Admission Process overview - Community Schools

All applications for admission into a community school (including sixth form) within the County Borough must be made on the appropriate form to the Council and not to the school. Parents can apply online at www.npt.gov.uk

Head teachers do not have the authority to admit children to their school. Applications have to be made to the admission authority which, for community schools, is the Council / LA.

All parents of children known to the Council and residing within the County Borough will be forwarded an admission application letter and accompanying admission arrangement notes during the Autumn Term prior to entry into school in September of the following academic year.

Parents should request an admission application form and, when completed, return it to the Admissions Officer or apply online, by the date given on the admission arrangements.

The outcome of all admission applications will be notified to parents in writing or by email as appropriate, with all outcomes sent from the central office on the date given on the admission arrangements.

Parents who are satisfied with the placement offered should confirm acceptance of the offer in writing to the Council or via the school admission website. Unfilled places will be allocated to children and young people whose parents have applied for admission ahead of those who have not formally accepted the initial offer of a place.

Parents who are not satisfied with the placement offered have a right of appeal.

Information regarding appeals will be within the contents of the letter received. Appeals will be heard by an Independent Appeal Panel constituted for the sole purpose of hearing appeals.

Requests for admission to the relevant age group submitted on or before the administrative closing date will be processed collectively. In this respect, no advantage shall be gained from the early submission of an admission request. Requests submitted after the closing date will be processed on a weekly basis.

Admissions will not be determined on the basis of selection criteria involving the sitting of tests, viewing of school reports, interviewing pupils, with or without parents for the purpose of assessing ability or aptitude.

Where requests for admission exceed the number of places available, places will be allocated by applying the Council's oversubscription criteria.

The Council will keep a waiting list of unsuccessful applicants ranked in order of priority according to the Council's oversubscription criteria. As places become available, these will be offered on the basis of the ranked order of priority. A waiting list will be maintained until 30th September in the school year in which applications were received applied.

Right of Appeal

Parents/carers will be informed, in writing, as to whether their application has been successful. Where their application has been refused parents/carers will be informed in writing that they have right of appeal to an Independent Admission Appeals Panel. In the case of primary phase education admission appeals to be submitted by 20th May 2022. Any decision made by the Panel being binding on the Council. If the appeal is not successful a further application for a place at the same school will not be considered for the same academic year unless the Admissions Officer, School and Family Support Team, determines that there are significant and material changes to the circumstances.

Children attending the nursery class will not have an automatic right of admission to full time education at the same school. Similarly, children transferring from primary phase education to secondary phase education do not have an automatic right of admission to any school*.

The Council will be under no duty to comply with preferences expressed otherwise than in accordance with its arrangements.
Separate admission arrangements apply to pupils for whom the Council holds a statement of special educational need. Pupils with a statement of educational needs must be admitted to the school named on their statement.

Looked after and previously looked after children must, after children with a statement of educational needs, be given first priority in the case of oversubscription.

* Children admitted to the primary phase of an ‘all-through’ school do not have to apply for a place at the same school at secondary transfer.