Manor Community Primary School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Reception), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Children in public care and previously looked after children — Children in public care (looked after children) and children previously looked after immediately before being adopted or becoming subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order. To qualify, children must fall within the definition of "looked after" in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989.
2. 2Siblings — Children with a sibling attending the school at the time of application. A sibling is a child who lives as a brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers and stepsisters and foster brothers and sisters. For schools based in Kent the sibling link is kept where the family continue to live at the same address as when the sibling was admitted or, if they have moved, live within 2 miles of the school, or have moved to a property nearer the school than the previous one as measured by the distance criterion.
3. 3Health, social and special access reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons, applied in accordance with the school’s legal obligations and in particular the Equality Act 2010. Priority is given where a child’s mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend this school, and equally where a parent’s or guardian’s physical or mental health or social needs create that need. Claims must be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between the need and the school.
4. 4Children of staff — Children of staff of the school, where either the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time the application is made, and/or the member of staff was recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5. 5Other children by distance from the school — All other children by distance, with priority to those living nearest the school, measured in a straight line from the main entrance of the child’s home to the main entrance of the school, in accordance with the local authority’s policy on measuring home-to-school distance.

If two applications tie: Nearness of the applicant’s home to the school decides a tie. If more than one applicant is the same distance away as measured by the local authority, a random selection is made, independently supervised.

Cygnus Academies Trust is the admission authority for this school, so these rules are set by the trust rather than by Kent County Council, and the same policy covers all of its schools in Kent and the London Borough of Bexley. A child with a statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school is admitted through that process and takes precedence. Distance is measured from the main entrance of the home to the main entrance of the school, and that same school point defines the area places are usually offered from; the school does take pupils from outside it. Attending the school’s own nursery does not carry a Reception place — a separate application is still needed. A Reception place may be deferred, or taken up part-time, until the child reaches compulsory school age.

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.