St Richard’s Church of England Primary School
Inspiring belief in God an in one another.
Admissions Policy 2017-2018
St Richard’s is a Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School. The ethos and practice of the school
encompasses Christian values and our aim is to serve the local community in partnership with the
church.
The vision of St Richard’s CE Primary School is for a thriving and outstanding school where children and
adults have the opportunity to become the best they can be.
We encourage prospective parents to come and view our school. There is an open day in the second
half of the Autumn Term every year. Prospective parents are welcome to make an appointment to see
the school at any time.
Nursery Class
We will admit twenty six new entrants each year. All new children will be admitted to the Nursery Class,
in the academic year after the child’s 3rd birthday. If there are more applicants than places available,
the Governors will admit children according to the following over-subscription criteria and in the order of
priority below.
Attendance at our nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. ADMISSION TO THE PRIMARY
SCHOOL FROM THE NURSERY IS THEREFORE NOT AUTOMATIC AND CANNOT BE
GUARANTEED. Parents will need to reapply for a place in the Reception class.
Reception Class
As a one-form entry school we will admit thirty new entrants each year. All new children will be
admitted to the Reception Class, in the academic year after the child’s 4th birthday. If there are more
applicants than places available, the Governors will admit children according to the following oversubscription criteria and in the order of priority below.
Admissions Criteria
1. Looked after children (note 1). This includes children who were previously looked after, but cease to
be so because they have been adopted or become subject to a child arrangements order or special
guardianship order.
2. Children who have brothers and/or sisters already attending the school at the time of admission
(notes 2, 3 and 4).
3. Children who live within the Parish of St Richard of Chichester, Hanworth.
4. All other applicants with priority being given to those who live nearest to the school (note 3 and 4).
Notes:
1. Looked after children are children in the care of the local authority.
2. Brothers and/or sisters already attending the school refers to children who live at the same
permanent address and have the same parent‘s’/guardian‘s’ at the time the admissions policy is
implemented.
3. Distance from home to school is measured by computer software based on Ordnance Survey and
postal address data determined by Hounslow local Authority.
4. Priority will then be given to children living within the Priority Admission Area. Where there are more
Applications that meet this criterion than there are places in the school, priority will then be given to
those children who live nearest to the school, with the distance from home to school being
measured as set out in the note below.
Distances
The route from home to school has been measured using the shortest available route. The start point
(footprint of the property) is provided by ordnance survey from information compiled from the Roya Mail
or LA. The positioning of front doors, driveways and back gates are not relevant to the rout or the
measurement and not programmed to be used by the measuring system. The shortest available route is
established using an algorithm within the bespoke software used by the LA. This software is called
RouteFinder and is produced by Higher Mapping Solutions. This programme integrates with the LA’s
database. The end point of the route is the nearest of the school gates which is used for pupils to enter
the school grounds. The location of these gates has been set by the LA and consulted with each
individual school to ensure accurate placement of the gate and its availability for use.
The Local Authority cannot take a measurement from another measuring system into account. Other
measuring systems may give a different measurement.
Tie Break
In the event that two children live the same distance from the school, then a decision will be made using
random allocation.
Reception Year Deferred Entry
Applicants may defer entry to school until statutory school age i.e. the first day of term following the
child’s fifth birthday. Application is made in the usual way and then deferment is requested. The place
will then be held until the first day of the spring or summer term. Applicants may also request that their
child attend part-time until statutory school age is reached. Entry may not be deferred beyond statutory
school age or beyond the year of application. Applicants whose children have birthdays in the summer
term should be aware that, if they wish to defer, they will need to apply for a Year 1 place for the
following September and if the school is oversubscribed they are unlikely to obtain a place. Please see
further details in the notes section.
Application Process
The Hounslow Common Admission Form must be completed by Hounslow residents. Residents from
other boroughs need to complete their home local authority admission forms.
The responsibility for decisions on admission of individual children rests with the Governing Body. All
applications will be considered equally against the criteria. Admission forms may be completed at any
time up until the closing date. The final date for Hounslow residents to return their Primary Common
Application Form is in January each year. Please refer to your home local authority for exact closing
dates.
All unsuccessful applicants for the Reception class who have not already been offered a place at a school
which was a higher preference on their Primary Common Admission Form will automatically be placed on
the waiting list for that year group. The waiting list will be held by Hounslow until the October half term
following the September in which children were admitted to the Reception class. The school will also
keep a waiting list that will be regularly reviewed. Unsuccessful applicants also have the right to appeal,
please contact Hounslow for further advice.
The Governing Body reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place if there is evidence that the
application was fraudulent or deliberately misleading or where a parent has not responded to an offer by
the specified date.
Autistic Spectrum Unit (The Ocean Centre)
St Richard’s School has an Autistic Spectrum Unit (ASD) and all admissions are decided by Hounslow
SEND department and not the school.
In year admissions
From September 2017, applications for places in classes other than Reception should be made in the
same way as those made during the normal admissions round. Applications should be made directly to
your home local authority.
If a place is available in a particular class and there is no waiting list for that class, then the home local
authority will communicate the offer of a place directly to the family who has applied for it. If more
applications are received than there are places available, then applications will be ranked in accordance
with the Admissions Criteria set out in this policy. However, children who do not currently have a school
place or the offer of a school place will be given the highest priority after looked after children.
Notes
Deferring or delaying admission to reception
The School Admissions Code requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all
children in the September following their fourth birthday. However, a child is not required to start school
until they have reached compulsory school age following their fifth birthday.
A child reaches compulsory school age on the prescribed day following his/her 5th birthday (or on his/her
5th birthday if it falls on a prescribed day). Prescribed days are 31 December, 31 March and 31 August.
In recognition that some parents will feel their child is simply not ready to start school in the September
following their fourth birthday, there is flexibility in the admissions code. Parents can request that:
1. their child attends part-time until they reach compulsory school age
2. the date their child starts school is deferred until later in the same academic year – for a term or
two terms to start in the January or April in Reception
Parents should still apply for a school place as if for September entry in all cases and once offered the
parent/carer can then request to admit part time or defer. The school cannot hold open a place for the
whole year.
Admissions of children outside their normal age group
This is where:
1. the date their child starts school is deferred until the September following their 5th birthday – the
child would then start in year one
2. their child is admitted outside of their normal age group – holding them back from joining the
correct year group for their age and starting school in the reception a year later
It is usual practice for children to be educated in school year groups as determined by their date of birth,
however there is no statutory barrier to children being admitted outside their normal age group.
Parents/carers do not have a right to insist that their child is admitted to a particular age group but may
make a request for this to happen. The Governing Body will consider the request based on parent views
and in the best interest of the child. If the school agree that the child can be admitted outside the
normal age group the parents will be advised to submit an application the following year.
A request must be made in writing in the normal year of entry to the School outlining the reasons with
supporting documentation from a professional for consideration. Each case will be considered on its own
merits and the governing body will decide whether or not the individual child’s circumstances make this
appropriate on educational grounds.
Waiting List
The waiting list is managed by the Hounslow Admission Team and maintained in order of admissions
criteria, not according to when your application is received. Therefore your children’s position on the
waiting list can move down as well as up following the addition of any new applications that may have a
higher priority. If a vacancy occurs, it will be offered to the chid at the top of the waiting list, even if the
applicant has already accepted a place at another school.
The waiting list will be in operation until the 31st August 2017. If you wish your child’s name to remain
on the waiting list until 31 December 2017, you must return the appropriate slip which will be sent to
you by Hounslow Admission Team in August. If the School Admissions Team does not receive this
confirmation, your child’s name will be removed from the waiting list at the beginning of the autumn
term.
Looked After Children
With the arrangements looked after and previously looked after children will be considered to be:
·
Children who are registered as being in the care of the local authority or provided with
accommodation by a local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 (a) eg
fostered or living in a children’s home , at the time an application for a school is made; and
·
Children who have previously been in the care of a local authority or provided with
accommodation by a local authority or provided with accommodation by a local authority in accordance
with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 (a) and who have left that care through adoption a child
arrangements order (in accordance with Section 8 of the Children Act 2014) or special guardianship
order (in accordance with Section 14A of the Children Act 1989)
St Richard’s Church of England Primary School
Forge Lane
Hanworth
TW13 6UN
Tel: 020 8898 0848
Email: office@strichards.hounslow.sch.uk
Website: www.strichardsschool.org.uk