Leigh Academies Trust is the Admissions Authority of the academy. Applications for places will be made in accordance with Kent County Council’s co-ordinated admissions scheme and timetable.
Admission number
Leigh Academy Bearsted has an agreed Published Admission Number (PAN) of 60 pupils for entry in reception. The academy will accordingly admit at least 60 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received.
Oversubscription criteria
If the academy is oversubscribed, after the admission of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan where the academy is named in the Plan, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in priority order.
- Children in Care and previously Looked After Children 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) at the time of making an application to a school. A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
- Sibling(s)
A brother or sister in the same academy at the time of entry where the family continue to live at the same address as when the sibling was admitted – or – if they have moved – live within 2 miles of the academy, or have moved to a property that is nearer to the academy than the previous property as defined by the ‘Nearness’ criterion’ (Point 5 below). For this criterion brother or sister means children who live as brother and sister in the same house, including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, step-brothers or sisters, foster brothers or sisters. Children residing in the same households as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings. If the admissions are to Year R, and so result in a breach of class size legislation, the additional pupil(s) will be treated as “excepted” for a period of one year, in line with the School Admission Code.
- Child of a teaching staff member
The son or daughter of a member of staff who has been recruited to fill a vacant post at the academy for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. For this criteria son or daughter means a child who lives in the same house as the member of staff, including a natural son or daughter, an adopted child, stepson or daughter, or foster child. Children residing in the same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be eligible under this criterion.
- Health and Special Access Reasons
Medical and social reasons will be applied in accordance with the academy’s legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose medical or social reasons mean they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend the academy. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents’/guardians’, medical or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend the academy. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner, and submitted at the time of application.
- Distance
Nearness of children’s homes to school – we use the distance between the child’s permanent home address (defined in KCC’s annual admissions prospectus) and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the child’s home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody. When we apply the distance criterion for the school, these straight-line measurements are used to determine how close each applicant’s address is to the school. Where applications are made from properties or abodes that are not registered to the NLPG, including new build properties, KCC may be required to use planning sites or other relevant coordinates. In exceptional circumstances where alternative coordinates are not available, measurements will be determined by a Senior Admissions Officer and confirmed by the Head of Service. If two or more applicants live in the same block they will be regarded as living the same distance away from the school. In the unlikely event that two or more children have equal eligibility for the last place available at the school, the names are then issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given a place. Where parents live at separate addresses, and have joint custody, the address used will be the one where the child spends the main part of the academy week (i.e. Sunday night to Thursday night inclusive). Applications eligible under criteria 2 – 3 are each ranked in order of nearness of the child’s home to the academy, using the method given in criterion 5. If children come from multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.) and the academy would reach its Published Admission Number (PAN) after admitting one or more, but before admitting all of those children, the academy will offer a place to each of the children, even if doing so takes the academy above its PAN.
Tie Breaks
If the academy is oversubscribed and it is therefore necessary to use a tie-breaker to distinguish between two or more applications in any of the criteria above, a distance criterion will be used. In the unlikely event that two or more children in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the academy, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide
which child should be given the place. This Process will be overseen by someone independent of the Academy Trust.
Deferred entry for infants
Where an offer has been made, the academy will provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. Parents can choose to defer the date their child is admitted to the academy until later in the academy year, but not beyond the start of the term after their child reaches compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the academy year. Where parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the academy year, but not beyond the start of the term after their child reaches compulsory school age.
Admission of children outside their normal age group
Requests for admission outside of the normal age group should be made to the Principal as early as possible in the admissions round associated with the child’s date of birth. This allows the academy and admissions authority sufficient time to make a decision before the closing date.
Parents are not expected to provide evidence to support their request, however where provided it must be specific to the child in question and may include medical or Educational Psychologist reports. There is no legal requirement for this medical or educational evidence to be secured from an appropriate professional, however, failure to provide this may impede the academy’s ability to agree to a request for admission outside of the normal age group. Parents are required to complete an application for the normal point of entry at the same time, in case their request is declined. This application can be cancelled if the academy agrees to accept a deferred application for entry into Year R the following year. Deferred applications must be made via paper CAF to the Local Authority, with written confirmation from the Academy Principal. Deferred applications will be processed in the same way as all applications for the cohort in the following admissions round, and offers will be made in accordance with the academy’s oversubscription criteria.
Fair Access Protocols
The academy works in accordance with the in-year Fair Access Protocols held by the Local Authority. Should a vulnerable child within the protocols require a place at the academy, they will take precedence over any child on the waiting list.
Operation of waiting lists
Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the co-ordinated admission scheme, the academy will operate a waiting list. Where in any year the academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will be in operation. This will be maintained by the academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application. Places from the waiting list will be offered in the priority order set out above, not in order of the date applications are made. The waiting list will be re-ranked each time a child is added or removed and before the offer of any place.
Appeals
Leigh Academies Trust, as the Admissions Authority, delegates the responsibility for administration of appeals to the academy. Parents who wish to appeal the decision to refuse their child a place at the academy may appeal in writing to the Clerk to Governors c/o the academy. Appeals will be heard by an independent panel. Details of how to appeal are found on the Academy’s website.