Seend C.E. V.A. Primary School - Admissions Policy 2008 - 2009

Introduction
This document sets out the Policy of Seend Church of England V.A.
Primary School with respect to Admissions. For the purposes of this policy, the Governing Body of Seend C.E. V.A. Primary School is the admission authority.

Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the churches at parish and diocesan level.

The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the daily Christian act of worship and from Religious Education.

Parents who wish their children to be admitted to the school should complete the application form. This is available from the school or from County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge (01225 713000) . All applications must be returned to County Hall. Applications can also be made on- line at www.wiltshire.gov.uk

Every year the governing body will review and publish information concerning the Seend C.E. VA School admission policy. This will confirm the maximum number of children to be admitted to the school as a whole, the Pupil Admissions Number (PAN) which is currently 17 and explain how places will be allocated.

In accordance with government legislation, the governing body will consult with the Diocesan Board of Education, the Local Authority and other local schools annually in respect of the admissions policy.

Aims
The overriding aim of this policy is that it should work for the benefit of all children and parents/guardians in our area. It should be simple to use and assist parents/guardians to take the best decisions on the preferred school for their children. It should contribute to improving standards for all pupils.
The school aims to provide a place for all children whose address is within the designated area, defined as being the area within the ecclesiastical boundaries of the parish of Seend.

The address is the place where the child is permanently resident with his or her parent or parents or legal guardians. Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility each part of the week, the “home address” will be considered to be the address of the person who receives Child Benefit for the child (proof of this will be required). Parents should not assume that a place will automatically be allocated to their child.

Starting School
A school place in the Reception class is available for children from the September following their 4th birthday. Full-time education is available in the term in which they are deemed to turn 5 years of age, as shown in the table below:

Governors have the discretion to determine whether attendance should be full-time or half-time during the term before the children attain the age of 5. They have determined that attendance of pupils bon after the 31st March shall attend school until mid day in terms 1 and 2 and full time thereafter.

Deadline for application
Applications for Reception Year entry for the academic year starting September 2008 need to be formally registered with the Local Authority by noon on the 16/11/07 for consideration by the admission authority.

Seend Church of England VA Primary School cannot guarantee places for children when there are no places available as a result of late applications for the normal year of entry or any application that relates to a different year group.

The Governors have set a maximum class size of 30 pupils in Key Stage 1 and 36 pupils in Key Stage 2. Legislation states that no infant class may exceed 30 pupils.

A decision on the admission of new entrants will be made during the autumn term, a year before the child's admission. The parents or guardians will receive written notification of the outcome from the Local Authority at the earliest opportunity.

Late applications, i.e. those received after the deadline for the normal admissions round will not be considered until after all of those which were received on time have been processed. Late applications will be considered in order of receipt.

Multiple Births
If there are insufficient places to accommodate all the children of a multiple birth (i.e. twins, triplets etc.) the parents of the children will be asked to nominate the child or children to take up the available number of places

Policy
The admissions policy of Seend C.E. VA Primary School is, while there are adequate places, to offer a place to all applicants irrespective of gender, religion, ethnicity or country of origin, disability or academic ability.

Admissions are subject to any constraints upon the school by the relevant authority (Salisbury Diocese, DfES, Local Education Authority).

Where this school is named in a child’s Statement of Special Educational Needs, the governing body recognises a duty to admit the child to the school.

Over-subscription Criteria
Where more applications have been received than places available or where to admit would conflict with the school fulfilling class size legislation, the following priorities shall apply in order:

LOCAL AUTHORITY CARE
Children within Local Authority care, for example, children in residential
homes or foster care.

2. SEN/VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Children of families with confirmed refugee status children with a medical condition where written evidence is available from a senior clinical medical officer and the child's general practitioner or specialist showing that it would be detrimental to the child's health not to admit him/her to the school. Details of this must accompany the initial application.
Children where one or both parents have a disability which would make travel to a different school difficult. Evidence from a registered health professional such as a doctor or social worker will be required. Details of this must accompany the initial application.

LIVING WITHIN THE SCHOOL’S DESIGNATED AREA AS DEFINED ABOVE:

SIBLINGS
A child is considered in this category if an older sibling is attending the school at the deadline date, and will continue to do so when the sibling is admitted, and where the child lives within the designated area at the same address as the older sibling. Step, half and foster siblings are included in this category, as well as the children of couples who have registered a civil partnership.

PRACTISING CHRISTIANS
Those children from within the designated area who are regular (at least once each month for a period of at least a year prior to application) practising Christians, of whatever denomination, at a recognised church or religious group. (A recognised church is one that subscribes to the Churches Together in Britain and Northern Ireland) Confirmation of status will be requested from the relevant priest/pastor.

OTHER CHILDREN
Children resident outside the designated area who do not qualify under one of the criteria above.

If the school is oversubscribed in criterion 3 then criterion 4 will be used as the determining factor. If the school is oversubscribed in criterion 6 then criterion 7 will be used as the determining factor. In all other oversubscribed criteria the straight line distance from the front gate of the school to the front door of the child's home address will be used as the determining factor. If two or more children with the same priority for admission live an indistinguishable distance from the school, but cannot be admitted, then the available places will be decided by the casting of lots.

Exceptional Circumstances

Due consideration will be given to applications from parents/guardians who can demonstrate that admission to Seend C.E. VA Primary School is necessary for the medical or social well-being of their child. However, parents/guardians must bring any such 'special factors' to the attention of the school at the time of the original application.

Where necessary the school reserves the right in such cases to seek supporting evidence from a doctor, social worker or education welfare officer as appropriate.

For children of statutory school age, only in the most exceptional of circumstances, will the school agree to defer entry to the school once an offer of a place is made, especially where such a deferral might deny a school place to another child.

Once an offer of a school place has been made, it may only be lawfully withdrawn in very limited circumstances, which include an offer of place based upon a fraudulent or misleading application. Where an offer of place is withdrawn, the application will be considered afresh, and a right of appeal offered if an offer of place is refused.

Appeals Procedure

Parents have a right of appeal to an independent panel against the decision of the Governing Body to refuse application for a school place. Details of the appeals procedure are sent out with all refusal letters.

Enquiries about this policy should be addressed to:
Chair of Governors, Seend Church of England. V.A. School. School Road, Seend, Wiltshire. SN12 6JN

Note: Subject to the above policy and the relevant appeals procedure, decisions regarding admissions will be the responsibility of the Governing Body.