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Admissions PolicyDurweston C of E (VA) Primary School 2013-2014

This document sets out the Policy of Durweston Church of England VoluntaryAided Primary School with respect to Admissions. For the purposes of this policy,the Governing Body of Durweston Primary School is the admission authority.

Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop itsreligious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of Englandand in partnership with the churches at parish and diocesan level.

The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highestquality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages anunderstanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promotes Christianvalues through the experience it offers to all its pupils. Parents have the right towithdraw their children from the daily Christian act of worship and from ReligiousEducation.

Durweston Church of England (VA) Primary School is part of the Dorset Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme. Parents who wish their children to be admitted tothe school, should complete BOTH of the following:

1. Common Application Form in line with the Local Authority Co-ordinated

Admission Scheme naming Durweston as one of your preferences. Formscan be completed online by following the links in the school website ordirectly from www.dorsetforyou.com/schooladmissionsand should be returned by the published deadline (15/01/2013).

2. The schools application form available from the school office or on thewebsite www.durweston.dorset.sch.uk.

Parents or guardians will receive written notification of the outcome, from theLocal Authority, in the Spring term, on a date determined in the Dorset CountyCouncil Co-ordinated Primary School Admission Scheme. An offer of a schoolplace should be accepted by the deadline date, which is also set out in theScheme, or it will be assumed that the place offered has been declined.

Every year the governing body will review and publish information concerningthis admission policy. This will confirm the maximum number of children to beadmitted to the school as a whole, the Pupil Admissions Number (PAN), whichthis year will be 20 in each year group, and explain how places will be allocated.

In accordance with government legislation, the governing body will consult withthe Diocesan Board of Education, the Local Education Authority and other localschools in respect of the admissions policy.

Aim

The overriding aim of this policy is that it should work for the benefit of allchildren and parents/guardians in our area. It should be simple to use and assistparents/guardians to make the best decisions on the preferred school for theirchildren. It should contribute to improving standards for all pupils.

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http://www.dorsetforyou.com/schooladmissionshttp://www.dorsetforyou.com/schooladmissions

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The school aims to provide a place for all children whose address is within thedesignated area, defined as being the area within the boundaries of the parishesof Durweston, Bryanston and Stourpaine, as defined in the school's trust deed(map of area available in the school). The address is the place where the child ispermanently resident with his or her parent or parents or legal guardians. Wherea child lives with parents with shared responsibility each part of the week, the'home' address will be considered to be the address of the person who receivesChild Benefit for the child (proof of this will be required).

However, parents should not assume that a place would automatically beallocated to their child.

Starting School

A school place in the Reception class is available for children from theSeptember following their 4th birthday (i.e. children born between 01/09/2008and 31/08/2009 will be admitted in September 2013). After a phased entry inthe first week, children can come to school full time. Parents can request thattheir child attends part-time if they are struggling or until the child reachescompulsory school age but requests must be made on an individual basis to theHead Teacher.

Where an offer of a place is made to a child below compulsory school age,parents have the right to defer their childs entry to school until later in theschool year. The place is held for that child and is not available to be offered toanother child. Entry may not be deferred beyond the beginning of the term afterthe childs fifth birthday, or beyond the academic year for which admission issought.

Deadline for application

Applications for Reception Year entry for the academic year starting September

2013 need to be formally registered with the school and the Local Authority bythe date stated on the Admissions forms (15/01/2013) for consideration by theadmission authority.

The parents or guardians will receive written notification of the outcome from theLocal Authority by the end of Spring Term 2013.

Durweston Church of England (VA) Primary School cannot guarantee places forchildren when there are no places available as a result of late applications for thenormal year of entry or any application that relates to a different year group.

Legislation states that no infant class may exceed 30 pupils.

Late applications, i.e. those received after the deadline for the normaladmissions round will not be considered until after all those, which were receivedon time, have been processed, as stated in the Dorset County Council Co-ordinated Admissions scheme.

Waiting List

N.B. It is always necessary to complete a Local Authority Common Application

form to apply for a school place. Registering interest with the school on awaiting list before the admissions round guarantees neither a place norpriority within the oversubscription criteria. Offers of places will be made by theLocal Authority on the schools behalf.

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If the school is oversubscribed for children due to start in the Reception Year in2013-2014, a waiting list will be maintained for this year group only. The positionon the list will be determined by applying the published over-subscription criteriaand not by date of receipt. This will mean a position will change if a laterapplication is received from someone with higher priority according to the over-subscription criteria. The existence of a waiting list does not remove the right of

appeal against any refusal of a place from any unsuccessful applicant.

Names will only be removed from the list if a written request is received, or if theoffer of a place that becomes available is declined. The waiting list will close on30th June 2013. At that time parents of pupils on existing lists must confirm inwriting their wish to be placed on a newly constructed waiting (or continuedinterest) list. Children who are the subject of a direction by a local authority orwho are allocated to a school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol will takeprecedence over any child on the waiting list.

Policy

The admissions policy of Durweston Primary School is while there are adequateplaces, to offer a place to all applicants irrespective of gender, religion, ethnicityor country of origin, disability or academic ability.

Admissions for Reception are subject to the Published Admission Number of 20.

Admissions are subject to any constraints upon the school by the relevantauthority (Salisbury Diocese, DCSF, Local Authority) or where admission wouldbe incompatible with arrangements intended to preserve the school's religiouscharacter.

Where this school is named in a childs statement of Special Educational Needs,the governing body recognises a duty to admit the child to the school.

Where parents wish to be given preference on the grounds of their faith withintheir application for a place at this school they should complete the schoolssupplementary application form, which is attached to the admission form.

This form together with all other relevant documentary evidence should bereturned to the school office by the date printed on the application form if it is tobe considered during the admission process.

Over-Subscription Criteria

Where more applications have been received than places available or where toadmit would conflict with the school fulfilling class size legislation, the followingpriorities shall apply in order:

1. Children within Local Authority care as defined in Section 22 of theChildrens Act 1989 for example, children in residential homes orfoster care.

2. Children living in1 the catchment area2 with a particular medical,social or compassionate reason for attending the school, supportedby a Doctor, Education Welfare Officer or Social worker. Details of

this must accompany the initial application.3. Children living in1 the catchment area2 who will have a siblingalready attending the school at the time of admission. This includesstep, half and foster siblings living in the same family unit andchildren of couples who have registered a civil partnership.

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4. Children living in the catchment area.5. Children living outside the catchment area who will have a sibling

already attending the school at the time of admission.6. Children who are baptised members of the Church of England and

who attend Church at least once a month3.7. Children of other churches, which are members of Churches

Together in Britain and Northern Ireland, who worship at theirChurch at least once a month4.

8. Children living outside the catchment area who do not qualify underone of the criteria above.

1Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility the homeaddress will be identified as the address of the person who receivesChild Benefit for the child.2The catchment area includes Durweston, Bryanston (excluding LowerBryanston) and Stourpaine (including France Hill).3See attached supplementary form.4See attached supplementary form

If too few places are available to satisfy preferences expressed, after theapplication of the above criteria, places will be allocated on the basis of thecloseness of the child to the school, defined by straight line distance from thechilds home address to the school. Distances will be measured according to theOrdnance Survey eastings and northings for the childs home address. Thoseliving closer to the school will be given priority. If two or more children with thesame priority for admission live an indistinguishable distance from the school,but cannot all be admitted, then the available places will be decided by thecasting of lots. If there are insufficient places to accommodate all the children ofa multiple birth (i.e. twins, triplets etc.) the parents of the children will be askedto nominate the child or children to take up the available number of places.

Once an offer of a school place has been made it may only be lawfully withdrawnin very limited circumstances, which includes an offer of place based upon afraudulent or misleading application. Where an offer of place is withdrawn, theapplication will be considered afresh, and a right of appeal offered if an offer ofplace is refused.

Appeals Procedure

Parents have a right of appeal to an independent panel against the decision ofthe Governing Body to refuse application for a school place. Details of theappeals procedure are sent out with all refusal letters.

Enquiries about this policy should be addressed to: The Clerk to theGoverning Body at the school.

Note: Subject to the above policy and the relevant appeals procedure,decisions regarding admissions will be the responsibility of theGoverning Body.

15/11/11

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