How we process your application

Understanding how we process your application

We treat each of your preferences as if it was a separate application. Each school has a published admissions number (PAN). This is the number of pupils who can be admitted into the usual point of entry for a school.

Places are allocated against the published admission criteria for each school.

If your child qualifies for a place at more than one of the schools you have asked for, we will look at how you ranked your preferences. We will always offer the highest preference school at which your child has qualified for a place. All lower preferences will then be withdrawn.

You can make a preference for a maximum of four schools. It is important that you use all your preferences and include your catchment area school on your application. If we are unable to offer your child a place at one of your preferred schools, we will offer you a place at the nearest school to your home address that still has places available.

What if I want to change my preferences after submitting my application?

Once you have submitted your in-year application, if you wish to change your preferences, you can either amend the original application, remembering to resubmit the application, for the changes to be considered.

Alternatively you can email [email protected] to confirm your new preferences.

Your home address

Home address is a child’s permanent address or where the child lives for most of the time Monday to Friday during school terms, at the time of application. 

Informal accommodation arrangements with family and friends are not accepted unless a parent can prove that their child lives elsewhere with someone who has legal care and control of their child. We will need legal evidence of this.

An address used for childcare arrangements cannot be used as the home address for the purpose of applying for a school place.

We will check the home address provided in an application against our records and those held by other organisations. Parents can be asked to provide proof of their address, i.e. evidence of the name being on the electoral register, proof of council tax payment, or a utility bill, etc.

We will refuse to accept an address that might be considered to be only a temporary address for the purpose of obtaining a place at a popular school:

• The original home is still owned, and the new address is a rented property within the area of a popular school.
• Only part of the family moves unless this was due to a divorce or permanent separation arrangement. We will need legal evidence of this.
• A child moves to a home other than with their parent or carer unless it was due to a formal fostering or care arrangement through social services. We will require official letters from the professionals involved confirming this, and these must be submitted at the time of application.

Please note that we have the right to withdraw any offer of a school place up to one term after admission if it is shown that it was obtained based on a fraudulent or misleading application.

Split residence

Where a child lives with parents that have shared responsibility for the child, the “residence” shall be considered as the home which the child resides for the majority of the school week.

Where the child is split equally throughout the school week then the “residence” shall be defined as the home which the child is registered with their GP, or alternatively where child benefits are paid.

We can only accept one application per child and parents are expected to agree school preferences before applying. The admissions team cannot become involved in any disputes or differences over the application.

House moves during the application process

The address given on the application must be the address you are living at. If you are moving house, you will still need to apply using your current address, but include the moving address on your application including the date you plan to move to the new address. You will then need to send us proof of the house move which you can send by email or by post. 

When providing proof of the house move, the evidence required is; either

• Official confirmation that the house purchase is legally binding (i.e contracts have already been exchanged and completed); or
• A formal rental agreement which shows that the property to be rented is suitable for the family’s needs

For any house move where the evidence has not been provided, we will process your application against your current address.