AdmissionpolicyforNewcastlecommunityprimaryschoolsfortheacademicyear2017/18

NewcastleCityCouncilistheAdmissionsAuthorityforcommunityandvoluntarycontrolledschoolsandisresponsiblefordeterminingtheschools’admissionspolicy. TheschoolscoveredbythispolicyareBykerPrimary,KnopLawPrimarySchool,MoorsidePrimaryandWestgateHillPrimarySchools.

ThenumberofplacesavailableineachschoolintheReceptionclass2017/18isasfollows:

School / Typeofschool / PublishedAdmissionNumber(PAN)forReceptionclass2017/18
BykerPrimary / Community / 60
KnopLawPrimary / Community / 60
MoorsidePrimary / Community / 60
WestgateHillPrimary / Community / 120

Howandwhentoapplyforplaces

AllapplicationsforschoolplacesmustbemadeonNewcastleCityCouncil’sschoolapplicationformandreturnedtoNewcastleCityCouncil.

ApplicationsforReceptionplacesforSeptember2017mustbesubmittedbymiddayon15January2017. Applicationsforschoolplacesinotheryeargroupsorafterthestartoftheschoolyearcanbesubmittedatanytime.

Lateapplications

Applicationsreceivedaftertheclosingdatewillbeclassedaslateandprocessedafteralloftheapplicationsreceivedontime.

Admissionofchildrenoutsidetheirnormalyeargroup

Parentsmayrequestthattheirchildisadmittedoutsidetheirnormalagegroupiftheyfeeltheirchildisnotreadytostartschoolwiththeirpeers,forexamplebecausethechildhassufferedillhealthorissummerborn(bornbetween1April2013and31August2013).RequestsmustbesubmittedinwritingtotheLAandincludeanysupportingevidencefromrelevantprofessionals.

Requestsmustbesubmittedbeforetheclosingdateforreceptionapplicationsinthechild’snormalagegroupingoodtimefortheLAtobeabletoconsultthegoverningbodyandHeadteacherof theschoolandinformtheparentoftheoutcomebeforetheclosingdateforthenormalagegroup.Inotherwords,forchildrenduetostartschoolinSeptember2017wheretheparentwishesthechildtodelayadmissionuntil2018,parentsmustsubmittheirrequestswellbefore15January2017.TheLAwillconsidereachcaseindividually.

SpecialEducationalNeeds

ChildrenwhohaveanEducation,HealthandCarePlanwhichnamestheschoolwillbeadmittedtotheschool.

Howplaceswillbeallocated

Ifthereareenoughplacesattheschooltheneveryapplicantwillbeofferedaplace.Ifmoreapplicationsarereceivedthanthenumberofplacesavailable,thefollowingoversubscriptioncriteriawillbeusedintheordershowntodecidewhichchildrenwillbeallocatedplaces.

1.Childrenwhoarecurrentlylookedafterbyalocalauthority(incare)andchildrenwhowerepreviouslylookedafterbyalocalauthorityandimmediatelyafterwardsbecamesubjecttoanadoption,residence(childarrangements)orderorspecialguardianshiporder. Evidenceoftheappropriateordermustbesubmittedbeforetheclosingdateforapplications.

2.Childrenwithabrotherorsister(asibling)whowillbeonrollattheschoolonthedatethatthechildwillbeadmittedinSeptember2017.Siblingcanbeabrotherorsister,halfbrotherorsister,adoptedbrotherorsister,stepbrotherorsister,orthechildoftheparentorcarer’spartner,aslongasthechildrenliveatthesameaddress.However,pleasenotethatchildrenattendingthenurseryclassorotherEarlyEducationorchildcareprovisionattached totheschoolwillnotbegivenpriorityassiblinglinks.

3.Childrenwithanexceptionalmedicalreasonthatmeanstheycanonlyattendthespecificschool(forexample,wherethechildoroneorbothparentshasadisabilitythatmeansthatthechildcanonlyattendthisschool). Strongsupportingevidencemustbeprovidedfromahealthcareprofessionalwhoisindependentofboththefamilyandtheschool. Theevidencemustrelatespecificallytothisschoolandmustclearlydemonstratewhyitistheonlyschoolthatcanmeetthechild'sneeds.

4.Childrenlivingnearesttotheschoolasmeasuredinastraightlinedistancefromasinglefixedcentralpointattheschooltoapointinthecentreofthehomeaddressofthechild,usingtheLocalLandandPropertyGazetteerand British National Grid Easting and Northing co-ordinates.

ParentsandcarersshouldnotethattheallocationofReceptionplacesdoesnottakeintoaccountattendanceatanyspecificnurseryclassorschool.ChildreninthenurseryclassoftheschoolwillnotbegivenprioritynoraretheyguaranteedaReceptionplaceinthemainschool.

Additionalnotes

  • Intheeventthatmorethanonechildhasanequalrighttoanavailableplacetheplacewillbeofferedbasedonrandomallocation.
  • Parents/carershavetwoweekstorespondtoanofferofaschoolplace. Ifanacceptanceisnotreceiveditmaybeassumedthataplaceisnolongerrequiredandtheoffermaybewithdrawn.
  • Parentswhoshareresponsibilityforthecareoftheirchildareexpectedtoreachagreementtoaschoolplacementbetweenthem.Intheeventofadisputetheschoolwillaccepttheapplicationfromtheparenttowhomthechildbenefitispaid.
  • Whenstatingyourchoiceofschool,youmustgivethechild’spermanentaddressatthetimeofapplication. Theaddressofchildmindersorotherfamilymemberswhomayshareinthecareofyourchildmustnotbequotedasthehomeaddress.
  • Ifthechildlivespartoftheweekbetweentwoparents,thechild’saddressshouldbetheaddresswherethechildlives(1)duringtheschoolweek,or(2)withtheparentwhoreceiveschildbenefitorwherethechildisregisteredwithaGP,ifthereisanydispute.

Waitinglists

ForapplicationsforReceptionplaces,waitinglistswillbekeptuntiltheendofDecember2017andwillthenbecleared. Waitinglistswillberankedusingtheoversubscriptioncriteriaregardlessofthedatetheapplicationwasreceived.

FromJanuaryandthenonatermlybasis,waitinglistswillbeclearedandparentswillneedtore-applyeachtermiftheystillwanttheirchildtobeconsideredforaplaceattheschool.

Rightofappeal

Parents/carerswhoarerefusedaplacefortheirchildhaveastatutoryrightofappealtoanindependentappealspanel.PleasecontacttheSchoolAppealsTeamforinformation().Informationisalsoavailableat

Definitions

  • ALookedAfterChildisachildwhoisinthecareofalocalauthorityinaccordancewithsection22oftheChildrenAct1989atthetimetheapplicationforadmissiontoschoolismadeandwhomthelocalauthorityhasconfirmedwillstillbelookedafteratthedateofadmission.
  • AnAdoptionOrderisanordermadeundersection46oftheAdoptionandChildrenAct2002.
  • AChildArrangementsOrder(previouslyknownasaResidenceOrder)isanorderoutliningthearrangementsastothepersonwithwhomthechildwilllive.
  • ASpecialGuardianshipOrderisanorderappointingoneormoreindividualstobeachild’sspecialguardianorguardians.