Admissions

Joining Our School

To find out more about our school please click on the box below to view our prospectus:

Our School Prospectus Our Attendance Policy Our Admissions Policy


The Governing body of Orchards Church of Academy is responsible for determining the admissions policy, including criteria for allocating places where the school is over-subscribed; it applies the regulations on admissions fairly and equitably to all those who wish to attend this school.

 

For more information on admissions to Orchards CE Academy please read the DEMAT Admissions policy below.

 

If you are interested in applying for a place for your child/ren to attend Orchards CE Primary School or Acorn Nursery visit the Cambridgeshire County Council website.




  • Joining at the start of Reception & Years 1 to 6

    Parents wishing to apply for a place for their child in one of our Reception classes or in a class in Years One to Six, please visit the Cambridgeshire Local Authority’s School Admissions website.


    This includes a new school catchment search facility so that you can find out if you are living in our school’s catchment area (although you do not need to be in catchment to apply).


    You can also apply for a place online.


  • Joining the School During the School Year

    Reception and Years One to Six


    If you wish to join the school at a time other than the start of the school year, please visit this section of the Cambridgeshire Local Authority website.


    If you wish to apply for a place at our school on religious grounds then click here to download the appropriate guidance.


How Places Are Offered

For admission into Reception each September, the LA, on behalf of the Governing Body, will offer a set number of places. This is the Published Admission Number (PAN) for that year group.

In the event that more applications than the PAN are received, the oversubscription criteria will be applied to determine priority for places. Both preferences are treated equally, regardless of whether they are first or second preference

Over-subscription Criteria

Children who have a statement of special educational needs, whose parents/carers name the school will be admitted.

N.B. Those children with a statement of special educational needs whose parents/carers do not name a school will be referred to Student Assessment to determine an appropriate place.

Where applications exceed the number of places available at the school, referred to as the PAN the following criteria are applied in order.

* The home address is defined as the address of the adult with parental responsibility with whom the child normally lives and which applies at the time of application. Future addresses will be accepted only if the move is intended to take place within 6 teaching weeks of the application and upon confirmation of tenancy or exchange of contracts. For further details, please see the full definition in the LA admissions booklet for parents

** A sibling is defined as another child of compulsory school age living in the same family home.

PAN



  • Children in Care, also known as Looked After Children (LAC)
  • Children living in the catchment area* with a sibling** at the school at the time of admission;
  • Children living in the catchment area;
  • Children living outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
  • Children who live in the ecclesiastical Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge (see attached map)
  • Children of regular worshippers of a Christian church;
  • Children of regular worshippers of other World Faiths;
  • Children living outside the catchment area, but nearest the school according to the shortest safe walking route from their home to the school site.

In criteria 4 and 5, priority in a tie-break will be given to children living nearest the school according to the shortest straight line distance. The distance is measured using a straight line from the centre point of the home to the centre point of the school as determined by the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG).

 If a place becomes available it will be offered to the child at the top of the reserve list for the year group or, if no reserve list exists, the place will be offered to the first child for whom an application is received.

Reserve Lists

When an application is refused, the child’s details are automatically placed on a reserve list for the year group, ranked according to the oversubscription criteria.

As part of the co-ordinated scheme for primary admissions, the LA Admissions Team holds the initial reserve list on behalf of the governing body until the end of the first week of the autumn term in the initial year of intake.

If A Place Opens Up

Parents will be contacted immediately if a place becomes available for their child, but should be aware that their child’s place on a reserve list may change if an application is subsequently received that meets a higher criterion than their own.

The governing body then manages the reserve list until the end of the autumn term.

Mid-Phase Applications

Where mid-phase applications are received, children’s details will be automatically placed on a reserve list for the year group, ranked according to the oversubscription criteria.

Reserve lists will be held for a period of one term following the term for which the place was refused.

Appeals

The parent of any child who is refused a place at a VA or F Primary School has a right of appeal to an independent Appeals Panel. The panel consists of three people who are independent of the school’s Governing Body and the Local Education Authority.

The panel will consider the circumstances of the case put before them and the Governing Body and parents must abide by the decision it makes.

Appeals for VA or F Primary School are currently arranged by the LA Admissions Team on behalf of the Governing Body. Further information and appeal forms are available from the Admissions Team.

Definitions
For the purpose of admission to the school, the Governing Body has adopted the LA’s definitions of parent, sibling and home address. Details of these can be found at the back of the LA’s admission booklet for parents.