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Christchurch Church in Wales VA school - admission arrangements 2024 / 2025

Christchurch Church in Wales Voluntary Aided school accepts pupils between the ages of 3 and 11 years of age.

As a Church in Wales Aided school, the governing body of the school is responsible for the admission of pupils. Admission forms can be obtained from the school. The timescale of the local authority (LA) admission timetable is followed for the handing out, consideration period and return of these forms.

The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires LAs and governing bodies to admit pupils up to the school's admission number which is 14.

The school will consider late applications in cases where a viable reason is given. These include when a single parent has been ill for some time, or a family has just moved into the area, or is returning from abroad, provided applications are received before offers of places are made.

Parents will receive written notification of all admissions applications.

Pupils are admitted to the nursery, which is part of our early years class, the day following their third birthday. Nursery is a statutory provision, however it is not compulsory education. Admission to nursery does not guarantee admission to reception; if a child has a place in our nursery, the appropriate application form for admission into reception must be submitted within the prescribed timescale of the annual admissions round.

Pupils are admitted to reception in the academic year in which they are five ie. any child who attains the age of four by 31 August can be admitted in September.

'Looked After Children' (LAC) are a priority. In the case of oversubscription the governors will admit pupils best satisfying the legal requirements and current legislation.

Children from the Gypsy Traveller community or travelling groups will be treated in accordance with Welsh Assembly Government Circular No: 003/2008 'Moving Forward - Gypsy Traveller Education'.

The school will not discriminate between boys and girls, or against applicants on the basis of race, colour, nationality or national or ethnic origin.

The Admission Number for the school is: 14

Oversubscription criteria

The governors have agreed that in the event that the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, then the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below, to decide which pupils to admit.

  1. Looked After Children who are baptised members of the Church in Wales.
  2. Other Looked After Children.
  3. Children whose parents are active practising communicant members of the Anglican Church a) Benefice of St. Mary's Swansea; b) of churches/parishes in the Archdeaconry of Gower.
  4. Children who have a sibling who is a pupil registered at the school on the date when the applicant child is due to commence school.
  5. Children whose parents attend a church of another Christian denomination.
  6. Children of parents living within the parish.
  7. Children whose parents wish them to attend this school.

Please note, any child for whom the school is named in a statement of special educational needs will be admitted before the application of oversubscription criteria.

For criteria 3 and 4 the governors will seek information about the frequency of attendance at services and degree of involvement in the work of the church and seek confirmation of these details from the local priest or minister on a supplementary form.

Within each category, those living nearest to the school are accorded higher priority. Distance to school will be measured in a straight line from the main entrance of the family home to the main gate of the school.

If distances are equal, for example a flat in a block of dwellings with the same front door entrance, a differentiation by floor level will be used.


Definitions

Definition of parents

Parents include all those people who have a parental responsibility for a child as set out in the Children's Act 1989. Where responsibility for a child is 'shared', the person receiving Child Benefit is deemed to be the person responsible for completing application forms and whose address will be used for admission purposes.

Definition of sibling

For applications made in the normal admission round a relevant sibling is a child who has a brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister or is a foster child living in the same family unit in the same family household and address who attends the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year. Biological siblings who attend the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year will also be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. Children residing in the same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings.

'Residing in' and 'home address'

The Home Address will be the address used for correspondence related to where 'Child Benefit' is paid. In cases where there is doubt of the home address or where a child lives between two homes (split families) or other relevant circumstances, proof of the home address must be provided to the school to confirm the address used on the application form. Home address will be the address that complies with the above at the closing date for applications set by the local authority. Families who are due to move house should provide:

  1. a solicitor's letter confirming that exchange of contracts has taken place on the purchase of a property; or
  2. a copy of the current rental agreement, signed by both the tenants and the landlords, showing the address of the property; or
  3. in the case of serving H.M. forces personnel, an official letter confirming their date of posting from the MOD, FCO or GCHQ.

Twins, triplets, multiple births

When the governing body are considering twins, triplets or other multiple births for one remaining place, the family will be offered the place and may decide (a) if they will accept it for one sibling whomever they decide or (b) they decline the place and it is offered to the next person in the allocation after the twins/triplets/multiple births. Please note the multiple birth sibling(s) would not be given priority on admission other than considered as a sibling link once the family had accepted the place(s) offered for one of the twins/triplets/multiple births.

Waiting list

A waiting list will be maintained in the event of the school being over-subscribed. Following the allocation of places during the normal admissions round, children will remain on the waiting list until the 31 August in the school year in which they apply. If additional places become available while the waiting list is in operation they will be allocated to children on the waiting list on the basis of the above oversubscription criteria.


How religious affiliation is tested

Reference to 'are members' and 'active members' from oversubscription criteria

If you are applying under criteria 3 and 5 above a 'supplementary information form (SIF)' can be obtained direct from the school. The SIF is to be returned to the school. The SIF alone does not constitute an application; parents must also complete the common application form.

Member is defined as member of the Church in Wales by registration on the electoral roll of the parish.

Admission appeals

Nursery education is a statutory provision but parents have no right of appeal under the Education Act 1980 if they are unsuccessful in gaining a place. Admission to the nursery class does not guarantee admission to the school.

If we do not offer a child a place at this school, it is because the increase in numbers would adversely affect the education of our current pupils. Parents who are dissatisfied with the decision of the governing body not to admit a child may appeal. If you exercise that right, the appeal must be forwarded to the clerk of the governors at the school.

The appeal will be considered by an independent admission appeal panel, administered by the Diocesan Board of Education according to the Welsh Assembly Government's code of practice on school admission appeals. The appeals panel then meets to consider all appeals by parents who have been refused a place at our school. This decision is binding for all parties concerned.

Review

In accordance with the school development plan, this policy will be reviewed every two years or sooner in the light of any change of legislation or change in local circumstances.

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