The JCB Academy

Admission arrangements 2026/2027

1. This Annex may be amended in writing at any time by agreement between the Secretary of State and The JCB Academy Trust.

2. The JCB Academy Trust will act in accordance with, and will ensure that the Independent Appeal Panel is trained to act in accordance with, all relevant provisions of the School Admissions Code and the School Admission Appeals Code published by the Department for Education as they apply at any given time to academies and with equalities law and the law on admissions as they apply to academies. For this purpose, reference in these codes or law to “admission authorities” shall be deemed to be references to the Governing Body of The JCB Academy Trust.

3. Notwithstanding any provision in this Annex, the Secretary of State may:

(a) direct The JCB Academy Trust to admit a named student to The JCB Academy on application from a local authority (LA). Before doing so the Secretary of State will consult The JCB Academy Trust;

(b) direct The JCB Academy Trust to admit a named student to The JCB Academy if The JCB Academy Trust has failed to act in accordance with this Annex or has otherwise failed to comply with applicable admissions and equalities legislation or the provisions of the Codes.

4. The JCB Academy Trust shall ensure that parents1 and relevant children will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of The JCB Academy Trust. The Independent Appeal Panel will be independent of The JCB Academy Trust. The arrangements for appeals will comply with the School Admission Appeals Code published by the Department for Education as it applies to academies. The determination of the Independent Appeal Panel is binding on all parties.

5. The JCB Academy Trust shall prepare guidance for parents and relevant children about how the appeals process will work and provide them with a named contact who can answer any enquiries they may have about the process. The JCB Academy Trust may, if it chooses, enter into an agreement with a LA or any other organisation for it to recruit, train and appoint appeal panel members, and to arrange for the process to be independently administered and clerked.

6. In paragraphs 4 and 5 above, relevant children means:

(a) in the case of appeals for entry to a sixth form, the child, and;

(b) in any other case, children who are above compulsory school age, or will be above compulsory school age by the time they start to receive education at the school.

Relevant area

7. The relevant area for consultation is the area covered by a circle centred at The JCB Academy with a radius of 18 miles, i.e. the area within 18 miles of The JCB Academy.

8. A map of the relevant area is attached at Appendix A.

ANNUAL PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

Consultation

9. The JCB Academy Trust shall consult the following parties on The JCB Academy’s proposed admission arrangements for a minimum period of six weeks between 1 October and 31 January in the Determination Year2:

(a) Staffordshire LA;

(b) any other admission authorities for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation;

(c) any other governing body for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation;

(d) affected admission authorities in neighbouring local authority areas;

(e) parents living in the relevant area for consultation whose children have attained the age of two but are not above compulsory school age and who are or will be eligible to apply to be admitted to The JCB Academy;

(f) community groups which The JCB Academy considers relevant;

(g) The JCB Academy’s Staff Committee if the consultation includes an increase in the admission number.

Such consultation shall be in line with the requirements of the School Admissions Code and the School Admission Appeals Code and relevant admissions legislation.

10. From 2011-12, and for subsequent years consultation in line with paragraph 9 is not required in any year where the following conditions are met:

(a) the admission arrangements were consulted upon in one or both of the previous seven years; and

(b) there have been no changes, or proposed changes, since the last consultation.

11. As soon as any changes are made to arrangements, or proposed, the consultation cycle in paragraph 9 must be followed for the next determination year.

The JCB Academy Trust determination of admission arrangements

12. The JCB Academy Trust will consider comments made by those consulted in accordance with paragraph 9, including any requests to amend the proposed admission number, before determining the admission arrangements for The JCB Academy.

13. The JCB Academy Trust will determine The JCB Academy’s admission arrangements annually by 28 February of the Determination Year and notify consultees listed in paragraph 9 and publish on The JCB Academy's website what has been determined before 15 March of the Determination Year.

Representations about admission arrangements

14. Where the JCB Academy Trust has determined The JCB Academy’s admission arrangements and notified all consultees listed in paragraph 9, if any of those persons or bodies object to The JCB Academy’s admission arrangements, including the proposed admission number, they can make representations to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Any representations must be made by 15 May in the Determination Year.

Publication of admission arrangements

15. The JCB Academy Trust shall each Determination Year publish The JCB Academy’s agreed admission arrangements by:

(a) copies being sent to the persons consulted in paragraph 9;

(b) copies being sent to primary and secondary schools in the relevant area for consultation;

(c) copies being sent to the offices of Staffordshire LA;

(d) copies being made available without charge on request from The JCB Academy;

(e) copies being sent to public libraries in the relevant area for the purposes of being made available at such libraries for reference by parents and other persons;

(f) a copy being uploaded to The JCB Academy’s website.

16. The published admission arrangements will set out:

(a) the name and address of The JCB Academy and contact details;

(b) a summary of the Admissions Policy, including full oversubscription criteria and any arrangements for post-16 admission;

(c) numbers of places and applications for those places; and

(d) arrangements for hearing appeals.

PROCEDURE FOR ADMITTING STUDENTS TO THE JCB ACADEMY

Admission number(s)

17. The JCB Academy Trust has the following agreed admission number for The JCB Academy for the year 2025/26 and, subject to any changes approved or required by the Secretary of State, for subsequent years:

• 184 learner places in Year 9.

• 105 learner places in Year 12.

18. The JCB Academy Trust may admit a higher number of learners than The JCB Academy’s agreed admission number above for an applicable year group.

YEAR 9

Process of application

19. Applications for places at The JCB Academy will be as follows:

(a) Applicants residing in Staffordshire (but not including Stoke on Trent)

• Applications made up to and including 31 October will be made directly to Staffordshire LA as part of the co-ordinated admissions scheme.

• Applications made between 1 November and 31 January will be made directly to The JCB Academy. Applicants must have submitted their application by 31 October to receive an invitation to a fair banding assessment.

(b) Applicants not residing in Staffordshire

• Applications will be made directly to The JCB Academy.

20. The JCB Academy Trust will use the timetable set out below for applications to The JCB Academy each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year). This will fit in with the timetable for the co-ordination of admission arrangements within Staffordshire LA as agreed by Staffordshire LA, local schools.

(a) By 15 March 2025: The JCB Academy will publish on its website information about the arrangements for admission into Year 9, including its oversubscription criteria, for admission in September 2026.

(b) By the end of October 2025 at the latest: The JCB Academy will host an open day event for prospective learners and parents.

(c) By 14 November 2025: All learners who have either applied to Staffordshire LA or direct to The JCB Academy by 31 October 2025 will be invited to sit a fair banding assessment

(d) 31 January 2026: Deadline for application forms to be completed and returned to The JCB Academy. Applicants who applied to sit the fair banding assessment before 31 October 2025 will be considered first.

(e) 7 February 2026: The JCB Academy provides Staffordshire LA information on applications.

(f) 14 February 2026: The JCB Academy sends list of students to be offered places to Staffordshire LA.

(g) 1 March 2026: The JCB Academy makes offers to parents.

Consideration of applications

21. The JCB Academy Trust will consider all applications for places at The JCB Academy. Where fewer than the published admission number(s) for the relevant year group are received, The JCB Academy Trust will offer places at The JCB Academy to all those who have applied.

Admission arrangements for September 2026

22. Invitations to sit the fair banding assessment will be sent to all applicants that have applied by 31 October 2025 either directly to The JCB Academy or to Staffordshire LA

23. There will be multiple dates before 31 January 2026 for the fair banding assessments. All applicants who submitted an application by 31 October 2025 will be invited to sit the fair banding assessment.

24. Applicants who sit the fair banding assessment prior to the 31 January 2026 deadline will be considered for admission first.

25. All applications must be received by 31 January 2026.

26. Any late applicant or applicant who applied after 31 October 2025 may be offered a fair banding assessment. However, if this is not possible, they, together with any applicants that choose not to sit the fair banding assessment, will be classed as ‘non-banded’. These applicants will be evenly distributed across all bands, but will only be considered when no ‘banded’ learners remain.

27. The JCB Academy will band across all the ability range of applicants for admission as described in paragraph 32.

28. All applicants will sit a fair banding assessment with a verbal, non-verbal and quantitative aspect. This is not a pass/fail assessment. Based on their mean CAT scores in this assessment, all applicants will then be placed into one of four ability bands. The highest ability applicants will be placed in band 1 and the lowest in band 4.

29. An equal number of male and female applicants will be allocated places from each band whenever possible.

30. If there are not enough applicants to make the representation of gender3 equal, then the places remaining in the band will be allocated to the gender that is still available.

31. If there are not enough applicants to fill a band, then the places remaining in the band will be allocated to learners evenly from the other bands.

32. The boundaries of each band reflect the national range of abilities and are indicated in the table below. The amount of notional places allocated to each band are also indicated.

33. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), looked after children4 and previously looked after children (those who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted5 or became subject to a residence order6 or special guardianship order7) will not be required to (but can do so if they wish) sit the fair banding assessment and will be allocated a band based on the recommendation of their current school.

34. The planned admission number (PAN) for 2025-26 for entry at Year 9 is 184 students. The JCB Academy’s approach to over-subscription criteria and its admissions policy at Year 9 is aimed at achieving a broad and balanced intake from within the region covered by the academy, within the context of the School Admission Code and the School Admission Appeals Code and admissions law.

35. Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number, and after the admission of applicants with EHCPs that name The JCB Academy (who will be included in the band in which they fall), places in Year 9 will be allocated to applicants in the order set out below:

(a) Applicants who are looked after children and previously looked after children. These applicants will be included in the band in which they fall.

(b) Applicants with a social or medical reason whose needs will be best met by The JCB Academy. Priority can only be given to applicants under this criterion where it is supported by written evidence from a medical professional or social worker stating why The JCB Academy is the most suitable placement for the child and that their medical or social grounds are such that they cannot be met sufficiently at another school. This evidence is subject to review by The JCB Academy and The JCB Academy also needs to agree that The JCB Academy is the most suitable setting for the child; this may require a meeting with the applicant and their parent/carer.

(c) Applicants who are siblings of learners who will still be attending The JCB Academy in the academic year of admissions. Siblings include step, adopted or foster brothers and sisters living in the same family unit on 1 September in the year of admission. Applications from sets of twins or other children of multiple births will be treated as a single application.

(d) Applicants who are children of staff. Children of current permanent members of staff who have (i) been directly employed at The JCB Academy for a minimum of two years at the time that the application is made and who will still be employed by The JCB Academy on 1 September in the year of admission (this rule cannot be applied until staff have been employed by The JCB Academy for two years); or (ii) have been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage (the Board of Trustees of The JCB Academy will determine this shortage). The child in question must reside permanently with the member of staff and must have been doing so for two years by the time of the application.

(e) Applicants who live within the 18 mile radius catchment area. The oversubscription criteria will use the random allocation as way of a tie-break within each ability band. Random allocation means that The JCB Academy will not select applicants on the basis of their ability.

(f) Applicants residing outside the 18 mile radius. Priority will be given to those living nearest to The JCB Academy as measured in a straight line from the applicant’s home address to the front gates of The JCB Academy using the computerised measuring system.

36. Applications from sets of twins or other children from multiple births will be treated as a single application; this might take The JCB Academy above its PAN. When making applications for children from multiple births, parents must ensure they telephone or email The JCB Academy’s Admissions Officer to advise them of the applicants’ names.

37. Unsuccessful applicants will have a right of appeal to an independent admission appeals panel.

38. The JCB Academy will ensure that someone independent of the school supervises the random allocation processes.

Withdrawal of a place

39. If a parent/carer does not respond to and accept the offer of a place by 31 March, the academy will follow up with three subsequent letters. Where a parent has not responded to the offer by 1 June the place will subsequently be deemed withdrawn. If it is established that the offer was obtained through a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application this could lead to withdrawal.

Late applications

40. Applications received after 31 January will only be considered alongside those applicants who have applied before this date if places have not been allocated and there are exceptional reasons for the late application, i.e. a major change of circumstance. A late application will not affect the right of appeal or the right to be placed on the waiting list.

Admission outside the normal age group

41. Parents may seek to apply for their child’s admission to The JCB Academy outside their normal age group, for example if the child is exceptionally gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health. These parents will need to make an application alongside children applying at the normal age which should explain why it is in the child’s best interest to be admitted outside their normal age which may include information such as professional evidence as to why this is the case and why an exception should be made in the case of the child. A decision as to whether this is an appropriate course of action will be made by the Governing Body who will take into account the circumstances of the case and views of the Principal. Parents do not have the right to insist that their child is admitted to a particular year group.

Operation of waiting lists

42. Where in any year The JCB Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, waiting lists for each band will operate until 31 December of the admission year. These will be maintained by The JCB 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 for the relevant band following an unsuccessful application.

43. All applicants on the waiting list will be placed into one of four bands (see paragraph 32). Priority will be given to applicants who have sat the fair banding assessment. If an applicant has not sat the fair band assessment, they will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list.

44. If an applicant withdraws their application, a place will become available in the band they have vacated.

45. Every three weeks (or sooner if there are more than three empty spaces sitting within each band), the number of empty spaces will be reviewed and a new random allocation process will be carried out to allocate these places.

46. Whenever possible, a place will be offered to an applicant of the same banding. If this is not possible, then the place will be offered to an applicant who has the earliest application date.

47. Whenever possible, an empty place will be offered to an applicant of the same gender. If this is not possible, then the place will be offered to an applicant of the same banding.

YEAR 12

Process of application

48. Applications will be made directly to The JCB Academy.

49. The JCB Academy expects to receive applications for entry in September each year by the first Monday of the preceding February (e.g. 1 February 2026 for entry in September 2026). Applications received after this deadline will be considered if space is still available or if space subsequently becomes available at a later stage in the admissions and enrolment process.

Admission criteria

50. The JCB Academy Trust will publish specific criteria in relation to minimum academic entrance requirements for admission or transfer to The JCB Academy sixth form. Both internal and external students wishing to enter the sixth form will be expected to have met the minimum academic entry requirements for the sixth form.

51. These academic entry requirements will be the subject of consultation with those listed in paragraph 9 and published on The JCB Academy’s website and signposted from Staffordshire LA’s website to enable parents to view the determined arrangements.

52. When the sixth form is undersubscribed, all applicants meeting the minimum academic entry requirements will be admitted.

53. When there are more external applicants that satisfy the academic entry requirements than the number of post-16 places available and after the admission of students with EHCPs statements which name The JCB Academy, the criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below:

• Looked after children and previously looked after children.

• Children in catchment.

54. There will be a right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel for internal students refused transfer and external applicants refused admission.

IN YEAR ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

55. Parents seeking to transfer their child to The JCB Academy may make an application using the appropriate application form which is available from The JCB Academy. This application will be processed in line with the procedure outlined in the determined admission arrangements.

56. In year transfers will only be accepted into Year 9 after 31 December of the admission year if there is an exceptional circumstance.

57. Parents need to be aware that any date set for joining The JCB Academy may be after the next term or half-term holiday and they are responsible for ensuring their child continues to receive appropriate education in the interim.

58. If a place is not available, parents will be informed of the decision to refuse admission, the reason(s) for that refusal and of their right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. A copy of the application form and refusal letter will be sent to the relevant LA.

Admission arrangements 2024/2025 & 2025/2026

Please view the admission arrangements for The JCB Academy on the policy pages on the academy website.