Ricards Lodge High 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 and previously looked after children — Looked after children or previously looked after children (see notes at 4.5.1)
2. 2Medical or exceptional social reasons — Where there are professionally supported medical reasons or exceptional social reasons why a child should attend a particular school (see notes at 4.5.2)
3. 3Sibling attending the school in Years 7 to 12 — Where a sibling is already attending the school in Year 7 to Year 12 at the time of application (see notes at 4.5.4)
4. 4Children of permanent staff at the school — Children of permanent staff employed in the main 11-16 school, 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 for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage
5. 5Straight-line distance — Straight line distance between the child’s home address and the main school (see notes at 4.5.5)

Please note children with an Education, Health & Care Plan naming a particular school will be admitted before all other applicants. Admission numbers in section 3 will be adjusted to take this into account before the remaining places are offered to other applicants. Where oversubscription occurs in categories (i)-(iv) above, the subsequent criterion will be applied as a tie-breaker. If oversubscription occurs in category (v), and home to school distance is equal, rank order will be randomly generated by the Local Admissions System. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner, and in every case, who is living as part of the same family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday. Ricards Lodge and Rutlish School have a cross-sibling policy; qualifying siblings attending either school will be considered under priority (iii). The following will not qualify under the sibling criterion: • Siblings in Year 6 at the time of an application to start Reception in September 2027 • Siblings in Year 13 at the time of an application to start secondary school (Year 7) in September 2027 • Siblings in a school nursery Distances will be measured in a straight line from the child's home address, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. All distances will be measured by the computerised Geographical Information System maintained by Merton Admissions team. It should be noted that the computerised system measures from a start point plotted within the property at which the applicant lives to the main school reception entrance and calculates this measurement.

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.