Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) and

we took over the delivery of children’s services

in Reading in December 2018 from Reading

Borough Council.

We are wholly-owned by Reading Borough

Council but independent of it, with our own

staff, management team and Board.

On behalf of the council, we deliver children’s

social care (including fostering and early help),

education, special educational needs and

disabilities (SEND) and youth offending services.

Our vision and aim is to unlock resources to

help every child in Reading have a happy,

healthy and successful life.

Part of our education remit is to deliver the

school admissions service, in line with local

authority statutory duties.

Starting primary school is an exciting time for

children and their parents/carers. But it can

also be a time of worry and concern.

Deciding on a school is probably one of the

most important decisions a parent or carer has

to make and we know this can be a new and

daunting experience for many people.

This guide is designed to help you through the

process and to make applying for a school place

as smooth and straightforward as possible.

It contains a lot of detail and it is important that

you read it carefully and follow the guidance

step-by-step to ensure you maximise your

chances of reaching a successful outcome for

you and your child.

Throughout this guide you will see references

to both Brighter Futures for Children and

Reading Borough Council, as well as both

‘Children Looked After’ and ‘Looked After

Children’. We use the former and are

encouraging others to do so, as we’ve asked our

children in care and it’s a term they prefer.

However, this guide will refer to both. The

information is correct and this guide gives you a

flavour of the full range of opportunities our

wonderful schools offer.

If you need help accessing this service, please contact the School

Admissions Team at:

School Admissions Team, Brighter Futures for Children,

Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU

admissions@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

0118 937 37 77

INTRODUCTION

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112

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

TIMETABLE

APPLYING FOR A RECEPTION PLACE AT A PRIMARY / INFANT SCHOOL

TRANSFERRING FROM AN INFANT SCHOOL TO A JUNIOR SCHOOL

WHAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

HOW TO APPLY

OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA

HOW THE OFFERS ARE DECIDED

LATE APPLICATION / CHANGE OF PREFERENCE

WAITING LISTS

SCHOOL APPEALS

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

IN-YEAR ADMISSIONS

SCHOOL TRANSPORT

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, CHARGING AND GENERAL INFORMATION

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES

PAST ALLOCATIONS 2022

PAST ALLOCATIONS 2021

READING INFANT, JUNIOR AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS

LIST OF INFANT, JUNIOR AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE READING BOROUGH

SCHOOL MAPS

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ADMISSIONS POLICIES

ACADEMIES ADMISSIONS POLICIES

VOLUNTARY-AIDED SCHOOLS’ ADMISSIONS POLICIES

JUNIOR SCHOOLS’ ADMISSIONS POLICIES

USEFUL NUMBERS AND CONTACT DETAILS

118

CONTENTS

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

The terms, abbreviations and legal extracts we need to use in this guide may sometimes be

difficult to understand by those unfamiliar with the education sector. We hope these

explanations will help but, if you are unsure about anything in this guide, please telephone the

School Admissions Team on 0118 937 3777 for an explanation.

Admission Authority

The admission authority of a school determines

the admission policy for the school. The

admission authority for community primary

schools is the local authority and the admission

authority of a voluntary-aided school or

academy is the governing body of the individual

school.

Published Admission Number (PAN)

Every school has a Published Admission Number

(PAN). The PAN is normally based on the

number of classrooms and specialist teaching

rooms (i.e. the physical capacity). The PAN

represents the maximum number of places

available in the year group which pupils

normally enter on joining the school. Places

must be offered up to this number. The

admission number for each school is given in the

information on schools later in this guide.

Application Form (CAF)

Also known as the Common Application Form

(CAF). Parents/carers must apply for a

Reception/Junior place to their home local

authority. Reading Borough Council residents

must apply to Reading either online at

www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-

admissions or on the Reading application form.

Normal admission round

This is when children start school at the earliest

entry point for that school. Normal admissions

rounds are as follows:

• Entry to primary or infant schools in

Reception class

• Entry to junior schools in Year 3

• Entry to secondary schools in Year 7

• Entry to Year 10 for studio schools and

university technical colleges (Year 9 for

the Atrium School) and for those

• FE College and sixth forms with

provision for students aged 14-16

• Year 12 for schools with a sixth form.

In-year admissions

An in-year admission is when you apply to a

school outside the normal admissions round and

at a time when your child should already be

attending school.

You would normally be making an in-year

application if you have recently moved, you

have arrived from another country or you want

to transfer your child to another school.

Categories of schools

State schools are governed in different ways

depending on the type of school. The category

of the school determines the admission

authority. Although the admission authority may

be the governing body, applications for

admission into Reception/Junior (Year 3) at

these schools must be made to the child’s home

local authority and the home local authority will

make the offers of places at these schools.

Academy Schools

An academy is a publicly-funded independent

school established by the Secretary of State. The

governing body is the admission authority and is

responsible for the admission policy. The school

enters into a funding agreement with a

charitable company. The funding agreement

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

provides the framework within which the

academy must operate. This funding agreement

states that the academy must comply with the

School Admissions Code and are included in the

local authority coordinated admissions.

Community Schools

These schools are maintained by the local

authority (LA). The LA is the admission authority

and it is responsible for determining the

admission arrangements and allocating school

places.

Primary Schools

These schools cover the Reception to Year 6 age

groups.

Infant Schools

These schools cover the Reception to Year 2 age

groups.

Junior Schools

These schools cover the Year 3 to Year 6 age

groups.

Voluntary-Aided (VA) Schools

Management responsibility is shared with the LA

but the church or governing body play a greater

role. The governing body is the admission

authority and agrees the admission policy which

will normally be different from those used by

the LA.

Department for Education (DfE)

This is the central government department

responsible for children’s services and

education, including early years, schools, higher

and further education policy, apprenticeships

and wider skills in England. The DfE publishes

the School Admissions Code, a legal framework

that all local authorities and schools must follow

for school admissions. Brighter Futures for

Children manages Reading Borough Council’s

coordinated admission scheme and the

admission policies of our schools comply with

the legal requirements of this code. The latest

version of the School Admissions Code can be

obtained from the DfE website

(www.education.gov.uk).

Designated Area/ Catchment Area

Catchment area (sometimes known as

‘designated area’) is a geographical area within

which children are given priority for admission

to a school. It is often used as part of the

oversubscription criteria for a school in that,

where there are more applications than places

available, children living in the catchment area

will be given priority. Living in the catchment

does not guarantee admission to that school.

The maps on pages 58-63 show the catchment

areas of schools in the borough. Some

voluntary-aided schools may use parish (or

other) boundaries to prioritise admissions.

Information about catchment areas for schools

in other local authorities may be obtained from

the authority in question.

Foundation Stage

The period of education from age three to five is

known as the Foundation Stage. During the

Foundation Stage children may be in a range of

different educational settings, including nursery

schools, schools, private nurseries, pre-schools,

playgroups, independent schools, and some

accredited childminders. The Foundation Stage

finishes at the end of the reception year.

Home Address

The definition of the child’s home address can

vary depending on the policy of the admission

authority. You will need to check this for your

preferred schools.

Local Authority (LA)

The local authority (LA) is responsible for the

maintained schools in its area.

Your home LA is the one in which you live and

pay council tax. This may be different from the

LA in which your child attends school. Reading

Borough Council (RBC) is the local authority for

Reading.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Children Looked After (CLA)

These are children in the care of a local authority

(in our case BFfC); or provided with

accommodation by an LA or in an arrangement

supported by an LA. We shorten this to CLA, as

our children prefer this, but in current legislation

and in some school policies, they are referred to

as looked after children (LAC).

Medical/Social School Policies

It is important that you check whether the

admission authority of your preferred school(s)

uses this category as part of the

oversubscription criteria for admission. It is not

used by all admission authorities and, where

used, is given different levels of priority. If you

believe your application meets the criteria, you

must check how the admission authority of your

preferred school will consider your application

and what evidence you must supply.

It is not enough to simply tick the medical/ social

boxes online (or on the paper form). In such

cases, the School Admissions Team will not

contact the parent/carer to request supporting

evidence and the application will not be

considered under this category.

Supporting evidence must be provided by you at

the time of application to be considered as part

of the main allocation.

National Curriculum Tests

These are national performance tests set by the

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

At the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, children take

statutory Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). The

results of these tests are published in the

school’s prospectus or may be obtained from

www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables

National Curriculum Year Groups

The National Curriculum is a programme of

study laid down by law for all pupils aged three

to 16 in state-maintained schools. It provides a

balanced education for a child covering 11

subjects overall and is divided into Key Stages

according to age.

Reception

Foundation

4-5 years

Year 1

Year 2

Key Stage 1

(infants)

5-6 years

6-7 years

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Key Stage 2

(juniors)

7-8 years

8-9 years

9-10 years

10-11 years

NOR

Stands for “number on roll” and means number

of children attending a school.

Ofsted

This is the abbreviated name of the Office for

Standards in Education, which is the government

department responsible for inspecting and

producing inspection reports on schools. Ofsted

reports are available from schools or from

www.ofsted.gov.uk.

Oversubscribed Schools

This is where there are more applicants than

places available at a school.

Oversubscription criteria

These criteria decide which children will be given

priority where a school receives more

applications than the number of places available

(see published admission number). The

oversubscription criteria for each Reading school

is given in the information on the schools.

Parent

Any person having parental responsibility for a

child (as defined in the Children Act 1989) or

who has care of a child, including an LA. Section

576 of the Education Act 1996 defines ‘parent’

as all natural parents, whether they are married

or not; any person who, although not a natural

parent, has parental responsibility for a child or

young person; any person who, although not a

natural parent, has care of a child or young

person (having care of a child or young person

means that a person with whom the child lives

and who looks after the child, irrespective of

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

what their relationship is with the child, is

considered to be a parent in education law).

SEND

SEND stands for special educational need and/or

disability.

Sibling

The definition of sibling may vary but, unless

otherwise stated by the admission authority, the

following definition will be used:

Brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister,

adopted brother or sister, stepbrother or

stepsister, or the child of the parent/carer’s

partner, and in every case, the child should be

living in the same family unit at the same

address.

In most cases, only siblings still attending the

preferred school in September 2023 will qualify

as siblings. You will need to check the definition

of sibling in the policy of your preferred

school(s).

A child who is part of a multiple birth (e.g. twins)

is not classed a sibling for the purpose of ranking

by oversubscription criteria. However, where

application of the oversubscription criteria

would result in splitting children from a multiple

birth, the other child/children will usually be

admitted to the school.

Straight-line distance – Tiebreaker

An admission authority may use radial (or

straight-line) distance from the home to school

as part of the oversubscription criteria. In most

cases this is used to rank applications where

there are more applicants than places available

within a category of the oversubscription

criteria. This is called the tiebreaker. In Reading,

all schools measure the straight-line distance

from the home to the school using the Ordnance

Survey data points of the home and the school

using computerised software of Reading

Borough Council. Every address has a unique

data point which is determined by the Easting

and Northing. This point can be anywhere on the

property.

The distance created is given in miles to three

decimal points. Admission authorities in other

local authorities may use a different method for

calculating the distance from the school.

Although rare, it is possible that two or more

children may live at the same distance (as

outlined above) from their preferred school

(including, for example, flats within the same

building). Where the school has insufficient

places for each of these children, random

allocation will be used to decide which child will

be allocated the remaining place(s). A member

of staff from Committee Services Team for

Reading Borough Council will supervise this.

Supplementary Forms

Some schools request extra information which

they use to rank applications according to their

oversubscription criteria. You may need to

complete a supplementary form if you would

like your child considered for a voluntary-aided

school. These forms are available direct from the

school or via the local authority admissions

team. Supplementary forms can be downloaded

from https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-

parents-carers/schools/admissions/. Please note

that supplementary forms should be returned

to the relevant school(s).

Pupil Premium/Supplementary forms

Some schools - such as community primary

schools - give priority within a category to

children who are in receipt of the Early Years

Pupil Premium (EYPP) at the time of application.

To be considered for this priority, parents/carers

will be required to complete a Supplementary

Information Form which must be endorsed by

the child’s current school or nursery confirming

that they receive pupil premium for the child.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

The following timetable applies to children applying for a school for the first time and

children transferring to a junior school.

ACTION

DATE

Guide for Parents & Carers to be placed on Brighter

Futures for Children website

By 12 September 2022

Reading parents/carers to receive application

information (if they attend a Reading nursery/pre-

school/ childminder)

November 2022

Online primary and junior admissions site open

12 November 2022

National closing date for receipt of applications

15 January 2023

Deadline for providing evidence to meet admissions

criteria (please see individual school pages to see

which schools requires additional information)

15 January 2023

Deadline for late applications, changes of preference

and changes of address to be accepted with good

reason (evidence of reason must be submitted)

1 February 2023

National Offer Day - offer letters posted second class

to Reading residents who applied via a paper

application

17 April 2023

Deadline for parents to accept

1 May 2023

Closing date for receipt of appeals

15 May 2023

Waiting lists activated

2 May 2023

Appeals to be heard if submitted by the deadline

June to July 2023

Coordination with other LAs ends

31 August 2023

Waiting lists held for Reading Borough schools

Until at least 31 July 2024

TIMETABLE

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Brighter Futures for Children delivers the schools admissions service on behalf of Reading Borough Council.

If your child was born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019, you should apply for a place at an

infant or primary school.

Most children start school before they reach the age of five and are known as ‘Rising 5s’ in the reception

year of primary school. However, legally your child does not have to start school until the beginning of the

term following their fifth birthday. This is called ‘compulsory’ school age and is the point at which they

must attend school on a full-time basis.

For those children born between the 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019, the table below shows when

a child reaches compulsory (or statutory) school age and should be receiving full-time education.

Children born between

Statutory school age

01/09/2018 – 31/12/2018

January 2024

01/01/2019 – 31/03/2019

April 2024

01/04/2019 – 31/08/2019

September 2024

You may decide to start your child in school full-time from September 2023. Alternatively, depending on

your child’s date of birth, you may reserve the place offered and defer their start until January or April

2023. If you decide to defer, you must advise your child’s allocated school of your intention when you are

offered a place.

It is not possible to hold the offer of a place into the following school year. If your child reaches compulsory

school age before September 2023, they must take up their place by April 2023. If you choose to defer your

child’s start until September 2023, they will miss reception year and you will be required to make a new

application for their place in Year 1 (assuming places are available).

In some circumstances summer born (01.04.2019 - 31.08.2019) children may be admitted to a reception

class in September 2023. This is called “offsetting”. A formal application must be submitted in order to

request an offset. The form can be downloaded from the primary page

https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-carers/schools/primary-admissions/ or you can email

the admissions team for a copy.

APPLYING FOR A RECEPTION PLACE

AT A PRIMARY / INFANT SCHOOL

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

This guide is designed to help you understand the admissions process and to give information about junior

schools in the Reading borough. The junior school admission policies can be found later in this guide.

Children normally move from their infant school to the linked junior school. However, if the junior school

receives more applications than it has spaces available, the move cannot be guaranteed. If your child is at

an infant school (for example, All Saints Infants or Geoffrey Field Infants), you must still apply to join the

linked junior school – it is not an automatic transfer.

This guide provides information on the timetable for completed forms and when you will hear from us,

together with the facts about how your application will be considered against the oversubscription criteria.

You are required to complete the application form available from your home local authority regardless of

the authority in which your preferred junior school is situated. If you live in the borough of Reading but

wish to apply for a junior school in another local authority, you must apply to Reading School Admissions

Team. We recommend that you read their admission policies to understand how your application will be

considered. In some instances, additional forms may need to be completed.

If your child is not offered a place at the preferred junior school, your offer letter will inform you what to

do next. Your child will automatically be added to the waiting list for the school. The School Admissions

Team will contact you to discuss next steps in finding your child a school place from September 2023. You

do not need to list primary schools as preferences, as these are dealt with as in-year admission. If you

would like your child to attend a primary school, you will need to complete an in-year application from

June 2023.

TRANSFERRING FROM AN INFANT

SCHOOL TO A JUNIOR SCHOOL

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

There is a coordinated admissions process in England with exchange of information between local

authorities (LA). This means parents/carers must apply though their home LA for any state-maintained

primary /junior school in England.

The main points of Reading Borough Council’s coordinated scheme are:

• If you live in the borough of Reading, you must apply to Reading School Admissions either online or

by completing a paper application form

• You may list up to four preferred schools on your child’s application

• You are advised to put more than one preference as you are not guaranteed a place at that school

and if we are not able to offer a place, the School Admission Team will allocate a place to your child

at the closest school to your home with places available

• Preferences should be ranked with your most preferred school listed first (i.e. preference 1)

• You must include any state school you would like your child to attend, including schools in other

local authorities e.g. Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Wokingham. This includes voluntary-aided

schools, foundation schools, free schools and academies

• You may also need a supplementary information form (SIF) for some schools. Failure to submit

these forms may result in your child being ranked in a lower category

• You should apply by 15 January 2023

• Applications for schools named by parents/carers are considered by the appropriate admission

authority for the school without reference to your preference order

• All parents/carers who have applied for a school place by the closing date will receive an offer of

one school place

• The offer of a place by the LA may be on behalf of other admission authorities

• Offer notifications will be distributed, to those who submitted “on time” applications, on National

Offer Day

• The place offered must be accepted by the deadline as stated in the timetable at the beginning of

this guide

• All schools will run waiting lists until at least the end of July 2023.

WHAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER

BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

How can I find out more about a school?

The School Admissions Team must remain impartial. It is up to the parent/carer to research their preferred

schools before submitting their application form.

You will probably already have an idea regarding some of the aspects of a school which are important to

you or your child. You may have talked to other parents/carers and, although their ideas may be helpful,

you should always make your own judgement.

You can visit schools by attending open days/evenings or by appointment with the school. Information

about open days/evenings may be obtained from the school.

You can find out information about the school from the school’s website, this includes:

• school’s aims and objectives

• the curriculum offered

• attainment and achievements of pupils

• attendance figures

• out of school activities and clubs such as breakfast and after school care

• information on policies, such as behaviour and discipline.

You can get information about attainment and assessment results, Ofsted reports and school profiles from

www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.

You should consider the following points and use available information to decide the likelihood of your

child securing a place at your preferred school(s)

• How far will your child need to travel and how will they get there? How much will it cost?

• Will you be entitled to any assistance with travelling expenses? See page 40 for details on

Reading’s transport policy.

• Does the school give preference to faith or religious denomination?

• How many pupils are there and how many places are available in the year group?

• Was the school oversubscribed in previous years? There are pages (found later in this guide) giving

information on how many applications there have been for each school in Reading and how places

have been offered in the past. Other LAs also have this information in their guides for parents and

carers. This information is provided only as a guide; admission authorities cannot accurately

anticipate demand.

• Whether your preferred school is the catchment school for your home address. You can check this

using Reading Borough Council’s website: my.reading.gov.uk.

Be aware that some addresses do not have a catchment school, this is where a community school

has converted to an academy.

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• Although living in the catchment area does not guarantee admission to the school, it is important

to consider naming your catchment school as one of your preferences. If you do not, and we are

unable to offer one of your preferred schools, your catchment school may be full and you could be

offered a place at a school some distance away. Even if you name the school as your lowest

preference, your application will be given a priority for admission over other applications because

you live in the catchment area.

When you have selected your preferred schools, you must submit an application to the School Admissions

Team by 15 January 2023. While you have the right to express a preference for a school, you do not have

the right to a place at that school. The admission authority for your preferred school(s) will consider your

application and if there are places available, a place will be offered. However, if there are more applications

than places available the admission authority for the school will apply their oversubscription criteria.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Where can I get help with my application?

If you have any questions about the admission process, you can contact the School Admissions Team:

• Telephone: 0118 937 3777

• Email: admissions@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

If you would like impartial advice on any aspect of school admissions, you should contact:

ACE Education - an independent charity that provides free advice to parents on education matters

including school admissions.

• General advice line: 0300 0115 142

• Website: www.ace-ed.org.uk

If your child has special educational needs or a disability (with or without an education, health and care

plan), Reading Information Advice and Support Service for SEND (known as Reading IASS), can offer you

free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support around secondary transfer.

• Telephone: 0118 937 3421

• Email: iass@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

• Website: www.readingiass.org

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Please apply to the LA where your child lives - only apply to Reading if your child’s

permanent home is in the borough of Reading.

Admissions to state funded primary schools in England are coordinated across local authority boundaries.

This means that, if a child lives in Reading and the parent wants to apply for a place at a school in a

different local authority, the parent must apply via Reading School Admissions Team.

Please read carefully through this guide on how to apply. The following information will also help you to

apply online or complete the paper application form. Full details of how to apply online are available on

Brighter Futures for Children’s website.

Paper application forms are available from any Reading Early Years Provider/ primary school or the Civic

Offices.

Paper application forms and online applications are treated the same and are not treated on a first come,

first served basis.

If you applied using a paper application, your formal offer letter

will be posted second class on 17 April, to the home address

provided on the application form. Please note this may take

two to three days to arrive, so we recommend applying online.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online

•

It is simple and convenient

•

You can apply on most smartphones and tablets

•

You can change your preferences at any time until the closing date,

15 January 2023

•

You will receive an email confirming your application has been

submitted

•

You will receive an email on the morning of 17 April 2023

informing you to which school your child has been allocated.

•

Places can be accepted online.

Reading residents apply online at

https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-carers/schools/admissions/

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

1. Child’s details

You must provide your child’s legal surname as given on their birth certificate (or deed poll in cases where

there has been a change of name).

2. Home address

Your home address is an important factor in how your application is considered. We will check addresses

against council tax data held by Reading Borough Council. The address you give on the form MUST be your

child’s single permanent home. See page 20 for further information. If you give an incorrect address and

we offer a place on the basis of that address, then the offer of the place may be withdrawn.

The admission authority reserves the right to obtain additional information to verify addresses.

3. Parents/Carers details

Please ensure you complete the section(s) on parents/carers details and remember to provide a daytime

telephone number. We recommend that the parent/carer who is listed on the council tax makes the

application as this facilitates with the address verification process.

4. Preferences

Selecting your preferred schools and deciding on your preference order is important. You may list up to

four schools starting with preference 1: the school you most want your child to attend. Before deciding

which schools to list, you are strongly encouraged to read our guide. It may also be possible to visit schools

which we would also recommend.

It is important to understand the admission rules for a particular school to assess the likelihood of being

able to obtain a place for your child. If a place is not offered at one of the schools listed on your application,

it will be because there were other children who had a higher priority for a place under the school’s

admission rules. The admission rules for every state-funded school in Reading can be found later in this

guide. If you believe your application should be considered under a certain oversubscription category,

please be sure to provide the relevant supporting information.

You are not required to name four preferences, however, listing more than one may increase the

probability of your being offered a preferred school. Please do not list a preferred school more than once.

If you list only one preference and the school cannot be offered, the School Admissions Team will allocate a

place to your child at the closest school to your home with spaces available.

5. Siblings

If your child has a sibling who will be attending a preferred school in September 2023 or is expected to

transfer from an infant school and attend the junior school in September 2023, you must provide his/her

name and date of birth. Please check the admission policy of your preferred school. Siblings who, in

September, attend the nursery attached to a school will not be classed as a sibling for the purposes of

oversubscription. Failure to declare a sibling on your application in the correct sibling box will result in your

application not being ranked in that category.

A child who is part of a multiple birth (e.g. twins) is not classed a sibling for the purpose of ranking by

oversubscription criteria. However, where application of the oversubscription criteria would result in

splitting children from a multiple birth, the other child/children will usually be admitted to the school.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

The closing date for receipt of paper

application forms is 15 January 2023.

The website will close at midnight on 15

January 2023.

6. Declaration and signature

Please check all the sections of the application form. If you have completed a paper form, please sign and

date the form. If you apply online, you cannot submit your application unless you accept the terms and

conditions box.

By signing the paper form or accepting the online terms and conditions, you are declaring that the

information given on your application form is correct and that you have read our admissions guide. Where

incorrect information is given, the School Admissions Team reserves the right to take away any place

offered at any stage of the process.

7. Returning the Application Form

If you have chosen to complete the paper application form and your child is currently attending an early

years provider in Reading, you may return the form to your child’s early years provider. They will then

forward the form to the School Admissions Team.

PLEASE NOTE: The School Admissions Team aims to acknowledge all on-time paper applications within 15

school days of receipt. However, in busy periods this may not be possible. Please call the team if your

application has not been acknowledged after 20 school days. Late applications are not processed until after

3 May. When the late application has been processed you will receive confirmation.

If your child does not attend a Reading school, please return the form to: The School Admissions Team,

Brighter Futures for Children, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU.

Please remember A4 envelopes are not charged at the normal postage rate. Failure to pay the correct

postage charge can delay receipt of your application.

Applications posted on 15 January will not be accepted as “on time”. The application MUST be received by

the School Admissions Team or your child’s Early Years Provider within office hours on 31 October.

The information provided by parents/carers will be kept safely on a database in accordance with the GDPR.

This ensures the data provided is used solely for defined purposes.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Please consider whether any of the following apply to your child’s application and provide the relevant

information/evidence.

Strong medical or social grounds

This category only applies to some schools. You will need to check if it applies to your preferred school.

Where the category does apply to your preferred school(s), you will need to send in evidence supporting

the application. Please note, certain schools require evidence to specifically state why they are the only

school that can meet the child/family’s needs. If you do not provide evidence as outlined in the school’s

oversubscription criteria, your application will not be considered by the relevant panel for this category.

You should supply the evidence prior to 1 February 2023 to be considered for this category. Any submission

after this date may not be considered on time. Neither the School Admission Team, nor the school will

contact a professional to obtain any necessary evidence. Additional information produced late, will be

considered late and only affect a child’s place on the waiting list.

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), Pupil Premium and Service priority

Some schools (such as community primary schools) give priority within a category to children who are in

receipt of the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) at the time of application. To be considered for this

priority, parents/carers are required to complete a Supplementary Information Form (which must be

endorsed by the child’s current school or early years provider) confirming that they receive pupil premium

for the child. This form can be downloaded from the Brighter Futures for Children website or obtained

from your child’s current setting.

These forms must be sent to the School Admissions Team in order for your child to be considered in this

category.

Early Years Pupil Premium

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding for early years settings to improve the education

they provide for disadvantaged three and four-year-olds.

Three and four-year-olds in state-funded early education will attract EYPP funding if they meet at least one

of the following criteria:

Their family receives one of the following:

• Income support

• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance

• Income-related Employment Support Allowance

• Support under part VI of the immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit (provided they are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross

income of no more than £16,190)

OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA

HOW THE OFFERS ARE

DECIDEDOVERSUBSCRIPTION

CRITERIA

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• Working tax credit run on, which is paid for four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax

Credit

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as

assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)

• The child is currently being looked after by a local authority in England and Wales.

The child has left care in England and Wales through:

• An adoption

• A special guardianship order (SGO)

• A child arrangement order.

Children must receive free early education in order to attract EYPP funding. They do not have to take up

the full 570 hours of early education they are entitled to in order to attract EYPP (see

www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org).

Pupil Premium

The pupil premium gives schools extra funding to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils from

Reception to Year 11. Children eligible for pupil premium are:

• those eligible for free school meals at any point in the past six years

• children looked after who have been looked after for one day or more

• adopted

• those who leave care under a special guardianship order or a residence order.

For more information about free school meals please visit:

https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-carers/schools/school-meals/

Service Premium

The service premium gives schools extra funding to support children and young people with parents in the

armed forces. Pupils attract the premium if they meet the following criteria:

• one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces

• one of their parents served in the regular armed forces in the last three years

• one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil is in receipt of a pension

under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Religious reasons

If you have selected a school for religious reasons (for example English Martyrs RC Primary, St Anne’s RC

Primary, St John’s CE Primary and St Martin’s RC Primary, you are advised to complete the school’s

supplementary form (SIF) and return it by the specified date. Please check the relevant school’s admissions

policy for the date. Failure to submit this form to the school(s) may result in the application being ranked in

a lower category.

Home Address

The definition of a child’s home address may vary from one local authority to another. You should consult

the admissions policies of the local authorities in which your preferred schools are located. The following

definition is used to establish the home address for most schools in Reading.

Definition

Applications are processed using the child’s single permanent home address, where the child lives with

parent(s)/carer(s)/legal guardian(s). The child must live at this address on the closing date for applications

and, when submitting their application form, the applicant is confirming the child will reside at the address

on National Offer Day.

The application form should be completed using the address (owned, leased or rented) where the child

lives for most of the school week. This is based on the number of school nights a child spends at the home

(Sunday at 6pm to Friday at 9am). The applicant should consider whether their name is on the council tax

records (or tenancy agreement) for the address. If the applicant’s name is not showing on these

documents, it may be more difficult to prove their liability at the address.

Reference will be made to council tax records when determining a single address for consideration under

the home address criteria of the schools’ policies. It is for the applicant to satisfy the local authority that

they live at the address stated. An address will not be accepted where the child is resident other than with

a parent or carer (unless this was part of a private fostering or formal care arrangement).

Warning

We have a duty to ensure applications are genuine in all aspects. If your child moves into the home of a

friend or relative during the process, or you provide an alternative address as a deliberate device to

improve your child’s priority for a school place, or other details are provided on the application form which

prove to be untrue – this is a misleading application. If it becomes clear a place has been allocated based

on false information, we may withdraw the child’s offer, even if they have already started at the school.

The School Admissions Team occasionally receives information from members of the public concerning

potential misleading or fraudulent applications. Signed statements will be required to support such

allegations, together with supporting evidence, in order that they may be investigated. The names of

anyone supplying information will be withheld in accordance with the council’s whistle-blowing policy

(details of which may be found here: https://www.reading.gov.uk/the-council-and-democracy/council-

strategies-plans-and-policies/whistleblowing/

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Temporary addresses

Some residential arrangements will be considered temporary. In such cases, the School Admissions Team

will examine available evidence to determine whether, on balance, the declared home address may be

considered the child’s permanent home for the purpose of admission.

In cases where the declared address is rented, yet the applicant has no claim on another property, it may

still be considered a temporary address where there is evidence to show the applicant is renting the

property solely for the period necessary to secure admission to a school.

A temporary address cannot be used to obtain a school place and will only be considered where evidence is

provided showing a genuine reason for the move e.g. homelessness, flooding or subsidence.

Multiple properties

Checks will be made to determine whether the home address declared is that of a second home (with the

main home being elsewhere).

Any circumstance where the declared address is to be accepted as the permanent home, despite another

home being owned or otherwise available for occupation, should be declared at the point of application.

Without being exhaustive these might include:

• an owned property being a considerable distance from the preferred school, indicating that the

family had permanently relocated to the new home; or

• an owned property that is uninhabitable and cannot reasonably be made habitable in the period

leading up to admission to the school; or

• an owned property that is in the process of being sold and the family live permanently in the

declared property; or

• a family home that, following divorce or separation, cannot be occupied by the applicant or

otherwise treated as the child’s permanent home.

Changes of address

If you have submitted an on-time application and relocate on or before 31 December 2022, you must

inform us of your change of address. You will need to submit the details to

admissio[email protected] along with evidence that your move has taken place. The

evidence we require is either proof of “exchange of contracts” or a fully signed tenancy agreement showing

your child will reside at the address past their entry into secondary school. If you move locally or within 20

miles, we also require evidence that you have disposed of your previous property, i.e. a copy of the end of

tenancy arrangements or proof contracts have exchanged.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Catchment area

If you need advice about the catchment area school for your home address you can look at the following

website my.reading.gov.uk or you can contact the School Admissions Team.

You are strongly advised to consider naming your catchment area school, if you have one, as one of your

preferences regardless of whether there is a history of that school admitting (or not admitting) all children

from its catchment area. Places are not reserved for children living in the catchment area of a school. The

school must be named as a preference in order that a child may be considered for a place there. Applicants

listing a school as a preference, but living outside the school’s catchment area, will have priority for

admission over those living within the catchment area, but who did not list the school. It is worth noting

that not all addresses in Reading have a catchment/ designated area school. For example, where a school

becomes an academy, the trust may decide to remove the catchment/ designated area from their policy.

Split living arrangements

Where a family claims to be resident at more than one address, justification and evidence of the family’s

circumstances will be required (e.g. formal residence order, child arrangements order or legal separation

documentation). The application must be completed by the parent using the address which is owned,

leased or rented and where the child lives for the majority of the school week. This is based on the number

of school nights a child spends at the address (from Sunday at 6pm to Friday at 9am).

Where children live across two addresses, families cannot use whichever address would advantage their

child’s admission into a certain school.

Where there is an equal split or there is any doubt about residence, the School Admissions Team will assess

and make a judgment about which address to use for the purpose of allocating a school place. Where

necessary, further information may be requested, for example:

• any legal documentation confirming residence

• the pattern of residence

• the duration of the current arrangement

• confirmation from the current school or early years setting of the primary contact details and home

address supplied to it by the parents

• the address where child benefit or other benefit (if applicable) is paid

• where the child is registered with their GP

• any other evidence the parents may supply to verify the position.

It is recommended that consensus is reached by both parties (and the child) regarding the school

preferences listed. It should be noted that only one offer letter will be sent to the main applicant, unless

otherwise requested and agreed by both parties.

The information provided to determine the home address will be considered by an admissions panel of at

least two officers and their decision is final.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Disputes between parents

Anyone with parental responsibility may apply for their child’s school place and list up to four preferred

school(s). However, the child’s address on the application should be recorded as the place they spend most

of the week as set out in our definition of ‘Home Address’

When completing application forms, parents/carers must tick to confirm they have parental responsibility

for the child and that their application is made with the agreement of all parties having parental

responsibility.

Where parents disagree over which school preferences should be named, we recommend starting the

following process as early as possible as national closing dates are fixed and cannot be extended under any

circumstances.

We urge parents to work together in the best interests of their child; it is advised that the applicant should

inform all other parties who have parental responsibility before submitting the application.

All parties should agree with the school preferences to be listed. Any disagreements should be resolved

before an application is submitted. If parents are unable to reach an amicable agreement, then both

parents should seek their own legal advice or recourse through the Family Court.

You should note that the local authority will only process one application per child and will only make one

offer of a school place.

Where more than one application is received with different preferences the local authority (or local

authorities if parents submit applications to more than one) will contact both applicants to advise that

more than one application has been received and request they complete one application with one set of

preferences for their child.

We will not mediate between parents where there is a dispute or when two applications are submitted.

Only one application will be accepted, and the final decision will rest with the local authority after all

submitted evidence has been considered.

All evidence must be received by published closing dates, at which point a decision will be made as to

which application will be processed. The local authorities concerned may contact early years or education

settings noted in the application, or other professionals working with the child where applicable, to assist

in their decision making. Any evidence provided after the closing date which affects the content or

processing of the application, may render the application late, and delay an offer of a school place.

Applications from abroad (excluding service personnel)

Following the new DfE guidance, the local authority must not refuse to process an application for a school

place from a family living in another country but moving/returning to the UK.

It is the responsibility of parents to check that their children have a right, under their visa entry conditions,

to study at a school.

Applicants are reminded that they should (where applicable);

• Check that they have “right of abode” (www.gov.uk/right-of-abode)

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

• Ensure the conditions of their immigration status permit them to access a state-funded school.

By making an application, applicants are declaring they have checked their eligibility.

Having the “right of abode” means you are permitted to live or work in the UK without any immigration

restrictions, as follows:

• You will not need a visa to come to the UK

• There is no limit on the length of time you can spend in the country.

All British citizens automatically have “right of abode” in the UK. Some Commonwealth citizens may also

have “right of abode”.

You can prove you have “right of abode” if you have a UK passport describing you as a British citizen or

British subject with right of abode. Otherwise, you need to apply for a ‘certificate of entitlement’.

Evidence required to accept an application for an overseas child:

• Copy of child’s passport

• Evidence of arrival into the UK

• Flight/ferry/bus ticket confirming child’s name and stating date of arrival

• Immigration stamp or stamped entrance clearance.

Evidence of ‘home’ address

• Where the Reading property is owned; a solicitor’s letter confirming completion of sale. In cases

where the owned property is currently rented out, an ‘end of tenancy notice’ to the current

occupiers should be supplied

• Council tax bill – naming applicant

• Driving license - naming applicant at address

• Where the Reading address is rented; a copy of tenancy agreement showing applicant at address

and dates liable.

If you are moving to a temporary address we will also accept;

• Hotel/Airbnb accommodation confirmation. This should show dates of stay.

• Letter from applicant’s new employer (e.g. University college) where accommodation is being

provided by them and is tied to the new post/job.

• Other compelling evidence that you are returning or moving to the area. E.g. Signed and dated

letter from family/friend confirming names of parent and child will reside at their address.

Additional checks may be made using the Reading Borough Council Tax system.

Families of Crown servants, returning from overseas to live in Reading, should also provide an official letter

confirming the UK posting and their expected relocation date.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

How the application will be considered

Upon receipt of the above “evidence for accepting an application”, the admissions team will consider any

application from an overseas applicant received by the closing date for “on time” applications.

The application will not be processed based on a Reading address (i.e. for the purposes of ranking the

application against a school’s oversubscription criteria) until evidence is received to show the

applicant/child are both resident at the Reading address given. Until this time, the application will be

considered without an address and will not be ranked by distance against a school’s oversubscription

criteria.

As soon as the applicant/child are resident at the Reading address, they should advise the School

Admissions Team accordingly. Upon receipt of the “evidence of home address” (see above), the Reading

address will be applied to the child’s application adding distance/catchment data for the purposes of

ranking.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Admissions to state-funded primary schools in England are coordinated across local authority boundaries.

This means that, if a child lives in Reading and the parent wants to apply for a place at a school that is in a

different local authority, the parent must apply via Reading School Admissions Team. The Reading team will

liaise with the English local authority where the school is situated on behalf of the parent and child and will

be responsible for sending notification of the outcome on behalf of the school / home local authority on

National Offer Day.

The Equal Preference System

At primary/junior transfer, admission authorities for all state-funded mainstream schools in England must

follow the “Equal Preference System”. This is a requirement of the Department for Education’s School

Admission Code 2021. This prevents admission authorities giving higher priority to parents who make a

particular school their first preference.

Every school that a parent lists on the application form is treated as a separate application and the highest

possible preference will be offered. The admission authority for a school must not discriminate against any

application because a parent did not express a first preference for that school on the application. Offering

places based on “first preferences first” would be unlawful. Schools are not told whether a parent ranked

the school as a first, second, third or fourth preference.

The priority for admission is established using the admission rules for the relevant school. Once this

information is available the preferences are then considered by the local authority acting as the “clearing

house”. If, at this stage, it was theoretically possible to offer a place at all three of the schools listed, the

school offered would be the one listed as the highest preference. If a place cannot be offered at any of the

schools listed as a preference, the local authority will offer a place at the nearest school with an available

place.

The following website gives a very helpful explanation of how the Equal Preference System works in

practice: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schools/equal-preference-system.

Offer notifications, to all Reading residents who made an on-time application, will be sent by the School

Admissions Team on National Offer Day.

The flow-chart diagram on the next page shows the process which results in each child being offered a

school place:

HOW THE OFFERS ARE

DECIDED

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Applications received after the deadline

An application received after the closing date for applications (15 January 2023) will be treated as a “late”

application and be considered after all on-time applications have been allocated.

However, applications received late with good reason are treated as on time if received before 1 February

2023. A good reason might include illness preventing a single parent/carer from returning the form on time

or the family moving into Reading after the closing date. The reason for lateness must be supported with

documentary evidence. If no evidence is provided the application will be considered as “late” and not

processed until after National Offer Day.

After 17 April 2023 and before 31 August 2023 late applications will be considered in line with the

published admission criteria. Where possible a place will be offered at a preferred school. If the preferred

school is oversubscribed, the child’s name will be added to the waiting list in accordance with

oversubscription criteria.

You will need to check the admission policies of other LAs for information regarding their treatment of late

applications.

Change of Preference

Changes of preference made in writing (and received between 15 January 2023 and 1 February 2023) may

be accepted as “on time” providing a good reason is given (e.g. a family moving area or illness preventing a

single parent from making a timely application). In such cases, supporting evidence will be required. Any

changes received after 1 February 2023 will be treated as late, regardless of whether supporting evidence

is provided, and will be considered after National Offer Day.

An application with new preferences will replace any previous application, therefore it is important to list

all the preferred schools (up to a max of four) for which your child is to be considered. After 2 May 2023, if

you do not list a school that you have listed on a previous application, your child will be removed from the

waiting list of that school.

LATE APPLICATION / CHANGE

OF PREFERENCE

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

It is not always possible to offer a place at your first preference school or, in some cases, any of your

preferred schools. This will be because your preferred school(s) received more applications than there

were places available. Where this occurs, each application is ranked according to the school’s

oversubscription criteria and places offered accordingly.

For example, a school may have 200 places and receive 300 applications. The applications are ranked (1 to

300) using the school’s oversubscription criteria and the top 200 pupils are offered places. The remaining

100 pupils may then be added to the waiting list.

Your child’s name will automatically be added to the waiting list of any school(s) you list higher in

preference to the school your child is offered. This is the case for the waiting lists of any Reading,

Oxfordshire, Wokingham or West Berkshire schools listed on your application. You will need to check the

policies of other local authorities. Waiting list information will not be made available until after 1 May

2023.

As previously mentioned, waiting lists are always ranked according to the published oversubscription

criteria of the relevant school and not by the length of time a child’s name has been on a list. As a result,

your child’s position on a waiting list may change as new applications are added or places are offered.

If you accept the offer of another school place, this will not affect your child’s position on any waiting lists.

When you receive your school offer, you will be asked to complete an acceptance form. If you applied

through the citizen’s portal, you will be able to accept your school offer via your portal account until the

acceptance deadline. If you submitted a paper application, you should accept your offer using the

acceptance link found in your offer letter. When accepting, you will be asked whether you want your child’s

name to be removed from the waiting list(s) of any higher preference school(s). Your child’s name will

remain on a waiting list unless you ask for it to be removed.

Lodging an appeal for a place at a preferred school that was not offered to your child will not affect your

child’s waiting list position.

The School Admissions Team allocate places from the waiting list once a month. When a place becomes

available, it will be offered to the child at the top of the waiting list. Positions on waiting lists can go up or

down. A child who is top of the waiting list one day may not be top the next.

If a place becomes available for your child from a waiting list, the School Admissions Team will allocate that

place and send you an offer letter. At the same time, the existing offer of a place at a lower preference

school is withdrawn. Following the new offer, any school(s) listed lower in preference to the offered school

will be marked as no longer required.

If, at any time after completing your acceptance from, you want your child’s name to be removed from a

waiting list, please confirm in writing to the School Admissions Team and your request will be actioned.

To find out your child’s waiting lists position for any preferred schools you should contact the School

Admissions Team in the appropriate local authority. Please note that some “own admissions” schools hold

their own waiting lists. Contact details can be found at the back of the guide.

From 1 September 2023, all waiting lists will change to in-year waiting lists. Some schools coordinate their

own In-Year admissions and will hold their own waiting lists from this date. Community schools in Reading

will hold waiting lists until the end of July 2023.

WAITING LISTS

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Appealing the decision not to offer your preferred school

If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school(s) you can appeal against the decision. You

should make an appeal, if possible, by the deadline for it to be heard alongside others for the admission

round. Appeals will be heard by an independent panel organised by the admissions authority for the

school.

Appeals submitted after the deadline will be dealt with separately.

Information on how to submit an appeal will be sent out with offer notifications and is available on the

website www.reading.gov.uk/schoolappeals.

All appeals are considered by a panel independent from the school and its decisions are legally binding on

the school. The panel must balance the effect the admission of an additional child would have on the

school with the particular circumstances of that child and their family. Appeals lodged on time will be heard

in the summer term, June - July 2023.

How many parts are there to an appeal hearing?

There are two stages to the decision-making process.

•

First Stage – examining the decision to refuse admission. Sometimes, when there are multiple

appeals for the same school and year group, stage 1 will be heard as a group stage meaning all the

parents are invited to attend together.

•

Second Stage – comparing cases. The panel must compare each appellant’s case for their child to

be admitted. This is done on an individual appeal basis.

Appeal decision making - infant class size appeals

This is the decision-making process followed in respect of appeals for places in Reception to Year 2 where

the infant class size limit of 30 children per teacher applies.

The law limits the size of an infant class (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) to a maximum of 30 children per

teacher.

Your appeal will be considered as an infant class size appeal if the admission authority would breach the

infant class size limit by admitting your child and there are no measures it could take to avoid this without

prejudicing the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources (i.e. having a detrimental

impact on the education provided at the school and on the use of school resources).

In an infant class size appeal, the appeal panel reviews the admission authority’s decision to refuse your

child a place at the school. There are only very limited circumstances in which an infant class size appeal

can be allowed and, as such, only a limited chance of your appeal being successful.

The Appeal Panel can only allow an infant class size appeal, where:

SCHOOL APPEALS

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

•

it finds that the admission of an additional child would not breach the infant class size limit

•

it finds that the school’s admission arrangements are unlawful, or have not been properly applied,

and your child would have been offered a place at the school if the arrangements were lawful or

had been properly applied

•

it decides that the decision to refuse admission was not one which a reasonable admission

authority would have made in the circumstances of the case. To find a decision unreasonable, the

appeal panel must determine the decision was one no reasonable admission authority would have

made in the circumstances of your case, and the threshold for finding this is high. In this context, it

is the legal meaning of “reasonableness” that applies, which means that an unreasonable decision

is irrational or perverse.

In making your case in support of your appeal, you must show that: your child was refused a place as a

result of admission arrangements which did not comply with the legal requirements of the School

Admissions Code and the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; or that a mistake had been made by

the admission authority, which if it had not happened, would have meant that your child would have been

admitted to the school; or that the decision to refuse admission was not reasonable.

What happens at an appeal hearing?

The appeal hearing will be as informal as possible but the procedure - set out below - is followed to ensure

everyone has the same opportunity to present their case and to ask questions.

Once the parent/carer who has submitted the appeal (the appellant) and the school’s representative have

entered the room and are seated, the chair of the appeal panel will welcome everybody to the appeal

hearing. Everyone present at the appeal will then be asked to introduce themselves. The chair will then go

on to explain the set procedure and how the appeal panel reaches a decision. The procedure below will be

followed at the appeal:

• The school’s representative will explain the reasons why a place could not be offered at the

appellant’s preferred school

• The appeal panel and the appellant may ask questions of the school’s representative about the

reasons given and the written information they have submitted

• The appellant will be given the opportunity to explain why they think their child should have a

place at the school

• The appeal panel and the school’s representative can ask the appellant questions about the

reasons they have given and the written information they have submitted

• The school’s representative will provide a summary of their case, without providing any new

information

• The appellant will be given an opportunity to provide a summary of their case, without providing

any new information

• The appellant and the school’s representative will be asked to leave the room at the same time.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Does it cost me to go attend an Appeal?

No (bar any travel costs you incur). HOWEVER it does cost the school £215 per appeal heard.

How many times can I appeal?

Parents/carers may only appeal once for the same child to the same school in the same school year.

Parent/carers can make another appeal in the next school year.

The only exception to this is where there is a material and significant change in the circumstances of the

parent/carer or child. This change must be relevant to the school application and it must make a difference

to whether a school would have allocated a place or not.

For which schools may I lodge an appeal?

You can only appeal the decision not to be offered a school place for any schools listed as a higher

preference, than the one you have been allocated. i.e. if you are offered your second preference you

cannot appeal your third or fourth preferences.

How likely is it that I will win an appeal?

Each appeal is judged on the information provided at that appeal. Appeals for places in infant class year

groups (i.e. Reception to Year 2) are won only in exceptional cases due to the laws governing infant class

sizes. You will normally only be successful if it can be proven that a mistake has been made and your child

would have been offered a school place had your application been processed correctly.

Will lodging an appeal affect the place at my allocated school?

No, appealing will not affect the place at the allocated school. Neither does accepting the allocated place.

You still have the right to appeal the decision not to be offered a place at your preferred school.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

This section may help you with any questions that have arisen while reading this book. If you have any

other questions, please contact the School Admissions Team on 0118 937 3777.

Do I have a choice regarding which school I send my child to?

While you do not have the right to choose which school your child will attend, you do have the right to

express a preference. Where your preferred school has available places, your child will receive an offer.

However, each school has a limited number of places and, where there are more applications than places,

not every child will be offered a place. Places will be allocated according to the school’s published

oversubscription criteria found later in this guide.

Allocation tables for previous years, showing places offered for each school by categories and tiebreakers,

may be found later in this guide. The tables show the lowest category at which a place was offered for each

of the schools in Reading on National Offer Day. For schools in other boroughs, please visit the appropriate

LA’s website. Please note that this information should be used as a guide only – allocation numbers vary

year-on-year, and this affects the lowest category at which offers are made.

I live in Reading. How do I apply for schools in other areas?

You must apply to Reading for any school, even those schools situated in other local authorities. You must

include them on your application which should be submitted to Reading School Admissions Team.

You will need to find out about the admission arrangements for any preferred school(s) in other areas. To

do this, you may contact the local authority with responsibility for the school to obtain a copy of their

admission guide. Contact details for neighbouring local authorities can be found at the back of this guide.

If, as a Reading resident, you apply directly to another local authority, the application will not be accepted.

Does living in a designated (catchment) area guarantee I will get a place for my child

at that school?

Children living in the catchment area of a school are given priority for admission but are not guaranteed a

place. Any offer will depend on the number of applicants from the catchment area. Where there are more

applicants from the catchment area than places available at the school, a place will only be offered if your

child ranks higher in the oversubscription criteria than other applicants.

Some schools have been unable to admit all applicants from their catchment area for several years and

places have been allocated using the distance tiebreaker.

Do I have to put my designated (catchment) area school as a preference?

No. However, if you do not list your catchment area school (or schools) your child will not be considered for

a place at that school. Living in the catchment area of a school does not guarantee admissions to that

school. Equally, it does mean you must send your child to that school. However, places will not be reserved

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

for your child at your catchment area school. You must list the school as a preference in order for your

child to be considered for admission. If you do not list your catchment area school as one of your

preferences, and places are all allocated to those who did list it, your child will not be offered a place at the

school (even where we cannot offer any of the schools you do list). You may then be offered a place at a

school some distance from your home. As such, we suggest you consider listing your catchment area school

as one of your preferences.

Please note, some home addresses do not have a catchment school. This is because not all Primary/Junior

Schools have catchment as part of their oversubscription criteria.

How will my application be considered if my home is in the catchment area of more

than one school?

You must list all the schools, in order of preference, for your child to be considered. Your application for

each school will then be ranked according to the oversubscription criteria of each school. Where it is

possible to offer a place at more than one school, you will be offered a place at the school ranked highest

in your preference order. If you list a catchment school, your application will be considered, however it

does not guarantee your child will get a place at the school. Please note, some home addresses do not have

a catchment school. This is where the community school has converted to an academy and has removed

catchment from their oversubscription criteria.

Will my child get a place at the same school as their sibling(s)?

Most children are able to attend the same school as their sibling(s). However, there have been more cases

(in previous years) where out-of-catchment children have not gained entry to the same school as their

sibling(s). Please refer to how places were allocated (later in this guide) to see whether that was the case

for your preferred school.

Where parents/carers applied for a place at their catchment area school and it is not possible to offer their

child a place at the school because it is oversubscribed, a “sibling protection” applies. In such cases, where

the child is offered a lower preference Reading community primary school (or the authority offer a place at

an alternative Reading community primary school), any younger siblings who subsequently apply for the

offered school will be treated as “in-catchment” (i.e. considered under category 3).

Where a parent does not list their catchment area school(s) at the time of application and would have been

offered a place had they listed it, they forfeit the right to “sibling protection”. Parents/carers must inform

the School Admissions Team at the time of application if they consider this right applies.

You must declare the sibling in the relevant section on the application form.

My child already attends the nursery class at a school. Will they automatically be

admitted to the reception class?

No. If your child has a place in the nursery class of a school, they will not necessarily remain at the same

school when they reach school age. Schools are not permitted to give priority to those nursery class pupils

who may wish to attend the school at a later date. You will need to apply for a school place via Reading

School Admissions Team by 15 January 2023.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

What if I want my child to attend a church school?

There are different types of schools with different church affiliations. The criteria for admission may be

different. Details of the admission arrangements for Reading schools start on page 63. You may wish to

complete the School Supplementary Form to enable the school to rank your application correctly.

Details about schools in other local authorities can be found from the schools or on the appropriate local

authority website.

Can you guarantee we will get one of the preferred schools we name?

No. The law does not guarantee a place at a preferred school. This would lead to overcrowding and

pressure on facilities and resources. Although we expect to offer most applicants a place at one of their

preferred schools, the likelihood of an offer depends on the schools you list and whether they are

oversubscribed. Where a school is oversubscribed, the published oversubscription criteria for that school

will apply. If you are not granted a place at a preferred school, you still have the right of appeal.

What happens if I move?

Applications can only be processed on the basis of the child’s current home address (refer to page 20 for

definition). Places at oversubscribed schools cannot be reserved for children moving into the area.

If you have submitted an on-time application and relocate on (or before) the 1 February 2023, you must

inform us of your change of address. You will need to submit the details to

admissio[email protected] along with evidence that your move has taken place. The

evidence we require is proof that contracts have exchanged or a fully signed tenancy agreement. These

must show your child will reside at the address past their entry into secondary school. If you have had a

local move or moved within a 20 mile distance, we also require evidence that you have disposed of your

previous property, i.e. a copy of the end of tenancy arrangements or proof contracts have exchanged

What if I do not apply by the deadline because I was not living in the area?

If you move into Reading before 1 February 2023, your application will be treated as an “on time”

application, providing you supply evidence that the move took place after 15 January but before 1

February. However, you must make it clear to the School Admissions Team that this is the reason for your

late application. If you move after this date, your application will be considered as “late” and not processed

until after the 1 May 2023.

My child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). How do I apply?

Although you will have discussed your child’s primary school placement during their assessment or at their

annual review, you must complete the SEND application form, which is available from the SEND Team.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

My child doesn’t have an EHCP but has special educational needs, how will my

application be treated?

Your application will be treated the same as every other application. Some schools do have a medical/

social category as part of their oversubscription criteria. If you wish to be considered under this category,

please consult the relevant school’s policy and provide evidence, as required.

How will I know if the School Admissions Team has received my form?

If you apply online, you will receive an email to confirm that you have submitted your form.

If you submit a paper form the School Admissions Team will write to let you know that it has been received.

You should receive your letter within 10 school days of submitting the application form. However, this

depends on the volume of applications received by the team. If you have not received a response regarding

your paper application by 1 February 2023, please contact the School Admissions Team.

Are places allocated on a first come, first served basis?

No. However parents should be aware that the first round of allocations only considers those applications

received by the closing date.

What can I do if I am not offered a place at my preferred school(s)?

If you are not offered a place at your preferred school(s) you may:

• appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel against the decision to refuse a place; and

• accept the alternative place offered;

• ask about the availability of places at other schools

• keep your child’s name on the waiting list.

I don’t want to accept the place my child has been allocated, what should I do?

You must accept the allocated place. Doing so will not affect any higher preferences on the application or

affect your right to appeal not getting a higher preference.

However, if you don’t want to accept because you are moving out of the borough or have an alternative

arrangement in place (e.g. your child will be attending an independent school) you must inform the School

Admissions Team of this in writing, providing full details (e.g. the new area you are moving to, with full

address or the name of the independent school).

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Can I home educate my child?

If you wish to home educate your child once they are of statutory school age you are entitled to do so. If

you decide to do this, you should seek advice and register with Brighter Futures for Children Elective Home

Educational Services. Further information is available at: https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-

parents-carers/schools/elective-home-education/ or telephone 0118 937 3840 (Wednesday to Friday

during school terms). You must also inform the school in writing of this decision.

Will my child start full time immediately in September?

Individual schools will have a programme of induction that will be explained to parents before their child

starts. Most primary schools in Reading will have a staggered start for their Reception class. However, If

you wish, your child can attend full time from day one. You will need to discuss this with your child’s

allocated school.

What if I don’t want my child to start school in September 2023?

Your child does not have to start school in September 2023. However, you must apply for a place by the 15

January 2023. Once you have secured a place at a school it is possible to delay your child’s start until they

become statutory school age (see table on page 9). This is known as deferring entry. It is important to note

that if you defer your child’s entry into Reception, they may have only one or two terms in Reception

before transitioning into Year 1. If you decide to defer entry into Reception, you should discuss this with

your child’s school and they will hold the place for your child to start in either January (spring term) or April

(summer term), as appropriate.

You may also wish to discuss your intentions with your child’s current setting (i.e. nursery or child minder)

in order to determine whether they have space available for your child to remain.

Can my child attend school part-time?

Parents/carers may ask for a part-time place until their child reaches statutory school age.

Parents cannot insist that a school provide a part-time place which is individually tailored to their child.

Parents/carers must discuss this with the headteacher. Most parents and schools will be able to organise

an arrangement that is amenable to both parties. If parents/carers are considering this option, they should

consider what it will mean to their child in terms of what he/she will be missing out on.

Can my child start school outside their normal year group?

Parents may seek a place for their child outside their normal age group. This is called “offsetting” and might

be requested where a child is gifted and talented or because they have experienced problems such as ill

health. In addition, the parents of a summer born child might wish their child start school in the September

following their fifth birthday. In such cases, they may request that their child is admitted out of their

normal age group, e.g. to reception rather than Year 1.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

In order to be considered, you must complete an application form as normal and also complete the

Reading Offset request form (available on the website at the following link

https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-carers/schools/primary-admissions/ and return it to the

School Admissions Team. The team will then coordinate the request with all your preferred schools,

including those out of borough.

If the request is agreed and the 2023 application is withdrawn by the parent, a new application must be

submitted for September 2024 entry. A place cannot be held in reception for 2024 entry. A child whose

application is withdrawn due to offset is only entitled to their normal early years funding. If they only

receive 15 hours, this is all they will get for the year. If a child receives 30 hours early years funding, they

will continue to receive that amount.

The decision made by an admission authority is not binding on any other admission authority

By law, a child may leave school on the last Friday in June of the academic year they turn 16, i.e. by the end

of the summer holidays (www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school). As such, this has implications for

children who are offset in that they may legally leave school at this time, perhaps without any GCSE

qualifications. This would result in children receiving one year less education that is typically provided.

If a request is refused, parents must decide whether to accept the offered place, or refuse it and make an

in-year application for a Year 1 place starting in September 2024.

Parents of children born between 01/09/2018 and 31/08/2019 should still apply before 15 January 2023

even if they are requesting that their child start school in Reception 2024.

Can a place be withdrawn?

Yes – a place can be withdrawn for the following reasons:

a) School places are offered on the basis that the information provided on the application form is

correct and up to date on National Offer Day. Where incorrect or intentionally misleading

information is given, the School Admissions Team may withdraw the offer of a place. The address

you give MUST be your child’s only permanent home address. If you give an incorrect address or do

not update us with any change of address, the offer may be withdrawn.

b) Where a place has been offered in error, that place may be withdrawn.

c) If a parent/carer has not responded to the offer of a place after receiving a reminder, the place

offered may be withdrawn.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

In-year admission is the term used for applications for children who are requiring admission after the start

of the school year in Reception to Year 6.

Parent/carers who are seeking admission to a Reading borough school because they have moved to

Reading, are new to the UK or simply wish to move their child to another school, must apply to the School

Admissions Team by completing an ‘in-year application form’. This form can be completed online or a

paper form is available from the School Admissions Team upon request.

If you are a Reading resident, or moving into the borough, and you wish to apply for a school in Reading,

you can do so by completing an in-year application form.

If you live in Reading and wish to apply for schools in neighbouring authorities, you should apply directly to

the appropriate local authority. If you are Reading residents and your child is unplaced and they gain

admission at a school outside of Reading, you must inform us of the allocation in writing.

Some schools in Reading coordinate their own in-year admissions. If you are interested in your child

attending Christ the King RC Primary, Churchend Academy, St Johns CE Primary or The Heights Primary

School, please apply directly to the schools.

If your child is unplaced and you are eligible to apply, then an in-year application should be completed as

soon as possible.

More information on in-year admission can be found at:

https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-carers/schools/in-year/

IN-YEAR ADMISSIONS

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Brighter Futures for Children recognises the importance of encouraging sustainable travel to school to

improve the safety and health of our children, as well as reducing the levels of traffic on the roads.

Individual schools have travel plans setting out how each school intends to encourage children to travel

sustainably.

Some parents/carers may be entitled to help with transport to school. Free home to school transport is

based on the distance the pupil has to travel to school and, in some cases, the financial circumstances of

the parent/carer. It is the local authority where a pupil or student lives – the ‘Home LA’ – that is

responsible for any financial help with transport (not the LA where they attend school). This means we can

only provide free home to school transport to eligible Reading Borough Council residents. We cannot

provide free home to school transport to pupils who attend a Reading school, but who live outside the

borough.

For pupils aged below eight years, transport assistance will only be considered where your child’s home

address is further than two miles safe walking distance from the school and meets one of the following

criteria:

1) attends the nearest appropriate school;

2) attends a school that they were directed to by Brighter Futures for Children because the catchment

area school was full.

For children over eight years, the safe walking distance is over three miles from the child’s home to the

school.

Children aged over eight but under 11, from low-income families, may qualify for transport assistance if the

home address is more than two miles from their nearest suitable primary school. The government defines

children from low-income families as those who are entitled to free school meals, or those whose families

are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit.

Some children with Education, Health and Care Plans may also be entitled to assistance; again, please

contact the transport manager for details. Where pupils do qualify for school transport assistance, it is

usually provided in the form of a bus pass (with a companion pass for an adult to accompany).

For further information regarding the ‘School Transport Service’, please contact:

Telephone: (0118) 937 2542

Email: school.trans[email protected]

Address: School Transport Service, Brighter Futures for Children, Civic Offices, Reading, RG1 2LU

SCHOOL TRANSPORT

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Charging for school activities

No charge may be made for school activities by schools or the school governors unless it is already

provided for in a statement of policy on charging and the remission of charges. Such statements will also

usually cover arrangements for the financing of school activities by means of voluntary contributions.

Free school meals

All schools within the borough of Reading deal with the administration of free school meals for pupils in

attendance.

Who is eligible?

Your child may be eligible for free school meals after this time, if you receive any of the following:

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as

assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)

• Income Support

• income-based Jobseekers Allowance

• income-related Employment Support Allowance

• support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual

income of no more than £16,190)

• the guarantee element of State Pension Credit.

Note: If you are in receipt of Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your

employment ceases, or after you start to work less than 16 hours per week, your child/ children are

entitled to free school meals.

Each term, parents/carers must demonstrate they are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits by

showing appropriate current documentary evidence to the school.

For further information and an application form, contact your child’s school.

Are free places available at independent schools, or is there help with independent school fees?

There are no free places available at independent schools. Reading has no schemes to help parents/ carers

wishing to educate children at independent schools.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, CHARGING

AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Can I get help with school uniform?

There is no support currently provided by Reading. Please contact your child’s current school as they may

be aware of support in this area. The Family Information Service (FIS) also has a list of charities that provide

grants towards school uniforms (dependent on need and parent carer situation). They can be contacted as

below.

Reading Services Guide

The Family Information Service provides free individually tailored information, advice and guidance on any

family matter. The service is available to any family member taking care of children or young people aged

0-19 years of age inclusive (up to 25 years for children and young people with special needs, known as the

SEND Local Offer) as well as professionals working with families in Reading.

They can also provide information on early years funding and childcare providers in Reading.

Tel: 0118 937 3777 (option 2)

Email: fis@reading.gov.uk

Website: www.reading.gov.uk/fis

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

What are special educational needs (SEND)?

A child has special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND) if they have greater difficulty in learning

than most other children of about the same age. A child’s SEND might relate to difficulties with

communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health difficulties; or

sensory and/or physical needs. Many children experience barriers to learning at some time in their

education. These are often short term and support will be put in place by the school, using resources

already available to schools.

How can schools help?

Schools receive funding within their budget which they allocate to SEND support, to provide extra help for

pupils with SEND. If a child is identified as having SEND, the school can set up an individual support plan

which will set targets that are reviewed regularly with you. This may include extra help from a teacher or

learning support assistant, or individual or small-group teaching for short periods. The level of help is

matched to your child’s needs and you will be kept informed at each stage of the process.

Sometimes the school will call on the help and advice of other practitioners, such as an educational

psychologist.

Children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP)

In most cases, schools will ensure that your child gets all the help they need. However, a few children will

have more significant and long-term needs. These children may require an assessment of their needs - this

may lead to the issue of an EHCP. Most children with an EHCP attend their local school and receive the

support highlighted in their plan.

However, a child with an EHCP may need to attend a special school or a mainstream school with additional

facilities for particular needs (such as hearing or visual impairment, physical difficulties, autism, learning

needs, social emotional and mental health needs or speech, language and communication). If you think

your child needs to attend a school with specialist support, you can contact the SEND Team for more

information or check the Reading SEND Local Offer on www.readingsendlocaloffer.org or you can contact

Reading IASS (Information Advice & Support Service) on 0118 937 3421 or at www.readingiass.org.

Applying for primary school or transfer to junior school

If your child has an EHCP, their future placement must be considered as part of the annual review of the

EHCP and you will be part of those discussions.

Parents will be asked to complete a preference form. In most cases it will be possible to meet the parental

preference for a named school. However, if you do not agree with the school being suggested you will be

invited to discuss the matter with someone from the SEND team and ultimately will have the right to

appeal to the SEND tribunal. The SEND team wish to work with you, so please do contact them to discuss

placement.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

AND DISABILITIES

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

The Reading IASS is also available to offer impartial advice and support to parents of children with special

educational needs.

Mainstream schooling

Most children will attend their local mainstream school according to their address. However, in cases

where children attend a school that is not the nearest school, parents/carers will normally be expected to

pay the full cost of the transport costs to the school.

Specialist provision

If your preference is for a place in a resourced unit or special school, this information is passed to the SEND

Team, if your child has an EHCP, for consideration. If your child does not have an EHCP, you will be

contacted to advise you that you cannot choose the school. A move to a special school or to a resourced

base in a mainstream school can only be considered if the school is suitable to your child’s age, aptitude,

ability and their special educational needs.

Schools outside Reading borough

You may express a preference for your child to be placed in a mainstream school, a special school, or to a

resourced base attached to a mainstream school outside Reading. The allocation of places in schools

outside Reading is arranged with the governing body and the appropriate local authority. The SEND team

must, by law, consult the admission authority and the governors of your preferred school. The admission

authority may be the LA that maintains the school. Expressing a preference for a resourced base in a school

outside Reading will not necessarily secure the admission of your child to either the school or the resource.

If you live in Reading, you will receive a secondary school application pack in September 2022. You should

complete the application form enclosed and return it to the SEND team. Your application will be processed

by the SEND team and you will be informed which school will be named in your child’s EHCP on or before

15 February 2023. If you need further advice or information, please contact the SEND Team on 0118 937

2674 or at [email protected].

Independent support

You may also wish to talk to the SEND Information, Advice & Support Service (IASS), which can offer

support and provide impartial information to help you be fully involved in your child’s education.

Reading IASS: Tel: (0118) 937 3421 or www.readingiass.org

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Admissions to Community Primary Schools 2022

Brighter Futures for Children allocated these community schools and places using Reading Borough Council’s

published oversubscription criteria. Nevertheless, the tables below give a helpful indication as to how places

are allocated.

School name

Admission

number

Children

in care,

previously

in care or

have an

EHCP

Children

with

strong

social or

medical

grounds

Children in

catchment

area with

a sibling at

the school

in Sept.

Children

living in

the

catchment

area of

the school

Children not

living in

catchment

area with a

sibling at the

school in

Sept.

Children

in receipt

of EYPP

attending

the

nursery at

the school

Other

children

Total

Diverts

Places

available

National

Offer Day

Number

children

not

offered

place on

National

Offer Day

Alfred Sutton

Primary School

(1.1250)

Caversham Park

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Caversham

Primary School

(0.545)

Coley Primary

School

17 (0.298)

E P Collier

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Emmer Green

Primary School

(1.660)

Geoffrey Field

Primary School

(1.365)

(1)

Katesgrove

Primary School

(0.636)

(1)

Manor Primary

School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Micklands

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Moorlands

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Oxford Road

Community

Primary School

14 (0.215)

(3)

Park Lane Primary

School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Redlands Primary

School

(0.748)

Southcote

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

St Michael’s

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Thameside

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

The Hill Primary

School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

The Ridgeway

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Whitley Park

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

Wilson Primary

School

(0.270)(3)

PAST ALLOCATIONS 2022

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Admissions to Voluntary-Aided and Academy Schools 2022

The places at these schools were allocated according to the admission policy of the schools. Where it was not

possible to allocate all the children in one category (Cat), the tiebreaker was applied, and the last distance

offered is in brackets. The distance was measured in miles using digital mapping software.

School name

Admission

number

Cat 1

have

EHCP

Cat 2

Cat 3

Cat 4

Cat 5

Cat 6

Cat 7

Cat 8

Cat 9

Total

Diverts

Places

available

National

Offer Day

No. of

children

not offered

place on

National

Offer Day

All Saints CE

Primary School

(0.193)

Battle Primary

Academy

(0.234)

Christ the King

Catholic Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

Churchend

Academy

(1.034)

Civitas Academy

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

English Martyrs’

Catholic Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

Green Park

Village Academy

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

Meadow Park

Academy

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

New Christ

Church CE

Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

New Town

Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

Ranikhet

Academy

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

St Anne’s

Catholic Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

St John’s CE

Primary School

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

St Martin’s

Catholic Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

St Mary and All

Saints CE

Primary

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

The Heights

Primary School

(0.579)

The Palmer

Academy

The school received fewer applications than the number of places available and

therefore the applications were not ranked

Admissions to Junior Schools 2022

The places at these schools were allocated according to the admission policy of the schools. Where it was not

possible to allocate all the children in one category (Cat), the tiebreaker was applied, and the last distance offered is

in brackets. The distance was measured in miles using digital mapping software.

School name

Admission

Number

Students

with

EHCP /

Cat 1

Cat

Cat 3

Cat

Cat 5

Cat 6

Cat 7

Diverts

Total

Places

available

on National

Offer Day

Number of

children not

offered place

on National

Offer Day

All Saints Junior School

The school received less applications than the number of place

available and therefore the applications were not ranked

Geoffrey Field Junior

School

1 (0.836)

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Admissions to Community Primary Schools 2021

Brighter Futures for Children allocated these community schools and places using Reading Borough Council’s published

oversubscription criteria. Nevertheless, the tables below give a helpful indication as to how places are allocated.

School name

Admission

number

Children

in care,

previously

in care or

have an

EHCP

Children

with

strong

social or

medical

grounds

Children in

catchment

area with

a sibling at

the school

in Sept.

Children

living in

the

catchment

area of

the school

Children not

living in

catchment

area with a

sibling at the

school in

Sept.

Children

in receipt

of EYPP

attending

the

nursery at

the school

Other

children

Total

Diverts

Places

available

National

Offer Day

Number

children

not

offered

place on

National

Offer Day

Alfred Sutton

Primary School

19(1)

15(1)

36(1)

(1.026)

Caversham Park

Primary School

Caversham

Primary School

(0.998)

Coley Primary

School

12(1)

9(1)

(0.693)

E P Collier

Primary School

5(1)

Emmer Green

Primary School

15(1)

(2.008)

Geoffrey Field

Primary School

29(1)

30(1)

12(1)

19(1)

(0.999)

Katesgrove

Primary School

17(1)

11(1)

Manor Primary

School

9(4)

7(5)

Micklands

Primary School

1(1)

11(2)

Moorlands

Primary School

Oxford Road

Community

Primary School

1(1)

13(3)

15(4)

(0.142)

Park Lane Primary

School

12(1)

10(1)

Redlands Primary

School

8(1.242)

Southcote

Primary School

18(2)

29(3)

16(5)

17(1)

St Michael’s

Primary School

15(2)

Thameside

Primary School

18(1)

7(1.173)

The Hill Primary

School

6(1)

The Ridgeway

Primary School

20(1)

Whitley Park

Primary School

16(1)

13(1)

Wilson Primary

School

18(1)

40(3)

(0.308)

PAST ALLOCATIONS 2021

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Admissions to Voluntary-Aided and Academy Schools 2021

The places at these schools were allocated according to the admission policy of the governing body of the

schools. Where it was not possible to allocate all the children in one category (Cat), the tiebreaker was applied

and the last distance offered is in brackets. The distance was measured in miles using digital mapping software.

School name

Admission

number

Cat 1

have

EHCP

Cat 2

Cat 3

Cat 4

Cat 5

Cat 6

Cat 7

Cat 8

Cat 9

Total

Diverts

Places

available

National

Offer Day

No. of

children

not offered

place on

National

Offer Day

All Saints CE

Primary School

(0.316)

Battle Primary

Academy

(0.445)

Christ the King

Catholic Primary

Churchend

Academy

(1.125)

Civitas Academy

English Martyrs’

Catholic Primary

Green Park

Village Academy

Meadow Park

Academy

New Christ

Church CE

Primary

New Town

Primary

Ranikhet

Academy

St Anne’s

Catholic Primary

St John’s CE

Primary School

St Martin’s

Catholic Primary

St Mary and All

Saints CE

Primary

The school received fewer applications than the

number of places available and therefore the

applications were not ranked

The Heights

Primary School

(1.414)

The Palmer

Academy

Admissions to Junior Schools 2021

The places at these schools were allocated according to the admission policy of the governing body of the

schools. Where it was not possible to allocate all the children in one category (Cat), the tiebreaker was applied

and the last distance offered is in brackets. The distance was measured in miles using digital mapping software.

School name

Admission

Number

Students

with

EHCP /

Cat 1

Cat

Cat 3

Cat

Cat 5

Cat 6

Cat 7

Cat 8

Diverts

Total

Places

available

on National

Offer Day

Number of

children not

offered place

on National

Offer Day

All Saints Junior

School

Geoffrey Field

Junior School

(2)

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

READING INFANT, JUNIOR AND

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

School

Alfred Sutton Primary School

All Saints CE Infant

All Saints CE Junior

Battle Primary Academy

Caversham Park Primary School

Caversham Primary School

Christ the King RC Primary

Churchend Primary Academy

Civitas Academy

Coley Primary School

E P Collier Primary School

Emmer Green Primary School

English Martyrs RC Primary

Geoffrey Field Infant School

Geoffrey Field Junior School

Green Park Village Academy

Katesgrove Primary School

Manor Primary School

Meadow Park Academy

Micklands Primary School

School

Moorlands Primary School

New Christ Church CE Primary

New Town Primary School

Oxford Road Community School

Park Lane Primary School

Ranikhet Academy

Redlands Primary School

Southcote Primary School

St Anne’s RC Primary School

St John’s CE Primary School

St Martin’s CE Primary School

St Mary & All Saints CE Primary

St Michael’s Primary School

Thameside Primary School

The Heights Primary School

The Hill Primary School

The Palmer Primary Academy

The Ridgeway Primary School

Whitley Park Primary School

Wilson Primary School

Community primary

Academy

Voluntary-aided

junior or

community junior

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

INFANT & PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Alfred Sutton Primary School

148 Wokingham Road, Reading, RG6 1JR

Headteacher:

Mr Robert Howell

Telephone:

0118 937 5411

www.alfredsuttonprimary.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.10pm

DfE NO:

2000

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School

Brownlow Road, Reading, RG1 6NP

Headteacher:

Mrs Susannah Daniel

Telephone:

0118 901 5413

www.allsaints.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-7

Admission number:

School day:

8.55am – 3.05pm

DfE NO:

3000

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Nursery:

Battle Primary Academy

Cranbury Road, Reading, RG30 2TD

Headteacher:

Ms Louise Burridge

Telephone:

0118 937 5421

www.battleprimary.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2011

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Nursery:

Yes

Caversham Park Primary School

Queensway, Caversham Park Village, Reading,

RG4 6RP

Headteacher:

Miss Gail Ray

Telephone:

0118 937 5433

www.cavershamparkprimaryschool.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2233

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Caversham Primary School

Hemdean Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7RA

Headteacher:

Mrs Ruth Perry

Telephone:

0118 937 5454

www.cavershamprimary.org

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.40am – 3.10pm

DfE NO:

2003

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

LIST OF INFANT, JUNIOR AND PRIMARY

SCHOOLS IN THE READING BOROUGH

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Christ the King Catholic Primary School (with special unit for autism)

Lulworth Road, Reading, RG2 8LX

Headteacher:

Mrs Nikki McVeigh

Telephone:

0118 937 5434

https://www.christthekingreading.co.uk/

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.20pm

DfE NO:

3305

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Churchend Primary Academy

Usk Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4HP

Headteacher:

Mr Howard Seymour

Telephone:

0118 937 5450

www.churchendacademy.com

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2031

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Civitas Academy

90a Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HL

Executive

Head:

Mrs Sal Ducker

Telephone:

0118 467 6720

www.civitasacademy.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2015

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Coley Primary School

Wolseley Street, Reading, RG1 6AZ

Headteacher:

Mrs Sarah Pengelly

Telephone:

0118 937 5461

www.coleyprimary.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2005

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Nursery:

Yes

Emmer Green Primary School

Grove Road, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8LN

Headteacher:

Mrs Tonia Crossman

Telephone:

0118 937 5464

www.emmergreenprimary.com

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2026

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School

Dee Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4BE

Headteacher:

Mrs Catherine Doberska

Telephone:

0118 937 5466

www.englishmartyrs.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

3304

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

E P Collier Primary School (with special unit for speech and language)

Ross Road, Reading, RG1 8DZ

Headteacher:

Mrs Justine McMinn

Telephone:

0118 937 5470

www.epcollier.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.30am – 3.00pm

DfE NO:

2006

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Geoffrey Field Infant School

Exbourne Road, Reading, RG2 8RH

Headteacher:

Miss Zoe Dean

Telephone:

0118 937 5473

www.geoffreyfieldinfant.co.uk

Age range:

4-7

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.05pm

DfE NO:

2008

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Green Park Village Primary Academy

2 Flagstaff Road, Green Park, Reading, RG2 6AX

Headteacher:

Miss Gemma Jackson

Telephone:

0118 467 6222

www.greenparkvillageacademy.org

Age range:

From September 2023,

reception to Year 2

(4-7 years) age only

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2039

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

yes

Nursery:

Katesgrove Primary School

Dorothy Street, Reading, RG1 2NL

Executive

Head:

Mrs Lisa Telling

Telephone:

0118 937 5490

www.katesgroveprimaryschool.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.55am – 3.20pm

DfE NO:

2226

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Manor Primary School

110 Ashampstead Road, Reading, RG30 3LJ

Headteacher:

Mrs Fiona Swain

Telephone:

0118 937 5494

www.manorprimary.net

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2253

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Meadow Park Academy

Norcot Road, Reading, RG30 6BS

Headteacher:

Ms Stieve Butler

Telephone:

0118 937 5562

www.meadowpark.anthemtrust.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.40am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2004

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

yes

Nursery:

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Micklands Primary School

Micklands Road, Reading, RG4 6LU

Headteacher:

Mr Mark Frost

Telephone:

0118 937 5500

www.micklands.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.30am – 3.20pm

DfE NO:

2234

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Moorlands Primary School

Church End Lane, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4UN

Executive

Head:

Mrs Nicola Browne

Telephone:

0118 937 5505

www.moorlandsps.org.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.55am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2034

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

New Christ Church, Church of England Primary School

Milman Road, Reading, RG2 0AY

Headteacher:

Mrs Alison Crooks / Mrs Joss

Kitching

Telephone:

0118 937 5437

www.newchristchurch.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45New Chram – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2254

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

New Town Primary School

School Terrace, Reading, RG1 3LS

Acting

Headteacher:

Ms Kate Hawkins

Telephone:

0118 937 5509

www.newtown.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2028

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Nursery:

Yes

Oxford Road Community School

146 Oxford Road, Reading, RG1 7PJ

Headteacher:

Mrs Claire Hurst

Telephone:

0118 937 5511

https://oxfordroad.reading.sch.uk/

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.00pm

DfE NO:

2016

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Park Lane Primary School

School Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 5BD

Headteacher:

Mrs Nicola Browne

Telephone:

0118 937 5518 (infant)

0118 937 5515 (junior)

www.parklaneps.org.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.55am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2022

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Ranikhet Academy

Spey Road, Reading, RG30 4ED

Headteacher:

Miss Louisa Sanghera

Telephone:

0118 937 5520

www.ranikhetacademy.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2025

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Nursery:

Yes

Redlands Primary School

Lydford Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG1 5QH

Headteacher:

Telephone:

0118 937 5527

www.redlandsschool.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2018

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Nursery:

Yes

Southcote Primary School

Silchester Road, Reading, RG30 3EJ

Headteacher:

Mrs Lisa Telling

Telephone:

0118 937 5533

www.southcoteprimary.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.10pm

DfE NO:

2027

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School

Washington Road, Reading, RG4 5AA

Headteacher:

Mrs Sarah Bernto

Telephone:

0118 937 5466

www.st-annes.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.40am – 3.25pm

DfE NO:

3302

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

St John’s Church of England Primary School

121-147 Orts Road, Reading, RG1 3JN

Headteacher:

Ms Martina Parsons

Telephone:

0118 937 5540

www.stjohns.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.10pm

DfE NO:

3300

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

St Martin’s Catholic Primary School

Pendennis Avenue, Caversham Park Village,

Reading, RG4 5AA

Headteacher:

Mrs Katherine Tilling

Telephone:

0118 937 5544

www.stmartinscaversham.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.40am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

3360

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

St Mary & All Saints Church of England Primary School

Wensley Road, Reading, RG1 6DU

Headteacher:

Mr Matt Parting

Telephone:

0118 937 5545

www.stmaryandallsaints.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.40am – 3.05pm

DfE NO:

2035

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

St Michaels Primary School

Dee Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4AS

Headteacher:

Mrs Kate Parietti

Telephone:

0118 901 5550

www.stmichaels.reading.sch.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.05pm

DfE NO:

2029

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Thameside Primary School

Harley Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8DB

Headteacher:

Mrs Sophie Greenaway

Telephone:

0118 937 5551

www.thamesideprimary.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2036

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

The Heights Primary School

Upper Woodcote Road, Caversham, Reading,

RG4 7LB

Headteacher:

Mrs Karen Edwards

Telephone:

0118 357 0123

https://www.theheightsprimary.co.uk/

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2017

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

The Hill Primary School

Peppard Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8TU

Headteacher:

Dr Natasha Crellin

Telephone:

0118 937 5560

www.thehillprimary.org.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2019

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

The Palmer Primary Academy

70 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 7PP

Head of

school:

Miss Libby Thomassen

Telephone:

0118 937 5481

www.thepalmeracademy.com

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2012

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

The Ridgeway Primary School

Hillbrow, Reading, RG2 8JD

Headteacher:

Mrs Nora Edgar

Telephone:

0118 937 5530

www.theridgewayprimary.net

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2020

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School

Brixham Road, Reading, RG2 7RB

Headteacher:

Mr Nathan Butler-Broad

Telephone:

0118 937 5566

www.whitleyparkprimaryschool.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.45am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

3361

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Wilson Primary School

Wilson Road, Reading, RG30 2RW

Headteacher:

Mrs Claire Hurst

Telephone:

0118 937 5573

www.wilsonprimary.co.uk

Age range:

4-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.50am – 3.15pm

DfE NO:

2024

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Yes

Nursery:

Yes

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

JUNIOR SCHOOLS

All Saints Junior School

August House, Brownlow Road, Reading, RG1

6NP

Headteacher:

Mrs Susannah Daniel

Telephone:

0118 939 3362

www.allsaintsjuniorschoolreading.co.uk

Age range:

7-11

Admission number:

School day:

9.00am – 3.00pm

DfE NO:

2002

Breakfast club:

After school club:

Nursery:

Geoffrey Field Junior School

Exbourne Road, Reading, RG2 8RH

Headteacher:

Miss Shelley Hancock

Telephone:

0118 937 5475

www.geoffreyfieldjuniorschool.co.uk

Age range:

7-11

Admission number:

School day:

8.40am – 3.00pm

DfE NO:

2007

Breakfast club:

Yes

After school club:

Nursery:

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

The following maps show the catchment area for the community primary / infant schools in Reading and

include any schools who consider ‘catchment’ within their oversubscription criteria.

Central and East Reading Primary Schools

SCHOOL MAPS

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North Reading Primary Schools

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South Reading Primary Schools

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West Reading Primary Schools

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Academies

This map shows academies in Reading in relation to the borough wards.

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VA Schools

This map shoes VA schools in Reading in relation to the borough wards.

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Community Infant and Primary

Schools

Alfred Sutton Primary School

Caversham Park Primary School

Caversham Primary School

Coley Primary School

Emmer Green Primary School

E P Collier Primary School

Geoffrey Field Infant School

Katesgrove Primary School

Manor Primary School

Micklands Primary School

Moorlands Primary School

Oxford Road Primary School

Park Lane Primary School

Redlands Primary School

Southcote Primary School

St Michaels Primary School

Thameside Primary School

The Hill Primary School

The Ridgeway Primary School

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery

School

Wilson Primary School

Oversubscription criteria

The oversubscription criteria take no account of the order of preference indicated by the parent/carer. The

application for each community school named by the parent/carer will be considered and ranked according

to the criteria below.

Admissions policies on school’s website or in their prospectus may not reflect the current admission policy.

Reading Borough Council is the admission authority for all community primary/infant schools and Reading

Borough Council policy will be used to allocate school places, which is managed by Brighter Futures for

Children.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

ADMISSIONS POLICIES

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming a preferred community primary or infant

school will be allocated a place above all other children.

The oversubscription criteria take no account of the parents/carers order of preference. Applications for

each school named by the parents/carers will be ranked according to the criteria set out below if there are

more applications than places available.

Category

Notes

A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously

looked after but immediately after being looked after

became subject to an adoption, child arrangements,

or special guardianship order including those who

appear [to the admission authority] to have been in

state care outside of England and ceased to be in state

care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child

is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or

(b) being provided with accommodation by a local

authority in the exercise of their social services

functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the

Children Act 1989).

Provided appropriate evidence is

submitted - see note 1

Families who have strong medical or social grounds

for their child’s admission to a particular school.

See note 2

Children whose permanent home address is in the

catchment area of the school and have a sibling at the

school at the time of application who is expected to

be attending the school when the child is due to start

school.

This category may apply in other

circumstances - see notes 3 and 4

Children whose permanent home address is in the

catchment area of the school.

Children whose permanent home address is not in the

catchment area of the school but have a sibling at the

school at the time of application who is expected to

be attending the school when the child is due to start

school.

See note 4

Children in receipt of Early Years Pupil Premium

(EYPP) at the time application who attends the

nursery unit at the school.

Other children.

Priority within the oversubscription criteria

Within each of the above categories 1-5 and 7, priority will be given to children who are in receipt of the

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), Service Premium or Pupil Premium (PP) at the time of application. To be

considered for this priority, parents/carers must tick the relevant box on their child’s application and, by

doing so, permit the Reading School Admissions Team to verify the conditions have been met for the

priority to be applied.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Notes relating to the above oversubscription criteria

Note 1 – Category 1 – Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children

A ‘Looked After’ child is a) in the care of a local authority, or b) being provided with accommodation by a

local authority in the exercise of their social services functions as defined in Section 22(1) of the Children

Act 1989 at the time of making an application for a school place.

A previously ‘Looked After’ child is a child who was looked after but has been adopted or became subject

to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order immediately following having been ‘Looked

After’. Confirmation will be required from the local authority that last looked after the child that the child

was looked after immediately prior to the issuing of one of the following orders:

An adoption order is an order under the Adoption Act 1976 (see Section 12 adoption orders) and children

who were adopted under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (see Section 46 adoption orders). A ‘child

arrangements order’ is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the

child is to live under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 as amended by Section 14 of the Children and

Families Act 2014. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order

appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).

Children who were previously in state care outside England

A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were

accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or

main purpose is to benefit society.

The care may have been provided in an orphanage or other setting, but the child may have been adopted

and is no longer in state care. Evidence of the previously looked after status and/or the adoption will be

requested. Where such evidence is not available, the admissions authority will work closely with BFfC

Virtual School for Children Looked After to make a pragmatic decision based on the information available

so that there is a local consistent approach.

Note 2 – Category 2 - Medical / Social Reasons

When submitting an application under criterion 2, families who have strong medical or social grounds for

their child’s admission to a particular school must provide written evidence. This may come from an

independent professional aware of the case relating to the child, parent/carer or other children living at

the same address (e.g. doctor, hospital consultant or psychologist for medical grounds or registered social

or care worker, housing officer, the police or probation officer for social needs). This evidence must: be

specific to the school in question; show why that school is the most suitable; what facilities will benefit the

child, and why no other school can offer the same support. It is not enough for the professional to report

what the parent/carer has told them.

If failure in awarding this priority would result in no appropriate school being allocated, the panel, after

taking into account the evidence submitted, the parental preference and the catchment school, will allow

categorisation of medical/social grounds to the most appropriate school. This applies to those children

whose social/medical needs can be met by one than one school but not many schools. For example, when

reasons are due to mobility issues and a number of schools are equal distance and failure to award this

would result in no appropriate school being allocated.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

In addition, this category includes children who are subject to a child arrangement order or special

guardianship order awarded to a family member in order to prevent the child being taken into care by a

local authority. A copy of the order must be provided.

No individual officer will take responsibility for determining whether a case is ranked in the category. A

panel of officers in the form of the School Admissions Panel will make the final decision. Evidence must be

provided by 1 February 2023 to be considered as on time for National Offer Day. If evidence is received by

the team after this date, then it is at the discretion of the panel whether to accept these documents for “on

time” allocations. The admissions team will not prompt parents to send evidence to support admission

under this category, but they may ask for further evidence if this is required to make a decision. If evidence

is received before the 1 February 2023 parents will be informed, in writing, before National Offer Day as to

whether this has been granted. This is not a guarantee of a place at a particular school.

Note 3 – Category 3 – Siblings

Children whose home address is in the former catchment area of a school and have a sibling at the school

and that sibling was admitted to the school from the same address will be treated as category 3 of the

oversubscription.

Note 4 – Category 3 – Siblings

If parents/carers applied for a place at their catchment area school for their child and it was not possible to

offer a place at that school because the school was oversubscribed, a sibling protection applies. Where the

child was admitted to a lower preference Reading community primary school or allocated a place by the

authority at an alternative Reading community primary school, the application for any younger siblings for

that school will be treated as “catchment area” and considered under category 4. Where a parent does not

list all schools in the catchment area for the home address at the time of application and a place would

have been offered at a catchment area school had it been listed, they forfeit the right to sibling protection.

Parents/carers must inform the admissions team at the time of application if they consider this exemption

applies.

Where a space is allocated as part of an in-year admission at a school listed second preference or lower, or

if a school closer to the child’s home address was available to parents and was refused, parents forfeit the

right to this sibling protection for future admissions. Parents will be informed at the time of allocation if

this right has been forfeited.

Tiebreaker

If a school does not have enough places for all children in a particular category, places will be allocated to

those living nearest the school. The distance is measured in miles as a straight line between the Ordnance

Survey data point for the child’s home address and the school using Reading Borough Council digital

mapping software. This distance is measured to three decimal places. In the rare event that it is not

possible to decide between the applications of those pupils who have the same distance measurement, the

place will be offered using random allocation. A member of Committee Services staff for Reading Borough

Council will supervise the selection process.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Multiple births

Places are offered according to the oversubscription criteria. In the event that this would result in splitting

multiple birth families, in the majority of cases the other child/children will be offered a place. In very

exceptional circumstances, where the admission of more than one additional child to the year group causes

prejudice to the provision of efficient education and efficient use of resources it may not be possible to

offer a place to all multiple birth children.

In the event that siblings with a different date of birth, but in the same year group, are split by the

oversubscription criteria, only one child will be offered a place. This applies to children during Key Stage 1,

up to and including Year 2, if admission would take a class over 30. Selection will be made randomly by a

representative of Reading Borough Council’s Committee Services.

It is open to the parents to decline this offer and seek places for all their children at another school or

suggest the place is given to one of the other siblings. The other sibling(s) name(s) will put on the waiting

list. If the admission is in Key Stage 2 or admission of the other siblings will not contravene infant class size

regulations, then each case will be considered and, in most cases, the other child/ children will be offered a

place (on the condition that the admission will not prejudice the provision of efficient education and

efficient use of resources).

A full copy of this policy can be obtained from https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/for-parents-

carers/schools/admissions/

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School

Page

Battle Primary Academy

Churchend Primary Academy

Civitas Academy

Green Park Village Primary

Academy

Meadow Park Academy

New Christ Church CE Primary

New Town Primary School

Ranikhet Academy

St Johns CE Primary

St Mary & All Saints CE Primary

School

The Heights Primary School

The Palmer Primary Academy

ACADEMIES ADMISSIONS

POLICIES

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

BATTLE PRIMARY ACADEMY

Battle Primary Academy is a welcoming, caring school, where adults are committed to the education of our

pupils. Our children are happy and positive about their school and talk with enthusiasm for their learning.

Our staff are dedicated to providing high standards of education for all; where pupils are well prepared for

the next stage of their education careers and are responsible contributors to society. The school was

graded as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in May 2019.

Oversubscription criteria

All children whose statement of special educational needs (SEN) or education, health and care (EHC) plan

names the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated. If the school is not

oversubscribed, all applicants will be offered a place.

In the event that the school receives more applications than the number of places it has available, places

will be given to those children who meet any of the criteria set out below, in order until all places are filled.

Category

Looked after children – that is, children who are in the care of a local authority or

provided with accommodation by that authority in accordance with section 22 of

the Children’s Act 1989 and children who were looked after but ceased to be so

because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order) immediately

after they had been looked after. Appropriate evidence should be

submitted to confirm previously looked after children. This would be confirmation

by the local authority that last looked after the child confirming that the child was

looked after immediately prior to the issuing of one of the following orders: a)

adoption order, b) residence order, c) special guardianship order.

Priority will next be given to children on the basis of exceptional social or medical

need that can only be provided by Battle Primary Academy rather than any other

school. The school requires supporting evidence if you are making an application on

the basis of social or medical need.

Priority will next be given to children of staff at the school, in either of the following

circumstances:

a) The member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at

the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, or

b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a

demonstrable skill shortage

Priority will next be given to children who attend our school nursery

Priority will next be given to children with siblings at the school. Siblings include

stepsiblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings and other children living permanently

at the same address. Priority will not be given to children with siblings who are

former pupils of the school.

Other Children

Tiebreaker

In the case of two or more applications that cannot be separated by the oversubscription criteria outlined

above, the school will use the distance between the school and a child’s home as a tiebreaker to decide

between applicants. Priority will be given to children who live closest to the school.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the school’s front gates on

Cranbury Road. A child’s home address will be considered to be where he/she is resident for the majority

of nights in a normal school week.

Where the distance between two children’s homes and the school is the same, random allocation will be

used to decide between them. This process will be independently verified.

A full copy of their policy can be obtained from their website.

CHURCHEND PRIMARY ACADEMY

At Churchend we are committed to ensuring that all our children will succeed at school and do well.

Through a broad range of lessons and extracurricular activities we expect to support children in discovering

their particular strengths and passions. Whether that be maths, science, music, sport or a wealth of other

activities they will be involved in, we intend to help children develop interests and skills that will remain

with them throughout their lives.

Oversubscription criteria

The governing body will use the following oversubscription criteria to determine admissions. The criteria

are fully compliant with the School Admissions Code.

Children with a statement of special educational needs / Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that

names the school will be allocated a place above all other applicants.

Category

Note

Looked after children in the care of a local authority or children who

were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted or be

(to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order) immediately

after they had been looked after. Provided appropriate evidence is

submitted. Including those who appear [to the admission authority] to

have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care

as a result of being adopted

See note below

Children who have strong medical or social grounds for admission.

See medical or

social grounds

below

Children of staff at the school where either or both of the following

circumstances apply:

a) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two

years or more at the time at which the application for admission to the

school is made, and/or

b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which

there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

Children who have sibling(s) who will still be attending the school in

September 2023

Children whose permanent home address is in the designated area of the

school

Other children.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Tiebreaker

If a school does not have enough places for all applicants in a particular category, places will be allocated to

those living nearest the school. Distance is measured as a straight line between the Ordnance Survey data

point for the home address and the school using Reading Borough Council digital mapping. In the rare

event that two or more children live at the same distance (measured as stated above) from school

(including for example, flats within the same building) and there are fewer places available, random

allocation will be used to decide which child will be allocated the remaining place(s). A member of staff

from Committee Services Team for Reading Borough Council will supervise the selection process.

Multiple births

Our policy for school admissions is that places are offered according to the oversubscription criteria. In the

event that it would result in splitting a multiple birth family one of the following rules will apply:

Where this occurs each case will be considered and in the majority of cases the other child/children will be

offered a place provided the admission will not prejudice the provision of efficient education and efficient

use of resources e.g. if the application of this resulted in a class of 36 children with one teacher in a small

classroom this could have serious implications to the school.

In the event that sibling with a different date of birth but in the same year group are split by the

oversubscription the following will apply. During Key Stage 1 when admission would take a class over 30

(up to and including Year 2) – one child will be offered a place, selected by random selection which will be

made in the presence of a representative of Reading Borough Council’s Committee services. (It is, open to

the parents to decline this offer and seek places for all their children at another school or suggest the place

is given to one of the other siblings). – the other sibling(s) names(s) will put on the waiting list and will be

offered the next available place(s). If admission of the other siblings will not contravene infant class size

regulations, then each case will be considered and, in most cases, the other child/children will be offered a

place provided the admission will not prejudice the provision of efficient education and efficient use of

resources

Definitions

Medical/Social Reasons

Children with a chronic medical condition or strong social grounds in the family will be considered in this

category provided a written request from a professional person (i.e. social worker, doctor) supporting the

child or family is submitted. The request must state that the named school is the only school for the child

because of the medical or social reasons and that no other school can meets their needs. It is not enough

for the professional to report what the parent/carer told them. Children with identified special educational

needs will not be considered in this category as they will be assessed by the regulations in the Special

Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001. No individual officer will take responsibility for determining

whether a case is ranked category. A panel of three officers will make the final decision.

Siblings

Siblings are children who have either the same mother or father, or they are children who live together in a

family unit and with their parent/carer(s). Siblings must live at the same permanent home address as each

other. If they do not live at the same address, then they are not treated as siblings

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Note

A ‘Looked After’ child is a child who a) in the care of a local authority, or b) being provided with

accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions as defined in Section

22(1) of the Children Act 1989 at the time of making an application for a school place.

A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were

accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or

main purpose is to benefit society. A previously ‘Looked After’ child is a child who was looked after but has

been adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order immediately

following having been ‘Looked After’. Confirmation by the local authority that last looked after the child

that the child was looked after immediately prior to the issuing of one of the following orders:

An adoption order is an order under the Adoption Act 1976 (see Section 12 adoption orders) and children

who were adopted under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (see Section 46 adoption orders). A ‘child

arrangements order’ is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the

child is to live under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 as amended by Section 14 of the Children and

Families Act 2014. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order

appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).

These are children adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (Section 12) and children adopted under the

Adoption and Children’s Act 2002 (Section 46). The Children and Families Act 2014 amended the Children

Act 1989 and replaces residence orders with child arrangement orders.

Confirmation from the local authority that the child is in care or was in care from the local authority that

last looked after the child must be submitted with the application.

A full copy of their policy can be obtained from their website.

CIVITAS ACADEMY

Civitas Academy is a primary academy in Reading and is part of REAch2 Academy Trust.

Civitas Academy is a forward-thinking school located in state-of-the-art facilities in central Reading. The

school opened in September 2015 and was rated as good in all areas in its first OFSTED inspection in

September 2018. We are part of the Reach2 Reading Cluster, which also includes the Green Park Village,

Ranikhet and The Palmer Academies The school motto is ‘Hand in hand we learn’ and we are fully

committed to working in partnership with families and our community to provide exceptional

opportunities for learning. Our exciting and engaging curriculum is further enhanced through our

programme of educational visits and extra-curricular clubs. Being part of Reach2 Academy Trust means

that each child will have the opportunity to participate in the 11b411 promises. These promises have been

designed to give the children 11 unique experiences before they leave primary school at 11 years old. We

welcome visits and tours to the school, please contact the school office to make an appointment.

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Oversubscription criteria

When the school is oversubscribed (that is, there are more applications than places available), after the

admission of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan that names the school, priority for admission

will be given to those children based on the criteria set out below, in the order shown:

Category

Note

Looked after children, previously looked after

children, as set out in definition 1

and previously looked after children outside of

England, as set out in definition 2

As set out in definition 1

As set out in definition 2

Children with siblings in the school

As set out in definition 3

Children of school staff fulfilling a skills shortage

role

As set out in definition 4

All other children.

As set out in definition 5

Definitions relating to the criteria

1) A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked

after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including

those who appear [to the admission authority] to have been in state care outside of England and

ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in

the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the

exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act

1989).

2) ‘Previously looked after children outside of England’ who were in state care outside England and

ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted will be allocated cases under this category.

Children will be regarded as having been in state care outside England if they were accommodated

by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is

to benefit society.

3) ‘Siblings’ - For applications made in the normal admission round a relevant sibling is a child who

has a brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, stepbrother or stepsister, foster brother or sister,

or the child of a parent’s co-habiting partner; living in the same family unit in the same family

household and address who attends the school in any year group excluding the final year.

Biological and adopted siblings who attend the preferred school in any year group excluding the

final year will also be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. Children residing in the

same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings. For

mid-year applications a sibling is a child who has a brother, sister, adopted brother or sister or

stepbrother or stepsister living in the same family unit in the same family household and address as

a child who attends or has been offered a place at the preferred school at the time of application

and determination and with a reasonable expectation that the sibling will be attending at the time

of admission.

4) This option is only available for all staff with a permanent contract to work at the school (and not

employees in REAch2 cluster or central teams); it will be subject to confirmation by an independent

REAch2 non-executive that, on the evidence available, the member of staff is recruited to fill a post

where there is a demonstrable skills shortage Staff must contact the school Headteacher when

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

applying for a place under this criterion. The Headteacher will provide a letter to the admission

authority and local authority School Admissions Team confirming the staff members full time

employment.

5) ‘All other children’ refers to all applicants who do not fall into any of the categories above.

Tiebreaker

Where the number of applications exceeds the number of places available within any of the categories

above, the order in which places will be allocated will be determined by reference to the distance between

the child's home address (as defined by this policy) and the school, with those living nearer receiving higher

priority. Where it is not possible to separate two or more applications because the children concerned live

an equal distance from the school, the order in which places are allocated will be determined by the

drawing of lots in front of an independent witness.

Multiple births

Where multiple birth siblings (twins and triplets etc.) from the same family are tied for the final place, we

will admit them all, as permitted by the infant class size rules and exceed our PAN.

A full copy of their policy can be obtained from their website.

GREEN PARK VILLAGE PRIMARY ACADEMY

Green Park Village Primary Academy is a brand-new school, which opened in September 2020 in state-of-

the-art facilities, situated in the heart of the new Green Park Village development. It is part of REAch2, the

largest primary multi-academy trust. We are part of the Reach2 Reading Cluster, which also includes the

Civitas, Ranikhet and The Palmer Academies. Our experienced, warm and caring team, offer a safe,

nurturing and creative learning environment, enabling us to ensure that our children are supported,

challenged, inspired and motivated through a broad and balanced range of learning experiences and

opportunities. We aim for our vision of ‘enabling excellence for exceptional futures’ to exude through our

bespoke and innovative Enquiry Curriculum. Children enjoy our wide range of free after school clubs. We

work with Go Beanies to offer wraparound care from 8.00-17.45.

We would love to show you our stunning school and we welcome tours with the Head Teacher, Gemma

Jackson. Please contact the school office by phone or email to arrange.

Oversubscription criteria

Category

Note

Looked after children, previously looked after

children, as set out in definition 1

and previously looked after children outside of

England, as set out in definition 2,

As set out in definition 1

As set out in definition 2

Children with siblings in the school

As set out in definition 3

Children of school staff fulfilling a skills shortage

role

As set out in definition 4

All other children

As set out in definition 5

Primary Admission Guide Sept 2023 - 2024 | Apply at www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/school-admissions

Definitions relating to the criteria

1) A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked

after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including

those who appear [to the admission authority] to have been in state care outside of England and

ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in

the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the

exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act

1989).

2) Children will be regarded as having been in state care outside England if they were accommodated