School is its own admissions authority??

[Dillydally88]

Hi, does anyone know what this means? If a school is ‘its own admissions authority’, I understand they set the admissions criteria etc, but do they also choose the allocations for places? Has anyone worked in a school like this and knows the process?

thanks!

The local authority coordinates. It will send the school the list of everyone who applied and the school will rank everyone and send it back. The LA will then use this to allocate places - the school will never know who ranked them top, last etc.

It's quite common with voluntary aided (religious) schools.

They set the admissions policy, so it'll be things like children of staff get priority, siblings, feeder primary schools if it's a secondary. But they have to follow their own rules. They can't just say, "oh let's let that kid in and not another because I know his dad" etc. Also, they can't give someone a place just because they put it as priority #1 - only the council sees this information, and the school will know that it was listed as a choice but not the priority number.

It's also usual for stand-alone academies.

For multi-academy trusts, the trust will be the admissions authority for all the academies in the trust.

For LA-maintained schools, the LA will be the admissions authority.

@Dillydally88 will you be applying for transfer to Year 7, or for an in-year place? The secondary transfer process is always coordinated by the LA.

Some non-maintained schools handle their own in-year admissions, but some have a contract with the LA to do it.

Their website should have details of the process they follow.

Great thank you! There’s a question on the form which asks if there are any reasons why your child should get priority.. I take it the individual schools don’t see this answer only the council?

This is for the normal year 7 admissions x

Schools will see that - it can be used if they have an Exceptional Social or Medical Need clause.

The only thing schools don't see is the preference order.

It'll be something in the policy itself. If the child has a sibling in the school and that guarantees a place, you need to put this down here. Also, many schools give priority to kids with EHCP, kids who have been fostered/adopted. It might also be the case that there's been an entrance exam or music places, for very oversubscribed secondaries. So this is where you put that information in. It's important, because e.g. if it's the sibling rule, the local authority is coordinating, so you can't rely on "the head teacher knows I have another child coming next year" etc.

Ahh ok, but if say I put about having a sibling etc… that will only apply to one school out of the 6 I’m listing, so would that make it obvious to the other schools that I’ve ranked another school higher (if they know the child doesn’t have a sibling at their school?)

Sorry if I am over thinking this!

Not sure what your form looks like, but when I've done ours, there's been a field for "other information" (or whatever it's called) for each school listed.

So, e.g.
#1 School A Sat entrance exam (the school will know if you qualified)
#2 School B no additional info, but admissions based on home distance
#3 School C Sibling at school

So if you passed the test, you'd get #1, if not then you'd get #2 if you lived close enough, and if not then you'd get #3 provided there was a sibling and the school didn't get oversubscribed solely with siblings (in which case it would usually go to distance)

That makes sense to have the box for each of the schools - thanks so much!

Ahh ok, but if say I put about having a sibling etc… that will only apply to one school out of the 6 I’m listing, so would that make it obvious to the other schools that I’ve ranked another school higher (if they know the child doesn’t have a sibling at their school?)

It doesn't matter that they do. There is no subjectivity in it - they can't affect your ranking or allocation because they are peeved at being a second ranking, for example. Allocations are done legally by the published criteria and nothing else.

Some schools will tell you that you have to put them #1 to guarantee a place, but that's codswallop. If there's a sibling rule and you put that school #5, you will get the place over someone else putting it #1 without a sibling. All a school will see is that you've put it somewhere on the list, and only any other information relevant to the policy. Promise.

As others have said the school being its own admissions authority just means they make the decision on who to admit in line with their published admissions criteria (this will be on the school’s website.) BUT all schools by law have to follow the admissions code. Google admissions code and you should find it. It’s a gov.uk document, I think the date is 2021.

In terms of priority, what counts as priority varies from school to school (again this will be stated in each school’s admissions policy) but there are some rules that apply nationally (ie are set out in the admissions code) Children with an EHCP that names the school will always be first. Then it is usually looked after or formerly looked after children (except for Catholic schools which are allowed to stipulate looked after or formerly looked after children must be baptised Catholics- don’t get me started on how immoral I find this!) then remaining over subscription criteria will vary from school to school but are often siblings, distance, children of staff etc. You would usually only need to put something in the priority box if there is something on the school’s admission criteria that you need to show you are eligible for the priority for, such as an adoption certificate if your child is formerly looked after, or a baptism certificate or other supplementary information form (SIF) if it’s a religious school e.g. C of E school, or evidence they already have a sibling at the school.

Hope that helps

Have cross posted with @PatriciaHolm and @duckydoo234