Introduction
1. In-year admissions are those, which occur outside of the normal admissions round. The normal admissions round refers to admissions, which admit children into infant, junior, primary or secondary school in the first year of entry. These applications for a primary and secondary school become in-year if they are submitted on or after the first day of the first school term of the admission year.
2. The scheme applies to ‘in year applications’ for a place from Reception to Year 11. Applications for Year 12 or 13 should be made directly to the appropriate school or college.
3. There is no requirement for local authorities to co-ordinate in-year applications in accordance with the School Admissions Code 2021 for schools for which they are not the admission authority.
4. They may however, co-ordinate in-year applications for any or all own admission authority schools in their area, with the agreement of the relevant admission authorities.
5. The admission of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan are covered by different admission regulations.
6. More information on applications within the normal admissions rounds can be found in the relevant coordinated admissions arrangements for primary, junior and secondary admissions.
Aims and expectations
7. The scheme aims to provide a framework for a fair and open way of determining in year applications for a school place.
8. This scheme is a coordinated scheme for in year applications and it is available to the admission authorities of all mainstream state funded primary, infant, junior and secondary schools in North Yorkshire.
In line with the School Admission Code 2021, should an admission authority wish to utilise this scheme and agree for the council to coordinate in year admission to their schools, they should:
- inform the authority by 1 August whether they intend to be part of the local authority’s in-year co-ordination scheme for the following year 1 September to 31 August
- provide the local authority with all the information that the local authority is required to publish on its website, including application forms if appropriate
- commit to the co-ordination, processes and timescales in relation to in year processes for the duration of the school year for which they have requested
- place information on their website by 31 August and throughout the whole school year advising interested parents/cares of the process of coordination by the authority
- not at any time during the school year admit pupils other than through the process of coordination by the council
9. The local authority will publish information on our website by 31 August to explain how in-year applications can be made and how they will be dealt with from 1 September onwards in that year.
10. On request the authority will provide information to prospective parents about the places still available in all schools within their area. To allow the authority to comply, in line with the Admissions Code 2021, admission authorities for all schools in the area must provide our School Admissions team with details of the number of places available at their schools whenever this information is requested, to assist a parent seeking a school place. Details on available places should be provided no later than two school days following receipt of a request from the Authority.
11. Admission authorities must not, refuse parents the opportunity to make an application or be told that they can only be placed on a waiting list rather than make a formal application
12. The scheme aims to provide a framework for a fair and open way of determing in year applications for a school place.
In determining applications for school places, admission authorities must comply with parental preference unless the published oversubscription criteria or one of the statutory reasons for refusing admission applies.
With the exception of designated grammar schools, all maintained schools, and academies, including schools designated with a religious character, that have places available must offer a place to every child who has applied for one, without condition or the use of any oversubscription criteria, unless admitting the child would prejudice the efficient provision of education or use of resources (excluding the normal year of entry for instance, Reception, Year 3 and Year 7). For example, admission authorities must not refuse to admit a child solely because:
- they have applied later than other applicants;
- they are not of the faith of the school in the case of a school designated with a religious character;
- they have followed a different curriculum at their previous school; or
- information has not been received from their previous school.
13. Where an admission authority is dealing with multiple in-year admissions and does not have sufficient places for every child who has applied for one, they must allocate places based on the oversubscription criteria in their determined admission arrangements only.
Application and allocation process
14. Where a child is already attending a North Yorkshire school and they wish to transfer to another school, parents should, in the first instance discuss the transfer with the current school.
15. Applicants living in North Yorkshire who want to apply for a school place or those families who are moving into North Yorkshire may apply by completing an application form.
16. The form is for applicants to express a preference for places both in North Yorkshire schools and at schools maintained by other local authorities and academies in other local areas.
17. Only one application can be processed for a child at a given time. Where an application is received from more than one parent for the same child and the schools differ, the Authority will inform both applicants. In most circumstances, the application (s) will not be processed until agreement with both applicants is received or one applicant can prove that they have a legal right to have their preferences considered over the other.
18. Following submission the Authority may seek clarification on details in an application or further information in relation to the application including proof of address.
19. An application will be processed six school weeks in advance of when the place is required. Applications received more than a term in advance maybe put on hold or withdrawn, for example where there are outstanding applications for the current term or half term that require processing for example, an application made in April for Year 3 in the next school year will be dealt with after applications for Year 2 for the same cohort in the current year.
20. Parents can list up to five preferences and the application also allows parents to:
- provide reasons why they want a place at that school, this information is passed to the relevant admission authority,
- list the schools in order of preference
- provide any other details that maybe pertinent to the processing of their application for example start date, future address, siblings at their preferred school
21. Parents are advised to consider their catchment school for their home address as well as any implications of home to school transport when expressing preferences. Each home address falls in a catchment area designated by the Authority. This information is available on our school admissions page and upon request from the School Admissions Team.
22. Where a preference is expressed for a school in another local authority area, the application and relevant information will be forwarded to the relevant local authority.
23. Where a local authority in another area does not coordinate in year admissions the authority will accept an application from a resident of another local authority.
24. Families moving or returning to North Yorkshire from outside of England will have their application considered and an application will be processed up to six weeks in advance of the requested start date.
25. For families of service personnel with a confirmed posting, or crown servants returning from overseas, admission authorities must:
- Allocate a place in advance of the family arriving in the area (as long as one is available), provided the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares a relocation date. Admission authorities must not refuse to process an application and must not refuse a place solely because the family do not yet have an intended address, or do not yet live in the area.
- Use the address at which the child will live when applying their oversubscription criteria, as long as the parents provide some evidence of their intended address. Admissions authorities must use a Unit or quartering address as the child’s home address when considering the application against their oversubscription criteria, where a parent requests this.
26. Voluntary Aided schools or Academies including Free Schools may require parents to complete a supplementary information form when applying for a school place.
27. When the authority receives an in-year preference form from a parent requesting any North Yorkshire school, we will liaise with all schools listed as a preference, while still attempting to comply with the parent’s highest ranked preference of school.
28. A child’s eligibility for a place at a school will be determined by the preferred school’s admission arrangements and with reference to the Fair Access Protocol.
29. The governing bodies both primary and secondary Voluntary Aided, Foundation, Trust and Academies including Free Schools must apply their admission arrangements to determine a child’s eligibility for a place at the school.
30. Responses regarding the allocation of places or where an admission authority is not able to offer a school place should ideally be received within 5 days of a request by the authority and no later than nine days of a request. This applies to community and voluntary controlled schools in North Yorkshire and from the schools of admission authorities that have agreed for the authority to coordinate in year applications. This will allow the authority to notify parents of the outcome in line with the timescales in the School Admissions Code 2021.
31. The authority will aim to notify the parents of the outcome of their application in writing within
10 school days and no later than 15 school days.
32. The authority will advise of which preference can be offered and where any higher preferences cannot be met we will provide the reason for refusal and provide information about the right to an admission appeal
33. Where an admission authority manages its own in-year admissions, it must also notify the local authority of every application and its outcome as soon as reasonably practicable, but should aim to do so within two school days. This is to allow the local authority to keep up to date figures on the availability of places in the area and to ensure they are aware of any children who may not have a school place.
34. Parents who do not wish to accept a place at a school offered to them must notify the admission authority in writing within two weeks of the offer being made.
35. The date of admission to school is not set by the School Admissions Team as it is an agreement between the new school and parents.
36. It is normal for a child to start at the beginning of the term or half term, where a new school is within a reasonable distance. This allows for the new school to prepare adequately for their admission. Where a child moves into the area and the previous school is not with a reasonable distance the new schools will arrange a start date as soon as possible.
Admission of children outside their normal age group
37. Families may seek a place for their child outside of his/her normal age group under various circumstances such as:
- ill health,
- if the child is gifted and talented or
- when the child has experienced problems
- delayed entry for summer born children
38. Where a request is made, the admission authority will make a decision on the basis of the circumstances of the case and in the best interests of the child concerned, taking into account the views of the Headteacher and any supporting evidence provided by the parent. This will include taking account of the parent's views; information about the child's academic, social and emotional development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional; whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group; and whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely.
39. Whilst decisions on whether to allow admission to a year group other than their chronological year are made by individual admission authorities applicants are advised that it is unusual for an admission authority to agree to such a request
40. Where possible children should be educated in their normal age group, with the curriculum differentiated as appropriate. Changing year group is a big issue with implications for the rest of a child’s schooling and the exceptional circumstances on which it is decided have to be based on need and not want. In no instance should this be more than a single national curriculum year.
Appeals
41. Where a place is refused at a school applicants have a statutory right to an admission appeal. If a preference for a place at a school is refused the applicant will be informed of the reason for a place being refused and the right of an appeal
42. This right of appeal does not apply if a place is allocated but is not in a parent/carer’s preferred year group.
43. Parent/carers can only appeal once in an academic year unless, in exceptional circumstances, the admission authority has accepted a second application because of a significant and material change in circumstances.
44. Where there is more than one admission appeal for the same year group and same school, these appeals maybe heard as a ‘grouped appeal’ for the first stage of the appeal. A parents specific reasons for appealing, second stage, will still be heard individually.
45. Where a place is refused at a school outside of North Yorkshire, local appeal arrangements may differ from above. Applicants are advised to contact that local authority to discuss the arrangements.
The Fair Access Protocol
46. A child’s eligibility for a place at a school will be determined by the in year admission arrangements but also with reference to the Fair Access Protocol.
47. The School Admissions Code states that each local authority must have a Fair Access Protocol that is agreed by the majority of schools in the area. The Fair Access Protocol is to ensure that unplaced and vulnerable children and those who are having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible.
48. Eligibility for the Fair Access Protocol does not limit a parent’s right to make an in-year application to any school for their child. Admission authorities must process these applications in accordance with their usual in-year admission procedures and must not refuse to admit such children on the basis that they may be eligible to be placed via the Fair Access Protocol. Where an in year application is refused a parent will continue to have the right of appeal, even if the child has been offered a school place via the Fair Access Protocol.
49. There is no duty for local authorities or admission authorities to comply with parental preference when allocating places through the Fair Access Protocol, but parents’ views should be taken into account.
- Where a school is oversubscribed evidence that a family intend returning or moving to North Yorkshire, such as a copy of flight tickets or travel plans, will be requested.
- Where an application is made from another country, and the applicant is not able to provide the authority evidence of a return to the area before the requested start date then the oversubscription criteria for the admission authorities will be applied using the current home address.
- It is the responsibility of parents of foreign nationals to check that their children have a right under their UK entry conditions to study at a school before applying
- a. Allocate a place in advance of the family arriving in the area (as long as one is available), provided the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares a relocation date. Admission authorities must not refuse to process an application and must not refuse a place solely because the family do not yet have an intended address, or do not yet live in the area.
- b. Use the address at which the child will live when applying their oversubscription criteria, as long as the parents provide some evidence of their intended address. Admissions authorities must use a Unit or quartering address as the child’s home address when considering the application against their oversubscription criteria, where a parent requests this.
- ill health
- if the child is gifted and talented or
- when the child has experienced problems
- delayed entry for summer born children