Admissions Policy (2022-2023)

Co-op Academy Stoke-On-Trent

Westport Road, Tunstall, Stoke-On-Trent ST6 4LD

Tel: 01782 882300

www.cas.coop

Headteacher: Mr Shane Richardson

Type: Academy

The academy admits students between the ages of 11-16

We will list the children in descending order of priority. We will not take any account of whether an application is a first, second or third preference.

General Principles & Ethos

Co-op Academy Stoke-on-Trent (CAS) is its own admissions authority and makes decisions about admissions based on this policy. We are part of the Local Authority Coordinated admissions scheme. Advice on the procedures including appeals should be taken from the Stoke on Trent Local Authority website www.stoke.gov.uk/admissions. Details of the Co-ordinated Scheme can be found below.

Application Procedures for Year 6 Pupils Transferring to Secondary School Applications must be made either on line, at stoke.gov.uk/admissions or using the Common Application Form which is available from your child’s primary school. Applications must be made direct to your home Local Authority by the national deadline (31st October of the year preceding admission). All places will be offered by your home local authority, on behalf of the Governing Body, within the secondary Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council Co-ordinated Scheme

Stoke-on-Trent City Council manages admissions to secondary schools for all the children who live in the City of Stoke-on-Trent and it uses an equal preference system. Parents are asked to name three schools as preferences. Every admissions authority publishes its own admission arrangements and will consider each preference for individual schools in accordance with those arrangements.

The national closing date for applications is 31st October. When it has received all applications for places for the schools in Stoke-on- Trent, the Local Authority will forward a spread sheet showing all applications which name CAS, as one of the preferred schools, to the academy governors, by the end of November.

The Governing Body will then rank all the applications and provide to the Stoke on Trent Local Authority a list of children in each of the categories as defined below. (Those children who have an EHCP (SEND) naming CAS and have requested CAS will be placed at the top of the list). The Stoke on Trent Local Authority must receive this list by the end of the autumn term.

The home Local Authority will then offer each child a place at the highest preference school for which they are eligible.

PAN

The determined Published Admission Number (PAN) for 2021/22 is 210 and is based on the academy’s funding agreement. Published Admission numbers will be subject to annual review.

Special Educational Needs

Under the School Admission Code 2014, the academy must admit children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) that names the Academy. This requirement is not part of the over-subscription criteria below. The academy must admit such children whether it has places or not.

Over-Subscription Criteria

Where the number of applications exceeds the number of places available (the Published Admission Number), the Governing Body will use the following over -subscription criteria to determine those applicants to be offered a place. The Co-operative Academy of Stoke-on-Trent Governors will rank applications (prioritise places) in the following order:

1. Children who are in public care and previously looked after children, who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order). Further references to previously looked after children in this Code means such children who were adopted (or subject to residence orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after. Children in public care include children provided with accommodation under Section 22 of the Children Act (1989).

2. Children who have older brothers or sisters/ siblings* at the academy at the time that the applicant will start on roll.

3. Children who live nearest to the academy as determined by a straight line measurement from the child’s home address point to the main entrance of the academy on Westport Road. The Stoke on Trent Local Authority uses a Geographical information system to calculate home to school distances. This determines coordinates of the applicant’s home address using the Local Land and Property Gazeteer (LLPG) and OS Address Point data.

*Definition of Older Brothers or Sisters

For admission purposes, an older brother or sister is defined as a child who lives at the same address and who is the brother/sister, half-brother/sister (i.e. share one common parent), or step brother/sister of the child for whom the place is being requested. It also includes any other child living at the same residence under the terms of a Residence Order. We do not include cousins within our definition of sibling.

Home Address

The applicant’s home address is the child’s along with their parent’s main and genuine place of residence at the time of the allocation of places. Where a pupil lives with parents with shared responsibilities, each for part of the week, the home address will be the one at which the student is resident for the greatest part of the week. Where this is equally shared, the home address will be the one used when applying for child benefit. In the unlikely event of two or more children living exactly the same distance from the academy, the case will be referred to the Local Authority for independent adjudication.

Proof of residence may be required under the Co-ordinated Scheme. The offer of a place may be withdrawn if proof of residency is not met.

Waiting Lists

Under the Co-ordinated Scheme, the Academy and Stoke on Trent Local Authority will maintain a waiting list until the end of the academic year.

In Year Admissions

Admissions for all year groups will be dealt with in accordance with this policy. Governors will take each admission on an individual basis.

Applications for an In-Year admission must be made on the academy’s appropriate form and will be ranked according to our over subscription criteria as described above.

Appeals

Parents who wish to appeal against the decision of the Governors to refuse their child a place at CAS may register their appeals through the Stoke on Trent Local Authority. The academy will be informed of this decision with the appeals heard by an independent appeals panel coordinated through the Clerk to the Education Appeals Panel, c/o Democratic Services, Resources Directorate, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke on Trent, ST4 1RN.

The closing date for Year 7 appeals should be adhered to. All Year 7 appeals, where possible, will be heard by the same panel and it is often difficult to slot in late appeals.

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Governors of the academy.