This applies if your child has exceptional social and/or medical needs that can only be met at one school.
It is important to note that this only applies to starting primary/junior and starting secondary school applications. The social medical priority group is non-statutory and not all schools offer this as a priority. Community or voluntary controlled schools do apply the priority.
For schools which are their own admission authorities, it is the parents' responsibility to check whether the schools' oversubscription policy includes a social medical category and what sort of documentary evidence is required.
If you feel that your highest preference school is the only school which can meet your child's needs, and that your child would encounter difficulties if they had to attend another school, you should complete the relevant section of the application form to request consideration under the exceptional social and medical criteria.
You will need to provide current supporting evidence from an appropriately qualified professional.
Evidence should be submitted to the school admissions team at schooladmissions@northyorks.gov.uk. It is your responsibility to make sure you have sent us all the required evidence by the deadline.
We can only consider your application based on the evidence you have submitted and we will not chase you for additional information.
What reasons and evidence qualify as exceptional?
Social reasons do not include domestic circumstances such as parental work commitments, childcare arrangements or separation from your child's friends.
Medical evidence must be current and demonstrate the exceptional nature of your child's conditions. A confirmation of diagnosis is insufficient on its own as all mainstream schools are able to cope with a wide range of medical needs encountered by children.
What if I live outside North Yorkshire?
You will need to apply via your home local authority. However, your exceptional social and medical evidence will need to be submitted to North Yorkshire by the deadline. Please contact school admissions for further information.
When is the deadline for submitting my evidence?
The closing dates for providing evidence of exceptional social or medical reasons are the same as the normal application closing dates. These are 31 October for starting secondary school applications and 15 January for starting primary or junior school applications.
Failure to provide this independent professional evidence by the closing date will mean your application will not be considered under criterion 2 - social medical reasons. Instead the normal oversubscription criteria will apply.
What happens next?
In respect of applications for places at community and voluntary controlled schools, the evidence you provide is reviewed and considered by a panel of qualified professionals. We also do this on behalf of academy schools that use our admissions criteria.
Following these meetings and prior to National Offer Day, you will be informed whether or not your child's school place will be considered under criterion 2 - social medical reasons.
You will have the right to an admission appeal at a later date if you are not offered a place at your preferred school.