The Nobel 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. 1Children looked after — 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.
2. 2Medical or social — Children for whom it can be demonstrated that they have a particular medical or social need to go to the school. A panel of 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.
4. 4Children of Staff — Children of permanent members of staff who are: a) directly employed by The Nobel School and b) will have been employed at the school for a minimum of two years at the time the applicant would be admitted to the school or have been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage, such shortage to be determined at the Headteacher's absolute discretion
5. 5In priority area, child's nearest school — Children who live in the priority area for whom Nobel is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy that is non-faith, co-educational and non-partially selective. Currently the priority area is defined as: Aston, Benington, Datchworth, Graveley, Great Ashby, Knebworth, Stevenage and Walkern.
6. 6In priority area, living closest to school — Children who live in the priority area who live closest to the school.
7. 7Outside priority area, living closest to school — Children living outside the priority area on the basis of distance, with those living closest to the school given priority.

If two applications tie: If more children qualify for a school place under a particular rule than there are places available, a tiebreak will be used, meaning the next rule will be applied to those children. A tiebreak will also be used if 2 applications have addresses that measure the same distance from a school; a random tiebreak would be used to decide which applicant is offered a place. 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.

Document also includes separate Sixth Form (Year 12) admission arrangements for September 2027 with PAN 30 for external applicants and different oversubscription criteria (looked after children, then distance, then random draw), but this is a different entry point (Sixth Form) not covered by the requested school entry types in this schema.

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.