Plympton Academy

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 all previously looked after children — 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. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order), including those previously in state care outside of England who ceased to be so as a result of being adopted.
2. 2Exceptional medical or social need — Children with an exceptional medical or social need for a place at this specific school, evidenced by a medical practitioner, social worker or other professional, demonstrating that only this school can meet the need. Not accepted on grounds of friendship groups, avoiding the current/previous setting, transport arrangements, or a particular interest/ability.
3. 3Sibling already attending — Children with a sibling already attending this school at the time of admission, living at the same home address as a single family unit (natural/adopted/step siblings, children of a cohabiting partner, foster siblings, or children under a special guardianship order).
4. 4Attends a feeder primary school — Children attending a feeder primary school linked to the secondary school (list of feeder primary schools given below).
5. 5Child of staff — Children whose parent/carer is a member of staff employed on a permanent contract at this school for two or more years at the time of application, or recruited to fill a vacant post with a demonstrable skill shortage (evidenced via the staff supplementary information form).
6. 6Other children — Other children not shown in a higher oversubscription criteria.

If two applications tie: Where choosing between two or more children in the same category, the nearer to the school the child lives (straight line, Plymouth City Council electronic mapping system, National Land and Property Gazetteer spatial locator; flats share one measurement point) gets higher priority. If that is not sufficient to distinguish applicants in a category, there will be a random ballot (electronic random number generator, undertaken by an officer of Plymouth City Council) as set out in the School Admissions Code.

Unless otherwise agreed, the PAN of 120 applies to each year group as it moves through the school. In-year admissions (applications outside the normal point of entry, e.g. after a house move) use a DIFFERENT, shorter oversubscription list printed in the same document, with only 5 categories: (1) looked after/previously looked after, (2) exceptional medical or social need, (3) sibling already attending, (4) staff member's child, (5) other children — the feeder-primary-school priority (rank 4 above) does not apply to in-year applications to any year group. A child with an EHCP naming the school is admitted before oversubscription criteria are applied (not itself a numbered criterion). Multiple-birth children unable to all be offered places are resolved by random ballot (electronic random number generator, by an officer of Plymouth City Council).

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.