Steyning Grammar School

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. 1Looked after / previously looked after children — Looked after children or children who were previously looked after (as defined in section 3), supported by confirmation from the home local authority.
2. 2Exceptional medical and social need — Children with an exceptional medical and social need, supported by evidence from an independent professional (e.g. doctor/consultant for medical needs, or social worker/health visitor/housing officer/police/probation officer for social needs), specific to this school and declared at the time of application.
3. 3Children of staff — Children of school staff where the member of staff meets the staff definition (employed 2+ years, or recruited for a demonstrable skill-shortage post).
4. 4Sibling on roll — Children who at the time of application have a sibling on the roll of the school who will still be on roll at the time of the sibling's admission. Priority is not given for siblings who are former pupils of the school (or who left during or at the end of academic year 2026/27).
5. 5Foundation Places — Up to 196 places a year, allocated in order to: (1) a child, or a child with a parent, who regularly (at least once a month, for at least the last 12 months) attends worship at a Christian church or Christian religious group; then (2) a child who wishes, or whose parents wish, to receive a Christian education within a Church of England school. Requires a completed Supplementary Information Form. If applications under this priority are insufficient, remaining vacant places pass to the succeeding priorities; if more than 196 qualify, places beyond 196 are allocated solely by the succeeding priorities, not by any remaining part of this priority.
6. 6Children living in catchment — Children whose permanent home address is inside the school's designated catchment area and who live closest to the school. The catchment is split by campus: up to 150 children in the Rock Road (Storrington) part of the catchment are allocated the Rock Road Campus, and up to 240 in the Towers part are allocated the Towers Campus, each measured by GIS distance to its own campus. If one campus's catchment applicants do not fill it, the remaining in-catchment applicants from the other campus's catchment are allocated that campus before any out-of-catchment applicants.
7. 7Outside catchment — Children living outside the catchment area, in order: i. children eligible for the Service Premium; ii. children who live closest to the school, measured from the Ordnance Survey home address point using the GIS system.

If two applications tie: When two or more applicants are equidistant, random allocation is used to allocate a place, carried out by the Local Authority coordinating the admissions process.

Steyning Grammar School is a voluntary controlled Church of England school operated by Bohunt Education Trust, with two campuses for Year 7 entry: Rock Road (Storrington), capacity 150, and Towers, capacity 240 (390 total). Despite its historic name, this document does not describe any test, exam or ability/aptitude selection for entry. Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted ahead of the numbered criteria (not itself one of the 7). Multiple-birth siblings tied for the last place who cannot logistically all be admitted are decided by drawing lots, with the remaining sibling(s) placed at the top of the waiting list after any looked-after/previously-looked-after child.

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.