Admissions

Admissions Policy for 2024/25

• Download the Admissions Policy for 2024/25 here
• Download the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) Reception Intake September 2024 here.  This form should be returned to the school, at the same time as you complete the Hertfordshire application form online.

Admissions Policy for 2023/24

• Download the Admissions Policy for 2023/24 here
• Download the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) Reception Intake September 2023 here.  This form should be returned to the school, at the same time as you complete the Hertfordshire application form online.

In-Year Admissions and Appeals

• Download the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) Other Year Admissions Form for In-Year Admissions here
• For a copy of the Appeals Timetable click here and for further information about the Hertfordshire Appeals process click here 

The governors of Little Gaddesden Church of England Primary School will admit 15 children, whose birthdays fall between 1st September 2018 and 31st August 2019 inclusive, into the Reception class, from the beginning of the Autumn Term 2023.

As far as possible, the school will ensure that pupils with disabilities have access to the same opportunities as other pupils. The school does not have any specific units or facilities for pupils with particular special needs, and there are no specific facilities for pupils with physical disabilities. Two classrooms are located upstairs; two downstairs classrooms may be entered without steps; one downstairs classroom has a single step. There is level access at the main school entrances.

The governing body is required to abide by the maximum limits for classes with children from Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 (i.e. no more than 30 pupils per class).

Children with statements of special educational needs or an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan naming the school are not subject to the  oversubscription criteria. The school will admit all children whose statements or EHC name the school.

The school co-operates with the Hertfordshire Fair Access Protocol for children who are hard to place.  These children will be given priority over children on the waiting list and may be admitted even if the school is full.

In the event of there being a greater demand for admission than there are places available, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below:-

1) ‘Looked-after’ children, and children who were previously ‘looked after’ but immediately thereafter became subject to an adoption, child arrangement or special guardianship order. This includes previously ‘looked after’ children who appear (to the admissions authority) to have been in state care outside England and who ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

The Children’s Act 1989 defines a child who is ‘looked after’ as a child or young person who is accommodated by the local authority (Section 20), or a child or young person who is the subject of  a full care order (Section 31) or interim care order (Section 38).   An ‘adoption order’ is an order under  Section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act  2002.  A ‘child arrangement order’ is an order setting out the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live, under Section 14 of the Children and Families Act 2014.  Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be the child’s special guardian (or special  guardians).

2) Children resident in the Parish of Little Gaddesden and adjoining areas outlined on the accompanying map, with priority given to children whose home address is closest to the school, measured in accordance with Hertfordshire County Council’s measurement system (as described below).  If this category is oversubscribed priority will be given as follows:

a) children with a sibling in the school at the time of admission;
b) geographic proximity, measured in accordance with Hertfordshire County Council’s measurement system, with priority given to children whose home address is closest to the school.

3) Children with siblings in the school at the time of admission.

4) Children not resident within the Parish of Little Gaddesden or adjoining areas outlined on the accompanying map, but whose parent(s)/guardian(s) have attended services in Little Gaddesden Parish Church at least once a month during the two years prior to their application being made. Priority will be given to children whose home address is closest to the school.  Applicants in this category should also complete the Supplementary Information Form, which should be countersigned by the parish priest to verify the required level of attendance.

In the event that, during the period specified for attendance at worship, the church has been closed for public worship and has not provided alternative premises for that worship, the requirements of these arrangements in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church or alternative premises have been available for public worship.

5) Any other children.

Hertfordshire County Council Measurement System

A ‘straight line’ measurement system is used in all home to school distance measurements.  Distances are measured using a computerised mapping system to two decimal places.  The measurement is taken from the AddressBase Premium address point of your child’s house to the address point of the school.  AddressBase Premium date is a nationally recognised method of identifying the location of schools and individual residences.

Tie-Break

If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, the tie break will be random.  Every child entered onto the Hertfordshire County Council’s admissions database has an individual random number assigned, between 1 and 1,000,000, against each preference school.  Where there is a need for a final tie break, the random number is used to allocate the place, with the lowest number given priority.

Twins & Multiple Births

Where the last available place is offered to a twin or multiple birth, then the other twin or siblings(s) will be offered places as exceptions to the infant class size rule.

Home Address

The address provided must be the child’s current permanent at the time of application.  ‘At the time of application’ means the closing date for applications.  ‘Permanent’ means that the child has lived at that address for at least a year. Where a family has not lived at an address for a year, they must be able to demonstrate that they own the property or have a tenancy agreement for a minimum of 12 months. (If, because of the nature of the agreement, it is not possible to provide a 12 month tenancy agreement, alternative proof of address will be requested and verified as necessary.) The child must be resident in the property at the time of application. 

The application can only be processed using one address.  If a child lives at more than one address (for example, due to a separation), the address used will be the one which the child lives at for the majority of the time.  If the child lives at two addresses equally, parents/carers should make a single joint application naming one address. 

If a child’s permanent residence is disputed, parents/carers should provide court documentation to evidence the address that should be used for admission allocation purposes.  If two different applications are received, with different addresses and/or different preferences, neither will be processed until the address issue is reconciled. It is for the child’s home local authority to determine address. If two applications are recieved from two different local autorities, the above process will be used.

If two different applications are received for the same child from the same address (eg, containing different preferences), parents/carers will be invited to submit a joint application or to provide court documentation to evidence the preferences that should be used for the admission process. Until the preference issue is reconciled neither application will be processed.

Siblings

‘Sibling’ refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, child of the parent/carer or partner, children ‘looked after’ or previously ‘looked after’.  This does not include children temporarily living in the same house (for example, a ‘looked after’ child in a short term or bridging placement).  In every case, the sibling must be living permanently in the same family home as part of the family household, at least from Monday to Friday.  The sibling must be in the school at the time of the application and be likely to remain in the school at the proposed date of admission.

Deferred Admission and Summer-born Children

Parents offered a place may defer the date of their child’s admission until later in the year, but not beyond the point at which the child reaches compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made. Children offered places in Reception have a right to part-time schooling until they reach compulsory school age.

Where parents of a ‘summer-born’ child (April 1 – August 31) wish the child to start school in the autumn term following their fifth birthday, the governors will consider the request.  If parents do not take up the offered place before the end of the academic year of entry, then they would have to re-apply for a place in Year 1.  Parents should discuss this with the school as soon as possible and this would be treated as an in-year application.

However, if parents wish such a child to be educated ‘out of year group’ (i.e. in the Reception Year rather than Year 1) they may request this and should discuss it with the school as soon as possible. Such applications will be considered by the governors on a case-by-case basis. Each case will be judged on its individual merits, but admittance to an out-of-year group would require exceptional and extenuating circumstances, with professional evidence (if available) explaining why the child’s needs cannot be met in the chronological year group.  A new application would need to be made in the normal admissions round for Reception in the year they wish their child to join, and this application will be considered alongside all other applications. Parents do not have the right of appeal against a decision not to accept this request.

The school provides for the admission of all successful applicants who have reached their fourth birthday by the end of August 2023.  Please note that these arrangements do not apply to any Nursery intake: parents of Nursery children must reapply for a place in Reception.  Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place in Reception.

Older Children and In-Year Applications

Applications to admit older children (including those out of year group) may be made to the school at any time.  The school is part of Hertfordshire County Council’s co-ordinated system for In-Year applications.  Online applications should be made at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/inyear.  In-Year applications will be considered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria outlined in this document.  The county council will write to you with the outcome of your application and, if you have been unsuccessful, will include registration details to enable you to log in and appeal online at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/schoolappeals. Parents considering an appeal are encouraged to discuss this with the school.

Admissions Procedure for the Reception class

• Parents/carers must complete the Local Authority Common Application Form for their home area.  The online address is www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions (for Hertfordshire residents).
• The school’s Supplementary Information Form should also be completed by those whose applications come under Category 4 of the admissions criteria.
• Applications must be received by January 15, 2023.
• The Governors will determine the allocation of places for the 2023/24 school year, in accordance with the Admissions Policy.  Allocations will be emailed or posted to parents on April 16^th 2023.  Parents must respond to offers by April 28^th 2023.  Those who applied online should respond online; others should return the response form direct to the Admissions and Transport Team at County Hall.
• Appeals: Parents/carers who have not been allocated a place for their child in the Reception class have the right of appeal to an independent panel.  Parents who applied online should log into their online application and click on the link register an appeal.  Out-of-county residents and paper applicants should contact the Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 to request their registration details and log into www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/schoolappeals, clicking on the link ‘log into the appeals ‘system’.  Parents considering an appeal are encouraged to discuss this with the school.
• Waiting List: If there are more applications than available places, the governors will maintain a continuing interest list.  Late applications will go onto this list in a position determined by the criteria.  Parents/carers must inform the governors if they wish their child’s name to be on the list.  They are requested to inform the governors if they wish their child’s name to be removed.  If a place becomes available in the school, it will be offered to the child who best meets the published admission rules.  Parents are required to reapply for places at the end of every school year, through the Hertfordshire County Council co-ordinated scheme.