Ruskin Infant 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 children and all previously looked after children
2. 2Children with an exceptional medical and/or social need to attend Ruskin Infant School (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 Infant School.
4. 4Children of staff who are employed by the Lion Academy Trust at Ruskin Infant School. 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.
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 Children with a sibling at Ruskin Infant School The sibling must be on the roll at the Ruskin Infant School 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. 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 of staff who are employed by the Lion Academy Trust at Ruskin Infant School 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 spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner, where they live with the employed staff member at the address held in their personnel file. Applications for priority in this category must be accompanied by a signed and dated letter from the employed parent’s HR Manager confirming that they meet the eligibility criteria. The Academy is not permitted to obtain the details of more than one parent during the application process. This means that, where this priority applies, the employed parent’s details must be given in the application form.

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.