Admissions Policy

Rodings Primary School Admission Policy

September 2021

From Sept 2011 admission authorities must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday, although:

1. Parents can request that the date their child is admitted to the school is deferred until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in that school year. Where entry is deferred, the school will hold the place for that child and not offer it to another child. The parent would not however be able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted.  
2. Parents can request that their child attends part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age.
   Parents who require a place for their child must complete a Common Application Form (CAF). This will be sent via the Local Authority and should be completed and returned to them by their stated closure date for admission in September 2021.
   
   Pupils will be admitted without reference to ability or aptitude.
   
   Under section 324 of the EA 1996 children with statements will be admitted to Rodings Primary if it is named on their statement. These children will be not included in the oversubscription criterion.
   
   Where applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit : -

1. Looked After Children. *
2. Where the child resides within the catchment area of the school (as indicated on the map available from the school office) and has a sibling currently attending the school in any year but the final year (Year 6);
3. Where the child resides within the catchment area of the school (as indicated on the map available from the school office).
4. Where the child resides outside the catchment area and has a sibling currently attending the school in any year but the final year (Year 6)
5. Children of staff at the school:
   Priority will be given to children of staff in either or both of the following circumstances:

   • where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or

   • the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

6. Proximity of the child’s home to the school with those living nearer being accorded priority.  
   Distance is calculated by the Local Authority, as defined in the Primary Education in Essex booklet, by use of a Geographical Information System which accurately measures the straight line distance from the home address to the school. If necessary distance will be used to distinguish between candidates who meet the criteria in a, b, c, d and e above.

The school is publishing an admission number of 30 for 2021/22.

If your child is refused a place at our school you will have the right of appeal to an independent statutory appeal committee. Appeals need to be lodged with Essex Councty Council. They will organise a date for teh appeal to be heard. More information about appeals can be found on The Essex County council website. If your application for a place is refused (whether you appeal or not) a waiting list for admission will be maintained, in order of priority based on the admissions criteria. The waiting list will be kept open for the academic year.

* A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after, became subject to adoption, residence or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who 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 (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).