Denton Community Academy
Northern Education Trust
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Date Approved: |
January 2026 |
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Date of Next Review: |
September 2026 |
Control Sheet
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Version number |
1 |
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Original date approved |
January 2023 |
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Current date approved |
January 2026 |
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Approved by |
Executive |
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Frequency of review |
Annually |
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Date of next review |
September 2026 |
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Status |
Approved |
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Policy owner |
Deputy Chief Operating Officer |
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Policy location |
Academy – Student Policies |
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Target group |
Students, Parents/ Carers |
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Trust Board link role |
Standards |
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RSM 4policies status |
Read only |
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Consultation Period |
07/11/2022-16/12/2022 |
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Document History: |
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Version |
Date of review |
Author |
Note of revisions |
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1 |
September 2022
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Deputy Chief Operating Officer |
First version |
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Trust Vision and Values
2. Scope and purpose of the policy
3. Roles and responsibilities
4. Relevant area
5. Annual procedure for determining admission arrangements
5.1 Consultation
5.2 Determination of admission arrangements
5.3 Representation & admission arrangements
5.4 Schools adjudicator’s consent for changes to admission arrangements
5.5 Schools adjudicator’s power to accept, modify or reject admission arrangements
5.6 Publication of admission arrangements
5.7 Proposed changes to admission arrangements after arrangements have been published
6. Procedure for admitting students
6.1 Admission number
6.2 Process of application
6.3 Consideration of applications
7. Procedures for when the Academy is oversubscribed
7.1 Admissions to Year 7
7.2 Operation of Waiting Lists
8. Requests for admission outside the normal age group
9. In year admissions
10. Appeals
11. Monitoring arrangements
12. Relevant Links
1. Introduction
Northern Education Trust (‘the Trust’) is ‘Outcomes Focused, Child Centred’ and recognises that all children, regardless of background or ability, have a common entitlement to an accessible broad and balanced curriculum, and should be fully included in all aspects of daily academy life. No child is offered or refused a place on the basis of his or her general ability.
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Trust Vision and Values
We constantly focus on standards as we understand outcomes are paramount. Our decision-making is driven entirely by what is best for children. By doing this we enhance the life chances of the children and young people in our care.
The 10 values which underpin our vision can be seen on our website here - https://www.northerneducationtrust.org/about-us/vision-values/
2. Scope and purpose of the policy
2.1 This policy aims to explain how to apply for a place at the Academy; set out the academies arrangements for allocating places and explain how to appeal against a decision not to offer a child a place. The Academy enters into an agreement with the Local Authority (LA) who administer many aspects of this policy, including, but not exclusive to, the receipt of applications; correspondence to parents/carers; the recruitment, training and appointment of appeal panel members and arrangements for the appeals process to be independently administered and clerked.
2.2 This policy may be amended in writing at any time by agreement between the Schools Adjudicator and the Trust.
2.3 This policy is based on mandatory requirements and Department for Education (DFE) statutory guidance, School Admissions Code 2021 & School Admission Appeals Code.
2.4 The Trust will act in accordance with, and will ensure that the Independent Appeal Panel is trained to act in accordance with, all relevant provisions of the School Admissions Code and the School Admission Appeals Code published by the DFE (“the Codes”) as they apply at any given time to maintained schools and with equalities law and the law on admissions as they apply to maintained schools. For this purpose, reference in the Codes or law to “admission authorities” shall be deemed to be references to the Trust.
2.5 The Trust, and all sponsored academies, are required by the funding agreement to comply with these codes, and with the law relating to admissions as set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This policy complies with the funding agreement and articles of association.
2.6 This policy must be published on the academy website.
2.7 There is a statutory requirement to have this policy in place in multi-academy trusts.
2.8 The Academy will take part in the Admissions Forum set up by the LA and have regard to its advice; and will participate in the co-ordinated admission arrangements operated by the LA and the local in-year fair access protocol. This helps ensure that all children, including those who are unplaced and vulnerable, or having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, get access to a school place as quickly as possible.
2.9 Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Secretary of State may:
Direct the Trust to admit a named student to the Academy on application from the LA.
Direct the Trust to admit a named student to the Academy if the Trust has failed to act in accordance with this policy or has otherwise failed to comply with applicable admissions and equalities legislation or the provisions of the Codes.
2.10 The Trust shall ensure that parents and ‘relevant children’ will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the Trust. The Independent Appeal Panel will be independent of the Trust. The arrangements for appeals will comply with the School Admission Appeals Code published by the DFE as it applies to Academies. The determination of the appeal panel is binding on all parties.
2.11 The Trust shall prepare guidance for parents and relevant children about how the appeals process will work and provide them with a named contact who can answer any enquiries they may have about the process.
2.12 In paragraphs 2.10 and 2.11 above, ‘relevant children’ means children who are above compulsory school age, or will be above compulsory school age by the time they start to receive education at the Academy.
3. Roles and responsibilities
3.1 As the admission authority, the Trust Board has overall responsibility for all admissions.
3.2 Responsibility for the decision related to entry to the Academy is delegated from the Trust Board to the principal.
3.3 It is the responsibility of the principal to carry out the requirements of this policy when requests are made by parents/ carers for admissions to full-time education for their child.
3.4 The executive principal is accountable for ensuring the effectiveness of this policy and compliance with it.
4. Relevant area
4.1 Subject to paragraph 4.2, “relevant area for consultation” means the “Relevant Area” determined by the LA for maintained schools in the area (in accordance with the meaning of “Relevant Area” within the School Admissions Code).
4.2 If the Academy does not consider this meaning to be appropriate, it must apply to the Schools Adjudicator by 1 August for a determination, setting out the reasons for this view.
4.3 The Schools Adjudicator will consider the Academy’s application and will by 30 September either:
4.3.1 Determine the area for consultation; or
4.3.2 Determine that the meaning within paragraph 4.1 should apply.
4.4 The Schools Adjudicator may consult the LA before making such a determination.
4.5 Within 14 days of the Schools Adjudicator’s determination, the Academy will notify the consultees listed in paragraph 5.1.1 of the determination.
4.6 In the event of a paragraph 4.3.1 determination, a map of the relevant area (or a list of postcodes) will be attached as an appendix.
5. Annual procedure for determining admission arrangements
5.1 Consultation
5.1.1 The Trust shall consult the following parties on the Academy’s proposed admission arrangements for a minimum of six weeks between 1 October and 31 January in the Determination Year :
- The LA.
- Any other admission authorities for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation.
- Any other governing body for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation.
- Affected admission authorities in neighbouring LA areas.
- Parents living in the relevant area for consultation whose children have attained the age of two but are not above compulsory school age and who are or will be eligible to apply to be admitted to the Academy.
- Community groups which the Academy considers relevant.
5.1.2 Such consultation shall be in line with the requirements of the Codes and relevant admissions legislation, which at the date of this Agreement is section 89 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 as amended, and Regulations under that section.
5.1.3 Consultation in line with paragraph 5.1.1 is not required in any year where the following conditions are met:
- The admission arrangements were consulted upon in the previous seven years
- There have been no changes, or proposed changes, since the last consultation
- Increasing the published admission number (PAN)
5.1.4 As soon as any changes are made to arrangements, or proposed, the consultation cycle must be followed for the next determination year.
5.2 Determination of admission arrangements
5.2.1 The Trust will consider comments made by those consulted in accordance with paragraph 5.1.1, including any requests to amend the proposed admission number, before determining the admission arrangements for the Academy.
5.2.2 The Trust will determine the Academy’s admission arrangements annually by 28 February of the Determination Year and notify consultees listed in paragraph 5.1.1 what has been determined within 14 days of that decision being made.
5.3 Representation & admission arrangements
5.3.1 Where the Trust has determined the Academy’s admission arrangements and notified all consultees listed in paragraph 5.1.1, if any of those persons or bodies objects to the Academy’s admission arrangements, including the proposed admission number, they can make representations to the Schools Adjudicator. Any representations must be made by 15 May in the Determination Year.
5.4 Schools adjudicator’s consent for changes to admission arrangements
5.4.1 Where the admission arrangements determined in a Determination Year in accordance with paragraph 5.2.2 are different from the admission arrangements currently in existence for the Academy, the Trust shall by 15 May in the Determination Year apply to the Schools Adjudicator for them to consent to such amended admission arrangements.
5.5 Schools adjudicator’s power to accept, modify or reject admission arrangements
5.5.1 Where the Schools Adjudicator has received any representations made in accordance with paragraph 5.3.1, the Schools Adjudicator must consult the Trust on such representations. Following such consultation, by 31 July in the Determination Year the Schools Adjudicator may direct that the Trust amends the proposed admission arrangements for the Academy. The Trust shall comply with any such direction.
5.5.2 Where the Schools Adjudicator has received an application made in accordance with paragraph 5.4.1 seeking consent to any amended admission arrangements, the Schools Adjudicator must by 31 July in the Determination Year either approve the amended admission arrangements or direct that the amended admission arrangements are not implemented or must be modified. The Trust must comply with any such direction.
5.6 Publication of admission arrangements
5.6.1 The Academy shall each Determination Year publish their agreed admission arrangements by:
- Copies being sent to the persons consulted in paragraph 5.1.1;
- Copies being sent to primary and secondary schools in the LA area;
- Copies being sent to the offices of the LA;
- Copies being made available without charge on request from the Academy;
- 5 Copies being sent to public libraries in the area of the LA for the purposes of being made available at such libraries for reference by parents and other persons.
- A copy being uploaded to the Academy’s website.
5.6.2 The published admission arrangements will set out:
- The name and address of the Academy and contact details;
- A summary of the admission policy, including full oversubscription criteria;
- A statement of any religious affiliation if relevant;
- Numbers of places and applications for those places in the previous year; and
- Arrangements for hearing appeals.
5.7 Proposed changes to admission arrangements after arrangements have been published
5.7.1 Subject to paragraph 5.7.2, once the Academy’s admission arrangements have been determined for a particular year and published, the Trust will not make any change to such arrangements unless there is a major change of circumstances and the following procedures have been followed:
The Trust has consulted those who are required to be consulted under paragraph 5.1.1 above on the proposed variation;
- Following such consultation, the Trust has applied to the Schools Adjudicator to approve the change setting out:
- The proposed change;
- Reasons for wishing to make such a change;
- Any comments or objections to the proposal from those consulted;
and following such application, the Schools Adjudicator has provided his consent to the proposed variation.
5.7.2 The Trust shall follow the prior written agreement or direction of the Schools Adjudicator to vary the Academy’s admission arrangements where such changes are necessary to ensure compliance with the relevant provisions of admissions law or the Codes as they apply to maintained schools. Such changes may be made at any time.
5.7.3 Any changes to the Academy’s admission arrangements brought about through the variation processes in paragraphs 5.7.1 or 5.7.2 above must be published within the Academy’s prospectus and on its website and be communicated within 7 days to those persons who must be consulted under paragraph 5.1.1.
5.7.4 The Trust must make arrangements for a parent of a child who has attained the age of two but is not above compulsory school age and who has been, is or will be eligible to apply to be admitted to the Academy to make representations to the Schools Adjudicator that any aspect of the Academy’s admission arrangements do not comply with the relevant provisions of admissions law or the Codes as they apply to maintained schools.
5.7.5 Where a representation is made in accordance with paragraph 5.7.4, the Schools Adjudicator may, after consulting the Trust, direct that the Trust modify its arrangements for the admission of students to the Academy so that they comply with the relevant provisions of admissions law and the Codes as they apply to maintained schools. The Trust must comply with any such direction.
5.7.6 Records of applications and admissions to the Academy shall be kept by the Trust for a minimum period of ten years and shall be open for inspection by the Schools Adjudicator.
6. Procedure for admitting students
6.1 Admission number
6.1.1 The Trust has the following admission number for the Academy for the year 2027/2028 and, subject to any changes approved or required by the Schools Adjudicator, for subsequent years:
270 for students in Year 7.
6.1.2 In any specific year, the Trust may set a higher admission number than the Academy’s agreed admission number for an applicable year group. Before setting an admission number higher than its agreed admission number, the Trust will consult those listed at paragraph 5.1.1. Students will not be admitted in any year group above the published admission number for that year group unless exceptional circumstances apply and such circumstances shall be reported to the Schools Adjudicator.
6.2 Process of application
6.2.1 Arrangements for applications for places at the Academy will be made in accordance with the LA’s co-ordinated admission arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by the relevant LA.
6.2.2 The Trust will use the LA timetable for applications to the Academy each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year). This will fit in with the timetable for the co-ordination of admission arrangements within LA as agreed by the Admissions Forum, LA, local schools and academies.
- By September – the Trust will publish in the Academy prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including oversubscription criteria, for the following September (e.g. in September 2022 for admission in September 2023). This will include details of open evenings and other opportunities for prospective students and their parents to visit the school. The Trust will also provide information in relation to the Academy to the LA for inclusion in the composite prospectus, as required;
- September/October – the Trust will provide opportunities for parents to visit the Academy;
- October – Common Application Form to be completed and returned to the student’s home LA – administered by the LA;
- The Academy requests the list of names who have made applications from the LA
- The LA sends the Academy the list of names;
- February – the LA applies agreed scheme for own schools, informing other LA’s of offers to be made to their residents.
- Beginning of March - offers made to parents.
6.2.3 Since 2011-12 there has been a national closing date for applications of 31 October for secondary school applications. The Academy will ensure its application processes enable parents to apply before these deadlines.
6.3 Consideration of applications
6.3.1 The Trust will consider equally all applications for places at the Academy. Where fewer than the published admission number(s) for the relevant year groups are received, the Trust will offer places at the Academy to all those who have applied.
7. Procedures for when the Academy is oversubscribed
7.1 Admissions to Year 7
7.1.1 Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below. After the admission of students with Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where the Academy is named on the plan, the criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below:
1. Looked after children and all previously looked after children, including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order.
A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society
2. Children and families with exceptional medical or social needs
Written evidence must be provided by a suitably qualified professional – e.g. a GP or consultant for medical needs, or a social worker for social needs – the information must confirm the exceptional medical or social need and demonstrate how the specified school is the only school that can meet the defined needs of the child. A panel of officers from Tameside MBC will make a decision as to whether to admit a child under this criterion, using the evidence provided. Parents/carers are responsible for providing all information in support of an application by the closing date, officers of the Council will not ask for additional information. All information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.
3. Sibling:
This will apply where there are brothers or sisters attending the school as at the closing date for applications, who will still be attending at the time of admission, i.e. in the September when the pupil is admitted to Year 7. Preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school. The sibling criterion includes; natural sisters/brothers; half-sisters/brothers; step sisters/brothers; adopted sisters/brothers; sisters/brothers of fostered children; children of the parent/carer’s partner, and in each case living at the same address. This allows for the admittance of children whose siblings will still be attending the preferred school. In cases where twins, triplets, other multiple birth siblings, or other siblings whose date of birth falls within the same academic year, are split when allocations take place, siblings will be offered a place at the same school which may not be a preference school named on the common application form
4. Children attending the named partner primary school on the closing date for applications. Preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school.
- Audenshaw Primary School
- Corrie Primary School
- Dane Bank Primary School
- Denton West End Primary School
- Greswell Primary School
- Linden Road Academy
- Manor Green Primary School
- Poplar Street Primary School
- Russell Scott Primary School
- St Anne’s CofE Primary School
- St Stephen’s CofE Primary School
5. All other applications on distance
Preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school.
Distance will also be used as a tiebreaker where oversubscription occurs within any of criteria 1 to 4. Preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school.
Distance will be measured as a straight line from the child’s home address, using the address point assigned by the National Land and Property Gazetteer, to the main gate to the school property. Measurements will be made using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software, which uses a Geographical Information System based on Ordnance Survey.
The address from which distance will be measured will be the permanent residential address, as at the closing date for applications, of the parent with whom the child is normally resident. Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility, each for part of a week, the home address is the address from which the parent receives the child benefit.
In the event of distances being the same for 2 or more applications where this distance would be the last place/s to be allocated, the place will be allocated to the pupil that is nearer using walking distance as measured using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software. In the event of two or more applications with distances, which are exactly the same competing for a final place, e.g. blocks of flats, the place will be decided by drawing lots, the first name drawn will be offered the place.
An adoption order is an order under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. A ‘child arrangement order’ is as an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).
7.1.2 Parents will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the Academy. The Appeal Panel will be independent of the Academy. The arrangements for appeals will be in line with the School Admission Code. The determination of the appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Schools Admission Appeals Code and is binding on all parties. The Academy will prepare guidance for parents about how the appeals process will work and provide parents with a named independent contact who can answer any enquiries parents may have about the process.
7.2 Operation of Waiting Lists
7.2.1 Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the LA’s co-ordinated admission scheme, the Academy will operate a waiting list for each year group. Where in any year the Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate for one academic year during which time it will be the responsibility of the applicant’s parent/carer to inform the Academy of their wish for their child to remain on the waiting list
7.2.2 After one year the applicant’s name will be removed from this waiting list unless the Academy has heard from the parent. This waiting list will be maintained by the Academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list following an unsuccessful application.
7.2.3 Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in paragraph 7.1 above. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.
7.2.4 The Academy will not refuse to admit a child on behavioural grounds in the normal admissions round or at any point in the normal year of entry. The Academy may refuse admission in certain cases where the specific criteria listed in the School Admissions Code (paragraph 3.8) apply, i.e. where section 87 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 is engaged.
The Academy may refuse admission for an in-year applicant for a year group that isn’t the normal point of entry, only in such a case that we have good reason to believe that the child may display challenging behaviour that may adversely affect the provision The Academy can offer. In this case, the Academy will refer these students to the Fair Access Protocol (subject to the requirements in paragraph 3.11 of the School Admissions Code). The Academy will not refuse admission on these grounds to looked after children, previously looked after children and children with EHC plans listing the school.
8. Requests for admission outside the normal age group
8.1 From 2011-2012 local authorities have co-ordinated admissions for in-year applications and for applications for year groups other than the normal point(s) of entry. This will not affect Academies’ right to determine which applicants have priority for admission.
8.2 Subject to any provisions in the LA’s co-ordinated admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, the Trust will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child unless the Fair Access Protocol applies. If more applications are received than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria in paragraph 7.1 shall apply. Parents whose application that are turned down shall be entitled to appeal.
8.3 Parents will always be informed of the reasons for any decision on the year group a child should be admitted to. Parents do not have a right to appeal if they are offered a place at the school but it is not in their preferred age group.
9. In year admissions
9.1 Parents can apply for a place for their child at any time outside the normal admissions round. As is the case in the normal admissions round, all children whose EHC plans name the school will be admitted.
9.2 Likewise, if there are spaces available in the year group you are applying for, your child will be offered a place.
9.3 If there are no spaces available at the time of your application, your child’s name will be added to a waiting list for the relevant year group. When a space becomes available, it will be filled by one of the students on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria listed in section 7.1 of this policy. Priority will not be given to children on the basis that they have been on the waiting list the longest.
9.4 Applications for in-year admissions should be sent to the following address:
Applications to schools in the Tameside Borough are usually made online via the Tameside Citizens Portal. A link to this site can be found here. https://admission.tameside.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/en
Alternatively, the School Admissions team for Tameside can be contacted on 0161 342 4004 or via post at the following address:
The School Admissions Team
PO Box 317
Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 0GS
9.5 The principal will consider in year applications in discussion with the SLT.
9.6 Parents will be notified of the outcome of your in-year application in writing within 15 school days. Parents will always be informed of the reasons for any decision on the year group a child should be admitted to. Parents do not have a right to appeal if they are offered a place at the school but it is not in their preferred age group.
10. Appeals
10.1 If your child’s application for a place at the school is unsuccessful, you will be informed why admission was refused and given information about the process for hearing appeals. If you wish to appeal, you must set out the grounds for your appeal in writing and send it to the following address: schoolappeals@tameside.gov.uk
10.2 You can find details of the school’s appeals timetable on the following webpage:
https://www.tameside.gov.uk/schools/admissions/appeals
11. Monitoring arrangements
11.1 This policy will be reviewed and approved by the executive principal each year.
Whenever changes to admission arrangements are proposed (except where the change is an increase to the agreed admission number), the Trust will publicly consult on these changes. If nothing changes, it will publicly consult on the academy’s admission arrangements at least once every 7 years
12. Relevant Links
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-schools-adjudicator
https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions
https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/appealing-a-schools-decision
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