The Ferns Primary Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2026-27 (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 and previously looked after children will receive the top priority for a place. Looked after and previously looked after children will be considered to be: children who are in the care of a Local Authority or provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989, e.g. fostered or living in a children's home, at the time an application for a school is made; and children who have previously been in the care of a Local Authority or provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 and who have left that care through adoption, a child arrangements order (in accordance with Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 and as amended by the Children and Families Act 2014) or special guardianship order (in accordance with Section 14A of the Children Act 1989); children who appear (to the Local Authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. 2Exceptional social/medical need — Occasionally there will be a very small number of children for whom exceptional social or medical circumstances apply which will warrant a placement at a particular school. The exceptional social or medical circumstances might relate to either the child or the parent/carer. Supporting evidence from a professional is required such as a doctor and/or consultant for medical cases or a social worker, health visitor, housing officer, the police or probation officer for other social circumstances. This evidence must confirm the circumstances of the case and must set out why the child should attend a particular school and why no other school could meet the child's needs.
3. 3Children of staff at the academy — This criterion will be applied where an application is made for a place at the academy at which the child's parent is employed and where: (i) the member of staff has been employed at the academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the academy is made, and/or (ii) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. 4Siblings — A sibling will be considered to be a brother or sister (that is, another child of the same parents, whether living at the same address or not), a half-brother or half-sister or a step-brother or step-sister or an adoptive or foster sibling, living as part of the same family unit at the same address. A child will be given sibling priority at Folly Hill Infant Academy, The Ferns Primary Academy, The Grove Primary Academy, Hale Nursery & Primary Academy, Holly Lodge Primary Academy, Lakeside Nursery & Primary Academy and Mytchett Primary Academy if they have a sibling who will be at the academy at the time of admission. A child will be given sibling priority at Cross Farm Infant Academy and Sandringham Infant & Nursery Academy if they have a sibling who is currently at the academy or who has left the academy up to 2 years prior to 1st September 2026.
5. 5Children attending a named feeder school (Year 3 entry only, applicable academies) — This criterion only applies for applications for Year 3 entry to the following primary academies and is applicable to children who attend a named feeder school in Year 2. It will not be applied if a child leaves the feeder school. Primary Academy / Feeder School(s): The Grove Primary – Cross Farm Infant; Sandringham Infant & Nursery. Hale Nursery & Primary – Folly Hill Infant. Holly Lodge Primary – Cross Farm Infant; Sandringham Infant & Nursery. Lakeside Primary – Cross Farm Infant; Sandringham Infant & Nursery. Mytchett Nursery & Primary – Cross Farm Infant; Sandringham Infant & Nursery.
6. 6Children living in the former HCC Catchment Area for Fernhill Primary (The Ferns Primary Academy only) — This criterion only applies for applications to The Ferns Primary Academy and is applicable to children living in the former catchment area designated by Hampshire County Council.
7. 7Any other children — Remaining places will be offered on the basis of closest proximity of the child's home address to the academy. The distance will be measured in a straight line from the main entrance of the child's address, using Ordnance Survey data, to the nearest point within the academy which is used to measure distance for the purpose of prioritising admissions. This is calculated using the Local Authority's Geographical Information System.

If two applications tie: Where two or more children share a priority for a place, e.g. where two children live equidistant from an academy, random allocation will be used to determine which child should be given priority in accordance with the Local Authority's random allocation procedure.

This document covers multiple academies within The Kite Academy Trust. PANs are published per school: Cross Farm Infant 30, The Ferns Primary 30, Folly Hill Infant 30, The Grove Primary 60, Hale Nursery & Primary 30, Holly Lodge Primary 60, Lakeside Nursery & Primary 60, Mytchett Primary & Nursery 30, Sandringham Infant & Nursery 60. Criterion 5 (feeder schools) applies only to Year 3 entry at named academies. Criterion 6 (catchment area) applies only to The Ferns Primary Academy. The Ferns Primary Academy has a 6-criterion list (including catchment); all other academies without Year 3 entry have a 5-criterion list; those with Year 3 entry have a 6-criterion list including feeder schools.

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.