Admission Arrangements & Appeals Process
CHESTER BLUE COAT CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
ADMISSIONS POLICY
Parents should be aware before applying that in this school RE, Collective Worship and our Whole School Ethos are based on the teachings of the Church of England.
Making an application
Applications for admission to the school should be made on the common application form enclosed with the Local Authority’s brochure and the school’s supplementary form for those applying under criteria 2, 5 or 6 between 1st September and not later than the 15th January.
Applications may also be made on-line. 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 or near 16th April. Parents of children not admitted will be informed of the reason and offered an alternative place by the Authority.
Admission procedures
The number of places available for admission to the Reception Class in 2025 will be a maximum of 60 pupils. This arrangement follows consultation between the governing body, the Diocesan Board of Education, Local Authorities and other admissions authorities in the area. The governing body will not place any restrictions on admissions to Reception unless the number of children for whom admission is sought exceeds this number. By law, no infant class may contain more than thirty children.
The Governing Body operates a system of equal preferences under which they consider all preferences equally and the Local Authority allocates places according to its policy. In the event that there are more applicants than places, the governing body will allocate places using the following criteria, which are listed in order of priority: When there are more applications than there are places available, the Governors will admit pupils according to the following criteria, in order of priority. They are subject to notes (a) and (b) following:
1) Looked after children. A "looked after child" is a child who is in the care of the local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order (as defined in section 22 of the Children Act 1989).
2) Children with special medical or social circumstances affecting the child where these needs can only be met at this school. See note (a).
3) Children who have a sibling in school who will still be attending school the following year. See note (b)
4) The children of parents who are resident within the parish boundaries of the following churches; St Thomas of Canterbury, St Peter’s, St John’s, Christ Church or Chester Cathedral and/or resident within the catchment area of Chester Blue Coat CE Primary School as shown on the Local Authority’s website. See note (c).
5) Children whose parents who are faithful and regular worshippers at one of the following churches: St Thomas of Canterbury, St Peter’s, St John’s, Christ Church or Chester Cathedral.
6) Children whose parents are faithful and regular worshippers in a Christian church, as recognised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. See notes (d) and (e).
7) Children who live nearest to the school. Distances are measured in a straight line from the centrally plotted basic land and property unit point of the child’s home address to the centrally plotted basic land and property unit point of the school, as defined by local land and property gazetteer.
If there are not enough places to admit all applicants meeting any one criterion, the governors will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of priority, to all these applicants.
Notes
(a) Professional supporting evidence from eg a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for special 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.
(b) Siblings include step, half, foster, adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address and full brother and sister living apart.
(c) A map showing the parish boundaries is available from the school and a map of the catchment area is available on Cheshire West and Chester Children’s Services website under Admissions/catchment areas.
(d) By "faithful and regular" we mean attendance at a minimum of two services per month for at least six months prior to the closing date for applications. A letter from your incumbent or minister or other church officer will be required as proof of attendance.
(e) A "parent" is any person who has parental responsibility or care of the child. Where admission arrangements refer to "parent’s attendance at church" it is sufficient for just one parent to attend.
(f) In the event of oversubscription and the parent being refused a place for their child, a waiting list of unsuccessful applicants will be retained until the end of the Autumn term for which admission was applied.
Children with Education Health Care Plans
All pupils who have named the school in their EHC plan will be admitted.
Admissions information
Last year the school was able to admit all pupils whose parents applied.
Late applications for admission
Where there are extenuating circumstances for an application being received after the last date for applications, and it is before the governors have established their list of pupils to be admitted, then it will be considered alongside all the others.
Otherwise, applications that 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.
Address of pupil
The address used on the school’s admission form must be the current one at the time of application. If the address changes subsequently, the parents should notify the school. 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 bill or bank statement showing the address as the one claimed. Where there is dispute about the correct address to use, the governors reserve 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.
In-Year Applications
For pupils who move into an area or who move schools outside of the normal admissions round the in-year application process applies.
Parents should contact the school to enquire about any spaces available in the appropriate year. If a place is available, the school will arrange for admission and inform the Local Authority. If there are more applications than places parents will be asked to fill in an application and supplementary information form and the children will be ranked in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. In both cases, parents who have been unsuccessful in securing a place will have the right to appeal.
Appeals
In circumstances where a school place is refused, parents, and in some circumstances their children, will have the right to appeal against an LA’s decision to refuse admission.
Where this is the case, the LA will establish an independent appeals panel to hear the appeal. The appeal panel will perform its judicial function in a transparent, accessible, independent and impartial manner, and operate according to principles of natural justice.
The LA and appeal panel will ensure that it acts in accordance with this Code, the School Admissions (Appeal Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012, the School Admissions Code, other law relating to admissions, and relevant human rights and equalities legislation, for example, the Equality Act 2010.
The governing board will be aware of and, where relevant, assist the LA with the admissions appeals procedure.
Timetable
The Local Authority will set a timetable for organising and hearing appeals that:
- Includes a deadline for lodging appeals which allows appellants at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge their written appeal.
- Ensures that appellants receive at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing.
- Includes reasonable deadlines for appellants to submit additional evidence, for admission authorities to submit their evidence, and for the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties.
- Ensures that decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing wherever possible.
The Local Authority will publish the appeals timetable on their website by 28 February each year.
The Local Authority will ensure that appeals lodged by the appropriate deadlines are heard within the following timescales:
- For applications made in the normal admissions round, appeals will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals
- For late applications, appeals will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
- For applications for in-year admissions, appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
Fraudulent applications
Where the governing body discovers 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 or of involvement in a place of worship) which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, then the governing body 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.
Twins/multiple births
Where there are twins/multiple births wanting admission and there is only a single place left within the admission number, then the governing body may admit above the infant class size.
M Hover Revised February 2024
Approved by Staff: February 2024
Approved by Governors: March 2024
Review: January 2025
APPEALS PROCESS
Information on the Appeals Process run by Cheshire West & Chester can be found here.