Admissions Policy 22-23
The Published Admission Number for Laindon Park Primary School & Nursery is 30.
Children are entitled to a full time place in the September following their fourth birthday. Therefore, those children who have their 5th birthday between 1st September and 31st August 2023 will be admitted full time in September 2022.
The Local Authority coordinates admissions to the school at the normal point of entry.
Over Subscription Criteria
There is no guarantee of a place for children living in the priority admissions area.
In the event of over-subscription, the following criteria will be applied, in number order, to determine priority:
1. Looked-after children (including formerly looked-after children who have been adopted or made subject to child arrangements or special guardianship order).
2. Children with a sibling** attending the school at the time of admission.
3. Children living in the priority admissions area.
4. Remaining applications.
In the event of over-subscription within any of the above criteria, priority will be determined by straight line distance from home to school, those living closest being given the highest priority. At the normal point of entry this will be based on measurements provided by the Local Authority. Measurements for mid-year admissions will be based on an online distance calculator. In the event that there are two or more applicants living the same distance from the school than random allocation will be used to determine who has priority for admission. This random allocation process will be independently supervised.
Notes
a) 'Looked-after child'. This is a child who is a) in the care of the Local Authority or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in exercise of their social services functions (see definition in section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989).
b) The school may ask for verification of the child's home address, in particular in the case of children to who shared parental responsibility arrangements apply. Where this is the case, the application may be processed on the basis of that address (where the child resides for the majority of the school week) and proof of address and residence arrangements will be required with the application. The child must be living with the parent, relative or carer 24 hours per day, for the majority of the school week.
Siblings
**Siblings are defined as a child living in the same family unit, in the same family household and address who at the time of the application attends the Laindon Park Primary School & Nursery in any year group excluding the final year. This includes brothers and sisters, adopted brothers and sisters and step brothers and sisters. Children residing in the same household, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings.
Priority Admissions Area
Please contact the school for details of the priority admissions area.
Waiting Lists
Unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list will be ordered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out above. This means that the time that a child was added to the list will have no bearing on their position in the list and once on the list a child may move up and down the list as other children are added or removed. Waiting lists will be maintained for the duration of the Early Years Foundation Stage year and any mid-year admissions will be in line with the criteria above.
Appeals Against Admission Decisions
Parents and carers have the right to appeal against admission decisions to an Independent Appeal Panel, as specified in Admissions Code. If you have not been offered the reception school place you wanted for September 2022, Essex School Admissions have a link to a helpful video with advice on the process on their website https://www.essex.gov.uk/after-your-school-offer/appeals
Late Applications
Applications received after the national closing date will be handled in accordance with the co-ordinated scheme for Essex (published in the Primary Education in Essex booklet - www.essex.gov.uk/admissions)
Admission Arrangements
The Governing Body will apply the admission arrangements in accordance with the co-ordinated scheme for Essex.
Mid-Year Admissions
Mid-year applications for places (i.e. those made outside of the Reception process) must be made directly to the school using the mid-year application form. This is available to download from the school website www.laindonparkprimary.co.uk. Please note that once a sibling leaves Laindon Park Primary School you will no longer be ranked under the sibling criteria on the waiting list.
At Laindon Park Primary School the following will apply:
- It should be aimed that Laindon Park Primary School will inform parents/carers with the outcome of their in-year application in writing within 10 school days of receiving the application form.
- In any event, Laindon Park Primary School will inform parents/carers of the outcome of their in-year application in writing within 15 school days.
- Laindon Park Primary School will notify the Council of every application and every outcome within 2 school days of the decision being made.
- Laindon Park Primary School will provide the LA with details of the number of places available whenever this information is requested, no later than 2 school days following receipt of the LA request.
- Laindon Park Primary School will notify the Local Authority of their intention to manage their own mid-year admissions by 1 October and 31 August for subsequent years.
Admission Arrangements for Pupils with SEND
If a child is due to start primary school and already has a statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the process of selecting a school is linked to the child's statement or EHCP. a consultation with the Statutory Assessment Service, staff at school, parents/carers and any relevant outside agencies will take place so that a school can be named in the statement or EHCP. It will be the same process for a pupil joining school mid-year.
