Admissions Policy

The governing body of Reid Street Primary School is the Admissions Authority for this school.  The Admissions Policy Criteria will be applied on an Equal Preference basis and works in association with the Co-ordinated Scheme for Darlington Authority.  The governing body intends to admit up to 60 pupils to the Reception year group in September 2025.  This number will apply to the Reception Year and to every other year group in the school.

After the admission of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan where Reid Street Academy is named on the plan and where there are insufficient places available to meet all parental preferences, priority will be given to applications in the following order:

Priority 1  Looked After & Previously Looked After Children and Children previously in state care outside of England

  • ‘Looked after children’ are children who are in the care of the local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be ‘looked after’ at the date of admission.
  • ‘Previously looked after children’ are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order).
  • An ‘adoption order’ is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
  • A ‘child arrangements order’ is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 as amended by S14 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
  • A ‘special guardianship order’ is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian or guardians.
  • 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.

Priority 2  Family Links

Children who have a brother or sister already attending Reid Street Academy and are expected to be on roll at the school at the time of admission

Children have a family link if:

  • They are half or full brother or sister;
  • They are adoptive brother or sister;
  • They are a foster brother or sister;
  • Their carers’ are married/co-habiting and children live together in the same household;
  • They are children of the same household (e.g. carers have special guardianship/child arrangements order)

Priority 3  Distance

Children who live nearest the preferred school measured from the front door of the home address (including flats) to the main school gate, by the shortest safe walking route. This will be based on the home address of the child. To remain consistent the Authority uses a Geographical Information System to measure all distances. The Authority’s priority when measuring a route is to identify the shortest route judged to be safe (safe is lit at regular intervals, paved/tarmacked).

Explanations

Tie-Break

In the event of a tie-break situation in any oversubscription criteria, the distance will be the deciding factor.  The Local Authority will carry out a thorough investigation, which may involve an Officer walking the route using a pedometer or a GIS (Geographical Information System).  If the GIS is unable to differentiate between the two measurements the LA will make a decision.

Multiple Births

For multiple births where only 1 place remains, infant classes will be allowed to exceed the statutory limit where the 31st child is a twin or from multiple births.   The ‘excepted pupil’ will be allowed for the time in Key Stage 1 or until the class numbers fall back to current class size limit.

Family Links

Children have a family link if:

  • They are half or full brother or sister;
  • They are adoptive brother or sister;
  • They are a foster brother or sister;
  • Their carers are married/co-habiting and children live together in the same household;
  • They are children of the same household (e.g. carers have special guardianship/child arrangement order)

Home Address

The home address is used for applying the admissions criteria.  This means that when you state your school preferences you must give the home address of the child at the time of application, where they mainly reside Monday to Friday.  You must not give the address of child minders or other family members who may share in the care of your child.  For parents/carers who may have more than one property, reference should only be made to the property in which they and the child(ren) mainly reside.

If the main address has changed temporary accommodation due to building works/renovation, then the home address remains that at which the parent was resident before the period of temporary residence began. However, if you have sold your property (exchanged contracts) and have moved into temporary accommodation, you will be required to provide evidence of your situation and a decision will be made based upon the evidence provided. Where there are shared care arrangements, the home address will be where the child lives for the majority of the week Monday to Friday or where a court has determined their home address should be.

The full determination can be viewed on the Office of Schools Adjudicator.

Right of Appeal

Parents who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal.  Further details of the appeals process are available by writing to the Chair of Governors at the school address.

Waiting List

If your child’s application has been refused due to oversubscription, you may want to consider putting their name on a waiting list for the school.  Completing the ‘options’ form, which accompanies the offer/refusal letter, can do this.  Offers off the waiting list will be made in accordance with the oversubscription criteria based on the information provided at the time of application.  The waiting list will be maintained until the end of summer term in the academic year of admission.

Documents

Please click here to view our Appeals Guide.

Please click here to view our Appeals Timetable.2024

Please click here to view our Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2023/24

Please click here to view our Admissions Policy for 2024/25

Please click here to view our Admissions Policy for 2025/26