Chipping Hill School published admission number 2010/11: 30

There will be no admission into Year 6 in 2012/13.

NEW GOVERNMENT SCHOOL ADMISSIONS POLICY

All children are entitled to a full-time school place from the September after their fourth birthday. If a parent wishes to defer entry until the term their child becomes five years old they may in consultation with the school.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Chipping Hill Primary School’s priority admission area is the Maltings Lane Development. However there is no guarantee of a place for children living in the priority admission area (Maltings Lane Development).

In the event of over-subscription places will be allocated using the following criteria in the order given:

• Children looked after
• Children with a sibling attending the school
• Children living in the school’s priority admission area (on the Maltings Lane Development)
• Other children living in the Witham priority area
• Remaining applications

In the event of oversubscription within any of the above criteria, priority will be determined by straight line distance from home to school, those living closest being given highest priority.
Exceptional medical circumstances (supported by medical evidence) may override the above.

Children with statements of special educational needs

Children with statements of special educational needs that name the school on the statement are required to be admitted to a school regardless of their place in the priority order.

Applying for a school place

The application process is in accordance with the co-ordinated scheme for primary admissions. A Common Application Form will be sent during October 2011 to all parents/carers of known Essex resident eligible children registered with an Essex GP. Parents/carers who live in Essex can choose to apply for their child’s school place by completing and returning the Common Application Form or by applying on-line using the Essex On-line Admissions Service at www.essex.gov.uk/admissions. Offers of places will be sent on 18th April 2012.

The Primary Education in Essex booklet 2012/13 provides detailed notes on making an application. This booklet will be available soon from primary schools, libraries, the Local Authority and from the ECC website.

Closing date for applications

The closing date for applications is 15th January 2012.

Home address

Applications will be processed on the basis of the home address for the child. In the majority of cases this will be the parent’s home address. However, where this is not the case, the child is taken to be ‘ordinarily resident’ at the address of the parent/guardian that is in receipt of child benefit for the child. Parents will be asked to provide proof of the home address. In a few cases children may be ‘ordinarily resident’ for the majority of the school week with another relative, such as a grandparent. Where this is the case the application will be processed on the basis of that address. Proof of this address and arrangement will be required.

Siblings

For applications made in the normal admission round a sibling is defined as a child living in the same family unit, in the same family household and address as a child who attends the preferred school or partner school in any year group excluding the final year. This, therefore, includes brothers and sisters and step brothers and sisters. In addition biological siblings, in any year group excluding the final year, will be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. For mid year applications a sibling is defined as a child living in the same family unit, in the same family household and address as a child who attends the preferred school or partner school at the time of application and determination and with a reasonable expectation that the sibling will be attending at the time of admission.

Medical circumstances

Exceptional medical reasons may override other admission criteria if supported by medical evidence. The medical reasons should be in relation to the child and should be clearly stated on the application form. Applications made on this basis will be considered by a panel of County Council Officers. To demonstrate the medical need of a child which can most appropriately be met at the preferred school medical evidence from an appropriate professional will be required. The panel will decide whether the evidence provided demonstrates that it is necessary for the school to admit the child on medical grounds as no other local school would be able to meet the specific medical need.

Withdrawal of an offer

If a school place has been secured through false information or has been offered in error, the offer of the place may be withdrawn.

Waiting lists

Essex County Council will hold waiting lists in priority order according to the school’s admission criteria until the end of the first week of the Autumn term 2012.

Late Applications

1. Parents moving into the area, who in the view of the Local Authority (LA), could not have made an application by the closing date, will have their application slotted into the system. However, it may not be possible to consider these applications until after the allocation of places on 18th April 2012.
   
   
2. Applications received after the closing date will be accepted but may be treated as late applications. This means they will be considered after all on-time applications have been processed. However, where the LA considers the circumstances of late submission to be exceptional, applications received after the closing date will be considered as on time.
   
   
3. Applications submitted after the closing date, which in the view of the LA could have been completed on time, will be accepted but treated as late applications.
   
   
4. A new preference or changes in the order of preferences cannot be added after the closing date, to an application form received on time, unless the circumstances are deemed to be exceptional.

Changing primary schools

The opportunity to transfer depends on places being available at the preferred school. If approved, a place is usually made available at the start of the following term. A child should not be withdrawn from the current school until a place has been secured elsewhere. Applications for transfer will not be dealt with until the half term prior to the requested admission date. In cases where a child moves into a district area (proof of address required) and, as a result of the move the child would be without a school place, the application will be dealt with immediately.

Applications made after the start of the autumn term
On receipt of an application after the start of the autumn term the County Council will contact the school in writing for the up-to-date numbers. If there are spaces in the year group an offer will be made. If not a refusal will be sent and the right of appeal given if it was a first application for the year group or if it was a second application resulting from a significant and material change in circumstances relevant to the application. When there are more applications, received on the same day, than the number of places available the school’s admission criteria will be used to determine any offers that can be made.

Appeals against admission decisions

Parents have the right to appeal against admissions decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. Information about how to appeal against a refusal of a school place will be sent with the offer pack.