Admissions Arrangements 2026-2027
Admissions
Arrangements
Academy: Co-op Academy Penny Oaks
Approved by: Academy Governing Council
Approved date: December 2023
Effective Date: Sept 2026 - Aug 2027
Next Review Date: Autumn term 2027
Next Consultation Date: No later than 2028/29
Contents
Education, Health and Care Plan 3
Admission of Children Outside Their Normal Age Group 14
Introduction
Co-op Academy Penny Oaks (the academy) is part of The Co-op Academies Trust (the Trust). The Trust is the admissions authority for the Academy, and is therefore responsible for ensuring that these arrangements are compliant with the Admissions Code 2021.
This document aims to provide information on how to apply for a place at the academy, how places are allocated, and how to appeal against a decision not to offer your child a place.
This document is based on the following documents from the Department for Education:
→ School Admissions Code 2021
→ School Admission Appeals Code
As an academy, the school is required by its funding agreement to comply with these codes, and with the law relating to admissions as set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
Consultation
These arrangements were consulted on between 7th December 2021 and 31st January 2022. During this consultation, we asked for feedback from governors, parents, staff, the local authority, neighbouring local authorities and other key stakeholders.
In-line with the requirements set out in the Admissions Code, unless any changes are made in the interim, these arrangements will next be consulted on in December 2029.
Education, Health and Care Plan
All children whose Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) names the school must be admitted. These children will be admitted ahead of any oversubscription criteria being applied.
How to Apply for a Place
The next section of the document is separated into the following sections:
- Nursery admissions
- Reception admissions
- In-year admissions
Nursery Admissions
General Information
Our nursery has 24 part time equivalent places available each year for children who are 3-years old. Places are 15 hours part-time morning or 30 hours full time.
Applications to our nursery are processed by the school directly.
Attendance at school is not a requirement at this age but is at the discretion of parents.
To apply for a place in our nursery, please visit the school for a form. The completed form then needs to be returned back to us along with a copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport. Your child will then be placed on the Nursery waiting list.
We have three intakes per year – September, January and April. The child will be admitted into the intake after they have turned 3 years old.
Oversubscription
If we receive more applications than there are places available, places will be allocated according to the following criteria:
- Looked after children and children who were previously looked after, including those children who appear (to the admissions 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, at the time of making the application, is in the care of a local authority, or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions. A “previously looked after child” is a child who is no longer looked after, in England or Wales, because they immediately became the subject of an adoption, special guardianship order or child arrangements order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live. A ‘previously looked after child’ who has been in ‘state care’ outside England and Wales, accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other organisation where the sole or main purpose of which is to benefit society and legally adopted. Evidence will be required on a case by case basis.
- Children who have exceptional social or medical needs, supported by a written recommendation from the child’s paediatrician/consultant or professional from Children’s Services.
The letter must explain why the school is the only suitable school to meet the child’s needs and why no other school could provide the appropriate support for the child.
- Children who have a brother or sister, living at the same address and who will still be attending the school at the time of admission.
The term “brother and sister” refers to children who live with the same family at the same address. Children living with the same family e.g. foster children and step-sisters and brothers are also included. Cousins are not siblings.
- All other children.
Tie Breaker
Within each of these categories, children will be prioritised according to the distance between the child’s permanent home and our school, measured by a straight-line distance from the Ordnance
Survey address point of the home to the main entrance to the school building.
For example, in any priority, if multiple children meet the same priority but there are not enough places left for all of them, the places will be allocated based on distance from our school; if there are 4 places remaining at our school and 5 children all have siblings at the school, the 4 children living closest (by straight line distance) to the school will be allocated those places.
If two or more children live exactly the same distance from our school (i.e. in a block of flats) and there are not enough places for both, we will draw lots. This will be witnessed by an independent person.
Waiting List
As nursery education is not compulsory there is no right of appeal against the refusal of a place. However, every effort will be made to accommodate the wishes of parents.
If you are not successful in securing a place for your child, we will ask if you wish to be kept on our waiting list.
Reception Admissions
General Information
If your child is in our nursery, you must still apply for a place if you wish for your child to transfer to the reception class. A place in our nursery does not guarantee a place in our school as there is no priority for nursery attendance.
Our Published Admissions Number (PAN) is 30.
This means that we admit 30 children into reception each year.
In England, compulsory school age is 5 years old.
Admission to primary school is provided for all children in the September following their fourth birthday. Where a child is offered a place at a school, that child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday; the child’s parents can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made; and where the parents wish, children may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.
How to apply
Our academy is part of Bradford City Council coordinated admissions process, and as such, allocation of places for reception is completed by them according to the criteria set out below.
All parent/carers are required to apply to their home Local Authority (LA) regardless of where the academy they are applying for is situated.
For example, Bradford residents will apply to Bradford City Council, whilst Leeds residents will apply to Leeds City Council. The LA will liaise with other Admissions Authorities in Leeds and other LAs where required. The home local authority will inform parents/carers in writing of the outcome of their application on 16th April or the next working day.
Information on how to apply can be found here:
If you live in another area find your local council here
All children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names our academy will automatically be given a place before any other applications are considered.
Oversubscription
If we receive more applications than there are places available, places will be allocated according to the following criteria:
- Looked after children and children who were previously looked after, including those children who appear (to the admissions 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, at the time of making the application, is in the care of a local authority, or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions. A “previously looked after child” is a child who is no longer looked after, in England or Wales, because they immediately became the subject of an adoption, special guardianship order or child arrangements order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live. A ‘previously looked after child’ who has been in ‘state care’ outside England and Wales, accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other organisation where the sole or main purpose of which is to benefit society and legally adopted. Evidence will be required on a case by case basis.
- Children who have exceptional social or medical needs, supported by a written recommendation from the child’s paediatrician/consultant or professional from Children’s Services. The letter must explain why the school is the only suitable school to meet the child’s needs and why no other school could provide the appropriate support for the child.
- Children who have a brother or sister, living at the same address and who will still be attending the school at the time of admission.
The term “brother and sister” refers to children who live with the same family at the same address. Children living with the same family e.g. foster children and step-sisters and brothers are also included. Cousins are not siblings.
- All other children.
Note:
‘Home address’ refers to the child’s permanent home at the date of admission. Where the child lives with split parents who have shared responsibility, it is for the parents to determine which address to use when applying for a primary school. Proof of residency may be required at any time during or after the allocation process.
Tie Breaker
In the case of 2 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 tie breaker to decide between applicants. Priority will be given to children who live closest to the school.
Distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the school’s front gates on Upper Nidd Street. 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.
For example, in any priority, if multiple children meet the same priority but there are not enough places left for all of them, the places will be allocated based on distance from our school; if there are 4 places remaining at our school and 5 children all have siblings at the school (including step-siblings), the 4 children living closest to the school will be allocated those places.
If two or more children live exactly the same distance from our school (i.e. in a block of flats) and there are not enough places for both, we will use random selection. This will be witnessed by an independent person.
We will not use random selection for twins or other multiple birth siblings from the same family. Where they are tied for the final place we will admit them all, exceeding the Published Admissions Number for our school.
Waiting List
A waiting list for reception children is maintained by Bradford local authority as part of their co-ordinated admissions process. If your child is not offered a place in reception at our academy on offer day, you can ask Bradford LA to add your child’s name to the waiting list for our school. Your child’s name will remain on our waiting list until:
- You are offered a place at a higher preference school,
- You are offered a place at our academy,
- The end of reception year (July).
Prior to 1st September, if, whilst you are on the waiting list, a place becomes available at a higher preference school than the one you have been allocated to, you will automatically be allocated a place at the higher preference school and your original allocation will be withdrawn. If you have been allocated a place at our school, and have asked to be added to the waiting list for a higher preference school, if a place at your high preference school becomes available, your place at our school will automatically be withdrawn. After the 1st September, all applications will automatically be added to the ‘in-year’ waiting list, and any new applicants will continue to be added to this (for further information see the following section on In-Year Admissions).
You may re-apply for an in-year admission place in year 1 if you are not allocated a place during reception (please see the next section on In-Year Admissions). If no spaces are available at the time of application, you will be added to the in-year admissions waiting list for the appropriate year group.
Please note:
- You must request to be added to the waiting list after offer day.
- Your child’s place on our waiting list is decided by the oversubscription criteria listed above.
- Each time a child is added or removed, the waiting list is ranked again and your child can move down if another child meets higher criteria.