Abingdon Primary School Admissions Arrangements for School Year 2024-25
The Legacy Learning Trust is the Admissions Authority for the school.
These arrangements are established in accordance with Annex 1 of the Academy’s Supplemental Funding Agreement.
The Local Authority (LA) Admissions Team, Middlesbrough Council, will co-ordinate all admissions and this is referred to as the coordinated admissions scheme.
All Reception admissions will be requested via the common admissions form.
Admission Number
Abingdon Primary School has an agreed Published Admission Number (PAN) of 75 per year group. The school will accordingly admit 75 in the relevant age groups if sufficient applications are received. All applications will be admitted if 75 or fewer apply.
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan
Any child with an Education, Health and Care Plan (“EHCP”) is required to be admitted. This gives such children overall priority for admission to the named academy. This is not an over-subscription criteria.
Nursery
Children are usually admitted into nursery shortly after their third birthday, though there is often a waiting list, so parents are recommended to put their child’s name down in good time. The Nursery, will contact parents when a place is available. Parents wishing to add their child’s name to the list should contact Miss Barry, the Office Manager or, download and complete the application form below.
In Year Admissions
Children are admitted into full-time school in the September of the academic year when they will reach 5 years old, however we also consider applications from children to school from any age group following applications to Middlesbrough council and if there is space available in that year group.
The Local Authority, Middlesbrough Council, will co-ordinate all admissions. The LA school admissions team will liaise between the School and parents. Parents can contact the LA Admissions team on 01642 201889. The LA team will liaise with parents to complete relevant paperwork and to confirm the offer to give details as to why it has been denied.
If a place is offered, parents are asked to contact the School again so that the relevant paperwork can be completed and a start date negotiated.
If a place is not available then parents will be advised accordingly and given the right of an appeal.
Over-Subscription Criteria
Where more parents/carers have expressed a preference for a particular school than the admission number, the Local Authority must apply its over-subscription criteria in deciding which parents/carers preferences can be met. After the admission of pupils with statements of special educational needs where a particular school is named in the statement, the over-subscription criteria for primary and secondary schools will be applied as follows;
Primary Admissions
If Abingdon Primary School is oversubscribed, after the admission of students with Statements of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health & Care Plan where a particular school is named in the Statement or Plan, the over subscription criteria will be applied as follows, in priority;
i) ‘Children looked after’ (in public care), and children previously ‘looked after’, but ceased to be so because they were adopted* immediately following having been looked after. (* or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order)
ii) Pupils permanently resident in the Admission Zone, i.e. the address at which the child is registered for child benefit, who express a preference for that school (proof of address may be required).
iii) Pupils who will have a brother and/or step brother and/or sister and/or step sister or the child of the parent/carer’s partner living at the same address attending the school in the September of admission.
iv) Pupils with exceptional social and / or medical reasons for attending the school, which in the latter circumstances are substantiated by the LA medical advisors. A letter from the child’s GP or other relevant professional such as a social worker must be submitted with the application. Social reasons do not include domestic arrangements such as parents working commitments or childcare arrangements. Only exceptional circumstances such as parents who have a disability, which may mean their child must attend a particular school, will be considered. (In this instance a letter from the parent’s GP or other relevant professional such as a social worker must be submitted with the application)
v) Pupils who reside closest to a particular school, measured in a straight line. The measure will be taken from the front door of the pupils’ home to the main entrance of the school.
When distinguishing between pupils within the same criteria the pupil with the highest second criteria will be admitted i.e. a pupil living within the admission zone who has a brother or sister attending the school in the September of admission will have a higher criteria than a pupil who lives in the admission zone but does not have a brother or sister attending the school.
N.B. Attendance at a school nursery does not guarantee a place in the reception class of that school.
Operation of waiting lists
Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the coordinated admission scheme, the School will operate a waiting list. Where in any year the School receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until the end of the first school term. This will be maintained by the School 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. Places from the waiting list will be offered in the priority order set out above, not in order of the date applications are made.
Late applications
Application forms received after the closing date will be considered alongside those applicants who applied on time wherever possible. Where it is not practicable because places have already been allocated, or are shortly to be allocated, then late applications will be considered only after those applicants who applied by the published closing date.
Admission arrangements for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
The admission of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is the same as those applied to pupils without disabilities. The school complies fully with the Equality Act 2010 and the School Admissions Code 2012 in relation to the arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils. Where the school is oversubscribed all children are admitted in accordance with the published oversubscription criteria. Where a child is disabled the school will make reasonable adjustments and provide auxiliary aids or services to ensure that no disabled child is placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to other pupils.
Parents of children with disabilities are advised to speak to us prior to admission to discuss any reasonable adjustments required so we can plan accordingly.
Fair Access Protocols
The School works in accordance with the in-year Fair Access Protocols held by the Local Authority; should a vulnerable child within the protocols require a place at the School, they will take precedence over any child on the waiting list.
Tie breaker
If it is necessary to use a tie-breaker to distinguish between two or more applications, a distance criterion will be used. We will give priority to the applicants who live nearest to the school as measured by a straight line from the front door of the home of the applicant to the front door of the main reception of the school site that was on the original application for a place.
Appeals
The Legacy Learning Trust as the Admission Authority delegates the responsibility for appeals back to the Academy/Local Authority. Parents who wish to appeal the decision of the admissions authority to refuse their child a place at your School may apply in writing to the School, using the Appeals Form below, where appeals will be heard by an independent panel.
In the event of you taking your Year 7 admission allocation to appeal.
We cannot offer a bespoke report writing in support of each appeal. We are happy to provide any information already held on our system and offer support on where to seek advice.
However, pupils’ wellbeing is of paramount importance and we endeavour to do all we can to support what some pupils experience as a challenging process in their transition journey. This comes in the form of bespoke pastoral handovers to secondary colleagues and specialised Care Team support with extended transition, ensuring the pupils’ wellbeing is central to the process.
Admissions Reception Class September 2024
Admission Appeal timetable
In accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code, Admission Authorities must set a timetable for organising and hearing educational appeals. The following timetable applies to appeals for admission to Abingdon Primary School. Reception Class in September 2023.
| 16th November 2023 | Letters sent to parents with common application form and online details |
| 15th January 2024 | Closing date for return of forms or online applications to LA admissions team |
| March to April 2024 | Preferences considered |
| 16th April 2024 | Emails and/or letters to parents confirming outcome of application |
| June/July 2024 | Appeal Hearings as required |
The timetable for primary school admissions, including appeal dates, can be found on the Middlesbrough Council Website.
All documentation is available from the school office on request.
