Infant, Junior, Primary Initial Placement, Parental Preference and Transfer Requests

The Local Education Authority, the LEA, is the admitting authority for all community schools in the area. Each child about to commence full time education or transfer between an infant and junior school will be invited to apply for a place at the catchment school maintained by the LEA.

Parents can either apply in writing for a place at the catchment school or express a preference for a placement at an alternative school. Requests for a preferred placement will be granted unless to do so would:

-    prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources, and

-    for voluntary aided schools, be incompatible with the admission arrangement agreed between the Governing Body and the LEA.

Those parents who express a preference in writing for a place at any school will be given priority over those who have not.

(a)    Admission Limits - Community Schools

All schools must admit up to their Admission Number in the year of entry (ie. Reception in Infant and Primary schools and Year 3 in the following Junior schools - Brynhyfryd; Clydach; Gorseinon; Pentrepoeth and Tregwyr*).  In the year of entry a child will be refused a place once the Admission Number has been reached.  Parents who are refused a place at the school must be given right of appeal.

The Admission Number applies to all year groups.

(b)    Admission Criteria - Community Schools

If more applications have been received for any school than there are places available, the following order of priority will apply:

1. Children who are in the care of the Local Authority (LAC)
2. Children who live within the school's defined catchment area.  If there are more applications than places, the places will be allocated in distance order with those living nearest to the school receiving priority.
3. Children who have a brother or sister attending the school at the date of their admission**.  If there are more applications than places, the places will be allocated in distance order with those living nearest to the school receiving priority.
4. Children attending a designated partner primary school but who live outside the catchment area of that school.  If there are more applications than places, the places will be allocated in distance order with those living nearest to the school receiving priority.
5. Other children for whom criteria 1 to 4 above do not apply.  If there are more applications than places, the places will be allocated in distance order with those living nearest to the school receiving priority.

Where admission requests exceed the places available priority will be given on the basis of walking distance between home and school (measured by a computer programme) measured as the nearest available walking route, children living closest having the highest priority.  The measurements will be taken from outside the entrance of the property (house or flat) to the nearest official school entrance.

Note: That schools have a duty to admit children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs who have been placed in a school by the LEA and these pupils are counted towards the number admitted up to the Admission Number unless they are placed in a Special Teaching Facility with planned places. 

Requests for admission to Voluntary Aided Schools will be determined by reference to admission criteria set out by the Governing Body.  (The Governing Bodies of Voluntary Aided Schools are responsible for determining their own admission arrangements).

Requests for children to transfer between schools at periods other than the normal transfer age will be determined by applying the above admission criteria.

The LEA will not provide transport or make any contribution towards transport costs for children admitted from outside the school's defined catchment area.

* Please check with the school before making an application for a Year 3 place as subject to statutory proposal to become a primary school.

** A brother or a sister will be defined as a natural or legally adopted child of either parent living at the same address.  In any circumstances in which there is one place available and the next eligible children for that place are twins/triplets, the LEA will admit both/all children.

(c)    Admission Procedures - Community Schools

Parents will be asked to apply in writing, for a place for their child at the catchment school or to state a preference for an alternative placement using the Admissions form.  Only one admission form must be completed.

Parents who wish to express a preference for an alternative placement should apply to the Headteacher of the preferred school using the admissions application form.

Requests for admission will be granted provided there are places available.  Where admission requests exceed the number of places available, as determined by the published Admission Numbers, applications will be allocated by applying the LEA's admission criteria.

Requests for admission to the relevant age group (ie. the age group at which children are normally admitted to the school) submitted on or before the administrative closing date, Monday 1st March 2010 will be processed collectively.  In this respect, no advantage shall be gained from the early submission of an admission request.  Requests submitted after the closing date will be processed upon receipt.

Admissions will not be determined on the basis of selection criteria involving the sitting of tests, viewing of school reports, or interviewing pupils with or without parents for the purpose of assessing ability or aptitude.

Right of Appeal

Parents will be informed, in writing, as to whether their application has been successful.  Where their application has been refused parents will be informed in writing that they have right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel.  If they exercise that right, the appeal must be forwarded to the School and Governor Unit at the Civic Centre by Friday 26 March 2010.  The appeal will be considered by an Independent Appeal Panel of 3 or 5 people comprising lay members, and persons with experience in education.

Schools will keep a waiting list of unsuccessful applicants ranked in order of priority according to the LEA's admission criteria.  As places become available, these will be offered to parents who have requested that their child's name be kept on such a list.

Children attending the nursery class of a school and living outside the defined catchment area will not have an automatic right of admission to full time education at the same school.  Parents will need to apply for a place in the usual way.

All applications for admissions to the Reception year will be considered together and the admission criteria set out above will be applied if there are more applications than places.

The LEA will be under no duty to comply with preference expressed otherwise than in accordance with its arrangements.

NB  The admissions criteria do not apply to pupils for whom the LEA holds a Statement of Special Educational Needs although the rights of parents to be involved in the placement of their child are protected in law.  The LEA in consultation with parents and schools will determine the school at which education is to be provided.  The LEA reserves the right to name a school which is not the catchment area school.