Admission Arrangements

West Park Primary School is an academy school and is part of Ad Astra Academy Trust. The board of trustees of Ad Astra Academy Trust is the admissions authority for the school, however the trust commissions Hartlepool Borough Council to undertake the administration of the admissions process on its behalf.

The admissions policy effective from 2021/22 admissions round, is as follows:

Parents/carers are invited to express preferences for up to 3 primary schools in priority order and give reasons for their preferences. In the first instance, places will be awarded to those pupils with a statement of special educational needs/Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) where the school is named in the statement or recorded in the plan.

The remaining places will be awarded in the following priority order:

1. those children who are looked after children and previously looked after children (previously looked after children are 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);
2. those children who have brothers or sisters who will be attending the school in September 2016;
3. those children who live in the school’s admission zone;
4. those children who are distinguished from the great majority of other applicants whether on medical grounds or by other exceptional circumstances and who would suffer significant hardship if they were unable to attend the school;
5. those children who live closest to the school as determined by a ‘straight line’ distance measurement; from the (ordnance survey) address point for the child’s home to the (ordnance survey) address point of the school. Tiebreaker: If more children qualify under a particular criterion than there are places available, priority will be given to those children who live closest to the school (as described under criteria 5).

Definitions:

• Looked After Child – A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is in the care of the local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority – as required by the Education (Admission of Looked After Children) (England) Regulations 2006.
• Sibling – Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner, and in every case, the child should be living in the same family unit at the same address. In all cases the responsible parent will hold the child benefit for those children permanently living at that address. A brother or sister living at the same address must be attending the preferred school at the same time as the child who is applying. Please note – this criteria only applies to siblings who are of compulsory school age, not younger siblings who attend a nursery setting attached to a school
• Twins or multiple birth children – If you have more than one child who are twins or part of a multiple birth going through the application process this year, you must make a separate application for each child and indicate on each online or paper form that your child has a sibling also going through the process. For community and voluntary controlled schools, we will offer a place to the other child(ren) if one of your twins/multiple birth children is offered the last place available and you have applied to the same school for the other child(ren).
• Distance – Distance will be measured by a straight line distance measurement from the (ordnance survey) address point of the child’s home address to the (ordnance survey) address point of the school, using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.
• Medical Grounds/Exceptional Circumstances – A panel of specialist officers will determine whether the evidence provided is sufficiently compelling to meet the requirements for this criterion. If you think your child has a particular medical or social need to go to a certain school, you must provide supporting evidence from a doctor, psychologist or other professional involved with your child. The supporting evidence must relate specifically to the school you are claiming medical grounds/exceptional circumstances for, and clearly demonstrate why it is only that school that can meet your child’s needs in a way that no other school can. If you are applying on-line for a place under this criterion, please send your supporting evidence to the Admissions Team by the closing date, which should include your child’s name and date of birth.

NB: Exceptional social reasons do not, in the view of the Authority, include domestic inconvenience arising from parents’ work patterns, child-minding problems, separation from particular nursery/primary school friends. Problems of this kind are widespread and cannot be classed as exceptional. Medical reasons do not include temporary conditions. They are permanent medical conditions which require special treatment available at the preferred school only. Medical evidence must be provided and the Authority’s officers must be satisfied that the child would suffer to a significant degree if he/she went to any other school.

Starting West Park Nursery

Admission to West Park Nursery does not guarantee a place for your child in the reception class at this school.

You need to apply directly to the school for a place in Nursery. Once your child reaches their second birthday an application form can be collected from the main school office. Our admission policy is in accordance with the Local Authority’s criteria:

1. A child with a statement of special educational needs
2. Children who are looked after.
3. Sibling links within the school
4. Children currently living within the schools admission zone
5. Children who live closest to the school determined by the shortest suitable walking route.

The Nursery class has places for 78 children, 39 in the morning and 39 in the afternoon. Some of these places are taken up by children who stay full time (30 hours) some choose to attend for 2 ½ full days at the beginning of the week or at the end of the week.

Alongside this we also offer a lunch club for those children who stay full time or 2 ½ days. At the moment the cost of this is £1.50 per day.

Children can be admitted to the Nursery class at any time after their third birthday. Contact Mrs Pearce, our Early Years Lead, if you have any questions.