Red Lane Primary School

When there are more applications than places for 2025-26 (Reception), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Children in Public Care (LAC/PLAC/IAPLAC) — Children in Public Care (Looked after children - LAC) including adopted children (PLAC) who were previously in care and children who leave care under a special guardianship or residence order. A "Looked after Child" is a child who is (a) in the care of the local authority or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. This also includes children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (Internationally adopted previously looked after children - IAPLAC).
2. 2Child protection plan — Children for whom there is a child protection plan or has been within a 12 month period
3. 3Siblings — Children who will have older siblings in years Reception to Year 6 of the preferred school at the time of application and at the date of admission. Sibling includes full, step, half, foster and adopted brothers and sisters living at the same address.
4. 4Strong Church connections — Children who have strong Church connections where the school is a Church school. Parents must complete the supplementary form attached to the application form as evidence that the family and the child are active worshipping members at the church to which the school is affiliated. Active worshipping members of the church will be those persons who worship at least once a month sustained over a period of a year prior to the closing date for applications.
5. 5Medical condition or disability — Children who suffer from some medical condition or disability, which makes it, better for them to attend that school rather than another. Places will only be offered under this criterion if the child has a certified medical condition with strong professional supporting evidence confirming that existing exceptional problems with the child's health would be seriously exacerbated if a place were not made at the preferred school. Medical evidence must be provided at the time of application. Parents applying under this criterion must provide a letter from the child's GP/Consultant setting out the reasons why the school is the most suitable school and details of the child's medical condition. Medical evidence must be submitted by 15th January 2024. Evidence received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
6. 6Proximity — Children who live nearest the school (geographical proximity). Under this category, the remaining places will be offered to children who live nearest to the preferred school. The distance will be measured in a straight line using Routefinder, a computerised mapping system which measures from the point on the highway nearest to the centre of the home property and the designated main entrance to the school.

If two applications tie: If category (2), (3) (4) or (5) is oversubscribed, geographical proximity (as set out in category (6) will be used as the 'tie-breaker' to decide between the remaining cases. If after measuring distances it is still not possible to decide on the child/ren to be offered admission (for example two children living in the same block of flats or in the same house) the Local Authority's system of a random draw will determine which of the children can be offered a place. The draw will take place at the Local Authority's offices and the name(s) will be drawn by a Local Authority Officer who is independent of the admissions process.

Document header states 'Admissions Policy 2024-2025' and 'New policy for September 2025'; the criteria section heading references 'SEPTEMBER 2024' but the coordinated scheme timetable references the 2025/26 academic year. The policy is adopted from Bolton Local Authority. Twins/multiple births: where a single place remains, the Council will allocate above the admission number to accommodate each child.

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.