South Gosforth First 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. 1Looked after and previously looked after children — Children who are currently looked after by a local authority (in care) in the UK, children who were previously looked after by a local authority in the UK or who appear to the admissions authority to have been in a state care outside of the UK, and immediately afterwards became subject to an adoption, residence (child arrangements) order or special guardianship order. Evidence of the appropriate order must be submitted before the closing date for applications.
2. 2Sibling link — Children with a brother or sister (a sibling) who will be on roll at the school on the date that the child will be admitted in September 2027. Sibling can be a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent or carer’s partner, as long as the children live at the same address. However, please note that children attending the nursery class or other early education or childcare provision attached to the school will not establish a sibling link for this purpose.
3. 3Exceptional medical or psychological grounds — Children with an exceptional medical reason that means they can only attend that specific school (for example, where the child or one or both parents has a disability that means that the child can only attend this school). Strong supporting evidence must be provided from a healthcare professional who is independent of both the family and the school in this instance. The evidence must relate specifically to this school and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child's needs.
4. 4Distance from the school — Children living nearest to the school as measured in a straight-line distance from a single fixed central point at the school to a point in the centre of the home address of the child, using the Local Land and Property Gazetteer and British National Grid Easting and Northing co-ordinates. Parents and carers should note that the allocation of Reception places does not take into account attendance at any specific nursery class or school. Children in the nursery class of the school will not be given priority nor are they guaranteed a Reception place in the main school. Parents/carers of children in the nursery class must submit an application for Reception. Additional Notes • Where there are places available for some but not all applicants within a particular criterion, distance from home to school will be the deciding factor. Priority will be given to children living nearest to the schools as measured in a straight line distance from a single fixed central point at the school to a point in the centre of the home address of the child, using the Local Land and Property Gazetteer and British National Grid Easting and Northing co-ordinates. • In the event that more than one child has an equal right to an available place, the place will be offered based on random allocation. • Parents / carers have two weeks to respond to an offer of a school place. If an acceptance is not received it may be assumed that a place is no longer required and the offer may be withdrawn. • Parents who share responsibility for the care of their child are expected to reach agreement between them. Schools and the local authority do not have the authority to decide which parent’s application over-rides another. In the event of a dispute all applications will be placed on hold and will not be processed until: one joint application is made; or written agreement is provided from both parents; or a Court Order is obtained confirming which parent’s application carried precedence. • When stating the choice of school, parents / carers must give the child’s permanent address at the time of application. The address of childminders or other family members who may share in the care of the child must not be quoted as the home address. • If the child lives at more than one address Monday to Friday (for example due to a separation) the address used should be where the child lives most of the time during the school week. Only one address can be used. If the child lives at two addresses, Newcastle City Council will decide which address to use based on child benefit, child tax credit, Court Orders and/or GP registration. • Parents who share responsibility for the care of their child are expected to reach agreement to a school placement between them. In the event of a dispute the school will accept the application from the parent to whom the child benefit is paid. • When stating your choice of school, you must give the child’s permanent address at the time of application. The address of childminders or other family members who may share in the care of your child must not be quoted as the home address. • If the child lives part of the week between two parents, the child’s address should be the address where the child lives (1) during the school week, or (2) with the parent who receives child benefit or where the child is registered with a GP, if there is any dispute. Waiting lists For applications for Reception places, waiting lists will be kept until the 31st of December 2027 and will then be cleared. Waiting lists will be ranked using the oversubscription criteria regardless of the date the application was received. From January 2028 and then on a termly basis, waiting lists will be cleared at the end of each term and parents will need to re-apply each term if they still want their child to be considered for a place at the school. Admission of children outside of their chronological year group (Offset Requests) The School Admissions Code requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. However, a child is not required to start school until they have reached compulsory school age following their fifth birthday. For summer born children (those born after 1st of April) this can sometimes be almost a full school year after the point at which they could first be admitted. Some parents may feel that their child is not ready to start school in the September following their fourth birthday. Parents are entitled to request in writing that: • their child attends part-time until they reach compulsory school age, or • the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until later in the same academic year or until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age. The school will hold any deferred place for the child, although, in the majority of cases, we find that children benefit from starting at the beginning of the school year, rather than part way through it. The maximum length of time a place can be deferred is two terms. The child must start school full-time no later than the term after their fifth birthday. If parents of summer born children (born between 1 April 2023 and 31 August 2023) wish them to be admitted to the Reception year in the term following their fifth birthday, rather than Year 1, then parents / carers should submit a written request providing reasons for seeking a place outside of the normal age group and any supporting evidence from relevant professionals. Requests should be submitted before the closing date for Reception applications in the child’s normal age group in good time for the request to be considered and inform the parent of the outcome before the closing date for the normal age group. In other words, for children due to start school in September 2027 where the parent wishes the child to delay admission until 2028, parents should submit their requests well before 15 January 2027. These requests are called offset requests and should be completed on the form provided by the Newcastle City Council who will record the request and share it with the Head Teacher. The Head Teacher, a governor (nominated by the Chair of Governors) and an Admissions Specialist will meet (either in person or virtually) and make a decision about the request based on the information provided and the current legislation. Each case will be considered individually, and a meeting will be arranged within 15 school days of any request being submitted. If the request is agreed, any application made for the normal age group will be withdrawn before any place is offered and parents will need to reapply in the normal way for a Reception place in the following year. If the request is refused, the parents must decide whether to apply for a Reception place in the current academic year (Note that the application will still be subject to the oversubscription criteria in this policy) or to withdraw their application and apply for a Year 1 place the following year. However, parents should be aware that the Year 1 group may have no places available if it is already at capacity with children progressing from the previous Reception year group. Further information and advice on the admission of summer born children is available on the Newcastle City Council website www.newcastle.gov.uk or by contacting the School Admissions team by email: admissions.information@newcastle.gov.uk . If a parent wanting to make an in-year application to the school believes that their child should be admitted out of their normal year group, they will also need to complete an offset request which will be considered in the same way. Parents may request that their child is admitted outside their normal age group if they feel that their child is not ready to start school with their peers, for example because the child has suffered ill health or is summer born (born between 1 April 2023 and 31 August 2023). Requests must be submitted in writing to the local authority and include any supporting evidence from relevant professionals. Requests must be submitted before the closing date for reception applications in the child’s normal age group in good time for the local authority to be able to consult the governing body and Head Teacher of the school and inform the parent of the outcome before the closing date for the normal age group. In other words, for children due to start school in September 2027 where the parent wishes the child to delay admission until 2028, parents must submit their requests well before 15th January 2027. The Governing Body will consider each case individually. In Year Applications If you apply for a place in our school in any other year group and a place is not immediately available, your child will automatically be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list will be ranked strictly according to the oversubscription criteria above, regardless of the date the application was received. Waiting lists are cleared at the end of each term. To remain on the waiting list you will need to re-apply for a place every term using the Local Authority in year admissions application form. Right of Appeal Parents / carers who are refused a place for their child have a statutory right of appeal to an independent appeals panel. Appeals for Reception places should be submitted by 17 May 2027 to ensure they will be heard before the end of July 2027. Please contact Newcastle City Council’s School Appeals Team for information (email schoolappeals@newcastle.gov.uk). Information is also available at www.newcastle.gov.uk Parents / carers who are refused a place for their child have a statutory right of appeal to an independent appeals panel. Please contact the School Appeals Team for information (phone 0191 277 7427 or email schoolappeals@newcastle.gov.uk). Information is also available at https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/schools-learning-and-childcare/apply-school-place It is school’s responsibility to ensure that any families who have made an appeal receive at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing and ensure that the admissions department at the local authority send the decision letter within 5 school days of the appeal hearing, wherever possible. Definitions • A Looked After Child is a child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission. • An Adoption Order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. • A Child Arrangements Order (previously known as a Residence Order) is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live. • A Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian or guardians.

Read 2026-09-12 from the school's own published determined admission policy, found by rendering the school's website in a browser because the document is linked only from JavaScript-built navigation. The academic year is taken from the document's own heading. A child with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school must be admitted; that is not an oversubscription criterion.

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.