The Richard Clarke First 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. 1Children in care / previously in care — Children in care and children who ceased to be in care because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order), including those children 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 see additional note * below.
2. 2Exceptional medical or social hardship cases — Children who satisfy both of the following tests: Test 1: the child is distinguished from the great majority of other applicants either on their own medical grounds or by other exceptional circumstances. Medical grounds must be supported by a medical report (obtained by the applicant and provided at the point of application). This report must clearly justify, for health reasons only, why it is better for the child’s health to attend The Richard Clarke First School rather than any other school. Exceptional circumstances must relate to The Richard Clarke First School and the individual child, i.e. the circumstances of the child, not the economic or social circumstances of the parent/carer. They should be supported by a professional report (obtained by the applicant and provided at the point of application), e.g. social worker. This report must clearly justify why it is better for the child to attend The Richard Clarke First School rather than any other school. and Test 2: the child would suffer hardship if they were unable to attend The Richard Clarke First School. Hardship means severe suffering of any kind, not merely difficulty or inconvenience, which is likely to be experienced as a result of the child attending a different school. Applicants must provide detailed information about both the type and severity of any likely hardship at the time of application.
3. 3Sibling attending the school — Children who have an elder sibling in attendance at The Richard Clarke First School and who will still be attending at the proposed admission date; (For admission purposes, a brother or sister is a child who lives at the same address and either: have one or both natural parents in common; are related by a parents marriage; are adopted or fostered by a common parent or are unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners.)
4. 4Children living within the catchment area — Children living within the catchment area of The Richard Clarke First School. see additional notes ** below
5. 5Other children by distance from home to school — Other children arranged in order of priority according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of the academy, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the local authority’s geographical information system. see additional notes *** below

If two applications tie: If we cannot distinguish between applicants using the criteria listed, such as in the case of children who live in the same block of flats, then the child or children who will be offered the available spaces will be randomly selected. This process will be independently verified.

EHCP: children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming The Richard Clarke First School as most appropriate to meet the child's needs must be admitted before oversubscription criteria are applied, reducing places for other applicants. Infant class size legislation may result in refusal of catchment or sibling applications if a class has reached 30 pupils, except twins/multiple-birth siblings may be admitted above PAN. Address change deadline for admissions process evidence: 10 March 2024. CATCHMENT: Children living within the catchment area of The Richard Clarke First School. Transcribed from the school's own determined admission arrangements as published by Staffordshire County Council. Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted first; that is a statutory duty, 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.