Current arrangements: Overview

The admissions arrangements for each school will differ depending on the type of school.

You will find the published admission arrangements for academies, foundation and voluntary aided schools within Staffordshire by scrolling to the bottom on this webpage.

Community and voluntary controlled schools

If the number of applications for admission to a school exceeds the school's published admissions number (PAN) then the available places for the school are allocated in strict accordance with its oversubscription criteria.

• Current arrangements (September 2021 admission)

• Previous arrangements (September 2020 admission)

Application for variation for 2021-22

Staffordshire County Council has made an application to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator for a variation to its admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools for 2021-22. 

The main purpose of this variation it to reduce the published admission number for Hob Hill CE/Methodist Primary School from 45 to 30.  The reasons for the variation are as follows:

• projected numbers will mean that the school cannot meet the requirements of the infant class size legislation without financial consequences and organising as a one form entry school will enable the school to make maximum use of their resources and budget

• the uptake of places at the school during the current admission round have made it financially difficult for the school to meet the requirements of the infant class size legislation and will continue to do so whilst numbers remain low in the foreseeable future

• it is not expected that any child will be required to travel an unreasonable distance to school as a result of this proposal’s implementation 

Faith based criteria

As you can imagine, the closure of churches as a result of Covid-19 may raise an issue of clergy being able to verify an applicant's level of church attendance as per the above requirement. At the beginning of the summer break, the DfE issued guidance advising admission authorities to consider applying for a variation to its 2021/22 admission arrangements due to the above. 

Having given the matter thought, the Local Authority view is that to seek a variation to the already determined arrangements for 2021/22 would be a disproportionate action to take given the very rare occasion that it is applied in the school admissions process. It would also be necessary to have consulted, applied and determined new arrangements in time for 1 November 2020 when the online application system opens.

Admission arrangements 2022-23 (September 2022 admission)

Please view the proposed admission arrangements for admission year of 2022-23.

There are no changes to the general arrangements or oversubscription criteria applied on behalf of community and voluntary controlled schools for whom the local authority is the responsible admitting authority.

However, as a result of Covid-19 and restrictions placed on people in relation to the ability to worship “on at least two Sundays per month” for last 2 years we are proposing to alter the relevant criteria so that there is a note attached worded as follows, “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, or the person has been unable to partake in such activities due to health restrictions, the requirement in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church or alternative premises have been available for public worship and/or the person was able to partake in such activities”.

Any proposals to alter a community or voluntary controlled cchools published admission number (PAN) will be indicated within the document. 

Finalised admissions arrangements for 2022/23 will be determined by 28 February 2021.

Nursery school admissions arrangements

Since September 2019 schools have managed their own nursery admissions process, you should contact the individual school/setting for details of their arrangements.

Schools maintained by other local authorities

You may prefer your child to be admitted to a school maintained by another local authority.

If this is the case, details of their admissions arrangements can be obtained by contacting the authority in question.

Schools which are academies, voluntary aided, Catholic or foundation

These schools have their own oversubscription criteria. The schools use these criteria when allocating places if they are oversubscribed. You can use the A-Z list below to find the arrangements for a specific school in this category.

Please note: If the arrangements for a particular school are not detailed, this is because the school or academy has not sent a copy to the local authority and you should therefore contact the school or academy directly. 

The following are consulting on their proposed admission arrangements for 2022/2023:

• All Saints CoE Primary School, Bednall (change to oversubscription criteria)

• Longford Primary Academy

• Poppyfield Primary Academy (change to oversubscription criteria and introduction of a catchment area)

• Redhill Primary School (no changes proposed)

• Ryecroft CE Middle School (change to oversubscription criteria)

• Rykneld Primary School (change to oversubscription criteria)

• Squirrel Hayes First School (change to oversubscription criteria) 
• Sun Academy (change to oversubscription criteria)

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator

Any person or body who considers that any maintained school or academy's arrangements are unlawful, or not in compliance with the school admissions code or relevant law relating to admissions, can make an objection to the schools adjudicator.