Mercia Academy

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 and children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order).
2. 2Sibling, living in normal area — Children living in the normal area served by the school at the time of application and admission who have brothers or sisters attending the school at the time of application and admission.
3. 3Living in normal area — Children living in the normal area served by the school at the time of application and admission.
4. 4Sibling, outside normal area — Children not living in the normal area served by the school but who have brothers or sisters attending the school at the time of application and admission.
5. 5Other children whose parents have requested a place — Other children whose parents have requested a place.
6. 6Distance tie-break for criteria 2-5 — When in the case of 2, 3, 4, or 5 above, choices have to be made between children satisfying the same criteria, those children living nearest to the school (measured by straight line distance) will be given preference.
7. 7Children of staff — Children of staff of the Academy who have been employed for two or more years at the time of the application or are recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. The staff member must be a 'direct employee' (teaching or non-teaching) with two years continuous employment, or seasonal employment totalling two years; staff contracted in to provide services do not count. 'Children of staff' includes a son, daughter or step-son/daughter, or child who is adopted or fostered or for whom a special guardianship order is in place, providing they live at the same address as the employed parent.
8. 8Living within the Catchment Area — Children whose home address is within the Catchment Area of the Academy, with priority given to those children that live nearest to the Academy by distance.
9. 9Other children, by distance — Other children, with priority for admission given to those whose home address is the shortest distance from the Academy.

If two applications tie: Where there are two or more applicants in a criterion who have equal priority for admission and there are insufficient places available, random allocation will be used to determine which child shall be given a place, supervised by someone independent of the Trust.

The document's own numbering (3.2-3.10) is transcribed in full printed order. It appears internally inconsistent: 'Other children whose parents have requested a place' (3.6) precedes a Catchment Area criterion (3.9) and a second, distance-based 'Other children' criterion (3.10), with a distance tie-break stated to apply only 'in the case of 2, 3, 4, or 5' (3.7) sitting between them. Transcribed exactly as printed without reordering or reconciling. Children with an EHCP naming the Academy are stated elsewhere (2.2) to be admitted first by law; not numbered within the oversubscription criteria so not listed as a 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.