Admissions

If you would like your child to attend our school, please contact the Local Authority to find out about admission arrangements. Please click on the link below.  

Balliol Primary School benefits from a Pre-School and Nursery Class which cater for two to four-year-old children. Following their Foundation Stage education, children progress to the main school where they will remain until the end of Year 6. Our standard admission number is currently 52.

Admissions to Main School Policy 

The local Authority will apply the following criteria (in the rank order shown) to decide the order in which places will be allocated when there are more requests from parents/carers than the number of places available.

Admissions to Main School Policy September 2024/2025

1. All 'looked after' children or children who were previously ‘looked after’ (see definitions);
2. Looked after Children from Outside of England (see definitions);
3. Pupils living in the catchment area with siblings at the school (see definition of sibling);
4. Other pupils living in the catchment area;
5. Other siblings (see definition of sibling);
6. Any other children

Notes

1. If applying these criteria results in there being more children with an equal right to admission to the school than the number of available places, the tie break will be the distance the pupil lives from the school, measured in a straight line, using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority. The Local Authority will measure the distance from the address point of the pupil’s home to a point on the school site agreed with the governing body of the school (published in the ‘Starting School’ and ‘School Transfer’ admissions booklets). The Local Authority will not give priority within each criterion to children who meet other criteria.

1. If a pupil moves into the catchment area outside the normal admissions round (or after the allocation process has begun) it may be more difficult to offer a place at the catchment area school if this would mean exceeding the admission number at the school.  In this case, a place will normally be offered at the next nearest school or academy which caters for pupils of the same age and has places available.

1. Pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are required to be admitted to the school which is named on their statement, even if the school is full. Pupils identified for admission through the Fair Access Protocol will also be admitted even if the school is full.

Definitions

'Looked after' children

A ‘looked after’ child is a child in the care of a local authority as defined by Section 22 of the Children Act 1989. In relation to school admissions legislation a ‘looked after child’ is a child in public care at the time of application to a school.
 

Previously ‘looked after’ children

A previously ‘looked after’ child is a child who was ‘looked after’, but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order.

‘Looked after’ children from Outside of England

A child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society.

Sibling

A sibling refers to a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, foster brother or sister where foster care has been arranged by a Local Authority or the child of the parent / carer’s partner, and in every case, the child should be living at the same address. The sibling must be in the school at the time of application and be likely to remain in the school at the proposed date of admission.
 

Home Address

A pupil's home address will be regarded as the address of the parent / carer with parental responsibility with whom the child normally lives.  This will not usually include grandparents, aunts or uncles.  Where a child spends time with parents / carers at more than one address, the address used to allocate a school place will be the one at which the child spends the majority of the school week (Mondays to Fridays) including nights.  If there is any query on the home address this will be checked against original official documentation e.g. council tax bill, a recent utility bill (gas, electricity or water), a rental agreement, child benefit annual statement or family tax credit information.

Admission to Pre-School and Nursery Classes

Admission to Pre-School and Nursery will be based on the same admission criteria as the main school.

1.1 If you would like a place at either our Pre-School or Nursery, please complete an Admission Form.  The forms are available from the school office or our website.

1.2 You can apply for a place in Pre-School and Nursery at any time.  However there is a closing date in the year of admission.  For admission for September, the closing date is 30th April.

1.3 If your child is allocated a place in the Pre-School or Nursery you will be sent a letter in early May.  You will be invited to attend Pre-School or Nursery to familiarise yourselves with the staff, daily routine and given a start date for September.

1.4 If you apply for a place outside the usual admission time and the Pre-School and Nursery is full, you will be asked if you would like your child's name added to our waiting list.  We can not guarantee when a place will become available but will try our best to keep parent/carers informed.

1.5 On admission to Pre-School or Nursery class, all children will be offered a sessional place in line with either parental request or, where funding is available, in line with the requirements of such funding.

1.6 Children can attend for morning sessions 8.45am-11.45am or all day 8.45am-3.30pm.

1.7 Children may be admitted to either class, on a part-time basis, (mornings only) from the age of two.

1.8 A place in the Pre-School or Nursery does not guarantee your child a place in the main school.  'Starting School' applications must be made to Bedford Borough Council.