Mottram CofE Primary 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. 1The Headteacher’s views Wherever possible — The Headteacher’s views Wherever possible, requests for admission outside a child’s normal age group will be processed as part of the main admissions round. They will be considered on the basis of the admission arrangements laid out in this policy, including the oversubscription criteria listed in section 7.3. Applications will not be treated as a lower priority if parents have made a request for a child to be admitted outside the normal age group. Parents will always be informed of the reasons for any decision on the year group a child should be admitted to. Parents do not have a right to appeal if they are offered a place at the school, but it is not in their preferred age group. 7. Allocation of places 7.1 Admission number The school has an agreed admission number of 20 pupils for entry in reception. 7.2 Special Educational Needs Where a child has an education, health and care plan (EHCP) which names the school, then that child will be admitted to the school and the number of available places in the PAN will reduce correspondingly. Admission of children with an EHCP is dealt with by the home Local Authority (LA) (which is where you reside). 7.3 Oversubscription criteria All children whose education, health and care (EHC) plans name the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated. If the school is not oversubscribed, all applicants will be offered a place.…
2. 2Looked after children and previously looked after children — Looked after children and previously looked after children, including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside 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 at the time of making an application to a school, or (c) have been in state care outside England. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order). A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole main purpose is to benefit society.
3. 3Priority will next be given to children on the basis of social or medical need — Priority will next be given to children on the basis of social or medical need. Professional supporting evidence from e.g. a doctor, psychologist, social worker, is essential if admission is to be made under the criterion for special medical or social circumstances, and such evidence must set out the particular reasons why the school is question is the most suitable school and the difficulties which would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
4. 4Priority will next be given to children with siblings at the school who will still be in school at the time of admission — Priority will next be given to children with siblings at the school who will still be in school at the time of admission. Siblings include step siblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address. Priority will not be given to children with siblings who are former pupils of the school.
5. 5Children who live nearest to the school — Children who live nearest to the school. The address used on the school’s admission form must be the current one at the time of application. If this address changes subsequently, the parents should notify the school. Where the parents live at different addresses, the current address of the child at the time of application will be the one used. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of Monday to Friday mornings. Parents may be asked to show evidence of the claim that is being made for the address, e.g. Applicants must provide the LA with TWO documents from the following list:
6. 6Mortgage statement*
7. 7Tenancy agreement or letter from landlord*
8. 8Council Tax statement* • council Tax benefit statement*3
9. 9TV licence*
10. 10Home contents insurance certificate*
11. 11Buildings insurance certificate*
12. 12Recent utility bill — Recent utility bill (gas, electricity, water, land-line telephone bill but not a mobile phone bill)**
13. 13Letter from solicitor confirming exchange of contracts on a house** * issued within the last 12 months ** issued within — Letter from solicitor confirming exchange of contracts on a house** * issued within the last 12 months ** issued within the last 3 months. Where the above criteria are not adequate to distinguish between requests for admission which cannot all be accepted without exceeding the admission limit, priority will be decided on the basis of the distance from the school to home; those living nearest being given priority. Distance will be measured as a straight line from the child’s home address, using the address point assigned by the National Land and Property Gazetteer, to the main gate to the school property. Measurements will be made using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software, which uses a Geographical Information System based on Ordnance Survey. In the event of a tie break a random paper draw will be undertaken by an independent body. 7.4 Change of Preference Changes to preferences, ranking order or pupil details, will not be allowed after the closing date of 15 January 2027 except in exceptional circumstances, for example, if the family has recently moved address. Evidence must be provided to support the request. An intention to change address cannot be considered by the local authority until the move has actually taken place and proof is available, or parents may provide a solicitor’s letter confirming an exchange of contracts on a property, or a…

Admission arrangements as published by Tameside Council on its own page for this school. The school is its own admission authority (academy or voluntary aided); Tameside hosts the arrangements centrally.

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.