Parents wishing to send their child to Potton Primary School should register as early as possible and apply for a place in school through Central Bedfordshire School Admissions Team. The Headteacher is always pleased to show prospective parents around so please telephone to make an appointment if you wish to visit.

Admission number for each year group at Potton Primary School: 60

Application for places  must be submitted via the Local Authority in which the parents/carers reside and the Admissions procedures will be in line with the Central Bedfordshire Co-ordinated Scheme, which can be found here Co-ordinated Scheme Lower-Primary-and-Middle-2022-23.

The timescales for the application process are set out on the Central Bedfordshire School Admissions website www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/admissions . It is essential that the Local Authority’s Application Form is completed and returned by the closing date. If the form is not returned by this date your application will be considered in the late allocation. Parents will be notified by the Local Authority’s School Admissions Service of the outcome of their application.

To apply for a Reception Year place next year please visit: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/5/school_admissions/496/apply_for_a_new_lower_or_primary_school_place

In-year applications are for admissions during the academic school year, other than the normal year of entry (starting school, transfer to middle school, transfer to upper school). To apply for a place in any other year group, or during an academic year (in year) please visit: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/5/school_admissions/508/applying_for_a_school_place_during_the_academic_year/2

The school’s Governing Body is the admissions' authority for Potton Primary School.

The Governing Body will apply the following criteria (in the rank order shown) to decide the order in which places will be allocated when there are more requests from parents than the number of places available:

1. All ‘looked after’ children or children who were previously ‘looked after’

2. Children who appear to the Council to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted

3. Children  living in the catchment area with siblings at the school

4. Children living in the catchment area

5. Children living outside the catchment area with siblings at the school

6. Any other children

Notes:

• If applying these criteria results in there being more children with an equal right to admission to the school than the number of available places, the tie-break will be the distance the pupil lives from the school, measured in a straight line, using the Local Authority's computerised measuring system, those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. The distance will be measured from the address point of the pupil’s home to the front door of the relevant school. The Governing Body will not give priority within each criterion to children who meet other criteria
• The Local Authority will normally offer a place at the catchment area school if parents apply for a place at that school during the normal admissions round. However, a place at the catchment area school cannot be guaranteed. If a pupil moves into the catchment area outside the normal admissions round (or after the allocation process has begun) it may be more difficult to offer a place at the catchment school if this would mean exceeding the admission number at the school. In this case, a place will normally be offered at the next nearest school or academy which caters for pupils of the same age and has places available
• Pupils who have a Statement of Special Education Needs or Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) are required to be admitted to the school which is named on the statement, even if the school is full.
• Pupils identified for admission through the Fair Access Protocol will also be admitted even if the school is full.

DEFINITIONS

‘Looked after’ children

A ‘looked after’ child is a child in the care of a local authority as defined by Section 22 of the Children Act 1989. In relation to school admissions legislation a ‘looked after child’ is a child in public care at the time of application to a school.

Previously ‘looked after’ children

A previously ‘looked after’ child is a child who was ‘looked after’, but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a residence order or a special guardianship order. 

Children who appear to the Local Authority to have been in state care outside of England and have ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted

A child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society.

Catchment area

A catchment area is a geographical area from which children are given priority for admission to the particular school. Please see www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/admissions for more information on school catchment areas.

Sibling

A sibling refers to a brother or sister, half-brother or sister, step-brother or sister, adopted brother or sister or fostered brother or sister where foster care has been arranged by a Local Authority or the child of the parent/carer’s partner, and in every case, the child should be living at the same address. The sibling must be in the school at the time of application and be likely to remain in the school at the proposed date of admission. In the scenario where one twin or a child from multiple birth has an EHCP, the other twin or children from multiple birth will be considered as a sibling once the school named on the EHCP has been finalised.

Fair Access Protocol

All Local Authorities must have a Fair Access Protocol which operates outside of the arrangements of co-ordinated admissions (i.e. those children being admitted to the point of entry at an academy/school) to ensure unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable are offered a suitable school place. Pupils identified for admission through the Fair Access Protocol will be admitted even if the school is full.

Any other children

Pupils who do not meet any of the higher criteria will be prioritised by the distance with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. Using their computerised measuring system, the Local Authority will measure the straight-line distance from the address point of the pupil’s home to the designated measuring point for the school, as agreed with the school’s governing

Appeals

Parents who have not been allocated a place for their child have a right to appeal to an independent panel as part of the co-ordinated arrangements and will receive information about the appeals process with the refusal letter.

For information about the Appeals process please go to: 

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/5/school_admissions/500/school_admission_appeals