Darras Hall Primary 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 — Looked After Children a. Children in Public Care (and as deemed under Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) including a child who was previously “looked after” but immediately after being “looked after” became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order. Children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Note: 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. This includes children who were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (see section 12 adoption orders) and children who were adopted under the Adoption and Childrens Act 2002 (see section 46 adoption orders). Child arrangements orders are defined in s.8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by s.12 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Child arrangements orders replace residence orders and any residence order in force prior to 22 April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order. See Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 which defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).
2. 2Residence in the school's catchment area — Catchment area a. Children living within the catchment area of the school (as defined by Pele Trust and available on the Northumberland County Council’s ‘school catchment area digital maps’ here.) Catchment maps are also contained in Appendix 1 (p9-13). NB: Guidance on accessing the digital maps can be accessed here.
3. 3Exceptional medical or psychological grounds — Exceptional medical or social need a. Children on whose behalf evidence of exceptional medical or exceptional social need is presented. This must be a significant need and applicants must prove that the preferred school is the only one that can meet it. For example, a child has a severe, life-threatening airborne allergy to something specific (e.g., a specific type of tree or animal) that is heavily present on the grounds of their catchment school, but is entirely absent from the preferred school. b. Evidence must be supported by a written statement by a professionally involved third party, such as a doctor or a social worker. The Trust Board will make decisions based on the professional evidence submitted.
4. 4Sibling link — Siblings a. Students who have an older brother or sister who already attends the same Pele Trust school and who is expected to be on roll at the school at the time of admission. [For the purpose of admission, siblings are deemed to be brothers and sisters, step brothers and sisters, adopted brothers and sisters and other children who reside permanently in the household and are treated as siblings.]
5. 5Children of staff — Children of staff employed within the Pele Trust primary school applied for a. Children of staff employed within the Pele Trust school applied for where the member of staff has worked in that school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission is made and/or the member of staff has been recruited to fill a post where there is a demonstrable skill shortage
6. 6Any other children — Faith consideration (Richard Coates CE School only) a. Children whose parents are committed members of the Church of England, or any other Christian Church, and who regularly and frequently attend. NB: Regularly and frequently is defined as attendance at least once per month over the last twelve months immediately prior to the admission application deadline; it is sufficient for just one parent/carer to attend. Acceptable evidence would be a letter from the relevant minister/vicar attesting to regular attendance as outlined above)
7. 7Sibling link — Other a. Children who do not qualify under the oversubscription points 1-6 above Tie breaker a. Distance from the front door of the child’s home to the main gate of the school will be the deciding factor with preference being given to those whose home address is nearest to the school as measured in a straight line (‘as the crow flies’). The distance checker is contained within the EMS school admissions software using GIS data. Distance checking is an integral function within the school admissions software ensuring consistency in measurement. This will be based on the child’s address b. Where the last place to be allocated would mean that a multiple birth sibling group, i.e. twins, triplets, or other multiple birth sibling groups would be split, the sibling will be accepted as an excepted pupil. Otherwise, if only one final place can be offered, and two applicants live equidistant from the Academy, the LA’s system of random allocation will apply as a tie-breaker. Oversubscription: secondary school admission applications The Pele Trust welcomes applications from all students and we are obliged to admit all students provided our Published Admission Number (PAN) for each school is not exceeded. However, where there are places for some, but not all applicants, priority is given in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out below. Oversubscription criteria (Pele Trust secondary school) Applicable to Ponteland High School

Transcribed verbatim from the school's own published determined admission policy. 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.