Ark Alexandra 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. 1‘Looked After Children’2 and children who have previously been a ‘Looked After Child’ but immediately following this became subject to adoption, a child arrangements order or special guardianship order, including those who appear (to Ark Schools) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted3.
2. 2Children of staff at the school where the member of staff has been recruited to a post where this is a demonstrable skill shortage. Ark Schools much approve the Principal’s assessment process and designation of such posts to confirm the staff members’ eligibility under this criterion. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year (i.e. 3 places in each 3-form year group)
3. 3Children who, at the time of admission, have a sibling who attends the academy. For this purpose, “sibling” means a whole, half or step-sibling or an adopted child resident at the same address. 2 A ‘Looked After Child’ is a child who is (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 full definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989). 3 Under the Admissions Code, a child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
4. 4Children who attend one of the following feeder primary schools at the time of application: a. Ark Blacklands Primary Academy (URN: 141021) b. Ark Castledown Primary Academy (URN: 144083) c. Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy (URN: 141022)
5. 5Children of staff in the school who have been employed at the academy for two or more years at the time the application is submitted. Ark Schools must approve the Principal’s decision to allocate places to staff under this criterion. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year (i.e. 3 places in each 3-form year group).
6. 6Distance measurement – Priority will be given to those children who live closest to the school. For normal round applications the Local Authority measures distance on behalf of Ark Schools. East Sussex County Council use Ordinance Survey Data to calculate straight line distance between the main entrance to the school [Parkstone Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2NT] and the child’s home. For In Year applications the schools use their own distance measuring application to calculate the straight line distance. PLEASE NOTE: A child’s home will be the address at which the child normally resides and which has been notified to relevant agencies (e.g. the Local Authority) as being the child’s normal place of residence. Where a child lives normally during the school week with more than one parent at different addresses, the permanent home address for the purposes of school admissions will be the one where the child spends the majority of school nights Monday–Friday.
7. 7Tie breaker: If Ark Schools is unable to distinguish between applicants using the published oversubscription criteria, places will be offered via a random draw which will be supervised by someone independent of the academy.

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.