Discovery 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. 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.
2. 2Compelling medical or exceptional social reasons — Children with compelling medical or exceptional social reasons for attending the Academy (robust and documented social, medical or psychological evidence must be provided in support, from an appropriate independent registered professional such as a social worker, hospital consultant or GP at the time of the application, and must set out why the Academy is the only school/academy that can meet the young person's needs).
3. 3Siblings — Siblings of students attending the Academy at the time of entry.
4. 4Children of staff — Children of members of staff, where the member of staff has been employed at the Academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the academy is made, and or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is demonstrable skill shortage. (This is in accordance with paragraph 1.39 of the School Admission Code).
5. 5Children on roll in a Trust primary academy — Children on roll in a Trust primary academy (see list of academies on Trust website). For The Discovery Academy: In the case of these applications exceeding the published admission number children who live nearest to the Academy by straight-line distance measured from home address point to the main entrance gate to the Academy on Discovery Drive. For The Excel Academy: In the case of these applications exceeding the published admission number children who live nearest to the Academy by straight-line distance measured from home address point to the main entrance gate to the Academy on Milton Road.
6. 6Proximity (straight-line distance) — Children who live nearest to the Academy by straight-line distance measured from home address point to the main entrance gate to the Academy.

If two applications tie: If two distances are identical (for example where more than one child lives in the same block of apartments) and there is no other way of separating the applications according to the admission criteria, and to admit both or all of the children would cause published admission number to be exceeded, the Trust will draw lots to randomly select the child to be offered the final place(s).

This is a Trust-level policy covering two academies: The Discovery Academy (PAN 300) and The Excel Academy (PAN 240) for 2027/2028. The criteria listed apply to both academies; criterion 5 has academy-specific distance tie-break sub-clauses. EHCPs naming the Academy are admitted first before oversubscription criteria apply.

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.