Admissions

Understanding Admissions and How Places Are Allocated

Applying for a school place can feel complex. This page explains the difference between Reception admissions and mid-year admissions, how places are allocated at Kelvedon St Mary’s CofE Primary Academy, and what options are available if a place cannot be offered.

Reception Admissions (children starting school for the first time in September)

Applications for Reception places are made through Essex County Council as part of the normal admissions round. Essex County Council coordinates the process for all schools, but places at Kelvedon St Mary’s are allocated strictly in accordance with the school’s published Admissions Policy.

Kelvedon St Mary’s has a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 60 for Reception in 2026/27 (2 classes of 30). This means the school can only admit up to 60 children in that year.

Where the number of applications exceeds 60, all applications are ranked in line with the published oversubscription criteria, applied in the following order:

1. Looked After Children (LAC) and Previously Looked After Children (PLAC)

2. Children with a sibling at the school

3. Children living in the priority admissions area (information below)

4. All other applications

Where there are more applications than places available within any category, priority is then determined by straight line distance from home to school, with those living closest given the highest priority.

What this means in practice:

• If your child is not offered a place at the school, this means that 60 children were ranked higher under the admissions criteria above

• The school must apply these criteria consistently and cannot offer places outside of the published arrangements

• All children whose Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) names the school will be admitted

It is also important to understand:

• Listing the school higher on your application does not increase priority

• Living in the priority admissions area does not guarantee a place

• Admission to the nursery is a separate process and does not give priority for a Reception place

How distance and home address are used

Distance is used as a tie-breaker within oversubscribed categories. Under the admissions policy, this is measured as straight line distance from the child’s home address to the school, with those living closest receiving higher priority.

The home address used is the child’s main place of residence at the time of application and determination, in line with the published policy. Proof of address is required before a child can start school, and additional checks may be carried out where necessary.

Mid-Year Admissions (applications during the school year)

Applications for places outside the normal Reception intake for any year group are made directly to Canonium Learning Trust.

The same admissions criteria apply. Where a place is available in a year group, it will normally be offered. Where a year group is full:

• applications are assessed against the oversubscription criteria

• children may be placed on a waiting list

• parents retain the right to appeal

The Trust aims to notify parents of the outcome of an in-year application within 15 school days. Where a place is offered and accepted, arrangements will be made for the child to start as soon as possible.

Parents should not remove their child from their current school until a new place has been formally offered and accepted.

Waiting lists

For Reception, the school maintains a waiting list until 31 December in the year of entry. For in-year applications, waiting lists may be held for relevant year groups.

Waiting lists operate strictly in line with the oversubscription criteria. This means:

• they are not first come, first served

• the list is re-ranked whenever a new application is received

• children can move up or down the list depending on how they meet the criteria

• If a place becomes available, it is offered to the child ranked highest at that time.

Why the school must follow this process

All schools must comply with the School Admissions Code and their determined admissions arrangements. This ensures that places are allocated in a way that is fair, clear, objective and transparent for all families.

The school cannot give priority based on factors outside the published criteria, such as preference for the school, attendance at nursery, or participation in school visits.

There are limited circumstances where a child may be admitted outside the normal allocation process, including where:

• the school is named in an EHCP

• an independent appeal is upheld

• admission is required under the Fair Access Protocol or other lawful exceptions

If you are not offered a place

If your child is not offered a place, you may:

• remain on or request to join the waiting list

• request further information about how the application was considered

• submit an appeal

It is often helpful to understand how your child’s application was ranked against the admissions criteria before deciding whether to appeal. The Trust office can provide this information on request, including the oversubscription category applied and, where relevant, the distance of the last child offered a place.

Appeals

If a place is refused, parents have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel.

An appeal is not a second application. The panel cannot simply offer a place because a parent prefers the school. You will be expected to present clear evidence explaining why you believe the decision should be overturned.

An appeal will need to demonstrate one or more of the following:

• The admissions arrangements were not lawful

• The school's admissions arrangements were not correctly applied in your child’s case

• The decision to refuse a place was not reasonable
  This means showing that, based on the available information, no reasonable admission authority would have made the same decision. This is a high threshold and will normally only apply where there has been a clear error or failure to follow the process.

• For Key Stage 2 class size appeals - the impact on your child of not being admitted outweighs the impact on the school of admitting an additional pupil
  This requires clear evidence of a strong and specific need for that school, balanced against the practical impact on the school of exceeding its planned capacity

Where places have been allocated correctly in line with the published admissions criteria, an appeal is unlikely to succeed simply because the school is full or because it is a preferred choice.

For Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, class sizes are legally limited to 30 pupils per teacher. Appeals in these year groups can therefore only succeed in very limited circumstances set out in the School Admission Appeals Code, and successful appeals are relatively uncommon.

If you are considering an appeal, it is advisable to review the admissions policy carefully and obtain the relevant information about your child’s application before submitting your case.