Admissions

Arrangements for applications for places in Reception at Seymour Primary Academy will be made in accordance with West Sussex’s co-ordinated admission arrangements; parents resident in West Sussex can apply online here; parents resident in other areas must apply through their home local authority. Seymour Primary Academy will use West Sussex’s timetable published online for these applications and West Sussex will make the offers of places as required by the School Admissions Code. 

Published Admission Number (PAN)

Seymour Primary Academy admits 60 pupils into Reception.  If there are fewer applicants than places available all applicants will be admitted. Children are admitted to the Reception Class in the school year in which they have their fifth birthday.   

Special Educational Needs

Any child with an Education, Health and Care Plan that names the academy will be admitted. As a result of this, the PAN will be reduced accordingly.

Oversubscription Criteria

If there are more applications than places available we will apply the oversubscription criteria listed below:

1. Looked after children and previously looked after children. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to the school. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order). Previously looked after children also includes those who have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. Children with an exceptional and compelling social, psychological or medical need which makes the school particularly suitable for the child. Priority will be given to those children who have an essential need to attend Seymour Primary School.  Applications for priority in this criterion will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate an essential connection between the applicant’s needs and Seymour Primary School.
3. Children living in the catchment area of the school with a sibling attending at the time of application and admission.  The catchment area is bordered to the north by Horsham Rd, to the east by Crawley Avenue, to the south by Winfield Way and Coachman’s Drive and to the west by Broadfield Place and Pelham Drive.  Brother or sister means children who live as a brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, half and stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters.
4. Other children living in the catchment area – see definition above.
5. Other children with brothers or sisters attending Seymour Primary Academy at the time of application and admission.  Brother or sister means children who live as a brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, half and stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters.
6. Distance.  We use the distance between the child’s permanent home address and the front gates of the school, measured in a straight-line using Ordnance Survey address point data. Priority will be given to children living closest to the school.  
   Where a child lives normally during the school week with more than one parent at different addresses, the permanent home address for the purposes of school admissions will be the one where the child spends the majority of school nights Monday–Friday.  

Tie-break

If the distance criterion is not sufficient to distinguish between two or more applicants for the last remaining place then random allocation will be used.  This process will be supervised by somebody independent of the school.

Multiple Births

In the case of twins or other multiple births, where there is only one place available in the school, both will be considered together as one application. The school will be allowed to go above its admission number for this purpose.

Fraudulent or Misleading Applications

As an admission authority we have the right to investigate any concerns we may have about your application and to withdraw the offer of a place if we consider there is evidence that you have made a fraudulent claim or provided misleading information, for example a false address was given which denied a place to a child with a stronger claim.  We reserve the right to check any address and other information provided so we can apply the oversubscription criteria accurately and fairly.

Fair Access Protocol

Local Authorities are required to have Fair Access Protocols in order to make sure that unplaced, vulnerable children are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. The school will comply with West Sussex’s Fair Access Protocol.  This may mean admitting children above the PAN.

Deferred entry for Reception places

In accordance with the requirements of the Admissions Code, if your child has been offered a place: – 

1. your child is entitled to a full-time place in the September following their fourth birthday; 
2. you can defer the date your child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which your child reaches compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made; and 
3. if you wish, your child may attend part-time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which your child reaches compulsory school age. 

Admission of children outside their normal age group

Parents may request that their child is admitted outside their normal age group. To do so, they should include a written request with their application, setting out the year group in which they wish their child to be allocated a place and the reasons for their request. It is important for parents to note that they will have responsibility for providing evidence to support their request. When such a request is made, Seymour Primary Academy will make a decision on the basis of the circumstances of the case, based on their professional judgement of what is in the best interest of the child, taking account of the evidence and rationale provided by the parents.

In-year admissions

For all information regarding In-Year Admissions, including details on how parents can apply for a school place, an application form to complete, the timescale in which your application will be processed and details on the right to appeal, please visit the school website.

Waiting List

Any child refused a place at the school will automatically be put on the waiting list unless a higher preference school has been offered. A waiting list will be maintained for 1 calendar year after which it will be cleared.  If you would like your child to remain on the waiting list please contact the school in December. The waiting list is maintained in the order of the oversubscription criteria. This means that names can move down the list if, e.g. someone moves into the area and is higher placed under the oversubscription criteria.

Appeals

The parents of any child refused a place at the school have a right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. The decision of the independent appeal panel is binding on all parties.