Executive Principal: Sir J A Townsley BA (Hons) NPQH
Chair of the Board: Mr D Morgan
MORLEY NEWLANDS
ACADEMY
Admissions Policy
2017-18
MORLEY NEWLANDS ACADEMY ADMISSIONS POLICY 2017-18
The Local Authority, as required by the School Admissions Code and Part 3 of the SSFA
1998, has considered the legality of this admissions policy which has been submitted
for scrutiny to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Any wording determined to be a
breach of the School Admissions Code has been corrected prior to the allocation of
school places.
1.
GENERAL
1.1.
Morley Newlands Academy (the “Academy”) operates an admissions policy which
seeks to ensure that it truly serves as an academy at the heart of its community. Its
approach to admissions ensures that children who are looked-after/formally lookedafter are prioritised. The Academy then seeks to prioritise those with exceptional
medical or mobility needs.
1.2.
Requirement to admit pupils
1.2.1.
The Academy is committed to straightforward, open, fair and transparent
admissions arrangement. The Academy acts fully in accordance with its legal
responsibilities.
1.2.2.
Subject to its right of appeal to the Secretary of State, the Academy will admit all
pupils who have named the Academy in a Statement of Special Educational Needs
or in an Educational Health Care Plan.
1.3.
Oversubscription criteria, admission number, consultation, determination and
objections.
1.3.1.
The Academy’s admission arrangements include oversubscription criteria, and an
admission number for each relevant age group.
1.4.
Infant Class Size
1.4.1.
The Education (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1973) as
amended by SI 2006/3409 prescribed that infant classes must not contain more
than 30 pupils with a single qualified teacher. (The School Admissions (Infant Class
Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 – introduces certain exceptions relating to
children of multiple births and children of UK service personnel). Required to attend
term following 5th birthday.
1.5.
Deferred Entry and Nursery
1.5.1.
Primary admission may be deferred by up to two school terms. Where
parents/carers wish to defer entry this must be agreed with the school. Where
deferred arrangements are agreed, school places will be reserved.
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1.5.2.
If a child has a fifth birthday during the summer term and parents/carers wish to
defer entry until the September, they can opt to miss the Reception Year. School
places cannot be reserved in these circumstances and parents/carers would have to
either apply for a Year 1 place during the summer term, or request that the
admissions authority considers the child for a place in the following Reception Year
i.e. the child drops down a year group.
1.5.3.
The Academy has a nursery with provision for 39 children or 78 part time
equivalents. The nursery runs morning and an afternoon session with provision for
39 children at each session. Attendance at the Academy’s nursery does not
guarantee admission to the school for primary education. A separate application
must be made for transfer from the nursery to the primary school.
2.
PROCESS
2.1.
Reception Intake
2.2.
The Academy is part of the Leeds Local Authority’s (the “Local Authority”)
coordinated arrangements which require all parents/carers to complete a Common
Preference Form (CPF) provided by the Local Authority.
2.3.
Copies of the form are available from the Admissions Team at the Local Authority or
online at www.leeds.gov.uk. Full details of the application process are available at
this web address. Alternatively they are contained in Local Authority’s brochure
“Starting Primary School in Leeds” can be obtained upon request.
2.4.
When completing the CPF, the Academy must be listed as one of the preferences.
Inaccurate or false information on the form may result in any awarded place being
withdrawn.
2.5.
The Academy will operate in keeping with the Local Fair Access Protocol.
2.6.
The closing date for applications to be submitted to the Local Authority is 15
January, for a place to start at the Academy in the following September.
2.7.
There is no guarantee that preference forms returned after the deadline will be
considered at the same time as those received on time.
2.8.
In-Year Transfer Applications
2.9.
The Academy is part of the Local Authority’s coordinated arrangements which
require all parents/carers who are making in-year transfer application to complete an
In-Year Common Preference Form (ICPF) provided by the Academy.
2.10.
Copies of the form are available only from the Academy.
2.11.
Full details of the application process are available at the Local Authority’s web
address www.leeds.gov.uk and in the brochure “Starting Primary School in Leeds”.
This is available from the Local Authority upon request.
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2.12.
The completed ICPF should be returned to:
Admissions
Morley Newlands Academy
Wide Lane
Morley
Leeds LS27 8DG
2.13.
Inaccurate or false information provided on the form may result in the withdrawal of
any place offered.
2.14.
The Academy operates in keeping with the Local Fair Access Protocol.
2.15.
Parents/Carers will be notified by the Academy of the outcome of an in-year
application.
2.16.
Where a family has moved into the area from abroad, another part of the country or
city, and the child is effectively out of education, the application will be considered
for an immediate start in the Academy, if there is a place available.
2.17.
Published Admissions Number
2.17.1.
The Academy has an admission number of 90 places in Years Reception to 4, and
60 places in Years 5 and 6.
2.18.
Allocation of places
2.18.1.
When the Academy is oversubscribed, subject to paragraph 1.2.2. above, priority for
admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below.
2.18.2.
Oversubscription Criteria
Priority 1
Looked-after children and previously looked-after children (see note 1).
Priority 2
Children with exceptional medical or mobility needs which can realistically only be
met by the Academy (see note 2).
Priority 3
Children with siblings who are on the roll at an academy within The GORSE
Academies Trust (the “Trust”) at the time that the place was applied for (see note
3). This priority will not apply where the older sibling joined a post-16 academy
within the Trust from a school outside the Trust. (Please complete an Additional
Information Form; this can be found on the Academy’s website
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www.morleynewlands.leeds.school.uk.)
Priority 4
Children who, at the time of application, are on the roll at any academy within the
Trust. (Please complete an Additional Information Form; this can be found on the
Academy’s website www.morleynewlands.leeds.school.uk.)
Priority 5
Children for whom Morley Newlands Academy is the nearest primary school (see
notes 4, 5 and 6).
Priority 6
Any other children.
2.19.
Tie break
2.19.1.
Within each criterion, if there is oversubscription, the places will be allocated
according to distance. Children living closer to the Academy will, therefore, be
allocated a place before those who live further away (see note 4).
2.19.2.
Random allocation will be used as a tie-break in all categories to decide who has
highest priority for admission if the distance between a child’s home and the
Academy is equidistant in any two or more cases. This process will be overseen by
an independent panel.
2.20.
Appeals Procedure
2.20.1.
Parents/Carers who want to appeal against the governors’ decision not to offer their
child a place at the Academy must appeal directly to the Academy, not through the
Local Authority Admissions Team.
2.20.2.
The appellants will receive at least 10 school days’ (see note 7) notice of the place,
date and time of their appeal hearing. This notification will be given by the Clerk to
the Independent Appeals Panel.
2.20.3.
Any questions which the appellants have in advance of the hearing should be
addressed to:
The Clerk to the Independent Appeals Panel
The GORSE Academies Trust
C/o Bruntcliffe Academy
Bruntcliffe lane
Morley
Leeds LS27 0LZ
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2.20.4.
The appeal will be heard by an Independent Appeals Panel which the appellants
can attend to explain their case. If they wish, the appellants may be accompanied by
an adviser or a friend.
2.20.5.
Following the appeal, the Clerk will send decision letters to the parties within five
school days of the hearing wherever possible.
2.20.6.
The Academy will publish its appeals timetable on its website by 28 February each
year. The timetable contains further details regarding appeals.
2.21.
Waiting list
2.21.1.
The Academy operates a waiting list for each year group. Where, in any year, the
Academy receives more applications for places than there are available, a waiting
list will operate.
2.21.2.
Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with
the published oversubscription criteria. Where places become vacant they will be
allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription
criteria.
2.21.3.
The waiting list is cleared at the end of each academic year. Parents/carers will
need to re-apply if they wish their children to be re-entered on the waiting list at the
start of each new academic year.
3.
DETAILS AND EXPLANATIONS
3.1
Note 1
A looked-after child is one who is either in the care of a Local Authority or who is
being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their
social services functions (under the terms of the Children Act 1989 s 22(1)) at the
time of making an application to the school. Previously looked-after children are
those who were looked-after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted
(under the terms of the Adoption and Children Act 2002) or became subject to a
Residence Order or a Special Guardianship Order (both under the terms of the
Children Act 1989).
3.2
Note 2
Applications in these categories must be supported by a statement in writing from a
doctor or other relevant professional. Each case will be considered on its merits.
3.3
Note 3
For these purposes “brothers and sisters” means full, step, adopted, half or foster.
We can give priority for brothers and sisters only if they are living in the same house
and, in the case of Year 7 Intake applications, the application is received by the
closing date. At the date of their entry to the Academy they must be living
permanently and at the same address as the child for whom a place is being
requested. The definition of sibling does not include cousins or families sharing a
house. In the case of multiple births where only one/some of the siblings qualified
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for a place, the affected siblings would all be offered places, even if this meant
going above the admissions number.
3.4
Note 4
The distance between home and the Academy is measured as a straight line
between the centre of the Academy’s main building and the child’s home. For this
purpose the distances are provided by the Royal Mail Postcode Address File are
applied. This is the method of measurement used by the Local Authority.
3.5
Note 5
If the Academy has to move to a temporary site for any reason we will base our
distance measurements on the Academy’s permanent site.
3.6
Note 6
For admission purposes, a child's home address is defined as the address at which
the child is normally resident. Where a child lives at more than one address, the
address will be where the child lives for the majority of the time. Where the child
lives at more than one address and spends equal time at both, the home address
will be counted as that at which the child is registered with their GP. Parents or
carers must not give the address of a child-minder or relative. When we make an
offer, we assume the child’s address will be the same in the following September as
the one we have on record. If there is a plan to move house, parents must still give
the current address. If parents move after the deadline for submission of the
preference form in October, they must inform the Academy and the Local Authority’s
Admissions Team of the new address.
3.7
Note 7
School days are those days when the Academy is in session. They do not include,
for example, weekends and school holidays.
4.
FAIR ACCESS PROTOCOL
4.1
As part of the co-ordinated admissions arrangements with the Local Authority the
Academy may accept “hard-to-place” pupils onto its roll from time to time in
accordance with the In-Year Fair Access Agreement. These are special cases
arranged outside the boundaries of this admissions policy.
5.
ADMISSION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND
DISIBILITIES (SEND)
5.1.
The Academy shall ensure that pupils with a Statement of Special Educational
Needs or an Educational Health Care Plan are admitted on an equal basis with
others in accordance with its Admissions Policy.
5.2.
Where a Local Authority proposes to name the Academy in a Statement of Special
Educational Needs or in an Educational Health Care Plan made in accordance with
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section 324 of the Education Act 1996, the Academy shall consent to being named.
The exception to this is where admitting the child would be incompatible with the
provision of efficient education for other children, and where no reasonable steps
may be made to secure compatibility. In deciding whether a child’s inclusion would
be incompatible with the efficient education of other children, the Academy shall
have regard to the relevant guidance issued by the Secretary of State to maintained
schools.
5.3.
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In the event of any disagreement between the Academy and the Local Authority over
the proposed naming of the Academy in a statement, the Academy may ask the
Secretary of State to determine whether the Academy should be named. The
Secretary of State’s determination shall, subject only to any right of appeal, be final.
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