Borden Grammar 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 in Local Authority Care (LAC or IAPLAC) — a 'looked after child' or 'internationally adopted previously looked after child' is a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of the Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions... Children who appear to Borden Grammar School to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. 2Free School Meal Eligibility — up to 15% of places for admission into Year 7 will be reserved for children in postcodes ME9, ME10, ME11 and ME12 who have been eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at any time during their KS2 primary schooling (Years 3–6). Parents wishing to apply under this criterion must ensure that they complete a Supplementary Information Form and return it to the school by 31 October 2026.
3. 3Current Family Association — a brother (or sister in the Sixth Form) attending the school when the child starts. In this context, brother or sister is taken to mean a child who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, step-brothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters.
4. 4Health and Special Access Reasons — medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents/carers' physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need for their children to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and Borden Grammar School.
5. 5Traditional School Areas — a) Firstly, children who reside in the postcode areas beginning with the following: ME9, ME10, ME11 and ME12. b) Then children who reside in the postcode areas beginning ME8 and ME13 c) And finally, children living in any other area.

If two applications tie: In the unlikely event that two or more children in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place, their names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be offered a place. This will be independently supervised.

Before application of oversubscription criteria, children with a Statement of SEN or EHCP naming the school are admitted first (PAN reduced accordingly, not itself a numbered criterion). Within a criterion, oversubscription resolved by nearness of home to school (straight-line distance via NLPG).

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.