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Admissions

The academy has an admission number of 60 pupils for the academic year 2024-25.  Accordingly, the academy will provide for the admission of 60 pupils to reception if sufficient applications for entry are received.  Where fewer than the published admission number for the relevant year groups is received, the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) will offer places at Wallscourt Farm Academy to all those who have applied.

In order that your child can be considered for entry to Wallscourt Farm Primary Academy for the school year 2024-25 you must complete and submit the common application form.  Completed common application forms for residents of South Gloucestershire must be returned directly to South Gloucestershire Council’s Admission & Transport Team either on-line at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions or complete the common application form provided in the Admission to School booklet available from South Gloucestershire Council telephone 01454 868008 email: cis@southglos.gov.uk

Parents/carers who do not live in South Gloucestershire but who wish to apply for a place at Wallscourt Farm Primary Academy must return the appropriate common application form to the local authority in which they live.  Any application forms from parents/carers living outside South Gloucestershire will be passed to the relevant ‘home’ local authority.

Over-subscription criteria

Should the academy be over-subscribed (i.e. if there are more applications than places available), initial allocations will be made according to the following criteria; these are listed in order of priority and will be applied to all applications received by the published closing date for applications.  For further details concerning the admission criteria please refer to the notes to the over-subscription criteria.

  1. Children in care or previously in care
  2. Local Siblings
  3. Geography – children living closest to the school
  4. Tie breaker

Children with statements of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan are admitted to school under separate legislation and are not ranked against the criteria.

Notes to the over-subscription criteria:

  1. Children in care* are children who are in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989.

Children previously in care* are those who were in care but immediately afterwards became subject to an adoption1, residence2 or special guardianship3 order.

  1. Under the terms of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
  2. Under the terms of the Children Act 1989.
  3. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989.

*     Documentation will need to be provided to South Gloucestershire Council as proof of care status.

  1. Siblings are defined as:
  • full or half brother or sister
  • adoptive brother or sister
  • children of the same household or step brother or sister or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the child for whom the place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling. The older sibling must already be in attendance at Wallscourt Farm Academy
  1. Geography – places will be allocated to children living closest to the academy. Distances are measured in a straight line between the address point of the child’s home and a central point within the main school building using the South Gloucestershire Council’s computerised mapping system.  A child’s permanent home address, is where he or she resides with a person with parental responsibility, or with a parent (as defined in Section 576 of the Education Act 1996).  It is the address where the child spends the majority of his or her time.  Documentary evidence may be required to confirm a child’s home address.  If a child regularly lives at more than one address the admission authority will have to reach a conclusion about which address should be counted as the main address when allocating school places.  This will normally be the address where the Child Benefit is paid.
  1. Tie breaker – where the academy is over-subscribed and it does not prove possible to resolve allocations by the application of criteria 1-3, any remaining places will be allocated by drawing lots. Lots will be drawn by a senior officer of South Gloucestershire Council who is independent of the academy’s admissions process.

Children with special educational needs (SEN) or an education, health and care plan (EHC Plan)

Children with Statements of SEN or an EHC Plan are admitted to school under separate legislation and attend the school named in their statement/plan, i.e. they are not ranked against the criteria for any school/academy.  The South Gloucestershire Admission to School booklet sets out the following in relation to admission to any school/academy:

There is a separate form for children with Statements of SEN or an EHC Plan which will be provided to parents/carers by the relevant case officer.  If your child has a Statement of SEN or an EHC Plan do not complete the form in this booklet.  However, you may find some of the information useful.  If your child is undergoing statutory assessment please contact your case officer for further advice before completing a form.  If your child has special educational needs but does not currently have a statement you should complete and submit a common application form in the normal way.

Waiting lists

The academy will operate a waiting list for each year group.  Where in any year the academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until the end of Term 2 and then discarded.

This will be maintained by the CLF and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.

Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the over-subscription criteria.  Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the over-subscription criteria.

Children of multiple births

Where the last child to qualify for a place is a twin or child of multiple birth, the place will be offered to one child and the other child(ren) considered under the admission criteria as exceptions to the infant class size regulations where relevant.

Late applications

Applications received after the closing date are late applications and will not normally be considered for the initial allocation of places.  However, the CLF will consider the circumstances of a late application before deciding whether or not to consider it along with the on-time applications.

In-year admissions

If you have moved into the local area during the school year or you are already resident in South Gloucestershire and wish to apply for a place at the academy, you will need to complete the South Gloucestershire in-year application form.  The form can be used for application to any school within South Gloucestershire and is available at www.southglos.gov.uk/admissions.  Alternatively, you may wish to contact individual schools or South Gloucestershire Council on 01454 868008.  In-year admissions will be allocated in accordance with the published admissions criteria.

Appeals

Parents/carers of children not offered a place at the academy will have the right of appeal to an independent appeal panel.  Parents/carers should put their appeal in writing.

Admissions Policies