Admission Arrangements
Applying for a school place for your child can sometimes be a daunting and complicated process but we hope this page helps you to understand the statutory guidance and how to apply at the different stages of your child’s education.
Normal Year of Entry
Applications for school admissions that take place in the September of each year are administered through Essex County Council and applications can be made online via www.essex.gov.uk/admissions. Their website also has a copy of the Primary and Secondary School admissions booklets detailing all schools in the area.
Copies of the admission arrangements for each academy within our family of schools can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
Timeline of Applications
| 15 January | Deadline for applications for a primary or junior school place |
| 16 April | National offer day for primary and junior school places |
| 31 August | Deadline for late applications to the LA, i.e. those received after 31 October (secondary) or 15 January (primary) |
For applications into existing year groups, a place will be offered when the number of pupils in the relevant year group is below the admission number for that year group.
Please note: if a mid-year application is received during a school holiday period, we will respond as soon as possible when the school reopens.
In-Year Applications
Applying for a place at a school after 31 August each year, or applying to change your child’s school during the year, are referred to as “in-year” admissions.
Details of how to apply for an In-Year place at the school are available through The Sigma Trust website.
- Looked After Children
- Children with a sibling attending the school or a sibling attending Oakwood Infant and Nursery School (our partner infant school)
- Children living in the priority admission area
- Children who attend Oakwood Infant and Nursery School
- Children of staff
- Proximity of the home to the school
Children with an Education Health Care Plan that name a specific school are required to be admitted to the school that is named.
Agreement for children living in the priority admission area
The LA may, in exceptional circumstances, offer places above the published admission number (during and after the normal time of admission): if the journey to the next nearest school with a space is not reasonable in terms of distance, accessibility or cost.
Key Definitions
Looked After Children
- A ‘Looked After Child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being ‘looked after’ became subject to an adoption, Residence or Special Guardianship Order. A Looked After Child is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (as defined in Section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989).
For in-year applications, offers must be accepted within 10 school days of the date of the offer letter sent by the Local Authority to the parent, otherwise the application will be deemed to have lapsed.
Further applications and the School Waiting List will be considered when places at the school become available. Any child not admitted will be placed on the Waiting List where they will be ranked in the appropriate year group according to the same criteria as apply to new applicants.
The school will establish arrangements for appeals against non-admissions which are independent. Details of admission and appeal arrangements will be published each year.
Admission Appeal Arrangements
If you do not receive an offer of a place at our school, you can appeal against the decision. Please click below for information on admission appeal arrangements.