Many academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools will have their own admission rules.
All community and voluntary controlled schools, as well as some academies and foundation schools, use Hertfordshire County Council’s admission rules as summarised below.
Admission rules are applied in order.
Children with a statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan that names the school will be admitted.
Rule 1 – children looked after or previously looked after
Children looked after by a local authority, including children who were previously looked after but were then adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order).
Children who were adopted without having been previously looked after, or who were adopted outside England and Wales, would not usually qualify under this rule.
Rule 2 – medical or social needs
Children who have a particular medical or social need to go to the specific school being applied for.
All Hertfordshire schools can support children with a wide range of additional needs and are expected to accommodate severe medical needs.
An application made under Rule 2 should clearly demonstrate why the school applied for is the only one that can meet your child’s need in a way that no other school can.
Applications under Rule 2 (medical or social reasons) will only be considered when you first apply for a school, unless your child's medical or social circumstances have changed significantly since your original application.
You'll need to tell us about the change in circumstances and include relevant professional evidence.
Rule 3 – linked school (this rule is not relevant for in year admissions)
In the case of junior schools, children who attend the linked infant school at the time of applying are prioritised.
Rule 4 – sibling
Children who have a sibling on the roll of the school or linked school at the time of application.
"Sibling" includes:
- brother or sister
- half brother or sister
- adopted brother or sister
- child of the parent / carer or partner
- children looked after or previously looked after. This doesn't include children temporarily living in the same house. For example, a looked after child in a short term foster or bridging placement.
In every case, the sibling must be living permanently in the same family home (at least Monday to Friday).
A sibling must be on the roll of the named school or linked school, or have been offered and accepted a place, at the school at the time of application (and when child starts).
Rule 5 – nearest school
Children for whom it is the nearest community or voluntary controlled school or an own admission authority school or academy using Hertfordshire’s rules.
Find your nearest school
How we measure home to school distance
More about school types
Rule 6 – distance
Children who live nearest to the school are given priority. Children not considered under Rule 5 will be considered under Rule 6.
How we measure home to school distance
Tiebreaks
Admission rules are applied in the order listed above. If more children qualify for a school place under a particular rule than there are places available, a tiebreak will be used. That means the next rule will be applied to those children.
A tiebreak will also be used if 2 applications have addresses that measure the same distance from a school.
For example, if 2 applications had identical home to school distance measurements, a random tiebreak would be used to decide which applicant is offered a place.
Every applicant is given a unique random number for each of their school preferences. When a tiebreak is needed, this random number is used to allocate the place – the lowest number is given priority.
If 2 applications were received from the same block of flats, the applicant with the lower door number would be classed as nearest and offered a place because they are likely to be closer to the ground floor and, therefore, the school.
Continuing interest
After places have been offered, we will keep a continuing interest list (a waiting list) for all community and voluntary controlled schools.
A child’s position on a continuing interest list will be determined by the admission rules outlined above. A child’s place on the list can change as other children join or leave it.
We contact parents or carers if a vacancy becomes available and it can be offered to a child.
Continuing interest lists are kept for every year group until the end of the summer term. After the summer term, if you're still interested in a school then you need to make an in year application.
Fair access
Community and voluntary controlled schools will admit children under the Fair Access Protocol before those on continuing interest lists, and over the Published Admission Number (PAN) if required.
Admission rules are applied in order.
Children with a statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan that names the school will be admitted.
Rule 1 – children looked after or previously looked after
Children looked after by the local authority, including children who were previously looked after but were then adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order).
This only applies to children where the adoption orders were made under the 2002 Adoption and Children Act, which came into force in December 2005.
Children who were adopted before 2005, who were adopted without having been previously looked after or who were adopted outside England and Wales, would not usually qualify under this rule.
Rule 2 – medical or social needs
Children who have a particular medical or social need to go to the specific school being applied for.
All Hertfordshire schools can support children with a wide range of additional needs and are expected to accommodate severe medical needs.
An application made under Rule 2 should clearly demonstrate why the school applied for is the only one that can meet your child’s need in a way that no other school can.
Applications under Rule 2 (medical or social reasons) will only be considered when you first apply for a school, unless your child's medical or social circumstances have changed significantly since your original application.
You'll need to tell us about the change in circumstances and include relevant professional evidence.
Rule 3 – sibling
Children who have a sibling on the roll of the school or linked
school at the time of application who will still be on roll at the time of admission.
"Sibling" includes:
- brother or sister
- half brother or sister
- adopted brother or sister
- child of the parent / carer or partner
- children looked after or previously looked after. This doesn't include children temporarily living in the same house. For example, a looked after child in a short term foster or bridging placement.
In every case, the sibling must be living permanently in the same family home (at least Monday to Friday).
A sibling must be on the roll of the named school or linked school, or have been offered and accepted a place, at the school at the time of application (and when child starts).
Rule 4 – in priority area, child's nearest school
Children who live in the priority area where it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy that is:
- non-faith
- co-educational (teaches both boys and girls)
- non-partially selective. That means that the school doesn’t offer any places based on exams and academic ability.
You can only qualify for one school under Rule 4 because only one school can be your nearest. How we measure home to school distance
Rule 5 – in priority area, living closest to school
Children who live in the priority area on the basis of distance, with those living closest to the school given priority.
How we measure home to school distance
Rule 6 – outside priority area, living closest to school
Children living outside the priority area on the basis of distance, with those living closest to the school given priority.
How we measure home to school distance
Tiebreaks
Admission rules are applied in the order listed above. If more children qualify for a school place under a particular rule than there are places available, a tiebreak will be used. That means the next rule will be applied to those children.
A tiebreak will also be used if 2 applications have addresses that measure the same distance from a school.
For example, if 2 applications had identical home to school distance measurements, a random tiebreak would be used to decide which applicant is offered a place.
Every applicant is given a unique random number for each of their school preferences. When a tiebreak is needed, this random number is used to allocate the place – the lowest number is given priority.
If 2 applications were received from the same block of flats, the applicant with the lower door number would be classed as nearest and offered a place because they are likely to be closer to the ground floor and, therefore, the school.
Continuing interest
After places have been offered, we will keep a continuing interest list (a waiting list) for all community and voluntary controlled schools.
A child’s position on a continuing interest list will be determined by the admission rules outlined above. A child’s place on the list can change as other children join or leave it.
We contact parents or carers if a vacancy becomes available and it can be offered to a child.
Continuing interest lists are kept for every year group until the end of the summer term. After the summer term, if you're still interested in a school then you need to make an in year application.
Fair access
Community and voluntary controlled schools will admit children under the Fair Access Protocol before those on continuing interest lists, and over the Published Admission Number (PAN) if required.