Sedgefield Community College

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 and previously looked after children — Looked After Children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see definitions). Evidence of the appropriate order must be submitted before the closing date. Definitions: ▪ A looked after child is a child who is, at the time of making an application to a school, (i) in the care of the local authority, or (ii) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission (see definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989). ▪ An Adoption Order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. ▪ A Residence Order is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. ▪ A Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian or guardians.
2. 2Any other children — Children who appear to the admission authority of the school 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 in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society.
3. 3Exceptional medical or psychological grounds — Children with a specific medical reason needing to go to the school. For example, where the child of one or both parents have a disability, which means that they can only go to one school. Supporting evidence from a doctor, psychologist or other professional involved with the child must be provided. The evidence must relate specifically to the school for which the application is being made and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs and explain the difficulties that would arise if the child has to attend an alternative school. This evidence must be submitted before the closing date. If the required evidence is not provided, the Admissions Authority will be unable to consider giving the child higher priority.
4. 4Sibling link — Children who have a brother or sister (a sibling) who will be on roll at the school on the date that the child will be admitted in September 2027. Sibling can be a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent or carer’s partner, as long as the children live at the same address.
5. 5Sibling link — Those children who have applied for a place at the nearest school to their home address measured by the shortest walking route. This will be based on the child’s address. Where the last place to be allocated would mean that a multiple birth sibling group i.e. twins, triplets, or other multiple birth sibling groups, would be split, the sibling group will be given priority over other children. Otherwise, if only one final place can be offered, and two applicants live equidistant from the Academy, the LA’s system of random allocation will apply. In assessing home to Academy distance, the measure will be by the shortest walking route. Routes are measured from the centre point of the applicant’s house, or in the case of a flat from the centre point of the building, to the nearest Academy entrance. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to identify and measure the shortest walking route. The GIS identifies routes on the Ordnance Survey Integrated Transport Network and Urban Paths Network, which are national recognised datasets. The routes include all man-made paths i.e. those that are metalled or surfaced.
6. 6Any other children — All other applicants ▪ Tiebreaker Where Sedgefield Community College is oversubscribed within any of the categories above the following tiebreakers will be applied:

Transcribed verbatim from the school's own published determined admission policy. A child with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school must be admitted; that is not an oversubscription criterion.

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.