Three Peaks Primary Academy
Consultation 2026/2027
2025/2026 & 2024/2025
Consultation on admission arrangements 2026/2027
The Creative Education Trust wishes to formally consult with you regarding Three Peaks Primary Academy’s admissions arrangements for 2026/2027.
We are not proposing to make any material changes to the arrangements. However, your opinions are important to us and we are keen to receive your comments on the arrangements before they are formally approved.
A full copy of the proposed admission arrangements is available on our website:
The consultation will close on Friday 6 December 2024
Please send your comments to: Richard Penn-Bourton, Three Peaks Primary Academy, Fossdale Road, Wilnecote, Tamworth, B77 4HN, enquiries@threepeaksacademy.org.uk.
Proposed admission arrangements 2026/2027
1. Basic principles
1.1. The Academy will comply with all relevant provisions of the statutory codes of practice (the School Admissions Code of Practice and the School Admissions Appeals Code of Practice) as they apply at any given time to maintained schools and with the law on admissions as it applies to maintained schools. Reference in the codes to admission authorities shall be deemed to be reference to the Local Governing Body of the Academy (The latter is a subcommittee of the Creative Education Trust (CET) Board and is the local presence of the Board with representatives from the school community, the local community and regional businesses and organisations). In particular, the Academy will take part in any Co-ordinated Admissions System operated by the LA.
1.2. Although the Academy is its own Admissions Authority, Staffordshire administer the Coordinated admission process for Reception.
1.3. The Academy will admit children with a Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) / Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where the Academy is named in the Statement/Plan, without reference to oversubscription criteria outlined below, and this will reduce the number of places available.
2. Admission Arrangements – Nursery
2.1 Children aged three years by 31 August are able to apply for a nursery place for the following Autumn Term. This will consist of the statutory provision, with possible additional hours based upon other criteria. The Academy has an admission number of 26 for the Nursery class. The Academy will admit the admission number of pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received. If there are more applications, the oversubscription procedure will be applied.
2.2. The Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 26 applications are received, the Academy will offer places to all those students who have applied.
2.3 In the event of over-subscription, and following the allocation of places to pupils who have an SEN Statement or EHCP, when there are more applications than places available, places will be offered in accordance with the following order of priority:
1. Children in the care of the local authority and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order). Including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. Children who have an elder brother or sister at the school at the time of application and who will still be attending at the time of admission.
3. Children of staff employed at the school a. where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or b. the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. Other children living within the catchment.
5. Other children living outside the catchment area.
2.4 If priorities have to be decided within any of these categories, children will be placed in order of priority using distance from their home address point to the main entrance of the academy on Fossdale Road, as measured by straight line.
2.5 Once the class is full, a waiting list based on these criteria will be held until the end of the academic year.
2.6 Attendance at a particular nursery setting will not guarantee admission to a reception class at the same school.
2.6 As nursery education is not compulsory there is no right of appeal against the refusal of a place. However, every effort will be made to accommodate the wishes of parents.
2.7. Following the offer of a place at the Academy parents/carers will be asked to provide evidence of their child’s identification and main residence should it be subsequently found that the offer was obtained through a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application, the place will be withdrawn. The forms of identification may include;
a) Birth certificate - preferably a full certificate
b) NHS registration
c) Council tax bill
d) Two current ((i.e. less than six months old) utility bills
e) Passport
3. Admission arrangements – Reception
3.1 Full time places in the Reception class are available in the September of the academic year in which a child becomes five years old.
3.2. The Academy has a Pupil Admission Number (PAN) for the Reception class and places will be offered up to but not exceeding the PAN. Regulations also require that Reception and infant classes must have no more than 30 pupils to each teacher.
3.3. In the event of over-subscription, where there are more applications than there are places available, the following priorities will be used, in order, to allocate places:
1. Children in the care of the local authority and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order). Including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. Children who have an elder brother or sister at the school at the time of application and who will still be attending at the time of admission.
3. Children of staff employed at the school a. where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or b. the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. Other children living within the catchment.
5. Other children living outside the catchment area.
3.4 If priorities have to be decided within any of these categories, children will be placed in order of priority using distance from their home address point to the main entrance of the academy on Fossdale Road, as measured by straight line.
3.5 The Academy also has to comply with the “Infant Class Size” regulations which say that infant classes must not exceed 30 pupils. If an infant class is full, a waiting list based on the above criteria will be held until the end of the academic year. Parents must ask to be placed on the waiting list of a school or schools – it will not happen automatically. If places become available, they will be offered to children on the waiting list.
3.6. For admission purposes, an older brother or sister is defined as a child who lives at the same address and who is the brother/sister, half-brother/sister (i.e. share one common parent), or stepbrother/sister (i.e. related by parent’s marriage) of the child for whom the place is being requested. It also includes any other child living at the same residence under the terms of a Residence Order.
3.7. The applicant’s home address is the child’s along with their parent’s main and genuine place of residence at the time of the allocation of places. This will usually be the address at which Child Benefit is claimed or if there is no entitlement to Child Benefit, then the address at which the child is registered with their GP will be used. Where a child lives for part of the week with each parent separately, their main home address will be deemed to be the address at which the child lives for 51% or more of their time from Monday to Friday during school term times. Where there is a dispute over which address is the child’s main home address, the address at which Child Benefit is claimed or if there is no entitlement to Child Benefit, then the address at which the child is registered with their GP will be deemed to be their main home address.
3.8. Following the offer of a place at the Academy parents/carers will be asked to provide evidence of their child’s identification and main residence should it be subsequently found that the offer was obtained through a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application, the place will be withdrawn. The forms of identification may include;
f) Birth certificate - preferably a full certificate
g) NHS registration
h) Council tax bill
i) Two current (i.e. less than six months old) utility bills
j) Passport
4. Distance from the Academy
Distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address point to Three Primary Academy’s main entrance on Fossdale Road, using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system.
5. Tie-Breaker
As stated above, places will be allocated within each priority according to the proximity of the child’s main home address to the academy. Where distance from the academy is equal for two or more applications, such as in the case of children living in the same block of flats, places will be allocated by independently verified random allocation.
6. Twins and Children from Multiple Births
Where a child who is a twin or a child from a multiple birth has achieved a place in the usual way, but there are no places remaining to admit their twin or siblings from a multiple birth, the academy will admit the twin or siblings from a multiple birth over and above the academy’s published admission number (PAN). In those cases, those additional children admitted over the PAN will be admitted as “excepted pupils” and will not count towards the statutory maximum class size.
7. Children of UK Service Personnel and other Crown Servants
The academy will treat an application for admission of a child from a UK armed forces family with a confirmed posting to the academy’s area, or from a crown servant family returning from overseas to live in the academy’s area, as if they live in the area of the academy even if a residential address has not been identified at the date of the application.
The application must be supported by a letter from the relevant government department (for example, the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or Government Communications Headquarters) indicating the likely address of the unit or quarters, for the purpose of applying the academy’s oversubscription criteria.
8. In-year Admissions
Where places for children in other year groups are sought (Years 1 to 6) outside the normal admissions round, an application form is available from the academy and this should be completed and returned to the academy as early as possible. All current applications for places will be considered once a week and if sufficient places are available these will be offered to all applicants. In the case of oversubscription, the criteria detailed in 3.3 will be applied and details of any applicants who cannot be accommodated at the academy will be passed to Staffordshire County Council for placement at an alternative school.
9. Waiting Lists
Once all places have been filled, the academy will maintain a waiting list for each year group. The names of all children who are unsuccessful in achieving a place in Reception Year will be automatically added to the waiting list until the end of the academic year. Where an application for admission into a different year group, or in-year admission, has been unsuccessful, parents will be asked if they would like their child’s name to be added to the waiting list for that year group. The waiting list will be maintained until the end of the Summer term. A child’s position on the waiting list will be ranked solely in accordance with the order of priority set out above, and not in accordance with the date that the child’s name was added to the waiting list. This means that the child’s name may go up or down in ranking on the waiting list, as other children are added or removed. Where a place becomes vacant in any year group, the place will be offered to the child ranked first on the waiting list for that year group. Where two or more children on the waiting list live an equal distance from the academy, they will be jointly ranked until a place becomes available for one of them. At that time, the place will be allocated by independently verified random allocation in accordance with the tiebreaker outlined above.
10. Appeals
Where a child is not successful in achieving an offer of a place, the child’s parents will be told the reason why admission was refused and that they are entitled to appeal to an independent admission appeal panel within a specified amount of time under the provisions of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The academy will provide information to parents about the appeals process and provide the parents with a named contact who can answer any enquiries they may have about the appeals process. Parents lodging an appeal must set out the grounds of the appeal in writing.
The admission appeal panel will be independent of the academy. The academy will appoint an independent appeals service to deal with the administrative side of arranging admission appeal hearings for the academy.
The determination of the admission appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Schools Admission Appeals Code 2021 and will be binding on all parties
Admissions Arrangements 2025/2026, 2024/2025
1. Basic principles
1.1. The Academy will comply with all relevant provisions of the statutory codes of practice (the School Admissions Code of Practice and the School Admissions Appeals Code of Practice) as they apply at any given time to maintained schools and with the law on admissions as it applies to maintained schools. Reference in the codes to admission authorities shall be deemed to be reference to the Local Governing Body of the Academy (The latter is a subcommittee of the Creative Education Trust (CET) Board and is the local presence of the Board with representatives from the school community, the local community and regional businesses and organisations). In particular, the Academy will take part in any Co-ordinated Admissions System operated by the LA.
1.2. Although the Academy is its own Admissions Authority, Staffordshire administer the Coordinated admission process for Reception.
1.3. The Academy will admit children with a Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) / Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where the Academy is named in the Statement/Plan, without reference to oversubscription criteria outlined below, and this will reduce the number of places available.
2. Admission Arrangements – Nursery
2.1 Children aged three years by 31 August are able to apply for a nursery place for the following Autumn Term. This will consist of the statutory provision, with possible additional hours based upon other criteria. The Academy has an admission number of 26 for the Nursery class. The Academy will admit the admission number of pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received. If there are more applications, the oversubscription procedure will be applied.
2.2. The Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 26 applications are received, the Academy will offer places to all those students who have applied.
2.3 In the event of over-subscription, and following the allocation of places to pupils who have an SEN Statement or EHCP, when there are more applications than places available, places will be offered in accordance with the following order of priority:
1. Children in the care of the local authority and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order). Including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. Children who have an elder brother or sister at the school at the time of application and who will still be attending at the time of admission.
3. Children of staff employed at the school a. where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or b. the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. Other children living within the catchment.
5. Other children living outside the catchment area.
2.4 If priorities have to be decided within any of these categories, children will be placed in order of priority using distance from their home address point to the main entrance of the academy on Fossdale Road, as measured by straight line.
2.5 Once the class is full, a waiting list based on these criteria will be held until the end of the academic year.
2.6 Attendance at a particular nursery setting will not guarantee admission to a reception class at the same school.
2.6 As nursery education is not compulsory there is no right of appeal against the refusal of a place. However, every effort will be made to accommodate the wishes of parents.
2.7. Following the offer of a place at the Academy parents/carers will be asked to provide evidence of their child’s identification and main residence should it be subsequently found that the offer was obtained through a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application, the place will be withdrawn. The forms of identification may include;
a) Birth certificate - preferably a full certificate
b) NHS registration
c) Council tax bill
d) Two current ((i.e. less than six months old) utility bills
e) Passport
3. Admission arrangements – Reception
3.1 Full time places in the Reception class are available in the September of the academic year in which a child becomes five years old.
3.2. The Academy has a Pupil Admission Number (PAN) for the Reception class and places will be offered up to but not exceeding the PAN. Regulations also require that Reception and infant classes must have no more than 30 pupils to each teacher.
3.3. In the event of over-subscription, where there are more applications than there are places available, the following priorities will be used, in order, to allocate places:
1. Children in the care of the local authority and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangement order or special guardianship order). Including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2. Children who have an elder brother or sister at the school at the time of application and who will still be attending at the time of admission.
3. Children of staff employed at the school a. where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or b. the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. Other children living within the catchment.
5. Other children living outside the catchment area.
3.4 If priorities have to be decided within any of these categories, children will be placed in order of priority using distance from their home address point to the main entrance of the academy on Fossdale Road, as measured by straight line.
3.5 The Academy also has to comply with the “Infant Class Size” regulations which say that infant classes must not exceed 30 pupils. If an infant class is full, a waiting list based on the above criteria will be held until the end of the academic year. Parents must ask to be placed on the waiting list of a school or schools – it will not happen automatically. If places become available, they will be offered to children on the waiting list.
3.6. For admission purposes, an older brother or sister is defined as a child who lives at the same address and who is the brother/sister, half-brother/sister (i.e. share one common parent), or stepbrother/sister (i.e. related by parent’s marriage) of the child for whom the place is being requested. It also includes any other child living at the same residence under the terms of a Residence Order.
3.7. The applicant’s home address is the child’s along with their parent’s main and genuine place of residence at the time of the allocation of places. This will usually be the address at which Child Benefit is claimed or if there is no entitlement to Child Benefit, then the address at which the child is registered with their GP will be used. Where a child lives for part of the week with each parent separately, their main home address will be deemed to be the address at which the child lives for 51% or more of their time from Monday to Friday during school term times. Where there is a dispute over which address is the child’s main home address, the address at which Child Benefit is claimed or if there is no entitlement to Child Benefit, then the address at which the child is registered with their GP will be deemed to be their main home address.
3.8. Following the offer of a place at the Academy parents/carers will be asked to provide evidence of their child’s identification and main residence should it be subsequently found that the offer was obtained through a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application, the place will be withdrawn. The forms of identification may include;
f) Birth certificate - preferably a full certificate
g) NHS registration
h) Council tax bill
i) Two current (i.e. less than six months old) utility bills
j) Passport
4. Distance from the Academy
Distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address point to Three Primary Academy’s main entrance on Fossdale Road, using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system.
5. Tie-Breaker
As stated above, places will be allocated within each priority according to the proximity of the child’s main home address to the academy. Where distance from the academy is equal for two or more applications, such as in the case of children living in the same block of flats, places will be allocated by independently verified random allocation.
6. Twins and Children from Multiple Births
Where a child who is a twin or a child from a multiple birth has achieved a place in the usual way, but there are no places remaining to admit their twin or siblings from a multiple birth, the academy will admit the twin or siblings from a multiple birth over and above the academy’s published admission number (PAN). In those cases, those additional children admitted over the PAN will be admitted as “excepted pupils” and will not count towards the statutory maximum class size.
7. Children of UK Service Personnel and other Crown Servants
The academy will treat an application for admission of a child from a UK armed forces family with a confirmed posting to the academy’s area, or from a crown servant family returning from overseas to live in the academy’s area, as if they live in the area of the academy even if a residential address has not been identified at the date of the application.
The application must be supported by a letter from the relevant government department (for example, the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or Government Communications Headquarters) indicating the likely address of the unit or quarters, for the purpose of applying the academy’s oversubscription criteria.
8. In-year Admissions
Where places for children in other year groups are sought (Years 1 to 6) outside the normal admissions round, an application form is available from the academy and this should be completed and returned to the academy as early as possible. All current applications for places will be considered once a week and if sufficient places are available these will be offered to all applicants. In the case of oversubscription, the criteria detailed in 3.3 will be applied and details of any applicants who cannot be accommodated at the academy will be passed to Staffordshire County Council for placement at an alternative school.
9. Waiting Lists
Once all places have been filled, the academy will maintain a waiting list for each year group. The names of all children who are unsuccessful in achieving a place in Reception Year will be automatically added to the waiting list until the end of the academic year. Where an application for admission into a different year group, or in-year admission, has been unsuccessful, parents will be asked if they would like their child’s name to be added to the waiting list for that year group. The waiting list will be maintained until the end of the Summer term. A child’s position on the waiting list will be ranked solely in accordance with the order of priority set out above, and not in accordance with the date that the child’s name was added to the waiting list. This means that the child’s name may go up or down in ranking on the waiting list, as other children are added or removed. Where a place becomes vacant in any year group, the place will be offered to the child ranked first on the waiting list for that year group. Where two or more children on the waiting list live an equal distance from the academy, they will be jointly ranked until a place becomes available for one of them. At that time, the place will be allocated by independently verified random allocation in accordance with the tiebreaker outlined above.
10. Appeals
Where a child is not successful in achieving an offer of a place, the child’s parents will be told the reason why admission was refused and that they are entitled to appeal to an independent admission appeal panel within a specified amount of time under the provisions of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The academy will provide information to parents about the appeals process and provide the parents with a named contact who can answer any enquiries they may have about the appeals process. Parents lodging an appeal must set out the grounds of the appeal in writing.
The admission appeal panel will be independent of the academy. The academy will appoint an independent appeals service to deal with the administrative side of arranging admission appeal hearings for the academy.
The determination of the admission appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Schools Admission Appeals Code 2021 and will be binding on all parties