School Aims

We aim to:

• Be a warm and welcoming Christian school in which everyone feels valued, appreciated and respected for their opinions and beliefs.
• Encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian values through the experiences we offer to all in our school family.
• Provide a safe, secure and supportive learning environment with high expectations for all.
• Care for each child, showing sensitivity to individual needs in an atmosphere of encouragement, acceptance and respect.
• Equip our children with the knowledge to make informed choices about having a safe, happy and healthy lifestyle.
• Support a partnership between home and school through which parents are encouraged to take an active part in their child’s learning and school life.
• Develop and value the partnership between school and the local churches through sharing worship encouraging an appreciation of the Christian faith and a familiarity with the Christian heritage.
• Offer opportunities for all pupils to become involved in the daily life of the school and to prepare them to play an active role as citizens locally and in the wider world.
• Foster a life-long love of learning by providing challenging, creative and stimulating learning experiences where all children have opportunities to achieve their full potential.

Over-subscription Criteria

1. Looked after children or children who were previously looked after and were then adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order)
2. We must give priority to those with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Educational Healthcare Plan which names the school. See Note 1
3. Children who live in the parishes of Morpeth, Mitford, Hartburn, Netherwitton and Meldon.
4. Children with a brother or sister at the school at the time when they would be admitted to the school. See note 2
5. Children whose parents have chosen the school because of its Christian foundation.
6. Other children.

Admission of children below compulsory school age and deferred entry to school

The School Admissions Code requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. However, a child is not required to start school until they have reached compulsory school age following their fifth birthday. For summer born children (those born after 1 April) this can sometimes be almost a full school year after the point at which they could first be admitted.

Some parents may feel that their child is not ready to start school in the September following their fourth birthday. Parents are entitled to request in writing that:-

• Their child attends part-time until they reach compulsory school age, or
• That the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until later in the same academic year or until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age
• That the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until the term after the child reaches compulsory school age.

The child, must, however, start school full-time in the term after their fifth birthday.

Further information and advice on the admission of summer born children is available from

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/idoc.ashx?docid=960f4806-4d75-4648-9831-2666a1757ab8&version=-1.

Tie Breaker

Where there are places available for some but not all applicants within a particular criterion, distance from home to school will be the deciding factor using the Local Authority’s computerized measuring system, with preference given to those whose home address is nearest to the school when measured in a straight line (i.e. as the crow flies) from the front door of the child’s home address to the main gate of the school.

Waiting List

The school office will maintain a waiting list of applicants until 31 December each year. In the event of a place becoming available in the appropriate class during the year and there being more applicants on the waiting list than places available, the selection criteria and tie breaker indicated above will apply.

Notes:

1. Parents may be asked to let the Headteacher know whether their child has a disability if a place is offered in order to make appropriate arrangements. The school will make every reasonable adjustment to ensure that disabled children are not put at a substantial disadvantage in accessing a full curriculum and that they will not be treated less favourably without reasonable justification, than their able-bodied peers.
2. Brother or sister means brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step-brother or sister, or the child of a parent’s/carer’s partner – in every case the child should be living in the same family unit at the same address.
3. If applicants are seeking admission under criterion 6 above they will be asked to provide appropriate evidence, e.g. a letter from a doctor or specialist. The governors must be satisfied that there is a specified medical reason which makes attendance at this school essential.
4. Nursery admissions are entirely separate and parents are asked to note that attendance at the school’s nursery does not guarantee a place in the reception class.
5. Parents who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal. Further details of the appeals process are available by writing to the Chair of Governors at the school address.
6. If a place is offered on the basis of false information (e.g. address or if parents do not respond within the stated timescale to the offer of a place, the governing body reserves the right to withdraw their offer.

The school finds it very helpful to have an early indication of the number of children to be admitted to the Reception class the following September. However, it must be stressed that formal written applications for admission must be made on the form provided by the Local Education Authority and returned to the Local Authority by the stated date. Places will then be allocated by strict application of the above criteria, with no reference to the date of application. Parents will be notified as to whether or not their child has been allocated a place by the Local Authority.

DEFINITIONS

• Looked-after children and children who were previously looked after, but ceased to be so because, immediately after being looked after, they became subject to an adoption, child arrangements or special guardianship order."
• "Note: By a "looked-after child" we mean one in the care of a local authority or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of its social services function. An adoption order is one made under the Adoption Act 1976 (Section 12) or the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (Section 46). A ‘child arrangements order is one settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live (Children Act 1989, Section 8, as amended by the Children and Families Act 2014, Section 14). A ‘special guardianship order’ is one appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian/s (Children Act 1989, Section 14A). Applications under this criterion must be accompanied by evidence to show that the child is looked after or was previously looked after (e.g. a copy of the adoption, child arrangements or special guardianship order)." At the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be ‘looked after’ at the date of admission.
• An ‘adoption order’ is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
• A ‘residence order’ is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989.
• A ‘special guardianship order’ is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian or guardians.
• ‘Sibling’ refers to blood brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of a parent’s/carer’s partner – in every case the child should be living in the same family unit at the same address.

If applicants are seeking admission under the criterion of special medical needs or other special circumstances, they will be asked to provide appropriate evidence, e.g.,  a letter from a doctor or specialist. The evidence must clearly demonstrate why the school is the only school that can meet the child’s needs. It should explain the difficulties that would arise if the child has to attend an alternative school. This evidence must be submitted with the application on or before the closing date. The governors must be satisfied that there is a specified medical reason which makes attendance at this school essential.

Multiple Births - Where there are more applications than places, children from multiple births will be given priority within each criterion. If a further tie break is necessary, distance between home and school will be used to prioritize applications.

Please note the information contained above is taken directly from our Admissions Policy 2017/2018.