the others, and placed on the waiting list in order according to the criteria.
Waiting list
Where there are more applications than places, the admissions criteria will be used. Children who are not admitted will have their name placed on a waiting list. The names on this waiting list will be in the order resulting from the application of the admissions criteria. Since the date of application cannot be a criterion for the order of names on the waiting list, late applicants for the school will be slotted into the order according to the extent to which they meet the criteria. Thus it is possible that a child who moves into the area later to have a higher priority than one who has been on the waiting list for some time. If a place becomes available within the admission number, the child whose name is at the top of the list will be offered a place. This is not dependent on whether an appeal has been submitted.
This waiting list will operate until the end of the autumn term.
Address of pupil
The address used on the admission form must be the current one at the time of application. Where the parents live at different addresses, the current-at-the-time-of-application, normal address of the child will be the one used. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of Monday to Friday mornings. Parents may be asked to show evidence of the claim that is being made for the address, e.g. utility bills of various sorts showing the child’s address as the one claimed. Where there is dispute about the correct address to use, the academy trust reserves the right to make enquiries of any relevant third parties, e.g. the child’s GP. For children of UK Service personnel and other Crown Servants returning to the area proof of the posting is all that is required.
Non-routine admissions
It sometimes happens that a child needs to change school other than at the “normal” time; such admissions are known as non-routine or in-year admissions. The LA co-ordinates in-year admissions and their process should be followed. Applications are made online through the following link http://admission.tameside.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/Account/Login
A waiting list will operate until the end of the autumn term for each school year of admission
Appeals
Where it is not possible to offer a place because St Paul’s is oversubscribed, parents have the right to appeal to an independent admission appeals panel. The Local Authority manages the appeals procedure on the behalf of the academy. Parents, who wish to appeal against the decision of the academy trust to refuse admission to a preferred school, should do so in writing, setting out clearly why your child should go to that particular school. Information about appeals will be sent out with the allocation letter and can also be found on the School Admissions webpage
https://www.tameside.gov.uk/schools/admissions
Parents will have the opportunity to submit their case to the panel in writing and also to attend in order to present their case. You will receive 10 school days’ notice of the place and time of the hearing.
Appellants do not have the right to a second appeal in respect of the same school for the same academic year unless, in exceptional circumstances, the admission authority has accepted a second application from the appellant because of a significant and material change in the circumstances of the parent, child or school but still refused admission.
Fraudulent applications
Where it is discovered that a child has been awarded a place as the result of an intentionally misleading application from a parent (for example a false claim to residence in the catchment area) which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, then the academy trust is required to withdraw the offer of the place. The application will be considered afresh and a right of appeal offered if a place is refused.
Deferred admission
Children are eligible for a reception place from the beginning of the school year in which they become 5 years old. However, they do not become of compulsory school age until the start of the term after their fifth birthday. After a place has been allocated and accepted parents can request that the place be deferred until later in the year and if they do this the place will be held for the child. They cannot however defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted. Parents can also request that their child attends on a part time basis until the child reaches compulsory school age.
Admission Outside Normal Age Range
A request may be made for a child to be admitted outside of their normal age group, for example, if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health. In addition, the parents of a summer born child, i.e. a child born between 1st April and 31st August, may request that the child be admitted out of their normal age group, to reception rather than year 1. Parents should submit reasons for requesting admission for their child outside of the normal age range together with their application. The online application provides space to do this and you should also submit views of medical professionals as necessary. A decision will be made taking account of parents’ wishes, information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development; and whether they have previously been educated outside their normal age group. Each request will be treated on an individual basis having regard to the views of an educational professional who will be involved in educating the child. Parents should complete the online application and include details of their request to defer entry for their child. They may also contact the Admissions Team for further information. Parents will always be informed of the reasons for any decision on the year group a child should be admitted to. Parents do not have a right to appeal if they are offered a place at the school but it is not in their preferred age group.
To see our admission arrangements for 25/26 please either read above or click on the relevant file below
Thank you
St Paul’s School