Buxton School

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 Children and Previously Looked After Children — A ‘child in care’ is a child who is (a) In care of the local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see definition in Section 22(1) of the Children's Act 1989) at the time of making an application to the school. Previous children in care are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order).
2. 2Medical or social reasons and Children ‘at Risk’ — Applications will only be considered under this category if they are supported by a written statement from a doctor, social worker, psychologist or other relevant independent professional. The information must confirm the exceptional medical or social reason, and demonstrate how the Buxton School is the only school that can meet the defined needs of the child. In all cases the medical or social need must be permanent or long term. A child is ‘at risk’ if they are currently on or subject to or under consideration for a Child Protection Plan.
3. 3Siblings — Sibling means: a full brother or sister, a half-brother or sister, a stepbrother or stepsister, a foster brother or sister, an adopted brother or sister, or the child of a parent or carer's partner living at the same address. In all cases the sibling must be living at the same address as the applicant and must still attend the school at the time of admission of the child for whom the application is being made.
4. 4School Staff Children — Children of members of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, full or part time, who have been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission is made, or who are recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstratable skill shortage.
5. 5Distance — Distance is measured from the child’s permanent address to the main gate of the school. All measurements are provided by the Local Authority. Distance is measured using a straight line (as defined by the Local Land and Property Gazetteer). All distances will be measured in miles using a computerised mapping system called Route finder GIS. If more than one applicant lives in multi-occupancy building (for example, flats) priority will be given to the applicant whose door number is the lowest numerically and/ or alphabetically. If parents are separated and have equal custody then they must select one parent’s address to be used for the application.

If two applications tie: In the case of 2 or more applications that cannot be separated by the oversubscription criteria outlined above, a lottery tie-break draw will take place. This process will be supervised by somebody independent of the school.

PAN is 60 for both Reception and Year 7 (all-through school). The school also offers Speech and Language Provision places (8 Primary, 10 Secondary) requiring an EHC plan or prominent speech/language need, separate from mainstream oversubscription criteria.

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.