Laurus Ryecroft Academy

Contents Heading 

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 3 

ADMISSION NUMBER(S) 3 

OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA 4 

TIE-BREAK 4 

LATE APPLICATIONS. 5 

ADMISSION OF CHILDREN OUTSIDE THEIR NORMAL AGE GROUP. 5 

WAITING LISTS 6 

IN YEAR ADMISSIONS FOR ALL YEAR GROUPS 6 

APPEALS 7 

Introductory statement

Laurus Ryecroft is a non-denominational 11-18 academy school and part of the Laurus Trust.  Our vision is that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, will be inspired, thrive in all environments, recognise what it takes to succeed, set aspirational goals and work hard to achieve them.

Admission number(s)

The school has an admission number of 210 for entry in year 7.  

The school will accordingly admit this number of pupils if there are sufficient applications. Where fewer applicants than the published admission number(s) for the relevant year group are received, the Academy Trust will offer places at the school to all those who have applied.  

Application process 

The Laurus Trust is the Admissions Authority for Laurus Ryecroft and is responsible for taking decisions on applications for admissions. The Laurus Trust has elected to use the Local Authority’s admission process, therefore the co-ordination and administration of admissions is undertaken by Tameside LA’s School Admissions Team based at Hyde Town Hall, Market Street, Hyde, Tameside, SK14 1AL.

The Closing date for applications will be 31^st October 2026.  

Local Authorities have a system of co-ordinated admissions. You will need to apply using the Local Authority form for the area in which you reside. Parents seeking a place for their child must include Laurus Ryecroft in ranked order of preference on their Local Authority’s application form.  

If you live in Tameside you must apply using the on-line system which will be available from September 2026. A description of the process and the application form are available at  http://www.tameside.gov.uk/admissions

Offers will be made on 1st March 2027 or the next working day by the Local Authority.

Oversubscription criteria   

The criteria in this section apply to entry at all phases of the school.   

When Laurus Ryecroft is oversubscribed, after the admission of pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan naming the school, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in priority order:

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 immediately after, they became subject to adoption, a child arrangements order, or special guardianship order.
2. Priority will next be given to children based on their exceptional medical or social needs. Each application must include evidence, from a medical specialist or social worker of the child’s need and why they must attend this school rather than any other, based on those needs. If evidence is not submitted to the LA with the application, a child’s medical or social needs cannot be considered.
3. Priority will next be given to the siblings of pupils attending Laurus Ryecroft at the time the application is received and at the date of admission.
4. Priority will next be given to the children of staff employed by Laurus Ryecroft in either or both of the following circumstances:
   • where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or
   • the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
5. Other children

Tie-break

If in categories B-E above a tie-break is necessary to determine which child is admitted, the child living closest to the school will be given priority for admission. 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. Random allocation undertaken by someone independent of the

school will be used as a tie-break in categories B-E above to decide who has highest priority for admission if the distance between a child’s home and the school is equidistant in any two or more cases.

Random allocation will not be applied to multiple birth siblings (twins and triplets etc.) from the same family tied for the final place. We will admit them all and exceed our PAN.

Late applications

All applications received by the LA after the deadline will be considered to be late applications. Late applications will be considered after those received on time. If, following consideration of all applicants the school is oversubscribed, parents may request that their child is placed on the school’s waiting list.

Admission of children outside their normal age group

Parents may request that their child is admitted outside their normal age group.  To do so parents should include a request with their application, specifying why admission out of normal year group is being requested.

When such a request is made, the academy trust will make a decision on the basis of the circumstances of the case and in the best interests of the child concerned, taking into account the views of the headteacher and any supporting evidence provided by the parent.

Guidance for parents wishing to request consideration outside of the chronological age group:  

• It is advised that all parents who submit a request still make an application for a school place at the normal time.  
• Requests should be made in writing to the Academy Trust  
• Parents may provide any supplementary documentary evidence to support their request   

Decisions are made by the Academy Trust on an individual case basis and the Trust will consider:  

• The views and wishes of the parent  
• The views of the prospective Headteacher/Governing Body  
• Evidence indicating academic, social and emotional development to date  
• Where relevant, the child’s medical history  
• Whether the child has previously been educated out of chronological age group  
• If the child would have fallen into another age group if it were not for the child being born prematurely  

Decisions will be communicated in writing.

Should a request be granted, it does not indicate a formal offer of a school place. Instead it is an agreement to consider the child’s application for a school place outside of their normal chronological age group.  

Should the request be granted but your child is unsuccessful at obtaining a place at the school, the agreement made by the Academy Trust cannot be extended to other schools. This could result in your child being considered for a school place elsewhere in their normal chronological age group.  

Should the request not be granted, your child could still be considered for a place at the school in their normal chronological age group  

The Academy Trust may share details of your request with Tameside Local Authority in order to seek advice. Permission will be obtained prior to the exchange of any information.

Waiting lists  

Laurus Ryecroft will operate a waiting list for each year group. Where the school receives more applications for Year 7 places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until 31^st December of that academic year. This will be maintained by the Academy Trust 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.

Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.  The waiting list will be reordered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria whenever anyone is added to or leaves the waiting list.

In year admissions for all year groups

The Local Authority administers the in-year applications i.e. outside the normal admission rounds.  Applications must be made via Tameside MBC’s on-line system at https://www.tameside.gov.uk/admissions

All applications are considered in relation to the normal year group for the child’s chronological age. The Laurus Trust determines that the PAN (from the point of admission) is a relevant benchmark to determine whether a request for admission can be accepted or rejected. An application can be refused if the school is full to its PAN for the year group and further admissions would cause prejudice to the provision of efficient education and use of resources, or if the pupil has been permanently excluded from two schools.  

In the case of multiple applications for a particular year group, places will be allocated or names placed on a waiting list in accordance with the published admissions policy and oversubscription criteria.

Appeals  

All applicants refused a place have a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel constituted and operated in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code.  

Appeal forms must be returned to by the published date or within 20 school days of receipt of the refusal.

Full details of the appeals procedure are available at http://www.tameside.gov.uk/schools/admissions/receptionyear7

The following is a summary of the process:  

• The Local Authority will manage the appeals process on behalf of the Academy Trust.  
• The Appeal must be submitted on the appeal request form, or online, setting out the grounds on which the appeal is made. Online forms are available here http://public.tameside.gov.uk/forms/f1004schooltransfer547.aspor at the following address: Democratic Services, Dukinfield Town Hall, King Street, Dukinfield SK16 4LA
• Appeal forms must be returned to the Independent Appeal Panel by the published date or within 20 school days of receipt of the refusal. An appeal form received after the due date will only be heard in the first appeals round in exceptional circumstances.
• When an appeal has been lodged, the Secretary to the Independent Appeal Panel will send a formal invitation 10 days before the date of the Independent Appeal Panel Hearing. Following that; normally 7 school days before the appeal, the Secretary will send Parents and Panel Members the Statement of Case on behalf of the Academy Trust explaining why a place has been refused
• An Independent Appeal Panel Hearing must give a parent the opportunity of appearing and making oral representation. The parent can be accompanied by a friend or be represented.  
• At the Hearing, both the Local Authority acting on the Academy Trust’s behalf and the parent will be offered the chance to speak about the case which will be decided on the basis of the information provided to the Panel.  
• The Independent Appeal Panel will notify the parent of the Appeal Panel’s decision, in writing. Decision letters are sent within five school days of the hearing wherever possible. The decision of the Independent Appeal Panel is binding on both the Academy Trust and the parent.  

Notes: 

Home address: 

The home address is where a child normally lives.  Where a child lives with parents with shared parental responsibility, each for part of a week, the address where the child lives is determined using a joint declaration from the parents stating the pattern of residence. If a child’s residence is split equally between both parents, then parents will be asked to determine which residential address should be used for the purpose of admission to school. If no joint declaration is received where the residence is split equally by the closing date for applications, the home address will be taken as the address where the child is registered with the doctor. If the residence is not split equally between both parents then the address used will be the address where the child spends the majority of the school week.

Sibling: 

‘Sibling’ means a natural brother or sister, a half brother or sister, a legally adopted brother or sister or half-brother or sister, a step brother or sister or other child living in the same household as part of the same family who, in any of these cases, will be living at the same address at the date of their application and their admission for a place.

Medical and Social Need:  

‘Social need’ does not include a parent’s wish that a child attends the school because of a child’s aptitude or ability or because their friends attend the school. ‘Medical need’ does not include mild medical conditions.  

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). 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.

Contents Heading

Introductory statement 3

Admission Arrangements. 3

Entry criteria and acceptance on to a chosen course or combination of courses. 3

Oversubscription criteria. 4

Late applications. 4

Waiting list 5

Appeals. 5

Introductory statement

Our vision is for every student, regardless of background or circumstance, to achieve the A level grades which will open the door to the future of their choice, including access to the most competitive and prestigious universities and professions.

Laurus Ryecroft Sixth Form (LRSF) is committed to providing courses of study and enrichment opportunities which enable us to realise our vision. We expect students who apply for a place in our Sixth Form to have the same ambition and to demonstrate this in their attitude to their studies, their participation in the Cornerstones programme and their contribution to the Sixth Form community.

Admission Arrangements

The Laurus Trust is the Admission Authority for Laurus Ryecroft Sixth Form. LRSF has an admission number of 150 for entry into year 12.

The application process opens in November of the year before entry into the Sixth Form. All applicants, whether internal or external, must complete the application form by the December deadline stated on the website.

Successful applicants will receive conditional offer letters by the end of February. A final decision on admission to the Sixth Form cannot take place until students’ GCSE results are known. Applicants will need to register for a place in person on GCSE Results Day with evidence of their GCSE results.

Entry criteria and acceptance on to a chosen course or combination of courses
 
 The A level courses which we offer and our entry criteria reflect our vision. A minimum of six GCSEs at grade 6, including Maths and English (Literature or Language), are required for entry. Students should also meet the individual subject criteria - where the subject was not available at GCSE, any comparable subjects will be taken into account. In exceptional cases for internal applicants (for example where there are extenuating circumstances such as illness) or for applicants onto specific Pathway Programmes, the entry criteria may be adjusted on an individual basis.

During the admission process, all students seeking admission to the Sixth Form will have a personal consultation with a member of the Sixth Form team to ascertain whether or not LRSF offers the courses which will best match the aptitudes of the potential student. This will be supplemented by additional information from tutors and subject teachers, including estimated grades. Information which students provide on their application forms will also be incorporated into the consultation to ensure that choices and combinations of subjects are appropriate.

Admission into Year 12 does not guarantee entry to the courses as offered in the prospectus. If an individual course is undersubscribed and therefore does not run, alternatives will be offered. If an individual course is oversubscribed, the oversubscription criteria detailed below will be applied to the individual course.   

Once accepted into the Sixth Form, all students will be expected to adhere to the Sixth Form Contract, with particular reference to Attendance, Behaviour, Study and Dress Codes.   

Oversubscription criteria 

Where there are more applications from students who meet the published entry criteria than the Published Admissions Number, students will be allocated places in the order A-F below. If in any category there are more students than places, priority will be given to those with the highest average GCSE points score.

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
2. Internal applicants considered to have highly exceptional medical/social reasons   
3. Internal applicants who are Ever 6 FSM students  
4. Other internal applicants
5. Children of staff where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post at the school for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage
6. All other applicants

If any two or more candidates are tied on the same attainment score for the last available place, then the place will be awarded to the applicant who lives nearest to the Sixth Form – using straight line distance from the applicant’s front door to the entrance of the Sixth Form.

Late applications 

All applications received after the deadline will be considered to be late applications. Late applications will be considered after those received on time. If, following consideration of all applicants, the sixth form is oversubscribed, unsuccessful applicants may ask to be placed on a waiting list.

Waiting list 

A waiting list of applicants who have met the entry criteria but not been offered a place will be maintained until the end of September in the academic year of entry. It is open to such applicants to be asked to be placed on the waiting list. The priority order for entry within the waiting list will be determined by applying the oversubscription criteria.

Appeals 

Parents and Carers and students have a right to appeal against any decision refusing a Sixth Form place in a school with a Sixth Form. Please note that all places are conditional, based on GCSE results and as a result no appeals will be held until after the GCSE results day. All appeals will be heard by an independent panel within 40 days of the deadline for lodging appeals. The appeals process will be published on the school’s website.

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). Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because immediately after, they became subject to adoption, a child arrangements order, or special guardianship order. 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.