Ruskin Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 3), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Looked after children and all previously looked after children
2. 2Children with an exceptional medical and/or social need to attend Ruskin Academy (please see below). In order to be considered for a place in this category, an Exceptional Medical and/or Social Need Form must be submitted. This form is available on the school website
3. 3Children with a sibling at Ruskin Academy.
4. 4Children of staff who are employed by the Lion Academy Trust at Ruskin Academy. The staff member must have been: ● employed by the school for two or more years at the time of application; and/or ● recruited by the school to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5. 5Other children.

If two applications tie: Where there are more children in any of the oversubscription categories above than there are places remaining, the order in which places will be allocated within that category is by distance, with those living closer to the Academy having higher priority. Distance will be measured in a straight line from the centre of the child’s home address (a point that is determined by the Local Land and Property Gazetteer) to the designated main gate of the School using the Local Authority's computerised mapping system. Where the distance is equal for two or more applicant children, the final tie-breaker is a random allocation (a blind draw or drawing lots), conducted by an officer of the Local Authority or an independent person not involved in the admissions process.

Places will first be allocated to children who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan that names the school as offering appropriate provision. Siblings The sibling must be on the roll at the Ruskin Academy at the time of application and admission of the applicant child. This will not therefore include siblings in Year 6 at the time of application who will have transferred to secondary school when the applicant child is admitted. A 'sibling' means a full brother or sister (sharing both parents), a half brother or sister (sharing one parent), an adopted brother or sister (sharing one or both parents), a long-term foster brother or sister (a looked after child), a step brother or sister (where one child's parent is married or in a civil partnership with the other child's parent) and a child of the applicant child’s parent's cohabiting partner. Children with a sibling attending the school or the named partner infant school, including full, step, half or adopted siblings living in the same family unit in the same family household and address at the point of admission. In all cases, the sibling must live at the applicant child's home address (as defined in this policy) and be part of the same core family unit. For the avoidance of doubt, a child of friend or extended family member (e.g. cousin or grandchild) will not be a 'sibling' even if they live at the same address as the applicant child, unless a formal kinship arrangement is in place with the applicant child’s parent. Children with an exceptional medical and/or social need to attend Ruskin Academy Either the child or one or both of their parents must have exceptional medical and/or social needs. Simply having special educational needs and/or disabilities will not meet the criteria for this category per se - the need must be exceptional, it must be social and/or medical in nature, and its impact must result in only Ruskin Academy being suitable for the child to attend and no other school within a reasonable distance of the child’s home address being suitable. This is a high threshold to meet. In order to be considered for a place in this category, an Exceptional Medical and/or Social Need Form must be submitted. Part A of this form must be completed by the parent whose details are given in the application form (where it is the parent who has the exceptional need, that parent’s details must be given in the application form). Part B of this form must be completed by an independent professional such as a GP, hospital consultant, psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker to confirm what the need is and why it means only Ruskin Academy is suitable and why no other local school is suitable, and be signed and dated by the professional. Where the application is not supported by a satisfactorily completed Exceptional Medical and/or Social Need Form, the child will be placed in the next oversubscription category that applies to them. The Admission Committee will consider the completed and signed Exceptional Medical and/or Social Need Form and decide whether the criteria set out above are met. Where they are not met, the child will be placed in the next oversubscription category that applies to them. Children of staff who are employed by the Lion Academy Trust at Ruskin Academy The staff member must have been: ● employed by the school for two or more years at the time of application; and/or ● recruited by the Trust to fill a vacant post at the School for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. This includes teaching and support staff, full- and part-time staff, and staff employed on consecutive annual fixed term contracts. It does not include casual or peripatetic staff. The staff member must be based at the Academy for more than 50% of their normal working week during term time. Priority cannot be given at more than one academy within the Trust – if the staff member works for more than 50% of their time at home, centrally or elsewhere, they will not receive priority at the School. A ‘child of a staff member’ includes their natural or adoptive children irrespective of where they live. It also includes the child of their

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.