Bishopthorpe Infant 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 / previously looked after children — Children who are either currently or have previously been 'looked after'. This applies to all children who are currently or have previously been, in the care of a local authority; all children who have been adopted from local authority care, subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order; and all children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of adoption, residence or special guardianship order.
2. 2Catchment area with sibling at preferred school — Children who live within the catchment area normally served by the preferred school, with a sibling at the preferred school at the time of admission. Siblings are defined as brothers or sisters living in the same house, as their primary place of residence (including half-, step- and foster-brothers or sisters).
3. 3Catchment area — Children who live within the catchment area normally served by the preferred school.
4. 4Exceptional social or medical needs — Children considered by the admission authority to have exceptional social or medical needs which makes the preferred school the most suitable school for the child. The admission authority may consult with other medical or educational professionals for a further opinion as to whether the child should be allocated a place at the preferred school due to a particular medical condition or social need. A medical condition alone does not guarantee ESM criteria.
5. 5Sibling at preferred school — Children with a sibling at the preferred school at the time of admission. Siblings are defined as brothers or sisters living in the same house, as their primary place of residence (including half-, step and foster-brothers or sisters).
6. 6Proximity – nearest safe walking route — Children who live closest to the preferred school using the nearest available safe walking route. Distances are measured by a GIS mapping system from the child's home address to the closest entrance of the school. Distances are measured using a system of walking routes rather than straight line distances to better reflect the length of the journey from home to school. Within a contiguous urban area these routes are those that are properly paved and lit alongside roads and other walkways and do not include the York outer ring road. Outside a contiguous urban area, for example for applications from outside the City of York area, these distances continue to be measured along the road network.

If two applications tie: First, to the child(ren) who also fulfil the next highest priority; second, to the child(ren) living closest to the school as defined in priority 6 (or priority 7 for junior); and third, if the measurement of the distance from home to school above does not distinguish between two or more applicants with equal priority, random allocation will be used as the final tie-breaker, and independently verified.

This is a multi-school policy covering four schools: Archbishop's of York Church of England Junior School (PAN 45), Bishopthorpe Infant School (PAN 30), Dunnington Church of England Primary School (PAN 30), and Wheldrake with Thorganby Church of England Primary School (PAN 30). The criteria above (B1) apply to primary/infant (Reception) admissions. A separate B2 criteria list applies to Archbishop's of York CE Junior School (Year 3 entry), which adds a criterion 6: 'Children who attend Year 2 at the named feeder school for the preferred school at the time of the closing date for applications. For Archbishop's of York Church of England Junior School the named feeder school is Bishopthorpe Infant School.' Proximity then becomes criterion 7 in B2. Despite being Church of England schools, no faith-based oversubscription criteria are published in this policy.

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.