Oakmoor School

When there are more applications than places for 2025-26 (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 (LAC), previously Looked After Children (PLAC) looked after by English LA's, and which are internationally adopted previously looked after children (IAPLAC). These are defined as Looked after Children and all previously looked after children, including those children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order.
2. 2Significant medical, physical, psychological or social need — Children or families with significant, medical, physical, psychological or social need. Evidence must be attached with the application. Applications under this criterion must be supported by written evidence from an appropriate professional involved stating clearly why the preferred school is the most appropriate for the child and reasons why other schools in the local authority are inappropriate.
3. 3Children of staff — Children of a member of staff who has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application is made and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. 4Sibling in the school — Children who have a brother or sister (living within the same household) already on roll and who will still be attending the school or a linked school the following academic year. This does include step-brothers/step-sisters/foster brothers/sisters living within the same household or children whose parents are married or cohabiting and live together within the same household.
5. 5Catchment Area — Children living within the school's designated catchment area. If the school cannot admit all applications from the catchment area, priorities 6 (i) to 6 (iii), will be used to allocate places.
6. 6Out of Catchment Area — Children living outside the school's catchment area in the following priority order: i) children attending, at the time of application, a named linked school; ii) Children eligible for the service premium at the time of application to the school; iii) Children who live closest to the school, based on the shortest distance from home to school, measured 'as the crow flies'. Should there be two or more identical distances requiring prioritisation, this will be done by casting lots. Should the academy be oversubscribed from within any of the criteria 6 (i) to 6 (iii) above, then any additional criteria as given in 6 (i) to 6 (iii) will be used to prioritise applications within these categories.

If two applications tie: Should there be two or more identical distances requiring prioritisation, this will be done by casting lots (see additional information).

This policy is published by the University of Chichester Academy Trust and applies identically to all its academies (Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery, Berewood Primary School, Bordon Junior School, Court Lane Infant Academy, Court Lane Junior Academy, Fernhurst Primary School, Highbury Primary School, Kingsham Primary School, Langstone Infant Academy, Langstone Junior Academy, Oakmoor School, Stamshaw Infant School, Stamshaw Junior School, The Flying Bull Primary Academy, Weyford Nursery and Primary Academy). Each academy has its own published admission number (PAN) for September 2025 entry: Arundel Court 90, Berewood 60, Bordon Junior 60, Court Lane Infant 120, Court Lane Junior 120, Fernhurst 30, Highbury 60, Kingsham 30, Langstone Infant 90, Langstone Junior 90, Oakmoor 180, Stamshaw Infant 90, Stamshaw Junior 90, The Flying Bull 60, Weyford 90. Distance tie-break methodology differs slightly by local authority (Portsmouth, Hampshire, West Sussex) as detailed in the 'Distance criterion' section, though all ultimately default to random allocation/casting lots for equidistant cases.

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.