Meopham Community Academy

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. 1Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children — A Looked After Child is a child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. A previously Looked After Child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children 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. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
2. 2Health, Social 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 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 mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend the 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 the school.
3. 3Current Family Association — Children with a sibling attending the school at the date of entry to the school. Sibling is defined in these arrangements as children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers and sisters and foster brothers and sisters. Priority will not be given to children with siblings who are former pupils.
4. 4Children of Staff — Children of staff in either or both of the following circumstances: a) Where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made; and/or b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post at the school for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5. 5Nearness of children's homes to school — A child's permanent home address will be considered to be where he/she is resident for the majority of nights in a normal school week. We use the distance between the child's permanent home address (defined in Kent County Council's annual admissions prospectus) and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the child's home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody. When we apply the distance criterion for the school, these straight-line measurements are used to determine how close each applicant's address is to the school. Where applications are made from properties or abodes that are not registered to the NLPG, including new build properties, Kent County Council may be required to use planning sites or other relevant co-ordinates. In exceptional circumstances where alternative co-ordinates are not available, measurements will be determined by a Senior Admissions Officer and confirmed by Head of Service.

If two applications tie: In the case of two or more applications that cannot be separated by the oversubscription criteria outlined above, the school will use the distance as detailed within paragraph 6.2 (5) above 'Nearness of children's homes to school'. Where the distance between two children's homes and the school is the same, random allocation will be used to decide between them. This process will be independently verified.

All children whose education, health and care (EHC) plans names the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated. The policy also includes separate nursery admissions criteria which differ from the main school criteria. Multiple births provision allows admission above PAN.

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.