If you would like your child to attend our school, please see full details of our admission arrangements below.

Leven Valley CE School Admissions Policy 2025-26 

 Admissions Policy for 2025-26

Leven Valley Church of England Primary School caters for boys and girls aged between 4 and 11 years. The Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and aims to treat all applications with equal preference.

Mission Statement

‘Everyone on board’ for the learning adventure

Our aim: To provide an all embracing and inspiring education nurturing the whole child

Through our values: Enhanced by our strong values of self-belief, personal aspiration and consideration for all Through our specialness:

Taking advantage of the unique opportunities of our Christian character, community and environment

Our aspirations: To prepare and equip the individual child for their continued journey into the world

Admissions Timetable and Applications

There is one intake each year and children are normally admitted into the Reception Class in the September following their fourth birthday. Applications for admission must use the Common Application form issued by the Local Authority – SA1. The current deadline for applications is 15th January 2025. Children may be admitted into any year group at other times of year if transferring from other schools, using the LA’s in-year application form - SA8. School’s Published Admission Number is 9. There were 6 applications for the Reception Class in 2023-24, all of which were successful.

Over-subscription Criteria

Should the School receive more applications than there are places available, the applications will be prioritised using the over-subscription criteria and relevant notes set out below:

1. Children looked after, previously looked after and internationally adopted previously looked after. (See note 3.)

2. Children who have very strong social or medical grounds for admission to Leven Valley Primary School in particular, confirmed in writing by a social worker or doctor.

3. Children living in the catchment area served by the School who have a brother or sister in School at the time of their proposed admission, giving priority, if necessary, to those children with the youngest siblings. A map of the catchment area is available from the School. (See note 4.)

4. Children whose home address is in the catchment area, a map of which is available from the School.

5. Children living outside the catchment area who have a brother or sister in School at the time of their proposed admission, giving priority, if necessary, to those children with the youngest siblings. A map of the catchment area is available from the School. (See note 4.)

6. Children living outside the catchment area. If it is necessary to prioritise further within any of the above criteria, the home to School distance tiebreaker in note 5 will be used.

Note 1 If a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan naming Leven Valley C of E Primary School, the Governing Body is required by statute to admit the child regardless of the over-subscription criteria.

Note 2 Paragraph 2.18 of the School Admissions Code requires that, for primary school age children of families of UK service personnel with a confirmed posting to Leven Valley C of E Primary School’s catchment area or of Crown servants returning from overseas to live in this area, the Governing Body must allocate a School place in advance of their move, provided that the application is accompanied by an official letter declaring a relocation date and unit address or quartering address.

Note 3

A “looked after child” is one who is in the care of a local authority or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of its social service functions (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school.

A “previously looked after child” is one who used to be looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or becoming subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order immediately following having been looked after.

An “internationally adopted previously looked after child” is one who appears (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England and ceased to be so because of being adopted.

Note 4 Brothers and sisters are those living at the same address and include step, adopted and foster children.

Note 5 The distance is that measured from the centre of the child’s home address to the main entrance door of the School. The distance is determined by the shortest walking route by road. The Governing Body will use the Local Authority School Admissions Department’s measuring system to ensure consistency of measurement. The closest addresses will have priority.

Address of Pupil

The address on the application form must be the current address at the time of the application and where the child sleeps most of the time.

In School Year Admissions

Parents who wish their child to start attending School outside normal admission time should meet the Headteacher. Parents will be provided with the booklet/form SA8 to submit to the School.

In the event of there being no vacancy, any appeal will be dealt with as below.

Late Applications

Late applications for admissions should be made using form SA1 until 31st July 2025 and SA8 from 1st August 2025. Late applications will be dealt with in accordance with the Local Authority’s Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

Fraudulent Applications

If the Governing Body discovers that a child has been offered a place because of an intentionally misleading application, which effectively denies a place to a child with a stronger claim, the offer will be withdrawn. Parents have a right of appeal against this decision, organised as outlined below. The offer may be reconsidered if a vacancy arises.

Multiple Births

The Governing Body will ensure, as far as possible, that twins/triplets or those children born in the same school year are not separated. Such children will be given priority within any of the categories.

Infant Class Size

The Government has placed an upper limit of 30 pupils on any reception or key stage one class. The Governing Body is normally required to refuse a place to any child whose admittance would exceed this number. However, there can be limited exceptional circumstances. The admittance of such an “excepted child” could result from their sibling from a multiple birth having been admitted in the normal way. An excepted child might also include one with an Education, Health and Care Plan (see note 1 above), a looked after child (see note 3 above) or a child of a member of the UK Armed Services or repatriating Crown servant (see note 2 above) to be admitted outside the normal admission period.

Deferred Entry

Where a parent of a child who has not reached compulsory school age wishes to defer their child’s entry until later in the school year, their place will be held open. The place must be taken up when the child reaches compulsory school age and must also be taken up during the academic year, preferably by the start of the summer term. Part-time education can be requested until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age.

Admission of Children outside their normal Age Group

Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group, for example, if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health. In addition, the parents of a summer born child may choose not to send that child to School until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group – to reception rather than year 1 - and that they are able to remain with that cohort as they progress through School, including through to secondary school. Parents who wish their child to start attending School outside normal admission time should meet the Headteacher to discuss such an arrangement.

Waiting List

Where the School is oversubscribed in any year group and one or more children have not been admitted, the School will maintain a waiting list until 31st December in the academic year to which the application relates. Should a place become available, it will be allocated according to the oversubscription criteria, not length of time on the waiting list.

The Right of Appeal

Parents of children who are unsuccessful in gaining a place will be informed in writing on the date laid down by the Local Authority and will be told of their right to appeal. Where the Governing Body is unable to offer a place because the School is over-subscribed, parents have the right to appeal to an independent admission appeals panel, set up under the School Standards and Framework Act, 1998, as amended by the Education Act, 2002. They will have at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge a written appeal via the Clerk to the Governor Body. Parents will have the opportunity to submit their case in writing to the panel and to attend the hearing to present their case. Parents will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of the place, date and time of the hearing.

This policy is reviewed annually and has been subject to public consultation.

It has been approved by the Admissions Forum and the Carlisle Diocesan Board of Education.

Approved by the Governing Body on: 23 rd January 2024

Signed: A Allan

Chair of Governors

Leven Valley C of E Primary School