Admissions from August 2023

Parents applying for a place at Mountfields Lodge Primary School (academy) as from August 2023 should note the following Admissions criteria.

From August 2023 Leicestershire County Council will lead on our First Time Admissions as part of their statutory duties. They will process, validate, rank, and maintain our waiting list in accordacne with our school policy and selection criteria.

For all in-year admissions again they rank according to our criteria, offer places or refuse, and offer right of appeal.

• Mountfields Lodge will be capping its Admissions Number at 75 for the Foundation Stage and for all other year groups
• Mountfields Lodge will not be overfilling on grounds on in-catchment movement
• Mountfields Lodge has retained the Council’s Catchment Map; If parents are unclear in which catchment area the home address falls please contact the Council's Customer Service Centre in the first instance – (0116) 305 6684, who will be able to inform them in which school catchment their address falls. In addition parents will also find in the primary and secondary ‘Your Guide to Education’ booklets district maps that outline in general the schools located within the district you live.
• Mountfields Lodge’s criteria for allocating places at the school is as follows (up to an absolute maximum of 75 in any one year group):

School Criteria:

1st  Children who are in public care and those children who were previously looked-after children (this includes children who appear to have been in care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted).

2nd Pupils who live permanently in the catchment area at the time of application and admission.

3rd Pupils who have an older brother or sister currently attending Mountfields Lodge Primary School (academy) at the same time and who live in the same house.

4th Pupils who have a serious medical condition or exceptional social or domestic needs that make it essential they attend the school requested.

5th Pupils living nearest the school measured in a straight line distance (centre of the home propoerty to school front gate).

A 6-week consultation on a revised school's Admissions Policy - most importantly on its Admissions Arrangements and Admissions Criteria  - ran between 4/11/22 and 16/12/22 for First Time Admissions for entry Autumn 2024 and mid-term transfers from Autumn 2024 onwards.

Governors considered the outcomes of the consultation and agreed on the following:

Admissions from August 2024

Parents applying for a place at Mountfields Lodge Primary School (academy) as from August 2024 should note the following Admissions criteria.

From August 2024 Leicestershire County Council will lead on our First Time Admissions as part of their statutory duties. They will process, validate, rank, and maintain our waiting list in accordacne with our school policy and selection criteria.

For all in-year admissions again they rank according to our criteria, offer places or refuse, and offer right of appeal.

• Mountfields Lodge will be capping its Admissions Number at 75 for the Foundation Stage and for all other year groups
• Mountfields Lodge will not be overfilling on grounds on in-catchment movement
• Mountfields Lodge has retained the Council’s Catchment Map; If parents are unclear in which catchment area the home address falls please contact the Council's Customer Service Centre in the first instance – (0116) 305 6684, who will be able to inform them in which school catchment their address falls. In addition parents will also find in the primary and secondary ‘Your Guide to Education’ booklets district maps that outline in general the schools located within the district you live.
• Mountfields Lodge’s criteria for allocating places at the school is as follows (up to an absolute maximum of 75 in any one year group):

School Criteria:

1st: Children who are in public care and those children who were previously looked-after children.(see note i)

2nd: Pupils who will have an older brother or sister currently attending Mountfields Lodge Primary School (academy) at the same time. (see note iii)

3rd: Pupils who live permanently in the catchment area at the time of application and admission (see note ii)

4th: Pupils who have a serious medical condition or exceptional social or domestic needs that make it essential they attend the school requested (professional documentation confirming the situation must be submitted with the application) (see note iv)

5th: Pupils living nearest the school measured in a straight-line distance (home to school front gate)  (see note v)

Once the revised LCC Admissions Policy has been agreed, Mountfields Lodge will adopt this and all guidance notes and and details regarding Admissions will be included within it.

Notes:

i) A ‘looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school; Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted, (or became subject to a child arrangements order, or special guardianship order).

Children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and 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. [*State Care - a child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.] (i.e. charity group that benefits society) but does not include private fostering whether in England or from outside of England.

ii) For the purpose of processing a school application a single home address must  be used. The child’s place of residence is taken to be the parental home at which they normally reside. Where parents claim equal or dual residency, they must prioritise one address over the other, or risk the application not being processed. For children of UK service personnel (UK Armed Forces) and crown servants, a unit postal address or quartering area address that has been formally declared by an official letter will be used as the home address before arrival into the UK.

iii)The term ‘brother or sister’ includes half-brother or sister, step-brother or sister or legally adopted child being regarded as the brother or sister living at the same home address.

iv)If criterion 4 is used, professional supporting documentation from the Lead    Professional must be supplied and must be submitted with the application. The following list are the areas that are considered exceptional:

• Children subject to Child Protection Plans
• Hard to Place children – who fall under the Fair Access Protocol   
• Parents suffering domestic violence (This is dependent on documentary evidence by a lead professional)

Each case will be assessed on its merits.

v)For criterion 5 above, the measurement of distance of up to three decimal places will be in a straight line from the centre point of the property to the school’s main designated front gate, using a computerised mapping system (Routefinder). Where there is equal distance then lots will be drawn, supervised by an independent officer.

Normal FTA / Transfer Applications

Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy), as required, will participate in full with the LA’s FTA Transfer Co- ordinating Scheme. This means parents must apply through the LA online system or using the LA’s common application form. The application forms must be completed and submitted or returned by the national closing date (First-time admissions primary - 15 January).

Late Applications

Any applications received after the closing date will be accepted but considered only after those received by the closing date. You are therefore encouraged to ensure that your application is submitted on time. All supplementary information i.e. medical consultant letters to proof of a change of address remains the parent’s responsibility to supply.

Oversubscription Criteria

If Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy) has more applications than places available, a ranked list based on the criteria listed above will be drawn up. Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan that names the school, will be admitted even if the school is full.

Oversubscription (OSL ‘Waiting’) List

Parents whose children have been refused a place at Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy) will automatically be added to the school’s OSL (waiting) list. The OSL for admission will remain open until the end of the Autumn Term in the admission year.

The OSL is ranked using the oversubscription criteria listed above. The OSL may change, this    means that a child’s OSL position during the year could go ‘up’ or ‘down’. The OSL makes no distinction between on-time or late applications.

Appeals

If your child has been refused a place at the Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy), you retain the statutory right to appeal. The school has engaged the services of the LA to  conduct all our appeals. Therefore, you can appeal using the LA ‘Notice of Appeal’ which is available through the following link-

https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools-colleges-and- academies/school-admissions/appeal-a-school-place-and-check-waiting-lists-online

The LA will arrange the appeal on behalf of the governors to be heard by an independent panel, whose decision is binding on all parties.

Applications during the School Year

Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy) has engaged the services of the LA to coordinate mid-term applications. This is because the LA’s online systems operate 24/7, and throughout school holidays online application links -

https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools-colleges-and- academies/school-admissions/apply-to-move-school

If Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy) has a space, the LA will offer the place, if there are more applications than places, applications will be ranked and the Local Authority will inform parents of outcomes.

Fraudulent Information

If the allocation of a place has been made on the basis of fraudulent or intentionally misleading information, the governors reserve the right to withdraw the place.

Fair Access Protocol

Mountfields Lodge Primary School (Academy) will participate in full with the LA’s Fair Access Protocol to make sure that the most vulnerable children are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. This includes admitting children above the published admission number of a school that is already full.

Deferred, Part-time and Delayed Entry

All parents at 4+ entry i.e. ‘first-time admissions’ (FTA) can defer or seek part-time entry.

The request must be in writing and accompanied where possible with lead professional documentation supporting the request.  For those parents with a summer-born child seeking to delay their school start they must contact Mountfields School to discuss their request for a delayed start.

Definitions:

Deferred entry: a request to the school seeking a start later in the school year but no  later than the start of the summer term.

Delayed entry: a request to the admitting authority seeking to apply and start a year later from reception.