Sandwell Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2026-27 (Year 7), 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 — A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those who appear [to the admission authority] to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. 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).
2. 2Sporting aptitude places (up to 10%) — Up to 10% of the total number of students based on sporting aptitude (i.e. up to 20). Places based on sporting aptitude will be allocated by numerical scores, based on a series of internationally recognised and standardised physical tests, to determine potential to succeed at a high level in Sport. The physical tests will measure aerobic endurance, speed, power, agility, co-ordination and flexibility. The physical tests are generic and measure aptitude across a range of sports for which the Academy has expertise and facilities.
3. 3Children of staff employed 2+ years or filling skill-shortage vacancy — Children of teachers who have been employed by the Academy, for two or more years at the time the application is made, or the parent/carer has been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. Up to 5 applicants will be considered under this criteria. Priority will be determined on the basis of distance between an applicant’s home address and the centroid point nearest to their home.
4. 4Distance to town centroid points, allocated by town and ability band — Thereafter, taking into account priorities 1, 2, 3, and above, for the towns Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Tipton and Wednesbury up to 30 places will be allocated and for the towns West Bromwich and Smethwick up to 40 places will be allocated, on the basis of distance between an applicant’s home address and the centroid point nearest to their home.

If two applications tie: Random allocation will be used as a tie-break in category '4' above to decide who has highest priority for admission if the distance between two children’s homes and their closest centroid point is the same. This process will be independently verified. If a tie-break is required in earlier categories to decide who has priority for admission between two children, priority will be determined on the basis of distance between an applicant’s home address and the centroid point nearest to their home.

After the admission of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan where the school is named in the Plan, priority is given per the listed criteria. Preference is not given in favour of siblings or those with medical conditions. Maintaining an equal allocation of places in the five ability bands will always be the determining factor when applying the oversubscription criteria. CATCHMENT: There will be six centroid points, one each in Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich - see Centroid Map. There will be up to 30 places attached to each of the centroid points for the towns Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Tipton and Wednesbury and up to 40 places attached to each of the centroid points for the towns Smethwick and West Bromwich. Transcribed from the school's own determined admission arrangements as published by Sandwell MBC. Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted first; that is a statutory duty, not an oversubscription criterion. | Previously recorded here: How places were allocated: council publication.

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.