South Shore Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Looked after children — Looked after children Blackpool Council gives the highest priority to Looked After Children (LAC), as required by the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Education (Admission of LAC) (England) Regulations 2006. A looked after child is a child who is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that Authority, as defined in Section 22 of the Children Act 1989, at the time of application and allocation. Under legislation, children who leave public care through adoption, a residence order or special guardianship order, will have the same priority although they are no longer looked after by the state. Also children who were previously in state care outside of England and have ceased to be in state care as they have been adopted. These are children who were looked after outside of England by a public authority, a religious group or another provider of care whose sole purposed is to benefit society. Parents and carers will be expected to provide evidence of previous looked after status.
2. 2Medical/Social/Welfare reasons — Medical/Social/Welfare reasons Children for whom the council accepts that there are exceptional medical social or welfare reasons associated with the child and/or family. These must be directly relevant to the school or academy. Only exceptional reasons which are directly relevant to a particular school are considered. If you feel that there are exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons associated with your child and/or family which support admission to a particular school you must indicate that this is the case on your application. All applications will be considered but supporting professional evidence will be required to demonstrate exceptional or compelling reasons why only a specific school can cater for a particular child's needs. This must set out the reasons and the level of risk to the child or family. In addition, why the school in question is the only suitable school. It should identify difficulties associated with the child attending an alternative school. Please note that all schools and academies are able to make provision for special educational needs. All can also manage common conditions e.g. asthma, epilepsy, diabetes. Only exceptional reasons directly relevant to a particular school will be considered. Admission authorities will only give priority to the child for the preferred school or academy if the submitted evidence unequivocally proves the circumst
3. 3Siblings — Siblings Priority will be given to brothers and sisters of children already attending the school at the time of application, and who will be still attending when the school or academy admit the younger child. This includes full brothers and sisters, half brothers and sisters, step brothers and sisters and adopted and foster brothers and sisters who are living within the same family at the same address. Full brothers and sisters who do not live at the same address will still be given priority as siblings. Half, step, adopted and foster brothers and sisters who do not live at the same address will not be classed as siblings.
4. 4Distance — Distance Blackpool Council determines the distance from the applicant's home address to the school with the nearest to a preferred school having priority for a place. We measure the distance between the applicant's home and school or academy as a straight line between the council Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) address point of the applicant's home address and of the school. The LLPG is a point within the boundary of the property and is usually located at its centre. Distances are measured using the council's geographic information system. If the council is unable to determine eligibility on distance, for example two or more addresses are equal distance from the school, then a random allocation will determine the offer. In the event of a random allocation is required, somebody independent of the children's services department and of the school or academy would supervise the process. We would invite parents to attend.

If two applications tie: Straight-line distance between the LLPG address points of the home and the school; random allocation where distances are equal.

Blackpool Council's determined admissions policy 2027 to 2028. The policy states in terms that it does NOT use catchment areas or feeder schools. Table section: "Blackpool secondary academies". This academy has adopted the council's policy (the policy lists it as such).

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.