Admissions
School places are allocated by the school admissions team within the Local Authority. They will try to offer your child a place at your preferred school.
Places in schools are limited by the physical space in the school. Each school has an admission number which is based on the size of the school. If the number of pupils requiring places is more than the admission number then not every child will be successful in getting a place. This is what we mean when a school is said to be ‘oversubscribed'.
If the school is oversubscribed the places will be allocated using the following admission criteria:
- Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children - This includes children who have ceased to be looked after because they have been adopted or become subject to a special residency order or special guardianship order.
- Children in Need - as defined by the Children Act (1989) i.e. those who are unlikely to achieve or maintain or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of health or development or a child/children whose health or development would be further impaired without the provision of services of the local authority. Applications under this criterion would need to be supported by an appropriate professional stating that attendance at a particular school is essential.
- Medical reasons. If claiming medical reasons, parents/carers must provide evidence from the doctor that the child has a medical condition which means that admission to a particular school is essential.
- Older brother or sister in attendance at the school at the date when the pupil is to be admitted. This includes step-children and foster children living with the same family at the same address. Other children may be considered under the sibling criterion provided proof is available to demonstrate that the children are permanently resident at the same address as part of the same family unit. The authority accepts that in some family units children may not be natural brother or sister.
- Children living nearest to the school - The distance will be measured in a straight line using Local Land and Property Gazetteer information (LLPG) to measure the distance from the address point of the child's home address and centre of the school in miles. Those children whose home address is closest to the school will be those who get priority for places.
Oversubscription
When allocating places for children in criterion two to five it is possible that our school's admission number will be reached before all the children in that criterion have been allocated places.
If that happens all of the children in that criterion (but not children in higher criteria whose places will be assured) will be ranked according to distance from the school. Children who live nearest to the school (measured on a straight line distance from the school) will take up places until the admission number has been reached. Length of time on a waiting list is not seen as a relevant factor.
No child can automatically transfer from nursery to a reception class. Where the school has more applications than places available in the reception class, they must be allocated using the published admission criteria. Children who have attended the nursery will be considered on the same basis as those who have not.
Who to contact: School Admissions Team Telephone: 0161 909 6508
Children's Services
2nd Floor
Unity House
Salford Civic Centre
Chorley Road
Swinton
M27 5AW
Email: school.admissions@salford.gov.uk
