Kingsmead 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 / previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' is one who is in the care of, or accommodated by, a Local Authority in England. A 'previously looked after child' is one who was looked after in England but ceased to be so through adoption, a Child Arrangements Order or Special Guardianship Order, as well as a child who appears to have been in state care outside England but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted.
2. 2Designated area of first priority, with sibling (Year 7-10) — Children living within the Academy's designated area of first priority with a sibling at the Academy in Year 7 to Year 10 at the time of application.
3. 3Designated area of priority — Children living within the Academy's designated area of priority.
4. 4Identified feeder primary schools — Children who attend one of the identified feeder primary schools in Year 6 as at the application closing date: Bishops Lydeard CofE Primary School, Cotford St Luke Primary School, Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School, Dulverton Junior School, Lydeard St Lawrence Primary School, Milverton Primary School, Oake, Bradford and Nynehead CofE Primary School, Stawley Primary School, Stogumber CofE Primary School, Wiveliscombe Primary School.
5. 5All other children — All applicant children not included in any of the criteria above.

If two applications tie: Within an oversubscribed criterion, places are allocated by distance between the child's home address and the Academy (straight line, from the designated home address point to the designated central point within the main school building, using Somerset Council's computerised mapping system), with those living closer given higher priority. Where distance is equal (e.g. same block of flats), or where applicants otherwise cannot be distinguished, a random lottery/allocation is used, supervised by a person independent of the Academy (and of the Local Authority). Twins, triplets or higher-multiple-birth siblings: if one or more of the group achieves a place in the usual way but the rest do not, all are offered a place, even exceeding the PAN.

Children with an EHCP are explicitly NOT admitted under this policy at all - they are admitted under a separate statutory process (SEND Code of Practice / Children and Families Act 2014); where the Academy is named in section I of the EHCP during the normal admission round, their place is allocated before others within the PAN (reducing the number remaining); at any other time they are admitted regardless of numbers. Contradiction in the source document: section 7.2 states "The Academy does not have any feeder schools", but section 10.6 explicitly lists 10 named "identified feeder primary schools" used as oversubscription criterion 4 (reproduced above) - the named list is treated as authoritative here. Sibling is defined broadly (full, half, adopted, foster [of a looked-after applicant], step, a cohabiting partner's child of 1+ year, or any child - including a cousin, grandchild, or friend's child - living at the same address as part of the family unit).

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.