United Learning Trust is the Admissions Authority and is responsible for determining the Academy's Admission Policy. In undertaking this responsibility, the Trust will be guided by the requirements of the law and will conform fully to the School Admissions Code. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2). The admissions oversubscription criteria have been created so as to ensure fairness, transparency and ease of operation to minimise appeals.
The planned admissions number for Reception will be 60.
All children whose statement of special educational needs (SEN) or Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) names the school will be admitted. We will then allocate the remaining places in accordance with this policy.
1. Looked after children as defined by section 22 of the Children Act 1989 and former looked after children. This includes children who have ceased to be looked after because they were adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order.
2. Children in Need - as defined by the Children Act (1989) i.e. those who are unlikely to achieve or maintain or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of health or development or a child/children whose health or development would be further impaired without the provision of services of the Local Authority. Applications under this criterion would need to be supported by an appropriate professional stating that attendance at a particular school is essential.
3. Medical reasons. If claiming medical reasons, parents/carers must provide evidence from the doctor that the child has a medical condition which means that admission to the Academy is essential.
4. Older brother or sister in attendance at the Academy at the date when the pupil is to be admitted. This includes step siblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address. Other children may be considered under the sibling criterion provided proof is available to demonstrate that the children are permanently resident at the same address as part of the same family unit. The Trust accepts that in some family units children may not be natural brother or sister.
5. Distance from the Academy. This will be measured in a straight line (as the crow flies) from the child's permanent home address to the front entrance of the Academy.
The child's ordinary place of residence will be deemed to be a residential property at which the person or persons with parental responsibility for the child resides at the closing date for receiving applications for admission to the Academy.
Where parental responsibility is held by more than one person and those persons reside in separate properties, the child's ordinary place of residence will be deemed to be that property at which the child resides for the greater part of the week including weekends.
If the Academy cannot differentiate between the applications within criteria 2-5 a random allocation tie-breaker will be applied. This may be required for example, where applicants reside in the same block of flats or are children of a multiple birth living at the same address.
The Academy will operate a waiting list for each year group. This will be maintained by the Academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child's name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.
At Marlborough Road Academy, we try to accommodate all children who want to come here, although places will be offered in line with the above admissions criteria. We can accept up to 60 children in the Nursery class and 60 into the Reception class each year.
Whilst children are waiting to be admitted, they will be given work to complete at home and will visit the school at pre-arranged times to help them integrate into their new class.
Children moving into the area and not currently in a school will be admitted as soon as a place becomes available.
Children can be admitted to the Nursery when they are 3 years old or if they will reach this age before 31 August in the year they are admitted.
Admission applications should be made through the Salford Admissions Team for the September intake. Information and application packs will be available from late October in the year before the September intake.
The deadline for applications is usually the middle of January. Places are announced via letter or email usually during the middle of April. You will normally be given at least 10 working days to let the Local Authority know whether you want to accept this offer. If you do not respond within this timescale the place may be offered to another child.
Late applications will only be dealt with once all other applications have been allocated and accepted.
A place in the Nursery class does not guarantee a place in the next class, Reception, as all parents must re-apply for a Reception Class place.
Children transfer into the Reception class at the end of the Nursery year when they are 4 years old.
Usually, children transfer through the year groups until they are 11, when they normally move to a local secondary school.
The Academy will allocate a place in the required year group if one is available. If a place is not available your name will be placed on a waiting list at Marlborough Road Academy and your application will be referred to the Local Authority and you will be sent a list of schools that do have places available.
Most children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities will not be disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. The admission of pupils with disabilities is considered in the first instance in the same way as non-disabled pupils. Further considerations are made in the light of need and accessibility. In practice we ensure that classroom and extra curricular activities encourage the participation of all pupils, including those having special educational needs or disabilities. Staff organise resources within the school to increase access to learning and participation by all pupils.
If you are not offered a reception place at the school you have the right to appeal against the decision.
The law on infant class sizes states that no five, six or seven year olds should be in a class of more than 30 pupils; the circumstances where an appeal committee can uphold an appeal for these year groups are therefore limited.
The Department for Education publishes a guide for parents on school admissions and appeals. The guide explains the school admissions and appeals processes; what parents can expect from the admissions system; how to object to unlawful arrangements and how to find further information and support.