Waterside Primary Academy

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. 1Looked after children — A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those 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.
2. 2Exceptional medical or social needs — Families who have exceptional medical or social needs. These exceptional circumstances make it essential that their child attends Waterside Primary Academy rather than any other. These needs must be fully supported by written evidence from the appropriate professional person involved with the family.
3. 3Children of Staff — The member of staff has been employed at the school for one year or more at the time at which the application for admission to the schools is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. 4Siblings (who attend our Waterside Cygnets Pre-School) — Pupils who are currently on roll at Waterside Primary Academy Pre-School (Waterside Cygnets) and are in attendance for a minimum of 15 hours at the time of application (January 2022) and have a sibling living at the same address who is on the school roll at the time of application and who is expected still to be registered at the school on the admission date.
5. 5Nursery Children — Pupils who are currently on roll at Waterside Primary Academy Pre-School (Waterside Cygnets) and are in attendance for a minimum of 15 hours at the time of application (attendance must be 90%+, unless exceptional circumstances are provided e.g. family bereavement or period of hospitalisation).
6. 6Siblings (other) — Children who have a sibling living at the same address who is on the school roll at the time of application and who is expected still to be registered at the school on the admission date.
7. 7All Other Children - within catchment — Children with a normal home address in our catchment area
8. 8All Other Children - outside catchment — Children with a normal home address outside our catchment area
9. 9Any Other Child — Proximity of the child’s home, as measured by the straight line distance between the home and the school with those living nearer being accorded the higher priority.

If two applications tie: In the case of 2 or more applications that cannot be separated by the oversubscription criteria outlined above, the school will use the distance between the school and a child’s home as a tie breaker to decide between applicants. Priority will be given to children who live closest to the school. Distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the school’s front gates on Blackhorse Avenue. Where the distance between 2 children’s homes and the school is the same, random allocation will be used to decide between them.

How places were allocated, published by Buckinghamshire Council for the September 2025 intake (How_Places_Were_Allocated_Into_Reception_September_2025_as_at_16_April_2025_JmJ8v8o.xlsx). The council records: "All applicants offered". No cut-off distance exists for this year because every applicant could be offered a place. Infant class size note: Infant Class Size. Places still available after this round: Yes. PAN is 30 for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2; increases to 32 from Year 3 onward (Key Stage 2). Document covers Reception as the normal point of entry.

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.