Ashbury with Compton Beauchamp Church of England (Aided) Primary School Admissions 2021/2022 Policy Approved by: Full Governing Board Date: 3rd December 2019 Last Reviewed: November 2018 Next Review Due By: December 2020 ( Last Full Consultation 2014) Oxfordshire County Council Oxford Diocesan Board of Education OXFORD DIOCESAN BOARD OF EDUCATION OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ADMISSION POLICY FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2021/22 SCHOOL SIZE Ashbury School is a small rural primary school. The admissions number for the academic year 2021-2022 is 15 children with the same number of places allocated to other year groups. Whilst this is first and foremost a Church of England Aided Primary School, the Governors warmly welcome all children, including children of other faiths and no faith, to the school. Traditionally children have been drawn from the parishes of Ashbury and Compton Beauchamp, which include Knighton, Odstone, Idstone and Kingstone Winslow. The Christian ethos of the school, the facilities, the small teaching groups, the care of children with special needs and the high standards have attracted children from other areas. With the passing of recent legislation parents are free to opt for their choice of school if there is space available. In such cases it is the Head Teacher's and the Governors' wish that parents should inform their nearest school of their decision to send their child to Ashbury School. VOLUNTARY AIDED STATUS The law places responsibility for admission arrangements with the school Governors of Ashbury School. The Governors are required to consult with the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education and the Oxfordshire County Council where there are proposed material changes to the policy. STARTING SCHOOL All children must start school by the beginning of the term (beginning in January, April or September ie terms 1, 3 or 5 in a 6 term school year) after their fifth birthday. The process of application to attend Ashbury School is in line with other Oxfordshire County Council Maintained Schools Co-ordinated Admission Scheme. STATING A PREFERENCE FOR ASHBURY C.E. SCHOOL All applications will be treated in line with Oxfordshire County Council’s coordinated admissions scheme. All applications should be completed on the common application form of the LA in which the child lives. a) Parents (see note 1) of pre-school age children in the traditional school catchment area (Appendix 1), as well as any parent living in Oxfordshire, need to complete and return the Oxfordshire Common Application Preference Form (CAPF) found at the back of the admission and transfer booklet “Information for Parents Oxfordshire Primary Schools Admissions and Transfers” published by Oxfordshire County Council and sent to all known prospective parents. Parents living in another LA should complete the LA’s common application form and return it to that LA. It is important that forms are returned by 15th January 2021, the national deadline for receipt of applications, to ensure that preferences are known at the time allocations to schools are determined. Most children in the Foundation Stage at Ashbury School will attend full time. Parents will also be requested to complete the school’s “Pupil Profile” form on which general information is collected after a place has been allocated. Summer Born children Parents of a child whose fifth birthday falls between 1 September 2021 and 31 March 2022 may defer entry until their child reaches compulsory school age (the term beginning in January or April after his or her fifth birthday). The school will hold the deferred place for the child (provided it is taken up during the school year 2021-2022), although, in the majority of cases, we find that children benefit from starting at the beginning of the school year, rather than part way through it. For children whose fifth birthday falls between 1 April 2021 and 31 August 2021 (summer born children) who do not reach compulsory school age until September 2022, parents who do not wish them to start school in school year 2021- 22 but to be admitted to the Reception Year in September 2022, should proceed as follows: They should apply at the usual time for a place in September 2021 together with a written request that the child is admitted outside his or her normal age group to the Reception year in September 2021. NB parents would need to provide supporting reasons for seeking a place outside the normal age group and should discuss the position with the head teacher as early as possible. The school will consider the request carefully and if it is agreed this should be clear before the national offer day (16 April 2021), their application for the normal age group may be withdrawn before any place is offered. They should then reapply in the normal way (no later than 15 January 2022) for a Reception place in September 2022. If their request is refused, the parents must decide whether to wait for any other offer of a place in September 2022 (NB it will still be subject to the over-subscription criteria below) or to withdraw their application and apply in the second half of the of the summer term 2021 for a Year 1 place in September 2022. Parents should be aware that the Year 1 group may have no vacancies and it could be full with children transferring from the 2021-22 Reception Year group. Until the child reaches compulsory school age, s/he may attend part-time. If parents wish to exercise this right they should discuss detailed arrangements with the headteacher. Parents (see Note 1) wishing to apply for the Reception [Foundation] Year in September 2021 must complete the common application form provided by their home local authority (the home LA). The home LA is the LA in whose area the parents live at the time of the application. The form must be returned to that LA no later than 15 January 2021. Applications received after this date will normally only be considered after all those received on or before the cut-off date Offers and refusals of places will be posted by the home LA on 16 April 2021. b) In year applications from parents of children aged over 5, including Reception places, who have already begun education at another school should contact the school office (address above or telephone 01793 710259). In year applications should be made direct to the school on a form available from the school office. Applications for all year groups for the school year 2021 -2022 will be administered by the board of governors in accordance with the published admissions scheme. Parents should keep their child’s present Head Teacher informed of their intention to move their child to Ashbury School. Parents are also requested to complete the school’s “Pupil Profile” form on which general information is collected before the child is admitted and after a place has been allocated. The governors will adhere to the Oxfordshire Fair Access Protocol and children falling within its remit will be offered a place as soon as possible. c) Late Applications of children who would normally enter the reception class as foundation age children will be accepted and dealt with in accordance with the Co- ordinated Admissions Scheme if there is sufficient space. If there is no space, parents may opt to put their child on the waiting list. Please also see page 3 “Continued Interest Lists”. Only one application will be considered during a school year, unless there is a material change of circumstances. OVER SUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA Children with a Statement of Special Educational Need or an Education Health and Care Plan naming Ashbury School will always be offered places. If there is then greater demand for admission than there are places available, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below: 1. Looked-after children and children who were previously looked after, but ceased to be so because, immediately after being looked after, they became subject to an adoption, child arrangements or special guardianship order. (see note 2). 2. Families who have exceptional medical or social needs that make it essential that their child attends Ashbury School rather than any other. These needs must be fully supported by written evidence from the appropriate professional person involved with the family (see note 3). 3. Those children, with a normal home address (see note 5) in the catchment area i.e. the ecclesiastical parishes of Ashbury and Compton Beauchamp, who have a sibling (see note 4) on roll at the time of the application (or for whom an offer of a place at the school has been accepted) who is expected to still be in attendance at the time of entry to the school and those children resident in the villages of Upper Lambourn, Lambourn and the Lambourn area, who have a sibling (see note 4) on roll at the time of the application (and who was on the roll prior to the end of July 2019) who is expected to still be in attendance at the time of entry to the school. 4. Children with a normal home address (see note 5) in the catchment area i.e. the ecclesiastical parishes of Ashbury and Compton Beauchamp. A map of the catchment area is included with the policy. 5. Those children who have a sibling (see note 4) on roll at the time of the application (or for whom an offer of a place at the school has been accepted) who is expected to still be in attendance at the time of entry to the school and do not fall within Criterion 3. 6. All other children. If there are more applicants than places available for any one category, priority will be given within each category to those children whose normal home address (see note 5) is closest to the school using the nearest designated public route as defined on the Children Young People & Families Directorate System.