Admissions Arrangements

Great Corby Primary School is an Academy and the trustees are the Admission Authority. Admission Number 15 – this is the number of children who will be admitted into the Reception group in September 2025.

An application for admission to our school can be made on the Local Authority’s website www.cumberland.gov.uk or you can request a form by contacting school on 01228 560399 or by email request to admin@gtcorby.cumbria.sch.uk

THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 2025 ENTRY IS 15th JANUARY 2025.

At the time of considering applications for the Reception intake or at any other time when there are more applications than places, children will be allocated a place in the order of priority given below.

1. Children looked after by the Local Authority, giving priority if necessary to the youngest children – a child looked after, i.e in public care, is defined in the code as a child who is looked after by a local authority and previously looked after children which extends to children who have been adopted or have become subject to a child arrangements or special guardianship order within the meaning of Section 22 of the Children Act 1989.
   
   
2. Children who have physical and/or medical needs who would be disadvantaged by travelling to another school. Written evidence from an appropriate professional would be required for the trustees to consider admission on this category.
   
   
3. Children resident within the catchment area who already have brothers or sisters at the school at the time of their admission. If there is greater demand for places, than places available, priority will be given to those children with the youngest siblings. Brothers & sisters are those living at the same address & includes step children & foster children. Priority will only be given where it is known at the time of allocating places that a sibling will be attending the school at the time of admission.
   
   
4. Children resident within the school catchment area. If there is greater demand for places than places available, proximity of the front door of the child’s home to the main entrance of the school as measured by the shortest walking route by road. Those living nearest being accorded the higher priority.
   
   
5. Children living outside the catchment area who have brothers or  sisters in the school at the time of their admission. Giving priority to those children with the youngest siblings. Brothers & sisters are those living at the same address & includes step & foster children.
   
   
6. Children living outside the catchment area, giving priority to those who live closest to the school. Measured by the shortest walking route by road from the centre of the child’s address to the main school entrance. The Trustees will use the Local Authority measuring system to ensure consistency of measurement.

Notes:

• An exception will be made if a child has a statement of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care Plan naming Great Corby Primary School, as in these circumstances the trustees would have a statutory duty to admit the child concerned.
  
  
• Children attending Great Corby Nursery are not guaranteed a school place - see the order of priority  above.
  
  
• THE CATCHMENT AREA - a map of the catchment area is available from the school.
  
  
• THE RIGHT OF APPEAL – Where the trustees are unable to offer a place because the school is oversubscribed, parents have the right to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. Parents should notify Mrs. Louise Coulthard (governance professional) at the school within 20 school days of receiving the letter refusing a place. The school will then arrange the necessary paperwork for parents who will have the opportunity to submit their case to the panel in writing.
  
  If your child was refused a place in a reception Key stage 1 class because of government limits on infant class size, the grounds on which your appeal could be considered are limited. You would have to show that the decision was one which no reasonable governing body would have made or that your child would have been offered a place if the trustees’ admission policy had been properly implemented.
  
  DEFERRED ENTRY TO RECEPTION - If a child who has not reached statutory school age has been allocated a place in the Reception Class & parents wish to delay entry, the place will be kept open. The place must be taken up when the child reaches statutory school age, by the latest at the beginning of the summer term – it is in the interest of the child to start no later than January.
  
  
• Admissions outside the normal admission round will be considered by the Governor Admission Committee, having regard to Infant Class Size Legislation & the numbers of children present in the class to which admission is sought.
  
  
• A waiting list will be kept by trustees. A waiting list will be kept by trustees for the first term of entry. Should parents wish for their child’s name to be included after this, they should inform the school.
  
  
• Multiple Births – The trustees of Great Corby Primary will ensure as far as possible that twins, triplets or those children born in the same year are not separated. Such children will be given priority in any particular category. If despite this, the trustees are unable to accept all of the children because the published admission number will be exceeded then the trustees will allocate a place by leaving the decision to the parents. The trustees will invite the parents to go to appeal for the unsuccessful child/ren.
  
  
• The admission of your child to our school does not depend on your ability or willingness to make financial contributions.

Head Teacher: Kirsty Fox

Vice Chair of Trustees: Mandy Kennedy

Date: January 2024

This policy will be reviewed in January of each year.