Admission priority order
If the number of preferences for a school is above the number of places available, places will be offered in the following priority order:
- Children in public care, looked-after children and previously looked-after children (note 1)
- Children who currently go to a paired infant school (note 2)
- siblings who go to the named schools at the time of application and who will still be attending in September 2020 (note 3)
- religious preference for Voluntary Controlled church schools only. A supplementary information form is also needed (note 4)
- Medical, health and special access reasons (note 5)
- Children eligible for the service premium (note 6)
- Children of teaching staff (note 7)
- Closeness of the child’s home and, for Halling Primary School only, ease to get to the school (note 8)
Twins, triplets and other children of multiple birth
If a school is oversubscribed and a parent or carer for the final place is the parent or carer of twins, triplets or other multiple birth, the multiple birth application will get a higher priority for place. This priority is not higher than placements for children in public care.
Parents or carers must indicate the children are of multiple birth in their school application.
Equal eligibility for a place
If two or more children are all equal priority for the last available school place, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide what child will get the place.
Definitions and notes for priority places
1. Looked-after children
Looked-after children are children in the care of a local authority or are housed by a local authority as part of the authority’s social services at the time of making the application for a school.
Previously looked-after children are children who were looked after but now are not due to adoption, a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order.
We may ask for a copy of the adoption or residence order as proof of the look-after child status.
2. Paired schools
The priority for children currently at a paired school only applies to applications for Year 3 in junior school.
If there are pairings between an infant and junior school, children at the infant school are given a higher priority for a place than the junior school.
3. Children with a sibling at the named school
Children with a sibling at the named school have priority. This includes natural, adopted, foster and step siblings. Extended family such as cousins living in the same house do not get priority.
Sibling links also apply for paired schools. This means if you’re applying for Year R in the infant school and have an older sibling in the paired school the sibling link will be considered.
If the older sibling is in Year 6 when you apply, the link cannot be considered as they will not be in the school when the younger child would start in September.
4. Religious schools
When applying for a place at a Medway Voluntary Controlled Church of England School on the grounds of a religion you must prove that the child or at least one parent or carer is a regular worshipper. This means they should go to a church affiliated to or represented at Churches Together in England or the Evangelical Alliance at least once a month for at least 12 months before the application is made.
Parents or carers must [complete the supplementary information form] (SIF) for Medway Voluntary Controlled church schools. Return the completed form to any Medway Voluntary Controlled church school.
You will need to complete both the supplementary information as well as the application form. The SIF will not be processed unless there is also a valid school application. The form must be returned to the school by the closing date for applications.
5. Medical, health and special access reasons
Medical, health and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school’s legal obligations for children whose need to attend a particular school is clear and significant based on:
- the child’s mental or physical impairment
- parent or carer’s mental or physical impairment
You’ll need to provide written evidence from a qualified practitioner who can prove the connection between the needs of the child, parent or carer and the particular school.
All evidence must be sent to the School Services Admissions Team by the closing date for applications.
6. Benefit eligibility
If a parent or carer is eligible to receive service premium they must provide evidence when they apply. All evidence must be sent to School Admissions and Transport by the closing date for applications and must quote the child’s name and date of birth.
7. Children of teaching staff
Children of teaching staff can get priority if they are staff employed and paid as teachers or teaching assistance but not voluntary staff. You’ll need to provide evidence of this.
The parent has been employed at the requested school for two years or more when they apply for a place.
8. Distance to school
All distances and routes are calculated to prioritise applications. There is no expectation that a child should use this to walk to school.
Distances and routes calculated represent the shortest route to school from the child’s home address using known roads and paths by the mapping systems used by the School Admissions and Transport Team.
The start point is the central point of the nearest road or footpath. This may not always be the postal address road if an alternative road or footpath is actually nearer to the location tag of the property.
The end point is either a pre-defined point in the school or centre point of the road opposite the school. The same end point is used for all distance calculations to the school.
The distance calculated for routes and footpaths is the shortest possible route known to the Medway GIS using the centre point of the streets known by other available routes. Not all footpaths, cut-throughs, shortcuts and new roads are known to the GIS system. If it is not known, a different route will be used.
If a child’s home is on a new road, the distance calculation will begin from the nearest road known in the GIS. This may apply to new property developments.
Halling Primary School will use the difficulty to get to the school as part of their criteria, this means:
- places are first offered to children living in Upper Halling (as defined in the hatched area on a map which is available at the school), this includes Ladds Farm, and Clements farm areas
- places are then offered to children living in Halling (as defined in the checkered area on a map available at the school) including Formby Cottages to the north and Ladds Lane area to the south
Any remaining places at Halling Primary School will be offered on how close a child’s home is to the school.