Desborough College

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. 1Children of staff at the college where the member of staff has been employed at the college for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the college is made, or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
2. 2Children living in the designated area of the college AND who would have a sibling of compulsory school age who would be at the college at the time of admission of the child for whom a place is sought. The term ‘sibling’ includes a half or stepchild permanently living in the same family unit or a foster child permanently living in the same family unit whose place has been arranged by the social services department of a local authority. Sibling eligibility will flow from a foster child to other children of the family or from a child of the family to a foster child. A child is regarded as being of compulsory school age until the end of the school or academic year in which he becomes 16 years of age.
3. 3Children who live in the designated area of the college.
4. 4Children not living in the designated area of the college who would have a sibling of compulsory school age who would be at the college at the time of admission of the child for whom a place is sought. The term sibling includes a half or stepchild permanently living in the same family unit or a foster child permanently living in the same family unit whose place has been arranged by the social services department of a local authority. Sibling eligibility will flow from a foster child to other children of the family or from a child of the family to a foster child. A child is regarded as being of compulsory school age until the end of the school or academic year in which he becomes 16 years of age.
5. 5All other applicants. If the school does not have places for all the children in a particular category, tiebreakers will be applied to prioritise places.

If two applications tie: If applying these criteria results in there being more children within any of the above categories than the number of available places, the tie break will be the distance the pupil lives from the school, measured in a straight line, using the Local Authority's computerised mapping system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. The distance will be measured from the address point of the pupil's permanent home address to the main school reception of the main school site. Where there is one remaining place available but the next measured distance is shared equally by more than one applicant, the place will be allocated by lot supervised by an independent person. Where there is one remaining place available and the next child to be considered for admission is one of a multiple birth group, all multiple birth siblings will be admitted even if this exceeds the PAN.

Designated area covers the whole of the Maidenhead area as shown on the Royal Borough map. Applicants must be resident at their address on 31 October 2026 and have been continuously resident since 1 May 2026. Sixth Form has 140 places in Year 12 with a minimum of 20 for external candidates; sixth form oversubscription criteria also published. Waiting list operates until 31 December 2027 for initial round, extendable to 31 August 2028.

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.