Chichester Free 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. 1Looked after and previously looked after children — A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (Section 22 Children Act 1989). Evidence is required; applications for looked after children should be made by the relevant social worker.
2. 2Exceptional medical, social, pastoral or psychological needs — Children for whom it is essential to be admitted to this school because of special circumstances to do with significant medical, social, pastoral or psychological needs, evidenced by written professional advice explaining why the needs can realistically only be met by CFS. Decided by the Board of Governors following advice from the Admissions Panel and consultation with an appropriately qualified professional.
3. 3Sibling at CFS — Children who, on the date of admission, will have a sibling attending CFS. Sibling means a full, step, half, adopted or fostered brother or sister (not cousin) living permanently with them at the same address at the date of entry; proof of relationship may be required.
4. 4Children of staff — Children of staff who have been employed at the school for two or more years at the time of application, or where the staff member is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5. 5Random allocation — If there are still places to be filled after criteria (a)-(d) have been applied and there are still more applicants than places, the remaining places will be filled by random allocation.

If two applications tie: In the event of two or more applicants tying when any of the admission criteria is applied, positions are determined by random allocation. At the discretion of the Chairman of Governors and Executive Principal, siblings with the same date of birth (e.g. twins, triplets) tied in the event of oversubscription may be admitted together, exceeding PAN if the Governing Body judges there is sufficient space without detriment to education quality; the legal maximum infant class size PAN of 30 (Reception, Years 1-2) permits a 30th-admitted twin/triplet as a permitted exception.

This is a shared Sussex Learning Trust document: general Trust-wide sections (1-8) apply to all Trust academies, followed by CFS's own 'Admissions Arrangements 2027/2028' with its local PAN and oversubscription criteria; only the CFS-specific sections are extracted. CFS is 'a publicly funded, co-educational, all-through school'; the same oversubscription criteria (a-e) are published once and apply to both its Reception and Year 7 intakes, so are repeated for each entry_point. Pupils with an EHCP naming CFS are admitted before these criteria are applied; not lettered within the a-e list so not included as a criterion. Maximum pupils per year group at capacity: Reception to Year 6, 60; Year 7 to Year 11, 120 (these are cumulative capacities, not new-admission PANs).

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.