Sedgefield Hardwick Primary Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Reception), 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 — Children who are ‘looked after’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence/child arrangement, or special guardianship order*. A looked after child is a child who is, at the time of making an application to a school, (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). An adoption order is an order under section 12 of the Adoption Act 1976 or section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. A ‘residence order’ is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. A child arrangement order is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 14 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).
2. 2Any other children — Children who appear to the Admissions 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 in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society.
3. 3Children in Need The Children Act 1989 defines a child 'in need' as: a) He/she is unlike… — Children in Need The Children Act 1989 defines a child 'in need' as: a) He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services by the Local Authority under Part 3 of the Act. b) His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him/her of such services. c) He/she is disabled. A maximum of two part-time nursery places are retained until the end of the Autumn half term in order to accommodate emergency referrals of children "in need" as defined in the requirements of the Children Act, 1989
4. 4Age The offer of a place will be prioritised according to date of birth — Age The offer of a place will be prioritised according to date of birth. Normally, the earliest date your child can be accepted for Early Years Provision is the term after the child’s 3rd birthday, although some 2 year olds can access the free entitlement. Where applicants have the same date of birth, priority will be given to the earliest date of application.
5. 5Those children who are only entitled to the universal entitlement of 15 hours free early… — Those children who are only entitled to the universal entitlement of 15 hours free early education per week Those children who are not eligible for the extended 30 hours offer should be offered the 15 hours universal entitlement for a minimum of three terms before they are due to enter a full-time school place in the Reception year. Maintained nurseries should plan for this provision to ensure those who are only entitled to 15 hours are offered a place.
6. 6Residence in the school's catchment area — Children Living in Other Authorities Although there are no catchment areas for places, preference will be given to children whose parents live within County Durham's administrative area. Only when all children living within the boundary of County Durham have been allocated a place, may a child living in a neighbouring area be offered a place. 30 hours free early education per week, term time, from September 2017: This is for 3 & 4 year olds from working families that meet the eligibility criteria. The 30 hours free place will consist of the current 15 hours universal entitlement for all 3 & 4 year olds, which will be extended by an additional 15 free hours. The additional 15 free hours will be known as the ‘extended entitlement’. The maintained nursery school or unit will undertake a validation check on the eligibility code and details provided by the parent on the application form. On confirmation the code is valid the following criteria will be applied to all applicants: If there are more places available than applications, all children will be offered a place. Subsequent applicants will be offered places until the provision is full. Once all places have been allocated, further applications will be included on a waiting list and places will be allocated in accordance with the 30 hours oversubscription criteria. If there are more applications than places the 30 hours oversubscription criteria will be applied as follows. 30 Hours oversubscription criteria: Places will be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis on receipt of a verified code. 2027/28 OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES If more children want a place that there are places available, we will offer places according to the following criteria, strictly in order of priority. 1. Children who are ‘looked after’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence/child arrangement, or special guardianship order* including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is, at the time of making an application to a school, (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). * An adoption order is an order under section 12 of the Adoption Act 1976 or section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. A ‘residence order’ is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. A child arrangement order is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 14 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians). 2. Medical Reasons Children with very exceptional medical factors directly related to school placement. 3. Sibling Links Children who have a sibling** already attending the school and who is expected to be on roll at the school at the time of admission. ** Sibling is defined as children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers or sisters, half - brothers, or sisters, adopted brothers or sisters, stepbrothers or sisters and children of the parent/carer’s partner. 4. Distance Children who live nearest the preferred school 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 school, the LA's system of random allocation will apply. *** In assessing home to school distance, the LA uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify and measure the shortest route utilising only the Ordnance Survey Integrated Transport Network (ITN) and Urban Paths Network (UPN) which are national recognised datasets. The LA will not include any other routes or any other method of measurement. Routes are measured from the centre point**** of the child’s house, or in the case of a flat from the centre point**** of the building, to the nearest school site entrance. In all cases the GIS identifies the route to be measured by connecting in a straight line the centre point**** of the child’s house to the closest point on the nearest route on the ITN/UPN. **** In accordance with the co-ordinates of the Basic Land and Property Unit on the National Land and Property Gazetteer.

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.