Christ's College

When there are more applications than places for 2026-27 (Reception), 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 who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residency/child arrangement or special guardianship order – a child that is looked-after’ by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22(1) of the Children’s Act 1989 and a child who was looked after, but ceased to be so, because of adoption (or become subject to a child arrangements order, residence order or special guardianship order) and a ‘Looked-after’ child who appears to the Admission Authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as result of being adopted – a child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if
2. 2Children of staff — Children of staff where the member of staff has been employed for at least two years when the application is made; OR where the member of staff has been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a clear skill shortage
3. 3Sibling link — Siblings of children already in the school when the new applicant is due to start. In the case of normal entry points this means siblings of children already in the school at the end of the “offer year” (i.e. the academic year immediately preceding the academic year for which admission is sought). This includes cases where a sibling can reasonably be expected to still be in the college at the time of his/her siblings proposed admission for example a Year 11 student who could reasonably be expected to progress to year 12. Siblings will be held to include brothers, sisters, step- brothers and step-sisters living permanently together with the child already in the college. Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility, each for part of the week, the home address will be held to be the address under which the child is registered with his/her doctor.
4. 4Residence in the school's catchment area — Children who live in the published catchment area for the College where a child lives at more than one address, the main address will be deemed to be that of the parent receiving the Child Benefit payment. The catchment area map is available to view on College’s website.
5. 5Those children who are eligible to receive the “service premium” under section 14 of the… — Those children who are eligible to receive the “service premium” under section 14 of the Education Act 2022 for the purposes of supporting the pastoral needs of the children of Armed Services personnel.
6. 6Exceptional medical or psychological grounds — Children with significant medical or psychological need as certified by a relevant professional. You must include a medical or psychological report, prepared by a suitably qualified professional, to confirm information that you include in this section. This report must explain why only this school could meet your child’s needs. Common childhood medical conditions such as asthma or giving a child’s nervousness at starting a new school as a psychological reason for choosing a particular school are unlikely to be accepted as exceptional. If you intend to use this criterion when expressing a preference please contact the School’s Admissions Registrar before completing the application form. (Eligibility under this category will be considered by a meeting of the School’s Senior Leadership.)
7. 7Distance from the school — The child living closest to the front gate as measured from the ground floor front door of his or her permanent resident taking the most direct public rights of way. Should two or more children remain tied after all criteria have been applied, lots will be drawn by an independent body to determine to whom the place will be allocated.

Read 2026-09-13 from the section for this school in Sunderland City Council's "Admission to Primary Schools – Information for parents 2026–2027" (page 66). The council publishes one guide that reproduces the determined admission arrangements of every primary school and academy in the city; the guide was fetched through the operator's browser because the council's server refuses automated clients. A child with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school must be admitted; that is 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.