Skerne Park 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 — looked after children (these are children in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by the local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989), at the time of application. This definition includes children who were previously looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or because they became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order [and children who appear to Skerne Park Academy to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted].
2. 2Sibling link — children who have a sibling who will still be attending the Academy at the time the child is due to start.
3. 3Sibling link — children who have had a sibling attend the Academy who has left within the last 3 years.
4. 4children based on walking distance from home to the Academy measured from the front door… — children based on walking distance from home to the Academy measured from the front door of the home address (including flats) to the main school gate by the shortest walking route judged to be safe (lit at regular intervals and paved/tarmacked). This will be based on the child’s permanent home address (to remain consistent Darlington Borough Council uses a Geographical Information System to measure all distances).

Read 2026-09-12 from the Advance Learning Partnership Multi Academy Trust's determined "School Admission Policy Darlington Schools 2027-28" (dated October 2025), which sets out a separate ranked order for each of the trust's two Darlington academies; these are the rules printed for Skerne Park Academy. A child whose education, health and care plan names the school is admitted first; that is not an oversubscription criterion. The policy's own PAN table states 2026/27 numbers, so no 2027-28 admission number is taken from it.

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.