Admissions to Early Years – Reception Class

Key dates:

http://ow.ly/dZOl30gEbZR

Admissions Policy 2022/23:Holy-Trinity-Admissions-Policy-22 23

Admissions Policy 2023/24:Holy-Trinity-Admissions-Policy-23 24

We are currently consulting on our Admissions arrangements for 2024/25: 

Holy Trinity CoE Determined Policy 2425-3326

Parents and carers wishing to apply for a place for Reception are offered opportunities to tour the school, and ask questions through either online meetings or via the phone (all to be done virtually during the Covid outbreak) .

The school does not have any specific units or facilities for pupils with particular special needs and there are no specific facilities for pupils with physical disabilities. The school is however on a level site, and all the accommodation is on one floor; there are also ramps at the main entrance and at the entrance to the playground. All classrooms may be entered without steps. As far as possible, the school will ensure that pupils with disabilities have access to the same opportunities as other pupils.

The Governing Body is responsible for the admission of pupils to Holy Trinity Church of England School and admits 30 pupils to Reception each September. This admission number has been agreed between the Governing Body and the Local Authority and applies to the year 2020/21.

The Governing Body is required by law to abide by the maximum limits for infant classes (5, 6 and 7 year olds), ie 30 pupils per class.

Parents/carers are requested to complete our Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and return it to the school office by the agreed date. This can be obtained from the office or is available on the school website. If a SIF is not completed the Governing Body will apply their admission arrangements using the information submitted on the Common Application Form (CAF) only, which may result in your application being given a lower priority. The CAF is available online via the HCC website www.hertsdirect.org/admissions.

Parents/carers can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning fo the final term of the school year for which it was made. Where parents/carers wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.

Parents of a summer-born (1 April-31 August) child may choose not to send that child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group to Reception rather than Year 1.

The Admissions Committee will make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. They will also take into account the views of the headteacher.

When informing parents of their decision on the year group to which the child should be admitted, the Admissions Committee will set out clearly the reasons for their decision.

Where an Admissions Committee agrees to a parent’s request for the child to be admitted out of their normal age group and, as a consequence of that decision, the child will be admitted to a relevant age group (ie Reception), the admission authority will process the application as part of the main admissions round.

The statutory right to appeal does not apply if they are offered a place at the school but not in their preferred age group.

Please note that the information in this policy is correct for the year shown. Policies for future years may well be different.

Parents of a summer-born (1 April-31 August) child may choose not to send that child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group to Reception rather than Year 1.

The Admissions Committee will make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. They will also take into account the views of the headteacher.

When informing parents of their decision on the year group to which the child should be admitted, the Admissions Committee will set out clearly the reasons for their decision.

Where an Admissions Committee agrees to a parent’s request for the child to be admitted out of their normal age group and, as a consequence of that decision, the child will be admitted to a relevant age group (ie Reception), the admission authority will process the application as part of the main admissions round.

The statutory right to appeal does not apply if they are offered a place at the school but not in their preferred age group.

The address provided must be the child’s current permanent address at the time of application. ‘At the time of application’ means the closing date for applications. “Permanent” means that the child has lived at that address for at least a year and/or the family own the property or have a tenancy agreement for a minimum of 12 months.

The application can only be processed using one address. If a child lives at more than one address (for example due to a separation) the address used will be the one which the child lives at for the majority of the time. If a child lives at two addresses equally, the address of the parent/carer that claims Child Benefit/Child Tax Credit will be considered as the child’s main residence.

If a family is not in receipt of Child Benefit/Tax Credit alternative documentation will be requested.

If a child’s residence is in dispute, parents/carers should provide court documentation to evidence the address that should be used for admission allocation purposes.

The date of receiving applications prior to the Governors’ meeting to allocate places has no bearing on the allocation of places. Late applications will be considered separately to those received in line with the correct timescales.

1. All applicants, including In Year applicants will be asked to complete both the County Application Form (which can be done online) and a school application form (SIF) prior to consideration by the Governors. If a SIF is not completed the Governing Body will apply their admission arrangements using the information submitted on the Common Application Form only, which may result in your application being given a lower priority. School forms may be obtained from the school office during school hours or the website. The CAF is available online via the HCC website www.hertsdirect.org/admissions.

2. The Governor’s meeting to allocate places for Reception will be held in line with Hertfordshire’s agreed date each year. This can be found on the Herts Direct website. The LA will notify parents on behalf of the governors if a place has been allocated.

3. Applications for places in a Reception class received after the allocation for places has been made but before the class starts at the school will be placed on the Continued Interest (waiting) list. This list will be kept open until the end of the Autumn term of the admission year and then reviewed termly. If places subsequently become available the criteria specified in the Admissions Policy above will apply.

4. Late applications can only be considered after consideration of all applications received by the deadline date regardless of category priority.

5. Older pupils will be considered for admission, providing there is room in the relevant year group, according to the published admission rules. All ‘in year’ applications will be co-ordinated by the LA on behalf of the school, but a SIF is still requested.

Geographical proximity will be determined by the following definition:

”The home to school distance will be measured using straight line distance measurement provided by Hertfordshire County Council’s GIS (Geographic Information Systems) system as outlined in the Moving On/Under 11s.

When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from a school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, the tie break will be random.

The address provided must be the child’s current permanent address at the time of application. ‘At the time of application’ means the closing date for applications. “Permanent” means that the child has lived at that address for at least a year and/or the family own the property or have a tenancy agreement for a minimum of 12 months.

The application can only be processed using one address. If a child lives at more than one address (for example due to a separation) the address used will be the one which the child lives at for the majority of the time. If a child lives at two addresses equally, the address of the parent/carer that claims Child Benefit/Child Tax Credit will be considered as the child’s main residence.

If a family is not in receipt of Child Benefit/Tax Credit alternative documentation will be requested.

If a child’s residence is in dispute, parents/carers should provide court documentation to evidence the address that should be used for admission allocation purposes.

Parents who have not been allocated a place for their child in the reception class (and other classes where there is an in-year admission) have the right of appeal to an independent panel. At transfer time parents wishing to appeal who applied through Hertfordshire’s online system should log in to their online application and click on the link “register an appeal”. Out of county residents and paper applicants should call the Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 to request their registration details and log into http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions  and click on the link “log into the appeals system.

For In Year Admissions:

HCC will write to you with the outcome of your application and if you have been unsuccessful, we will include registration details to enable you to login and appeal online: http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions

In the event of more applications than available places the governors will maintain a continuing interest list (waiting list). These and late applications will go onto this list in a position determined by the admissions criteria. If a place becomes available in the school it will be offered to the child that best meets the published admission criteria.

Parents are requested to inform the governors if they wish their child’s name to be removed. This list will be kept open until the end of the Autumn term of the admission year and then reviewed termly.

The school cooperates with the LA’s Fair Access protocol for children who are hard to place and children admitted under this protocol will be prioiritised above those on the Continuing interest (waiting) list.

The Admissions policy may be considered to show success if:

1. Parents and governors have a clear understanding of the criteria and procedures for admission to the School.
2. In the case of over subscription for places it is proved that a simple and unbiased procedure for allocation was followed.

The Admissions Committee will review this policy annually.