The Astley Cooper School

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 / previously looked after children — Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order. Children who were not looked after immediately before being adopted or made the subject of a child arrangements order or special guardianship order, will not be prioritised under this rule
2. 2Medical or social need — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to go to the school. A panel of Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this rule. The evidence must relate specifically to the school applied for under Rule 2 and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs.
3. 3Sibling — Children who have a sibling at the school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of the normal age range of the school. The 'normal age range' is the designated range for which the school provides, i.e. Years 7 to 13 in this school.
4. 4Children of staff — Priority is given to children of staff who have worked at the school for two or more years, or children of staff who have been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage, whose current permanent address is the same as the member of staff. To be eligible under this rule, the staff member must be the child's natural parent or otherwise have parental responsibility for the child. A member of staff is defined as a permanent member of the staff; this does not include contract staff or peripatetic staff employed by HCC.
5. 5Priority area — nearest non-faith, non-selective school — Children who live in the priority area and for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy that is non-faith, co-educational and non-partially selective. Non-partially selective means that the school does not offer any places based on academic ability. For admission allocation purposes Tring School is included as a non-faith school.
6. 6Priority area — nearest — Children who live in the priority area who live nearest to the school.
7. 7Outside priority area by distance — Children living outside the priority area on the basis of distance, with those living nearest to the school given priority.

If two applications tie: When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from a school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, the tie break will be random. Every child entered onto the HCC admissions database has an individual random number assigned, between 1 and 1 million, against each preference school. When there is a need for a final tie break the random number is used to allocate the place, with the lowest number given priority.

Priority Area 6 (Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley, Berkhamsted, Tring, Garston, Watford, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth and associated towns/parishes) is shared with The Astley Cooper School, Hemel Hempstead School, Kings Langley School and Westfield, each of which is its own admission authority. Rule 5 'nearest school' excludes schools which partially select on ability (Dame Alice Owen's, Parmiter's, Queens', Rickmansworth, St Clement Danes).

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.