2023 Primary co-ordinated admissions scheme

This scheme is formulated in accordance with the School Admissions Code which came into force on 1 September 2021.

Trafford local authority has formulated this scheme in relation to each school in the Trafford area.

The governing bodies / trusts of the following schools and academies are the admission authorities for the primary schools to which this scheme applies:

Acre Hall Primary School
All Saints' Catholic Primary School
Altrincham CE Primary School
Barton Clough Primary School
Bollin Primary School
Bowdon CE Primary School
Elmridge Primary School
English Martyrs’ RC Primary School
Forest Gate Primary School
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Lime Tree Primary School
Old Trafford Community Academy
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School
Park Road Academy Primary School
Park Road Sale Primary School
Partington Central Academy
St Alphonsus RC Primary School
St Ann's RC Primary School
St Anne's CE Primary School
St Hilda's CE Primary School
St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School
St Hugh's Catholic Primary School
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
St Mary's CE Primary School (Sale)
St Mary's CE Primary School (Davyhulme)
St Michael's CE Primary School
St Monica's RC Primary School
St Teresa's RC Primary School
St Vincent's Catholic Primary School
Tyntesfield Primary School

Trafford local authority is the admission authority of the following primary schools to which this scheme applies:

Broadheath Primary School
Brooklands Primary School
Broomwood Primary School
Cloverlea Primary School
Davyhulme Primary School
Firs Primary School
Flixton Primary School
Gorse Hill Primary School
Heyes Lane Primary School
Highfield Primary School
King's Road Primary School
Kingsway Primary School
Moorlands Junior School
Moss Park Infant School
Moss Park Junior School
Navigation Primary School
Oldfield Brow Primary School
Seymour Park Community School
Springfield Primary School
St Matthew's CE Primary School
Stamford Park Infant School
Stamford Park Junior School
Templemoor Infant School
Urmston Primary School
Victoria Park Infant School
Victoria Park Junior School
Well Green Primary School
Wellfield Infant School
Wellfield Junior School
Willows Primary School
Woodheys Primary School
Woodhouse Primary School
Worthington Primary School

Application procedure
1. By 12 September in the offer year the primary application process will be open to all Trafford residents who wish to apply for places in state funded primary schools for following admission year. Applications can be submitted online on the Council's school admissions page, and paper application forms can be obtained on request from the Trafford’s School Admissions Team.
2. An advertisement will be placed in the local press inviting parents whose children may not currently be attending a nursery class in a Trafford primary school to submit an application.
3. Applications must be submitted by 15 January in the offer year.
4. Parents can apply for up to five schools, ranked in order of preference. It will be made clear that parents should include preferences for any state funded school where they wish their child to be considered for a place.
Exchange of data with other authorities
1. The local authority will process the common application form and by 7 February ^[1], lists will be sent to all local authorities informing them of parents who have expressed a preference for a school in their area. Similarly Trafford will receive list of parents resident outside Trafford who have expressed a preference for a Trafford maintained school.
2. By 21 February lists will be sent to all academies and voluntary aided schools informing them of parents who have expressed a preference. The order of preferences will not be included in the lists sent to these schools.
3. Academies and voluntary aided schools will be asked to apply their own admission criteria and to send back their lists by 7 March. The list will indicate the order in which all children, for whom application to the school has been made, have priority by reference to those over-subscription criteria.
4. The local authority will draw up similar lists for the community primary schools for which it is the admission authority.
Allocation procedure
1. By 7 March the local authority will have a list for each of its maintained schools and will compare the lists from all the schools in its area. When a child qualifies for one of the available places at more than one school, the local authority will provisionally allocate a place at the school ranked highest by the parent on the CAF. The local authority will also adjust the list for any other school for which a preference was expressed by that parent, moving another child who was previously not eligible to be allocated a potential place, up the list to the provisional place which has been vacated.
2. Where a child is eligible to be granted admission to more than one school a place will be allocated at whichever of those schools is ranked highest by the parent. Where Trafford determine that a child is to be granted or refused admission to a school for which the governing body are the admission authority (see above), Trafford will notify the school’s governing body of its determination.
3. Where the child is resident in the Trafford area any determination granting or refusing admission to a school will be sent direct to the parent (such determination being sent on behalf of a school’s governing body in any case where Trafford are not the admission authority for the school).
4. Where the child is resident in a different local education authority’s area, Trafford will notify that authority “the home authority”, by 21 March, of their determination. The home authority will send any determination granting or refusing admission to a school in a maintaining authority’s area to the parent (such determination being sent on behalf of the school’s governing body in any case where they are the admission authority for the school).
5. Where it appears that a child resident in Trafford is eligible to be granted admission to more than one school for which application has been made a place will be allocated at whichever of those schools is ranked highest. Where that place is in the area of another local authority Trafford will write, on behalf of the local authority or relevant admission authority.
6. Where any Trafford resident child cannot be allocated a place at a preferred school, Trafford will consider how to place that child in a school within the Trafford area. This will usually be the nearest school with a vacancy.
7. At this stage in the allocations process, any applications submitted after 15 January will be processed and places will be allocated in line with the published criteria.
8. By 31 March notification of final offers/refusals will be sent to and received from other local authorities.
9. By 31 March Trafford local authority sends the final lists of pupils to be offered places to schools in Trafford and notifies the home authorities of the final determination.
10. On 16 April Trafford local authority, as the home authority, will communicate to all parents resident in its area any determination granting or refusing admission. Where the school in question is its own admission authority, the local authority will state that the offer is being made on behalf of that school’s governing body.
Review process
1. The offer letter will advise parents that they must inform Trafford local authority of their acceptance of the place by 30 April. The acceptance of all places will be co-ordinated by Trafford local authority. Parents will be invited to apply, direct to Trafford local authority, for any vacancies that may arise, by 30 April. Lists of applicants will be sent to other local authorities, where the school is in another area and to voluntary aided schools within Trafford by 6 May. Voluntary aided schools within Trafford will be asked to apply their own admission criteria and to send back their ranked lists by 13 May.
2. At this stage in the review process, any applications received after the closing date of 30 April will be considered in light of any remaining vacancies and places will be allocated in line with the published criteria.
3. On 20 May Trafford local authority, as the home authority, will communicate to all parents resident in its area any determination granting or refusing admission. Where the school in question is its own admission authority, the local authority will state that the offer is being made on behalf of that school’s governing body. This offer letter will advise parents that they must inform Trafford local authority of their acceptance of the place by 3 June.
4. Applications for vacancies or applications received after 30 April will be considered in relation to the number of available vacancies. Where vacancies exist at a preferred school the highest available preference will be offered. Where more applications have been received for the places available the relevant admission authority will apply the admission criteria and advise the local authority where places can be offered.
5. Further allocations will be made where possible on the following dates:
  
  13 June or next working day – Closing date for acceptance 14 days from date of offer
  
  9 July or next working day – Closing date for acceptance 14 days from date of offer
  
  Where places are offered to applicants resident in another local authority, Trafford will advise that local authority that an offer can be made.
6. Applications received after 9 July will be passed to the relevant admission authority for consideration after 1 September.
Right of appeal

Where an offer of a place at a preferred school cannot be made parents will be advised of the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. Appeals relating to on time applications must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging the appeal.
Waiting lists

Each admission authority must maintain a clear, fair and objective waiting list for at least the first term of the academic year of admission. Each added child will require the list to be ranked again in line with the published oversubscription criteria. Priority must not be given to children based on the date their application was received or their name was added to the list. Children allocated a place at the school in accordance with a fair access protocol, take precedence over those on a waiting list.

The local authority will maintain waiting lists for all oversubscribed community and voluntary controlled schools.
In-year applications

For the purposes of this scheme an application is an in-year application if it is for the admission of a child to a relevant age group and it is submitted on or after 15 July in the offer year or it is for the admission of a child to an age group other than a relevant age group.

Parents can apply for a school place using the local authority’s online application system. Any applications received by the local authority for own admission authority schools will be forwarded to the relevant admission authority for consideration ^[2].

Parents may also apply direct to any academy or school. Where the local authority is the admission authority (that is in community and voluntary controlled schools) the application must be passed to the local authority for consideration. Where an admission authority manages its own in-year admissions, it must also notify the local authority of every application and its outcome as soon as reasonably practicable, but should aim to be within two school days, to allow the local authority to keep up to date figures on the availability of places in the area and to ensure they are aware of any children who may not have a school place. The admission authority must also inform parents of their right to appeal against the refusal of a place ^[3].

Applications received for admission to community or voluntary controlled schools in advance for the next admission year will be considered after 6 July. Parents will be advised of the outcome of their application before the schools close for the summer break. Applications received between the 15 July and 31 August will be considered at the beginning of the autumn term and parents will be advised of the outcome of their application after the 15 September. Applications received for community or voluntary controlled schools after 31 August will be considered after the initial allocation and parents will be advised of the outcome by the end of September.

Timetable for primary co-ordinated admissions

Common application forms (CAF) will be available to Trafford residents applying for places in maintained primary schools during the autumn term (offer year). CAFs will be available on line and by telephoning the Trafford School Admissions Team.

Where any published date is not a working day, the next working day will apply.

Closing date for the submission of applications - 15 January
Local authorities exchange lists of preferences expressed for schools in their areas - 7 February
Local authority sends applications to academies/voluntary aided primary schools - 21 February
Academies/voluntary aided primary schools to return ranked data - 7 March
Local authorities exchange data on potential offers - 21 March
Local authorities confirm acceptance or refusal of potential offers - By 31 March
Lists to primary schools - By 31 March
Offers made to all parents by home local authority - 16 April
Closing date for acceptance of offers - 30 April

[1] Where any published date is not a working day, the next working day will apply
[2] In accordance with 2.25 of the School Admissions Code
[3] In accordance with 2.30 of the School Admissions Code