Chandos Primary Academy

Growing, Learning, Achieving Together

This Admissions Policy relates to admission to the academy in the academic year 2020/21

General _{The Academy will comply with the Department for Education’s School Admissions Code of Practice} (“¹the Admissions Code”) the School Admission Appeals Code of Practice (“²the Appeals Code”) and the law relating to admissions. This admissions policy is designed to comply with the Admissions Code and Appeals Code that are in effect at the time of drafting this policy.

The Academy will, through The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust (TEFAT), consult the relevant bodies where amendments to the policy are required or within the specified timescale as per the Admissions Code.

The Academy will participate in the co-ordinated admissions arrangements for reception entry which will be administered Birmingham City Council (“the LA”)

Admission Numbers

1. Published Admission Number (PAN) – Nursery Provision

The Academy has an agreed PAN of 26 full time equivalent places, see nursery admission on the Academy website for further details.

2. Published Admission Number (PAN) – Reception Entry

The Academy has an agreed PAN of 60 (2 Form Entry). The Academy will accordingly admit 60 children (aged rising 5) if sufficient applications are received.

Application Process

3. Nursery Admission a) Applications for a place in the nursery will be made directly the Academy and the timetable will be published yearly. Applicants will be considered under the published admissions criteria clause 5, see nursery admission on the Academy website for further details.

b) The Academy does not give priority for reception places within the admissions criteria to children who attend the nursery. To do so would give an unfair advantage to children whose parents are able to take advantage of a nursery place at the Academy in comparison to those who have to attend other providers.

c) Parents/Carers will need to apply for a reception place on their local authority application form if they would like their child to be considered for a place. All applicants will be considered as per the admissions criteria clause 5.

1 _{School Admissions Code - December 2014} 2 _{School Admission Appeals Code - February 2012}

4. Reception Admission

Applications for a reception place must be made on the application form provided and administered by the home local authority (the one that the parent/carer pays council tax to). For further information on this process please visit the LA website.

The Academy will consider all applications for a reception place under the published admissions criteria clause 5.

5. Admission Criteria

When the Academy is oversubscribed, after the admission of Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN) / Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) where the Academy is named, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below:

a) A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who is a) looked after by a local authority or b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in their exercise of their social services functions, in accordance with section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989. Details of eligibility must be supplied by the allocated social worker or foster carer.

b) Children for whom it is essential to be admitted to the Academy because of special circumstances to do with significant medical or social needs, which relate to the child or an immediate member of the child’s family. Applications must be supported by medical evidence from a GP or hospital consultant, social worker or similar professional.

i The supporting evidence should set out the particular reason why the Academy is the most suitable and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school. This evidence must be sent to the Academy by the application closing date, for the applicant to be consider under this criterion.

c) Children who, on the date of application, have a sibling (i.e. a natural brother or sister, or a half brother or sister, or a legally adopted brother or sister or half-brother or sister, or step brother or sister) who is living with them at the same address and on roll of the Academy.

d) Children of staff, where the member of staff has been employed by the Academy for 2 or more years at the time of application, or the member of staff was recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

e) Children living nearest the school. Distances are calculated based on a straight-line measurement between the applicant’s home address and the school gate on Vaughton Street South. The LA uses a computerised system, which measures all distances in metres. Ordnance Survey supply the co- ordinates that are used to plot an applicant’s home address.

6. Additional Information a) Accessibility by car or public transport, a childminder’s or business address cannot be taken into

consideration.

b) If parents/carers have a genuine 50/50 share care arrangement, then the address of the parent/carer who is in receipt of child benefit or working tax credits will be used for the purpose of the application. In cases where parents are not eligible for these benefits the address will be that of the parent/carer where the child is registered with a doctor.

7. When a place is offered, proof of eligibility will be required. If false or misleading information is used

to gain entry to the Academy, the offer of a place will be withdrawn.

8. Tie Break

Sibling If there are more siblings than there are places available, the places will be offered to the siblings who meet clause 5d and 5e in this order.

Distance In the event of a tie break under the distance criterion random allocation will be used, which will be undertaken by a person independent of TEFAT.

9. Infant Class Size Legislation

The Academy is required to comply with the Infant Class Size requirement which means that it can teach no more than 30 infants per school teacher. Our admission number therefore reflects this position. However, if one child of a multiple birth can be accommodated within the published admission number, the Academy will accommodate the other child/children as an exception to the Infant Class Size requirement as per the School Admissions code.

10. Children of Service Personnel (UK Armed Force)

The Academy will consider applications for a place from families of UK Service Personnel (UK Armed Forces) or a Crown Servant returning from overseas as a result of a posting; under the published admissions criteria clause 5. The distance measurement used to consider the application will be calculated to the posting address or unit postal address, providing proof of posting is supplied (e.g. a letter that declares the relocation date and unit postal or quartering area address) with the application. Places can be allocated in advance of the family arriving in the area.

Waiting Lists

11. Nursery

The Academy will operate a waiting list if it receives more applications than there are places available, the list will be open for the whole academic year. Applications will be made directly to the Academy and will be considered under the published admissions criteria clause 5, see nursery admission on the Academy website for further details.

12. Reception

The Academy will operate a waiting list where it receives more applications than there are places available. A waiting list will operate from the day after national offer day until the 31 December of the new academic year. Applicants who have not been offered a place by the Academy or a *higher preference from their local authority application form preferences will be allocated a place on the waiting list. Parents/Carers of applicants who placed the Academy as a lower preference on the application form and received a higher preference or wish to make a new application, should apply to the Academy. Parents/Carers who would like their child’s name to remain on the reception waiting list after the 31 December will need to reapply under the In year waiting list process set out in clause 13.

*Higher preference – an applicant has been offered a place at a school that the parent/carer placed higher on the application form than their preference of the Academy.

13. In Year

The Academy will operate a waiting list for applications submitted for years 1 – 6 and reception after 31 December. Applications are made directly to the Academy by completing an in-year application form available from the Academy. The Academy will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available admit the child, unless one of the permitted reliefs applies. If more applications are received than there are places available, the admissions criteria clause 5 will be applied. The waiting list will operate for the full academic year.

14. The date of application will not be taken into consideration for all waiting lists as the applicant’s position will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in clause 5. If at the end of the academic year a parent/carer would like their children to be considered for entry to the subsequent year group, they will be required to apply afresh.

15. Appeals

Where an application to the Academy is declined, parents/carers have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel except when applying to the nursery. The Academy will provide guidance for parents/carers on how the appeal process works and a named contact who will be able to answer any questions or queries. A timetable for appeals will be published by the date specified in the Appeals Code.

16. Reception Starting Dates

Children will qualify for admission to the reception class in the September following their fourth birthday. Where an offer has been made:

i. the child’s parent/carer can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age (5^th birthday) and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which the offer was made; and ii. where the parent/carer wishes, a child may attend part-time until later in the school year but not

beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.

17. Admission of Children outside Their Normal Age Group Including Summer Born Children. a) The Academy will consider an application for a place outside of the child’s normal age group, which includes summer born children (1 April – 31 August), their decision will be based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. Parents/Carers will need to write to the Academy giving a reason and providing documentation to support this request.

b) The Academy will take into account the parent/carer’s views; information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional; whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group; and whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely.

c) The Academy will consider the information provided and inform the parent/carer in writing of their decision. If the Academy agrees to this request the child will be considered with the other applicants under the published admissions criteria for the admission year/year group that they are applying for.

18. Fair Access

The Academy will participate in the LA’s In Year Fair Access Protocol and children may be prioritised over those children on the In year waiting list for admission under this protocol.

Determined by TEFAT 15/02/19