The following criteria confirm the priorities for admission to community and voluntary controlled schools.

On 2 March it is the national allocation day for Year 7 starters in September 2020.  All parents who applied on time will receive notification of their child’s allocated school.  Parents who applied online should receive an email between midnight on Sunday 1 March and Monday morning 2 March. 

Parents who submitted paper applications will receive a letter confirming their decision.  For parents who have not been offered a higher ranked preference, they will be informed of the appeal procedure.

Please note that we expect a high volume of calls week commencing 2 March.  If you have problems getting through please email at ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk we aim to respond to all emails within 4 days.

Oversubscription criteria for secondary schools

If your enquiry relates to a specific year you will need to see the criteria for that year.

Governing Bodies for voluntary aided and foundation schools are the Admission Authority who establish admission arrangements and allocate school places.

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) School Admission Appeals for September 2020 Entry

The Government has brought in emergency regulations for hearing admission appeals in light of the social distancing requirement as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. 

The new regulations allow for appeal hearings to be scheduled before the summer break and ahead of the new academic year. They will last from 24 April 2020 until 31 January 2021. The key changes are as follows:  

  • panels no longer have to be held in person. Panel hearings can take place either in person, by phone, video conference or through a paper-based appeal if all parties can make representations in writing. The main point is that parents must have the opportunity to present their case in a fair and transparent manner
  • the requirement to have a minimum of 3 panel members is relaxed in circumstances where one panel member has to withdraw. This means the panel can continue with and conclude the appeal with a panel of 2
  • there are some changes to deadlines relating to appeals 

If you have submitted an appeal you will receive written notice of when your appeal is scheduled and we will how you would prefer your appeal to be conducted. 

Further advice and clarification can be obtained by contacting: 

Appeal your child's school place

You are entitled to appeal for a place at any school which your child has been refused.

In order to have your case considered by an Independent Appeal Panel you must complete a Notice of Appeal Form for each school you wish to appeal for. Your child will remain allocated to the school named in your letter unless they are offered an alternative place from the waiting list or by the appeal panel.

Criteria

Priority 1 children in care (previously in care)

Pupils who are, or have previously been in care but ceased to be so because they were adopted, became subject to a child arrangement order or a special Guardianship Order immediately following being in care.

Priority 2 catchment area with sibling

Children who normally reside in the defined catchment area who also have a brother or sister at the preferred school at the point of entry will be considered next.

Priority 3 catchment area

Children who normally reside in the defined catchment area of a school.

Priority 4 brother or sisters (siblings) of children refused a place at their Sheffield catchment school

A sibling is defined as a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:

  • a brother and/or sister (including half brothers/sisters)
  • a stepbrother and/or stepsister
  • in both cases, will attend the preferred school at point of entry

Priority 5 brothers or sisters (siblings)

A sibling is defined as a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:

  • a brother and/or sister (including half brothers/sisters)
  • a stepbrother and/or stepsister
  • in both cases, will attend the preferred school at point of entry

Priority 6 designated feeder school

Attendance at a primary school which is officially designated as a feeder school to a secondary school, but where you live outside the catchment area.

Priority 7 other applications

Any child who does not fit into the above categories will be considered next.

Tie breakers

If the admission number is reached mid-category, there are 2 stages of further consideration carried out within the above outlined categories:

  1. Where exceptional medical, social or special educational needs are demonstrated and evidenced by a professional.
  2. If no exceptional circumstances are present; admissions are prioritised by the straight line distance from the centre of the home to the centre of the school building.

Oversubscription criteria for primary school places

The following criteria confirm the priorities for admission into Sheffield community and voluntary controlled schools.

If your enquiry relates to a specific year you will need to see the criteria for that year.

Governing Bodies for voluntary aided and foundation schools are the Admission Authority who establish admission arrangements and allocate school places.

Broomhill Infant School is the only foundation school in Sheffield. The school is independent from ourselves and the Governing Body is responsible for setting and applying their own admission criteria.

Criteria

Priority 1 children in care (previously in care)

Pupils who are, or have previously been in care but ceased to be so because they were adopted, became subject to a child arrangement order or a special Guardianship Order immediately following being in care.

Priority 2 catchment area with sibling

Children who normally reside in the defined catchment area who also have a brother or sister at the preferred school at the point of entry will be considered next.

Priority 3 catchment area

Children who normally reside in the defined catchment area of a school.

Priority 4 siblings who were refused a place at their catchment school in a previous year, where parents applied there

A sibling is defined as a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:

  • a brother and/or sister (including half brothers/sisters)
  • a stepbrother and/or stepsister
  • in both cases, will attend the preferred school at point of entry

Priority 5 brothers or sisters siblings

A sibling is defined as a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:

  • a brother and/or sister (including half brothers/sisters)
  • a stepbrother and/or stepsister
  • in both cases, will attend the preferred school at point of entry

Priority 7 other applications

Any child who does not fit into the above categories will be considered next.

Places are only allocated up to the published indicated admission number.

Tie breakers

If the admission number is reached mid-category, there are 2 stages of further consideration carried out within the above outlined categories:

  1. Where exceptional medical, social or special educational needs are demonstrated and evidenced by a professional.
  2. If no exceptional circumstances are present; admissions are prioritised by the straight line distance from the centre of the home to the centre of the school building.

Oversubscribed primary schools for reception and junior for year 3

If a school does not appear on the list it is because it was possible to allocate places for all those who applied expressing preference before the allocation date 16 April 2019.

The oversubscribed infant and primary school document shows:

  • the number of places at each of the oversubscribed schools
  • categories and numbers of pupils allocated
  • categories and numbers of pupils refused
  • the distance from home to school of the last child allocated

Transfer from an infant to junior school oversubscribed criteria

Below are the oversubscription criteria priorities for admissions to Sheffield community and voluntary controlled schools.

The Governing Bodies for voluntary, aided and foundation schools are the Admission Authority who establish admission arrangements and allocate schools places.

The following oversubscription criteria outline the priorities for admissions to Sheffield Community schools and Academies, except Church Schools and Academies.

Special educational needs

Any child that has a statement or EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan) that names a specific school must be given a place there.

Criteria

Priority 1 children in care (previously in care)

Pupils who are, or have previously been in care but ceased to be so because they were adopted, became subject to a child arrangement order or a special Guardianship Order immediately following being in care.

Priority 2 attendance at a linked feeder school

This category applies to the transfer from year 2 to year 3 at separate infant and junior schools.

The priority is given if the child attends a designated linked feeder school at the time of allocation.

Should there be oversubscription within this category, normal categories would be applied.

Priority 3 catchment area with sibling

Children who normally reside in the defined catchment area who also have a brother or sister at the preferred school at the point of entry will be considered next.

Priority 4 catchment area

Children who normally reside in the defined catchment area of a school.

Priority 5 siblings who were refused a place at their catchment school in a previous year, where parents applied there

A sibling is defined as a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:

  • a brother and/or sister (including half brothers/sisters)
  • a stepbrother and/or stepsister
  • in both cases, will attend the preferred school at point of entry

Priority 6 brothers and sisters (siblings)

A sibling is defined as a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:

  • a brother and/or sister (including half brothers/sisters)
  • a stepbrother and/or stepsister
  • in both cases, will attend the preferred school at point of entry

Priority 7 other applications

Any child who does not fit into the above categories will be considered next.

Places are only allocated up to the published indicated admission number.

Tie breakers

If the admission number is reached mid-category, there are 2 stages of further consideration carried out within the above outlined categories.

  1. Where exceptional medical, social or special educational needs are demonstrated and evidenced by a professional.
  2. If no exceptional circumstances are present; admissions are prioritised by the straight line distance from the centre of the home to the centre of the school building.

Refused a place at primary school on prejudice grounds and on class size

Refused a place at primary school

We operate a catchment area based admissions policy. Sometimes, children are refused admission to a school and placed on a waiting list. This is because there were more applications received than places available. In this instance we use our admissions policy to prioritise places.

Refused on prejudice grounds

Details of schools that were oversubscribed and refused further admission on the grounds that admission of extra pupils would prejudice the provision of efficient education, are available in the primary refusals prejudice and class size document.

Refused on grounds of class size

We must allocate up to the published admission number if there is a demand. However, by law, Infant classes (children aged 5, 6 and 7) with one teacher cannot contain more than 30 children. Once reached, The Admissions Authority cannot allocate any more children. The schools that were oversubscribed and refused further admission are available in the primary refusals prejudice and class size document.

Contact Admissions

ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk

0114 273 5766

Supporting information

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