The purpose of this policy is to make clear the admissions process for John Cabot Academy.
The CLF has agreed that the admission arrangements will remain in line with the agreed arrangements for South Gloucestershire Council and the Secretary of State.
An Equalities Impact Assessment has been carried out. The assessment concluded that there was no adverse impact identified for any groups of people with protected characteristics. The full Equalities Impact Assessment Report can be obtained from governance@clf.uk.
Please see the academy website for further information
The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) adheres to the statutory requirements and the principles outlined in the School Admission Code (DFE 2021), which all academies are required to adhere to via the Funding Agreement between John Cabot Academy and the Secretary of State.
The ‘admission authority’ for the Academy is the Federation via its Board of Trustees
The Federation delegates its admission related functions to the Academy’s Local Academy Council, who approve the Admission Policy
The Admission Committee formed of at least three Local Councillors consider in year admissions and requests for admission outside normal age range.
The Principal is responsible for the implementation and application of this policy.
Local Authority co-ordinates admissions in the normal admission round for all schools in the area.
Data collected during the admission process will be handled in accordance with the Trust Data Protection and Records Retention policies.
This Admission Policy is part of the admission arrangements for John Cabot Academy, which is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, a multi academy trust.
The Academy is a co-educational, non-selective, publicly funded secondary academy, that welcomes applications for the admission of children regardless of aptitude, ability, special educational or other needs, disabilities or other protected characteristics.
The Academy admits children into Year 7 who will usually remain until Year 11.
The ‘admission authority’ for the Academy is the Federation, via its Board of Trustees. These functions are carried out in compliance with the School Admissions Code 2021 and the School Admission Appeals Code 2022, along with other relevant law relating to equality, human rights and special educational needs. The Board of Trustees delegates some of its admission tasks to an Admission Committee.
In this policy, applicants for places in Year 7 to Year 11 are referred to as “children”.
In education law and this policy, ‘parent’ means a birth parent or adoptive parent of a child (irrespective of whether they have care of, contact with and/or parental responsibility for the child), as well as other persons who are not the birth parent or adoptive parent of the child but who have care of and/or parental responsibility for them (as defined in the Education Act 1996).
In determining whether a ‘parent’ has care of a child or young person at the time of application or appeal, any absence of the child or young person at a hospital or boarding school and any other temporary absence will not be taken into account.
Children with an EHCP are not admitted under this policy as they are admitted under separate statutory processes set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years and Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Their EHCPs are maintained by their home Local Authority, who are responsible for making decisions as to which educational setting will be named in the EHCP as the one the child will attend.
Where the parents of a child with an EHCP want them to be educated at the Academy, they must discuss this with the SEN team at their home Local Authority. The home Local Authority may then consult the Academy on its suitability and compatibility, before deciding whether to name it in the child’s EHCP.
Where the Academy is named in section I of the child’s EHCP, it will admit the child. Where this happens in the ‘normal admission round’ (i.e. admission to Year 7 at the start of September), their place will be allocated before others within the PAN, reducing the number remaining. Where this happens at any other time, they will be admitted when the Academy is named, regardless of numbers.
Where applicable, the home address is the residential address at which the child will normally live and sleep for more than 50% of their time from Sunday to Thursday night each week during term time at the time of their application (unless it is accommodation at a boarding school). The home address will usually (but not always) be the address at which the child is registered with their GP, hospital, dentist and/or optician, at the time of application, and/or at which child eligible related benefits are claimed.
Where the child resides with more than one parent and there is a factual 50% split between the time described above, the home address will be that used in the application.
Parents will be expected to provide satisfactory documentary evidence of the child’s home address, and/or the home address of others (e.g. siblings, children of staff) where appropriate.
Where the family owns or rents another property, additional documentary evidence that the address stated in the application is the child’s permanent home address may be requested. If the child /sibling moves address during the application process, South Gloucestershire Council, and (if different) their home Local Authority must be notified as soon as possible and provided with satisfactory documentary evidence that the new address meets the definition and of the expected moving date.
Applications are welcomed for the admission of the children of UK Armed Forces personnel and Crown Servants. Where the family is relocating from overseas (and distance is relevant), the address used to apply the oversubscription criteria will be the address at which the child will live when they return as long as the parents provide some evidence of this address. Alternatively, a Unit or Quartering address may be used at the parent’s request.
The PAN for Year 7 is 180 pupils.
Where there are fewer applications than places available, all children will be offered a place.
Where there are more applications than places available, the order in which places will be allocated will be:
Looked after and previously looked after children
A ‘looked after child’ is one 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, in England.
A ‘previously looked after child’ is one who was looked after in England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a Child Arrangements Order or Special Guardianship Order, as well as a child who appears to the Admission Committee to have been in state care outside of England (i.e. in the care of or accommodated by a public authority, religious organisation or any other provider whose sole/main purpose is to benefit society), but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted.
Applications in this criterion may need to be supported by documentary evidence, such as a signed letter from the child’s current or former Social Worker confirming their status. Documentary evidence must only include confirmation of the child’s status as a Looked After Child or Previously Looked After Child and no other details such personal details about parents and families, the first language of the child, details of parents’ or a child’s disabilities, special educational needs or medical conditions.
In the case of children adopted from state care outside England, evidence of having been in state care outside England and of being adopted may be required, ideally accompanying the application. When considering the evidence provided, the DfE’s current guidance Admissions priority for children adopted from state care outside England will be followed. The guidance can be found here.
Where the Virtual School Head (VSH) at the Local Authority has already verified the child’s status and the Academy is able to confirm this with them, there will be no need for documentary evidence to be provided with the application.
Where no documentary evidence can be provided, the application will be considered on the available evidence.
Children with a sibling at the Academy at the time of application and who will continue to be at the Academy on entry
For inclusion in this criterion, the sibling must attend the Academy at the time of application and it is anticipated that the sibling will still be a registered pupil when the applicant child starts at the Academy.
A ‘sibling’ means a full brother or sister (sharing both parents), a half brother or sister (sharing one parent), an adopted brother or sister (sharing one or both parents), a foster brother or sister on a long term placement (a looked after child), a step brother or sister (where one child’s parent is married or in a civil partnership with the other child’s parent) or a child of the applicant’s parent’s partner.
In all cases, the sibling must live at the applicant child’s home address (as defined in this policy). For the avoidance of doubt, a child of an extended family member (e.g. cousin, grandchild or child of another child of the family) or the child of a friend will not meet the definition of a ‘sibling’, even if they live at the same address as the applicant child.
Parents will be expected to provide satisfactory documentary evidence of the child applicant’s home address, and/or the home address of others (e.g. siblings, children of staff), and/or family relationships where appropriate.
All other children
All applicant children not included in any of the criteria above will be included in this criterion.
Where there are more applicants than places in any of the oversubscription criteria above, the order in which places are allocated will be determined by reference to the distance between the child’s home address (as defined in this policy) and the Academy, with those living closer having higher priority.
Distance will be measured in a straight-line using Google Maps from the main entrance of John Cabot Academy to the applicant’s home address (see para. 10 for definition of ‘home address.’)
Where the distance between two or more applicant children is equal (e.g. where they may live in the same block of flats), random lottery will be used to determine the order in which places are allocated, which will take place in front of a person who is independent of the Academy.
Where applications are received for the admission of twins, triplets or siblings of higher multiple births to the same year group at the same time, but not all of them are allocated a place because of the application of the tie breaker for the final place(s), all of them will be allocated a place regardless of pupil numbers.
All local authorities are required to coordinate admission in the ‘normal admission round’ for all schools in their area.
The ‘normal admission round’ for applications for admission to Year 7 in September covers all applications made by the statutory deadline for applications (31 October 2026), as well as applications made after this date but in time for the Local Authority to offer a place by ‘national offer day’ (5 March 2027).
Applications in the ‘normal admission round’ for Year 7 must be made to the child’s home Local Authority using their Common Application Form, which will be available on their website. For applicants resident in Council, the webpage can be accessed by clicking the link above.
Parents must carefully consider the oversubscription criteria above to check whether any additional documentation must accompany the application for inclusion in a particular oversubscription criterion, as failing to do so is likely to prevent the right criterion being identified, which could result in a place not being offered.
A ‘late application’ is one received before the first day of term but not in time for the Local Authority to offer a place on ‘national offer day’. As these applications cannot be processed until after the first round of place allocations has happened, this is likely to adversely impact on the chances of achieving a place. Parents are therefore strongly encouraged to submit applications by the statutory deadline.
An ‘in-year application’ is one made for Year 7 on or after the first day of term in September, or for any other year group at any time.
In-year applications made for Year 7, until the end of term 2, may be refused on the basis that there are no places available within the PAN.
In respect of other year groups and year 7 from term 3 onwards, a place will be offered unless admitting an additional child would prejudice the efficient provision of education, and/or the efficient use of resources, at the Academy.
Where multiple in-year applications for the same year group are received and processed at the same time, and some but not all can be offered a place within the PAN for in-year applications to Year 7 or without causing prejudice for all other year groups, the oversubscription criteria and tie breaker will be applied to determine the allocation of these places.
For an in-year application to Year 7 to Year 11, the application must be made directly to the Academy by completing the In-Year Admission Application Form which is available on request by emailing the academy. This form can be downloaded and printed out or obtained in hard copy format from the Academy’s main office and then submitted to the Academy either by email to jcainfo@clf.uk or by post and delivery to the Academy’s main office marked for the attention of the admissions officer.
In all cases parents must carefully consider the oversubscription criteria above to check whether any additional documentation must accompany the application for inclusion in a particular oversubscription criterion, as failing to do so is likely to prevent the right criterion being identified, which could result in a place not being offered.
All In-Year applications will be processed in line with the above and the outcome of in-year applications will be notified in writing to parents within a maximum of 15 school days of receipt of the application along with the statutory right of appeal where the application is refused.
Parents have a right to request permission for admission to a year group outside their child’s normal age group, which may be above or below. However, parents do not have a right for their child to be educated outside of their chronological age group and this is a matter for the Admission Authority to decide. The Admission Committee will consider the request and decide whether to agree it in principle, or refuse it, taking into account the factors set out below.
These requests are not applications for admission, which must still be made in the usual way. Parents are strongly encouraged to make these requests as early as possible, preferably well ahead of any deadlines for their normal age group, so that they make informed decisions when they subsequently apply for admission. A request must be made to the ‘admission authority’ for the Academy regardless of whether parents have submitted the same request to another school or academy.
The Admission Committee make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned, taking into account the parents’ views, the Headteacher’s views, information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development, the child’s medical history and the views of their medical professionals, whether they have previously been educated or attended Reception out of their normal age group, and whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely. This is not an exhaustive list, and parents may put forward any matters or documents for consideration.
Parents must complete a Request for Admission Outside Normal Age Group Form (which is published on the Academy’s website here or is available in hard copy format from the Academy’s main office and then submitted either by email to Admissions@clf.uk, or by post/hand delivery to the Academy’s main office marked for the attention of the “Admission Committee.”
The Admission Committee will notify parents of the outcome of their request in writing, and will explain its reasons in sufficient detail for them to understand why it came to that decision. Where the request is agreed in principle, Parents must include the letter with the application for admission subsequently made. Parents should note that receiving agreement in principle to admission outside normal age group does not guarantee an offer of a place, and the application will be processed with all others received for the agreed year group.
Parents do not have a right of appeal against a refusal of a request for admission outside normal age group. However, they may complain to the Academy about the outcome under its published Complaints Policy if they wish.
The Academy operates a waiting list for every year group. The waiting list is maintained until the end of the academic year and applies to all applications in the Normal Admission Round and In-Year applications made in this time. At the end of that academic year, all names are deleted and parents will have to re-apply for a place if one is still sought.
Waiting lists are strictly ranked by reference to the oversubscription criteria above, and not by reference to the date that the child’s name was added to the list or any other criterion.
This means a child/applicant’s name can go up, as well as down, the list as more names are added.
When a place becomes available, if there is more than one child in the highest criterion, the same tie breaker will be applied to determine which child will be offered the place.
Children allocated a place under the Fair Access Protocol (which all schools are required to participate in) will take precedence over children on the waiting lists.
Parents have a statutory right of appeal to an independent Admission Appeal Panel against the refusal of a place at the Academy. The refusal letter will set out full details of this right, including where the grounds of appeal must be sent and the deadline for doing so.
All appeals will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022 (as revised and republished from time to time).
The Academy will publish an admission appeal timetable for appeals against refusals in the ‘normal admission round’ on or before 28 February 2028.
The admission arrangements for every school must be determined every year for each successive intake. Where changes are proposed from the previous year (other than an increase in PAN), these must be consulted on for a minimum of 6 calendar weeks between 1 October and 31 January ahead of determination on or before 28 February in the determination year (as defined by the Code).
The admission arrangements for the 2027 intake were determined on 13 February 2026.
