Skip to content

Hertfordshire County Council

Admission rules for secondary and upper schools

Often a school gets more applications than it has places to offer. When that happens, admission rules are used to decide the order that applicants are offered places.


Here's a summary of the admissions rules for schools and academies using our admissions criteria. Rules are applied in order.

All schools and academies must admit a child with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan that names the school.

Rule 1 – children looked after

Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. Previously looked after children are those who were looked after but ceased to be so because of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order.

Children who were not looked after immediately before being adopted, or made the subject of a child arrangement order or special guardianship order, will not be prioritised under this rule.

Evidence needed (rule 1)

Include a letter or document from your child's social worker, advisory teacher or other professional as evidence.

 

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.

You may wish to complete the Rule 2 application form if you're making an application for a school or academy whose social / medical arrangements are considered by us. Check the rules of the school you're applying to for clarification on how to apply under Rule 2.

Evidence needed (rule 2)

Recent independent objective evidence, for example from a doctor, psychologist, social worker or other professional involved with your child.

Professional evidence that outlines exceptional family circumstances making clear why only one school can meet your child’s needs.

If the requested school is not the nearest school to your child’s home address, give specific reasons why closer schools will not meet your child's needs.

Evidence must relate specifically to the school being applied for under rule 2.

 

A panel of officers will decide whether the evidence provided is enough to meet the requirements for this rule.

Contact the admissions team if there are exceptional reasons stopping you from getting independent objective professional evidence by the application deadline. Applications without this evidence will be rejected.

Examples of cases that have and haven't been accepted under rule 2

Examples of cases that have been accepted under rule 2 include:

  • children with an exceptional illness or disability (for example, restricted mobility) who can only reasonably attend one school
  • where only one school is suitable due to child protection issues. We'll give priority to children whose education would be seriously affected if they did not go to a particular school
  • exceptional cases relating to disability, where more than 1 school in the county can meet the child's specific needs, but a clear case has been made for the 'nearest school' with the relevant facilities, environment or location.

 

Examples of cases that have not been accepted under rule 2 include:

  • cases made around childminding arrangements, such as using a childminder that children are already familiar with who caters for children attending certain schools. Or childminding by family members who live close to a specific school. These cases weren't upheld because they're not exceptional. Many families rely on complex childminding arrangements
  • cases made for children with specific learning or behavioural needs where the professional evidence submitted is not school specific.

    All schools are able to support children with a wide variety of individual needs. If a child’s individual needs warrant an education health and care (EHC) plan, it will name the appropriate school
  • medical cases where even though there is a severe illness, more than one school could accommodate the child’s needs.

Applying under rule 2 during the continuing interest process

We'll only consider applications under rule 2 (medical or social reasons) when you first apply for a school.

However, if your child's medical or social circumstances have changed a lot since your original application, you can apply under rule 2 at the continuing interest stage.

You'll need to tell us the change in circumstances and include relevant professional evidence.

 

Rule 3 – siblings

Children who have a sibling at the school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of the normal age range of the school.

"Sibling" definitions

  • 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 the child starts).

 

Academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools may have a different sibling definition. Check the rules of the school you're applying to.

 

Rule 4 – in priority area, child's nearest school

Children who live in the priority area for whom it is their nearest Hertfordshire maintained school or academy which is:

  • non-faith
  • co-educational (teaches boys and girls)
  • non-partially selective.  That means the school doesn’t offer any places based on exams and academic ability. Read more about aptitude and 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

 

Admission rules are applied in order. If more children qualify for a school place under a particular rule than there are places available, children will be prioritised using the next rule (for rules 2-5).


Tiebreak

A tiebreak will 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 random 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.

This tiebreak method is used for all schools that we manage admissions for.

Rate this page

Cookies

Like many other websites, we place small information files called 'cookies' on your computer.

Why do we use cookies?

To remember your settings, for example your language and location. This means you don’t have to keep entering these details when you visit a new page.

To find out how you use the site to help us update and improve it.

How do I change my cookie settings?

You can change the settings of your web browser so that it won’t accept cookies. For more information visit AboutCookies.org.

But, doing this may stop you from using some of the online features and services on this website. 

Cookies we use

Cookies do a lot of different jobs, and we use 2 types of cookies:

Required functionality cookies – these cookies are essential for the website to work.

Performance and feature cookies – these cookies help to improve the performance and feel of this website, for example providing you with personalised services.


Take a look at a list of cookies we use on our website:

NameTypeHow we use itHow long we use the information for

ASP.Net_Sessions

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

ServerID

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

_ga

Required functionality

To track the effectiveness of our website using Google Analytics. 

2 years

saved-pages

Performance and feature

To save the pages that you visit by clicking the heart at the top of the page. 

1 month

geoPostcode

Performance and feature

This stores your postcode (or partial postcode) when we ask you for your location.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

geoCoordinates

Performance and feature

This stores your location as a pair of latitude / longitude coordinates.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

reckonerName-history

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of all answers submitted to the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

reckonerName-content

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of what content cards are clicked on when using the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

SQ_SYSTEM_SESSION

Required functionality

This used to track user sessions on forms hosted on eservices.hertfordshire.gov.uk

Just for the time you are on our website.


Third party cookies

There are links and content from other sites and services on our website. These sites and services set their own cookies.

Below are a list of cookies that the other sites and services use:

Service namePurposeMore information

Google analytics (_utma/b/c/z)

These are used to compile reports for us on how people use this site.

Cookies of the same names are also used for the same purpose by other websites such as Building FuturesCountryside Management Service and Hertfordshire LIS.

Visit the Google Analytics website for more information about the cookies they use.

You can prevent data from being collected and used by Google Analytics by installing Google's Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Google Translation - googtrans

This cookie is used to remember which language to translate each page into if you have chosen to do so.

It expires at the end of your browser session.

Bing

We use a Bing cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Bing to find out more about their cookies.

Google

We use a Google cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Google to find out more about their cookies.

Facebook

We have a number of presences on Facebook, which we may link to. Facebook may set some of its own cookies if you follow these links.

Visit Facebook to find out more about their cookies.

Twitter

We have a number of presences and feeds on Twitter, which you may wish to follow or read from this website. Twitter may set some of its own cookies.

Visit Twitter to find out more about their cookies.

YouTube

We have a YouTube channel, which we may link to. YouTube may set some of its own cookies if you follow those links.

Visit YouTube to find out more about their cookies.

Netloan

This ASP.NET_Sessionid cookie is essential for the Netloan secure online payments website to work, and is set when you arrive to the site. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.

 

HotJar

This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate funnels.

Visit HotJar to find out more about their cookies.

Siteimprove

These cookies are set to help us report on how people are using the site so we can improve it.

Visit Siteimprove to learn more about their cookies.