School admissions policies

1. Admissions numbers for community and voluntary controlled primary schools for 2023/24

The following pages show the capacities and proposed admission numbers for community and voluntary controlled primary schools for 2023/24

The admission number is the capacity of the school to admit children at the normal age of entry in the 2023/24 academic year, that is:

• admissions into Reception in infant and primary schools
• admissions into Year 3 in junior schools

2.   Oversubscription criteria for community and voluntary controlled primary schools

If there are more applications than there are places available, places will be allocated using the Oversubscription Criteria in the following order of priority:

1. Looked after children and all previously looked after children, 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.(see 3.1 below).
2. Pupils who have a sibling already in attendance at the school, or paired junior  school when the application is made and who will be still attending the school at the proposed admission date (see 3.2 below);
3. Pupils for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds as supported in writing by a medical practitioner or a social worker.  (Applications will be subject to verification by the School Admissions and Appeals Team) (see 3.3 below);
4. For applications to junior schools only.  Attendance by the child at the relevant paired infant school, when the application is made (see 3.4 below);
5. For applications to voluntary controlled Church of England primary schools only.  Up to 25% of places may be allocated as ‘Church Places’ to children, regardless of distance between home and school, whose parents are regular worshippers at a Christian church and whose application is supported in writing by the minister of the church where they worship (see 3.5 below);
6. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority (see 3.6 below).

If there is oversubscription in criteria 2 to 5, priority will be given to those living closest to the school as measured in a straight line.

3.   Explanatory notes for Oversubscription Criteria

3.1 Children in Public Care (looked after children) and previously looked after children including those who (appear to the Admission Authority) to have been in state care outside of England and have ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

Children who are in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by a local authority and previously looked after children who ceased to be looked after because they were adopted or became subject to child arrangement orders immediately following having been looked after as well as 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.

3.2 Sibling

A sibling is a child who resides at the same address as the child for whom a place is being requested and is one of the following:

A brother or sister sharing the same parents;

A half-brother or sister sharing one common parent;

A step-brother or sister (i.e. related by their parent’s marriage);

Any other child for whom it can be demonstrated that he or she is residing permanently at the same address (e.g. under the terms of a residence order).

3.3 Social or medical factors

If parents believe there are specific medical or social reasons for claiming priority for a child to attend a particular school, the relevant part of the application must be completed and evidence to support the claim must be submitted to the Local Authority. 

Requests for such consideration will be subject to verification by the School Admissions and Appeals Team. This is necessary because parents will be asking the Authority to assess the child as having a stronger case than many other children, some of whom may live closer to the school.

3.3a Medical Evidence

Medical evidence must be submitted in writing from a medical practitioner and should state why the preferred school is the only school that can meet the child’s needs. This must relate to either the child or the parents, for example where the parent(s) or the child has a disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult. Medical evidence, which relates to parent, will be considered in the following circumstances:

• Where the child lives with a single parent who has a medical condition or disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult;
• Where the child lives with both parents and both parents have a medical condition or disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult;
• Where a child lives with both parents and one parent has a medical condition or disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult medical evidence may be considered if the other parent is unable to accompany the child on the journey to and from school because they are the sole carer for the other parent.

3.3b Social Evidence

Social evidence must be submitted in writing from an appropriate professional and should state why the preferred school is the only school that can meet the child’s needs.

Please note that preferences are only given priority under the medical/social criterion in very exceptional cases where medical or social evidence clearly demonstrates that the preferred school is the only school which can meet the child’s needs.

3.4 Paired infant and junior schools

The paired infant and junior schools are:

Alumwell Infant            paired with Alumwell Junior

Delves Infant                paired with Delves Junior

New Invention Infant    paired with New Invention Junior

Palfrey Infant               paired with Palfrey Junior

Rosedale CE (C) Infant          paired with Short Heath Junior

Sunshine Infant and Nursery   paired with Blakenall Heath Junior

Whitehall Nursery and Infant   paired with Whitehall Junior Community

3.5 Church Places at voluntary controlled Church of England primary schools

Voluntary controlled Church of England primary schools with an admission number of 30 will offer a maximum of 7 Church Places; schools with an admission number of 45 will offer a maximum of 11 Church Places; schools with an admission number of 60 will offer a maximum of 15 Church Places; schools with an admission number of 90 will offer a maximum of 22 Church Places. 

If there is over-subscription for Church Places, priority will be given to those living closest to the school as measured in a straight line. 

‘Regular worshipper’ is defined as attending a place of worship on at least one occasion per month over the past twelve months.

3.6 Distance

Distance will be measured in a straight line from the centre point of the home address to the centre point of the school address using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

3.6a Definition of a home address

The home address of a child is considered to be the permanent residence of a child in a residential property when the place is offered.  The address must be the child’s only or main residence and is either:

• owned by the child’s parent(s) or guardian; or
• leased to or rented by the child’s parent(s), or guardian under lease or written rental agreement of not less than six months duration.

Documentary evidence of ownership or rental agreement may be required together with proof of actual permanent residence at the property concerned.  In certain circumstances the child’s current school will be asked to verify the address given.

Where parents have shared responsibility for a child and the child lives with both parents for part of the week, the main residence will be determined as the address where the child lives for the majority of the week.  Parents may be requested to supply documentary evidence to support the address used for the application.

The offer of a place is based upon the address of the child when the offer is made.  If a child is offered a place at an oversubscribed school the place may be withdrawn if it is found that the child moved (before the place was offered) to a new address, which was further away from the school, and the child would not have qualified for a place under the distance criterion.

In the event that a family moves between the application and the date of offer, the School Admissions and Appeals Team must be informed as soon as possible of these circumstances.

If the home address is a flat (or apartment) and there is more than one flat at the same address, priority will be given to applicants living at the lowest numbered flat on the lowest floor.

4. Oversubscription criteria for Nursery Schools

Applications for nursery places should be made directly to the school.

If there are more applications than there are nursery places available then places will be allocated using the Oversubscription Criteria in the following order of priority:

4.1. Priority for nursery places will be given to children born between 1 September 2019

and 31 August 2020.  If places are oversubscribed, the following Oversubscription Criteria will apply:

1. Looked after children and all previously looked after children, 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.(see 3.1 below).
2. Pupils who have a sibling already in attendance at the school, or paired junior school when the application is made and who will be still attending the school at the proposed admission date.  (see 3.2 above)
3. Pupils for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds and

supported in writing by a medical practitioner or a Social Worker.  (Applications will be subject to verification by the School Admissions and Appeals Team). (see 3.3 above)

4. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.  (see 3.6 above)

4.2   Where places are still available schools may only offer places to children who have

attained the age of 3.  If the remaining places are oversubscribed the Oversubscription Criteria 1-4, shown above, will apply.

If there is oversubscription in criteria 2 and 3, priority will be given to those living closest to the school as measured in a straight line.

5.    Policy for deferred entry to Reception

Children reach compulsory school age on the first day of the term following their fifth birthday.  However, all Walsall primary schools provide full-time places for pupils in a reception class from September in the year before children reach their fifth birthday.

If parents prefer their child to start school later than 1 September 2023, they have the option of deferring the child’s entry until later in the 2023/24 school year.  Parents opting for this must notify the school in writing of the date they wish their child to start in a reception class.

Parents are not able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term following their child’s fifth birthday or beyond the academic year for which admission is sought.

The effect of this is that the place is held for that child and is not available to be offered to another child.

6.  Admission of ‘summer born’ children to Reception

Summer born children, (born between 1 April and 31 August) reach compulsory school age in the September following their fifth birthday (or on their fifth birthday if it falls on 31 August). Parents of summer born children may submit a request for their child to be admitted to a reception class in the September following their fifth birthday, at the point at which other children in their age group are moving from the reception class to year 1.

Parents seeking deferred admissions to reception in a community or voluntary controlled primary school should make a request in writing to Walsall Council, providing details of the reason for the request and supporting medical evidence or evidence from the child’s current head teacher, if appropriate, demonstrating that deferred admission to Reception would be in the child’s best interests.  

Requests for deferred admission to Reception in respect of children who would normally be admitted in September 2023, should be submitted by 15 January 2023 where possible.

When an application for deferred admission to reception at the point at which other children in their age group are moving into Year 1 is received for a community or voluntary controlled primary school, Walsall Council, as admission authority for the school, will make the decision on whether or not to grant the request based on the individual circumstances of each case. Requests will only be approved in circumstances where it is in the bests interests of the child to defer admission to Reception.

Parents seeking deferred admission to Reception in a voluntary aided school, foundation school or in an academy should submit a request directly to their preferred school.  They must also notify the Local Authority in writing of the request and must complete a Local Authority application for the year of admission.

Admission to a year group outside of a child’s chronological year group.

Parents who wish to apply for their child to be admitted to a Walsall community or voluntary controlled primary school, in a year group other than that which is designated by their chronological age should submit a written request to the Local Authority.  Walsall Council, as admission authority for the school, will make the decision on whether or not to grant the request based on the individual circumstances of each case. Requests will only be approved in circumstances where it is in the bests interests of the child to be educated outside of their chronological year group.

Parents wishing to make an application for their child to be admitted out of their chronological year group to a voluntary aided or foundation school or academy, should write to the admission authority for the school.  In either case, the letter should include details of why the parents/carers believe it is in the best interests of their child to be educated out of their chronological year group, and should include supporting evidence from an appropriate professional.

Parents applying for midyear admission to a year group outside their child’s chronological age, in a Walsall primary school will also need to submit an online midyear admission application to the Local Authority.

1. Secondary Admissions

Walsall Council participates in an inter-Local Authority coordinated admission scheme with a number of neighbouring Local Authorities, namely Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton .

Parents should complete an online application. This will enable Walsall parents of Year 6 children (who will transfer to secondary education in September 2023) to name up to five secondary schools, rank them in order of preference and give reasons for their preference.  The online application may be used to apply for a place at any secondary school in or outside the borough.

Parents who name Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Queen Mary’s High School, The Walsall Academy, a Specialist Music Place at Aldridge School or a Sport’s Place at Ormiston Shelfield Academy on the online form must also complete the school’s own Registration Form.

Parents who name Blue Coat CE Academy, Brownhills School, Shire Oak Academy or St Francis of Assisi Catholic School, or St Thomas More Catholic Business and Enterprise College on the online form must also complete the school’s own supplementary information form.

Online applications must be submitted by the national closing date of 31 October 2022.

Preferences, which are changed or added after the closing date up without a significant change in circumstances, will be processed as late applications.  This will apply to applications submitted by 30 November 2022. All preferences which are changed or added after 30 November 2022 will be processed as late applications. When notifying a significant change of circumstances the applicant must supply documentary evidence to confirm the change.  An example of a significant change of circumstances is a house move that necessitates a change of preference(s).  This would need to be validated by documentary evidence such as a solicitor’s letter confirming exchange of contract or a copy of the tenancy agreement.

All applications for named schools will be considered in accordance with each school’s published admission criteria.  Schools, which are their own Admission Authority, will be informed of all applications naming their school, but not the rankings.  These schools will inform the School Admissions and Appeals Team of the order in which all applicants meet their admission criteria.

Walsall Council will exchange application data and supporting documentation in respect of pupils resident in Walsall, who have applied for schools outside the borough, with the appropriate maintaining Local Authorities.  Similar information will be received for applications from out of borough residents who have expressed preferences for Walsall secondary schools.

By 2 January 2023 (tbc), Walsall Council will input the results of all applications to Walsall schools and a list of potential offers will then be produced.  These potential offers will then be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have the potential offer of a place in an out of borough school.  This information will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings and will result in a list of provisional offers.

By 16 January 2023 (tbc), the provisional offers will be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have a provisional offer of a place in an out of borough school.  These will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings and the results will be the final allocation of places at Walsall secondary schools.

By 6 February 2023 (tbc), the final allocations will be exchanged with the other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.

If a Walsall child does not meet the admission criteria for any of their preferred schools then Walsall Council will allocate a place at the nearest alternative secondary school with vacant places following consultation with the relevant admission authority.

On the National Notification Date, 1 March 2023 (or the next working day), email notification of the outcome of their application will be sent to all parents resident in Walsall who submitted an online application.

The Local Authority will make just one offer of a school place to each child, further offers will only be made after the offer date if it is subsequently possible to offer a child one of their parents higher ranked preferences.  An offer of a school place will not be withdrawn unless it is subsequently found to have been made in error, or as the result of a fraudulent, or intentionally misleading application, or the parent informs the Local Authority that they have made alternative arrangements for their child’s education and no longer require a secondary school place.

2. Primary Admissions

Walsall Council participates in an inter-Local Authority coordinated admission scheme in partnership with a number of neighbouring Local Authorities, namely Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.

Parents should complete an online application. This will enable Walsall parents of Nursery children to name up to 3 primary schools and parents of Year 2 children (for junior schools) to name up to 3 junior schools, rank them in order of preference, and give reasons for their preference.  The online form may be used to apply for a place at any primary/junior school in or outside the borough.

Parents of children who are in nursery provision in Walsall, and are resident in Walsall must apply online if they want their child to join a reception class in a Walsall primary school or in another local authority’s area.

Attendance at a Walsall school’s nursery provision or co-located children’s centre does not guarantee a place at a Walsall primary school.

Online applications must be submitted on the Walsall Council website by the closing date of 15 January 2023

Preferences changed or added after the closing date without a significant change in circumstances will be processed as late applications.  This will apply to applications submitted by 28 February 2023. All preferences which are changed or added after 28 February 2023 will be processed as late applications. When notifying a significant change of circumstances the applicant must supply documentary evidence to confirm the change.  An example of a significant change of circumstances is a house move that necessitates a change of preference(s).  This would need to be validated by documentary evidence such as a solicitor’s letter confirming exchange of contract or a copy of the tenancy agreement.

All applications for named schools will be considered in accordance with each school’s published admission criteria.  Schools that are their own Admission Authority will be provided with a list of information in respect of all applications naming their school, but not the rankings, together with copies of any supporting documentation.  These schools will use the information provided to apply their admission criteria and will then inform the School Admissions and Appeals Team of the order in which all applications meet their admission criteria.

The table below gives details of Walsall primary schools, which are their own admission authorities:

Where a child meets the admission criteria of more than one of the schools named on the online application form then Walsall Council will allocate a place at the highest ranked of those schools.  Admission Authorities will be advised of the pupils to be offered places.

 

By 23 January 2023 (tbc), Walsall Council will exchange application data and supporting documentation in respect of pupils resident in Walsall, who have applied for schools outside the borough, with the appropriate maintaining Local Authorities.  Similar information will be received for applications from out of borough residents who have expressed preferences for Walsall primary schools.

 

By 13 February 2023 (tbc), Walsall Council will input the results of all applications to Walsall schools and a list of potential offers will then be produced.  These potential offers will then be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have the potential offer of a place in an out of borough school.  This information will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings and will result in a list of provisional offers.

 

By 4 March 2023 (tbc), the provisional offers will be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have a provisional offer of a place in an out of borough school.  These will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings, and the results will be the final allocation of places at Walsall secondary schools.

 

By 27 March 2023 (tbc), the final allocations will be exchanged with the other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.

 

If a Walsall child does not meet the admission criteria for any of their preferred schools then Walsall Council will allocate a place at the nearest alternative primary school with vacant places, after consultation with the relevant admission authority.

 

On the National Notification Date, 16 April 2023 (or next working day), email notification of the outcome of their application will be sent to all parents of Walsall resident children who submitted an online application and requested email notification.

 

The Local Authority will make just one offer of a school place to each child, further offers will only be made after the offer date if it is subsequently possible to offer a child one of their parents higher ranked preferences.  An offer of a school place will not be withdrawn unless it is subsequently found to have been made in error, or as the result of a fraudulent, or intentionally misleading application, or the parent informs the Local Authority that they have made alternative arrangements for their child’s education and no longer require a secondary school place.

 

3. Late Application Policy

 

The online portal will close for secondary applications on 31 October 2022.  Late Applications and, where appropriate, schools’ own Registration Forms, received after the Closing Date, are processed as late applications.  Any request to change the name or ranking of a school made after the closing date will be processed in accordance with the late application policy.

 

The online portal will close for primary applications after 15 January 2022.  Late Applications and, where appropriate, schools’ own Registration Forms, received after the Closing Date, are processed as late applications.  Any request to change the name or ranking of a school made after the closing date will be processed in accordance with the late application policy.

 

Late applications will normally be considered for places after all the applications that were received by the Closing Date therefore, it is very likely that late applicants will not be offered a place at one of their preferred schools.

 

Applications received after the closing date will be passed to the appropriate Admission Authority for consideration under its Late Application Policy.  Each Admission Authority is required to publish its own Late Application Policy which explains how late applications will be dealt with.  The Late Application Policy for all Walsall community and voluntary controlled schools is shown below.

 

3.1 Late Applications received up to 4 weeks after the Closing Date

 

Late applications received up to four weeks after the Closing Date may be considered as being on-time but only where there are exceptional circumstances, including:

 

• Where the family were unable to submit their online application to Walsall Council on time because they moved into the Borough of Walsall after the Closing Date;

 

• The family were unable to comply with the admission timetable because of exceptional circumstances which prevented them from submitting their online application;

 

• When a single parent has been ill for some time.

 

In these cases, the circumstances must be given in writing at the time of application they will be subject to verification by Walsall School Admissions and Appeals Team.

 

This applies to applications for secondary schools received between 1 November 2021 and 29 November 2022. For primary schools, this applies to applications received between 16 January 2023 and 13 February 2023.

 

3.2 Late applications received more than 4 weeks after the closing date

 

Applications for schools received more than 4 weeks after the closing date but before the notification date will be processed as late applications and the applicant will receive notification of their offers as soon as possible after national offer day.

 

This applies to applications for secondary schools received between 30 November 2022 and 28 February 2023.  For primary schools, this applies to applications received between 14 February 2022 and 15 April 2023.

 

3.3 Late applications received after the notification date (once places have been offered)

 

Applications received after the notification date: a place will be offered at the highest ranked school if places are available.  For Walsall residents, if a place is not available at any of the preferred schools a place will be offered by Walsall Council at the nearest alternative Walsall school with vacant places, after consultation with the relevant admission authority and the child’s name will be added to the waiting list for schools listed as preferences in admission criteria order.

 

4.    Waiting list policy

 

Waiting Lists for all Walsall schools, other than Walsall Academy, will be maintained by Walsall Council until 31 August 2023.  Parents may enquire about their child’s position on any Waiting list by contacting the School Admissions and Appeals Team at schooladmissionsadvice@walsall.gov.uk

 

Looked after children, previously looked after children and those who are allocated to a school in accordance with Walsall’s Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those children on the waiting list.

 

Waiting lists are kept of all children who have been refused a place at any school that was ranked higher than the school at which they have been offered a place, for example

 

• If a child is offered a place at the school that was ranked 2nd on their application, then the child’s name will only be placed on the waiting list for the school that was ranked 1st.

 

• If a child is offered a place at their parent’s first preference school the child’s name will not be added to any waiting list kept for lower ranked schools.

 

After 1 March 2023 (or next working day) for secondary transfers, or 16 April 2023 (or next working day) for primary admissions, a parent may contact the School Admissions and Appeals Team to apply for a place at an oversubscribed Walsall school.  Their child’s name will be placed on the school’s waiting list in admission criteria order.  Any vacancies will be offered on the basis of the admission criteria for the school. The Local Authority will continue to co-ordinate the primary and secondary phased rounds, and will retain waiting lists until 31 August 2023.

 

After this, waiting lists for phased rounds will be held by the relevant admissions authority for a term only until 31 December 2023. From 1 January 2024, parents who wish their child to be added to a new waiting list for a Walsall primary or secondary school should apply via either the primary or secondary mid-year admission application process.

 

 

5.    Midyear Admissions

 

5.1 Applications for midyear admission to Walsall primary school 2023/24

 

The Local Authority will coordinate the midyear admission process for applications to all Walsall primary schools and academies who have opted to join their co-ordinated scheme for the academic year 2023/24. The list of primary schools and academies that have opted to join the Local Authority’s scheme and those that have opted to co-ordinate their own arrangements for the academic year 2023/24 will be available on the Local Authority’s website from 1 September 2024.

 

Parents who wish to apply for mid-year admission other than at the usual point of entry (Reception or Year 3) when transferring from an infant school to a junior school) for any school that has opted to join the Local Authority’s Co-ordinated scheme should submit an online application via the school admission pages of the Walsall Council website. 

 

Any supplementary information forms required by a school must be returned to the relevant school.  Where a parent completes a supplementary form, it will not be regarded as a valid application unless the parent has also listed a preference for the school on their online midyear admission application.

 

Parents who wish to apply for mid-year admission other than at usual point of entry (Reception or Year 3) when transferring from an infant school to a junior school) for any school that has opted to co-ordinate their own mid-year admissions process should apply directly to their preferred schools.

 

Parents who wish to apply for mid-year admission to any school outside of the Walsall Local Authority area should contact the relevant local authority directly.

 

All Walsall maintained mainstream primary schools and academies must provide the Local Authority with accurate details of the number of vacancies in each year group on a weekly basis. This vacancy return process is to enable places to be offered to applicants for primary midyear admission at those schools that have opted to participate in the Local Authority’s co-ordinated scheme without unnecessary delay. This process will also enable the School Admissions Team to fulfil its statutory duty to provide advice and guidance to parents and carers about school place availability in all primary schools in Walsall, not just those that are part of the Local Authority’s co-ordinated scheme for mid-year admissions.

 

On receipt of an application for a primary midyear admission for a school that is part of the Local Authority’s Co-ordinated admissions scheme for the academic year 2023/24 the School Admissions and Appeals Team will assess the application in accordance with the relevant admissions criteria.

 

Once an application has been assessed in accordance with the published admission criteria of the preferred schools, the Local Authority must write to the applicant within 15 days of the receipt of their application to indicate one of the following outcomes:

 

• Where the child is eligible for a place at one or more of their parent’s preferred schools they will be offered a place at the highest ranked preference;

 

• Where it is not possible to offer the highest ranked preference, where possible a place will be offered at a lower ranked preference and the offer letter will contain details of how the parent may appeal against the decision to refuse a place at the higher ranked school, and where there is a waiting list their child’s name will be added to it. Waiting lists will be held until the end of the academic year and parents who wish their child’s name to be added to the new waiting list will need to resubmit their online application at the start of each new term;

 

• If it is not possible to offer the applicant a place at any of their parent’s preferred schools and the child is currently without a school place, a place will be offered at an alternative Walsall school, which has places available, following consultation with other admissions authorities where appropriate.

 

Parents of children with a statement of special educational needs or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must contact Walsall Council’s SEN Team or the Local Authority that issued their statement or EHCP if they wish their child to move to a new school.

 

5.2. Applications for midyear admission to Walsall secondary schools:

 

Parents who wish to apply for admission to any Walsall maintained mainstream secondary school other than at the usual point of entry (Year 7) must apply directly to their preferred schools. 

 

Parents who submit an online application to Walsall Council must also submit any supplementary information forms required by a school directly to the relevant school. 

 

Parents who wish to apply for places at schools outside of Walsall should contact the relevant local authority directly.

 

All Walsall maintained mainstream secondary schools and academies must provide the School Admissions and Appeals Team with accurate details of the number of vacancies in each year group on a weekly basis to enable the Local Authority to provide accurate advice to parents and carers on secondary school place availability in Walsall.

 

Schools must notify the Local Authority promptly of all direct applications that are received, and of the outcome of all applications for midyear admission.

 

School must inform each applicant in writing of the outcome of their application within 15 days of receipt of the application also including the details of how the applicant can appeal an admissions decision if appropriate.

 

Parents of children with a statement of special educational needs or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must contact Walsall Council’s SEN Team or the Local Authority that issued their statement or EHCP if they wish their child to move to a new school.

1. Admissions numbers for community and voluntary controlled primary schools for 2022/23

The following pages show the capacities and proposed admission numbers for community and voluntary controlled primary schools for 2022/23.

The admission number is the capacity of the school to admit children at the normal age of entry in the 2022/23 academic year, that is:

• admissions into Reception in infant and primary schools
• admissions into Year 3 in junior schools

*Blackwood Primary School are currently in the process of converting to academy status.

2.   Oversubscription criteria for community and voluntary controlled primary schools

If there are more applications than there are places available, places will be allocated using the Oversubscription Criteria in the following order of priority:

1. Children in Public Care (looked after children) and previously looked after children (see 3.1 below);
2. Pupils who have a sibling already in attendance at the school, or paired junior school when the application is made and who will be still attending the school at the proposed admission date (see 3.2 below);
3. Pupils for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds as supported in writing by a medical practitioner or a social worker.  (Applications will be subject to verification by the School Admissions and Appeals Team) (see 3.3 below);
4. For applications to junior schools only.  Attendance by the child at the relevant paired infant school, when the application is made (see 3.4 below);
5. For applications to voluntary controlled Church of England primary schools only.  Up to 25% of places may be allocated as ‘Church Places’ to children, regardless of distance between home and school, whose parents are regular worshippers at a Christian church and whose application is supported in writing by the minister of the church where they worship (see 3.5 below);
6. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority (see 3.6 below).

If there is oversubscription in criteria 2 to 5, priority will be given to those living closest to the school as measured in a straight line.

3.   Explanatory notes for Oversubscription Criteria

3.1 Children in Public Care (looked after children) and previously looked after children

Children who are in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by a local authority and previously looked after children who ceased to be looked after because they were adopted or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order.

3.2 Sibling

A sibling is a child who resides at the same address as the child for whom a place is being requested and is one of the following:

A brother or sister sharing the same parents;

A half-brother or sister sharing one common parent;

A step-brother or sister (i.e. related by their parent’s marriage);

Any other child for whom it can be demonstrated that he or she is residing permanently at the same address (e.g. under the terms of a residence order).

3.3 Social or medical factors

If parents believe there are specific medical or social reasons for claiming priority for a child to attend a particular school, the relevant part of the application must be completed and evidence to support the claim must be submitted to the Local Authority. 

Requests for such consideration will be subject to verification by the School Admissions and Appeals Team. This is necessary because parents will be asking the Authority to assess the child as having a stronger case than many other children, some of whom may live closer to the school.

3.3a Medical Evidence

Medical evidence must be submitted in writing from a medical practitioner and should state why the preferred school is the only school that can meet the child’s needs. This must relate to either the child or the parents, for example where the parent(s) or the child has a disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult. Medical evidence, which relates to parent, will be considered in the following circumstances:

• Where the child lives with a single parent who has a medical condition or disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult;
• Where the child lives with both parents and both parents have a medical condition or disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult;
• Where a child lives with both parents and one parent has a medical condition or disability that may make travel to a school further away more difficult medical evidence may be considered if the other parent is unable to accompany the child on the journey to and from school because they are the sole carer for the other parent.

3.3b Social Evidence

Social evidence must be submitted in writing from an appropriate professional and should state why the preferred school is the only school that can meet the child’s needs.

Please note that preferences are only given priority under the medical/social criterion in very exceptional cases where medical or social evidence clearly demonstrates that the preferred school is the only school which can meet the child’s needs.

3.4 Paired infant and junior schools

The paired infant and junior schools are:

• Alumwell Infant paired with Alumwell Junior
• Delves Infant paired with Delves Junior
• New Invention Infant paired with New Invention Junior
• Palfrey Infant paired with Palfrey Junior
• Rosedale CE (C) Infant paired with Short Heath Junior
• Sunshine Infant and Nursery paired with Blakenall Heath Junior
• Whitehall Nursery and Infant paired with Whitehall Junior Community

3.5 Church Places at voluntary controlled Church of England primary schools

Voluntary controlled Church of England primary schools with an admission number of 30 will offer a maximum of 7 Church Places; schools with an admission number of 45 will offer a maximum of 11 Church Places; schools with an admission number of 60 will offer a maximum of 15 Church Places; schools with an admission number of 90 will offer a maximum of 22 Church Places. 

If there is over-subscription for Church Places, priority will be given to those living closest to the school as measured in a straight line. 

‘Regular worshipper’ is defined as attending a place of worship on at least one occasion per month over the past twelve months.

3.6 Distance

Distance will be measured in a straight line from the centre point of the home address to the centre point of the school address using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

3.6a Definition of a home address

The home address of a child is considered to be the permanent residence of a child in a residential property when the place is offered.  The address must be the child’s only or main residence and is either:

• owned by the child’s parent(s) or guardian; or
• leased to or rented by the child’s parent(s), or guardian under lease or written rental agreement of not less than six months duration.

Documentary evidence of ownership or rental agreement may be required together with proof of actual permanent residence at the property concerned.  In certain circumstances the child’s current school will be asked to verify the address given.

Where parents have shared responsibility for a child and the child lives with both parents for part of the week, the main residence will be determined as the address where the child lives for the majority of the week.  Parents may be requested to supply documentary evidence to support the address used for the application.

The offer of a place is based upon the address of the child when the offer is made.  If a child is offered a place at an oversubscribed school the place may be withdrawn if it is found that the child moved (before the place was offered) to a new address, which was further away from the school, and the child would not have qualified for a place under the distance criterion.

In the event that a family moves between the application and the date of offer, the School Admissions and Appeals Team must be informed as soon as possible of these circumstances.

If the home address is a flat (or apartment) and there is more than one flat at the same address, priority will be given to applicants living at the lowest numbered flat on the lowest floor.

4. Oversubscription criteria for Nursery Schools

Applications for nursery places should be made directly to the school.

If there are more applications than there are nursery places available then places will be allocated using the Oversubscription Criteria in the following order of priority:

4.1. Priority for nursery places will be given to children born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019.  If places are oversubscribed, the following Oversubscription Criteria will apply:

1. Children in Public Care (looked after children) and previously looked after children (see 3.1 above)
2. Pupils who have a sibling already in attendance at the school, or paired junior school when the application is made and who will be still attending the school at the proposed admission date (see 3.2 above)
3. Pupils for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds and supported in writing by a medical practitioner or a Social Worker.  (Applications will be subject to verification by the School Admissions and Appeals Team). (see 3.3 above)

4. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.  (see 3.6 above)

4.2 Where places are still available schools may only offer places to children who have

attained the age of 3.  If the remaining places are oversubscribed the Oversubscription Criteria 1-4, shown above, will apply.

If there is oversubscription in criteria 2 and 3, priority will be given to those living closest to the school as measured in a straight line.

5. Policy for deferred entry to Reception

Children reach compulsory school age on the first day of the term following their fifth birthday.  However, all Walsall primary schools provide full time places for pupils in a reception class from September in the year before children reach their fifth birthday.

If parents prefer their child to start school later than 1 September 2022, they have the option of deferring the child’s entry until later in the 2022/23 school year.  Parents opting for this must notify the school in writing of the date they wish their child to start in a reception class.

Parents are not able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term following their child’s fifth birthday or beyond the academic year for which admission is sought.

The effect of this is that the place is held for that child and is not available to be offered to another child.

6.  Admission of ‘summer born’ children to Reception

Summer born children, (born between 1 April and 31 August) reach compulsory school age in the September following their fifth birthday (or on their fifth birthday if it falls on 31 August). Parents of summer born children may submit a request for their child to be admitted to a reception class in the September following their fifth birthday, at the point at which other children in their age group are moving from the reception class to year 1.

Parents seeking deferred admissions to reception in a community or voluntary controlled primary school should make a request in writing to Walsall Council, providing details of the reason for the request and supporting medical evidence or evidence from the child’s current head teacher, if appropriate, demonstrating that deferred admission to Reception would be in the child’s best interests.  

Requests for deferred admission to Reception in respect of children who would normally be admitted in September 2022, should be submitted by 15 January 2022 where possible.

When an application for deferred admission to reception at the point at which other children in their age group are moving into Year 1 is received for a community or voluntary controlled primary school, Walsall Council, as admission authority for the school, will make the decision on whether or not to grant the request based on the individual circumstances of each case. Requests will only be approved in circumstances where it is in the bests interests of the child to defer admission to Reception.

Parents seeking deferred admission to Reception in a voluntary aided school, foundation school or in an academy should submit a request directly to their preferred school.  They must also notify the Local Authority in writing of the request and must complete a Local Authority application for the year of admission.

Admission to a year group outside of a child’s chronological year group.

Parents who wish to apply for their child to be admitted to a Walsall community or voluntary controlled primary school, in a year group other than that which is designated by their chronological age should submit a written request to the Local Authority.  Walsall Council, as admission authority for the school, will make the decision on whether or not to grant the request based on the individual circumstances of each case. Requests will only be approved in circumstances where it is in the bests interests of the child to be educated outside of their chronological year group.

Parents wishing to make an application for their child to be admitted out of their chronological year group to a voluntary aided or foundation school or academy, should write to the admission authority for the school.  In either case, the letter should include details of why the parents/carers believe it is in the best interests of their child to be educated out of their chronological year group, and should include supporting evidence from an appropriate professional.

Parents applying for midyear admission to a year group outside their child’s chronological age, in a Walsall primary school will also need to submit an online midyear admission application to the Local Authority.

1. Secondary admissions

Walsall Council participates in an inter-Local Authority coordinated admission scheme with a number of neighbouring Local Authorities, namely Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton .

Parents should complete an online application. This will enable Walsall parents of Year 6 children (who will transfer to secondary education in September 2022) to name up to five secondary schools, rank them in order of preference and give reasons for their preference.  The online application may be used to apply for a place at any secondary school in or outside the borough.

Parents who name Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Queen Mary’s High School, The Walsall Academy, a Specialist Music Place at Aldridge School or a Sport’s Place at Ormiston Shelfield Academy on the online form must also complete the school’s own Registration Form.

Parents who name Blue Coat CE Academy, Brownhills School, Shire Oak Academy or St Francis of Assisi Catholic School, or St Thomas More Catholic Business and Enterprise College on the online form must also complete the school’s own supplementary information form.

Online applications must be submitted by the national closing date of 31 October 2021.

Preferences, which are changed or added after the closing date without a significant change in circumstances, will be processed as late applications.  When notifying a significant change of circumstances the applicant must supply documentary evidence to confirm the change.  An example of a significant change of circumstances is a house move that necessitates a change of preference(s).  This would need to be validated by documentary evidence such as a solicitor’s letter confirming exchange of contract or a copy of the tenancy agreement.

All applications for named schools will be considered in accordance with each school’s published admission criteria.  Schools, which are their own Admission Authority, will be informed of all applications naming their school, but not the rankings.  These schools will inform the School Admissions and Appeals Team of the order in which all applicants meet their admission criteria.

Walsall Council will exchange application data and supporting documentation in respect of pupils resident in Walsall, who have applied for schools outside the borough, with the appropriate maintaining Local Authorities.  Similar information will be received for applications from out of borough residents who have expressed preferences for Walsall secondary schools.

By 2 January 2022 (tbc), Walsall Council will input the results of all applications to Walsall schools and a list of potential offers will then be produced.  These potential offers will then be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have the potential offer of a place in an out of borough school.  This information will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings and will result in a list of provisional offers.

By 16 January 2022 (tbc), the provisional offers will be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have a provisional offer of a place in an out of borough school.  These will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings and the results will be the final allocation of places at Walsall secondary schools.

By 6 February 2022 (tbc), the final allocations will be exchanged with the other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.

If a Walsall child does not meet the admission criteria for any of their preferred schools then Walsall Council will allocate a place at the nearest alternative secondary school with vacant places following consultation with the relevant admission authority.

On the National Notification Date, 1 March 2022 (or the next working day), email notification of the outcome of their application will be sent to all parents resident in Walsall who submitted an online application and requested email notification.

The Local Authority will make just one offer of a school place to each child, further offers will only be made after the offer date if it is subsequently possible to offer a child one of their parents higher ranked preferences.  An offer of a school place will not be withdrawn unless it is subsequently found to have been made in error, or as the result of a fraudulent, or intentionally misleading application, or the parent informs the Local Authority that they have made alternative arrangements for their child’s education and no longer require a secondary school place.

2. Primary Admissions

Walsall Council participates in an inter-Local Authority coordinated admission scheme in partnership with a number of neighbouring Local Authorities, namely Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.

Parents should complete an online application. This will enable Walsall parents of Nursery children to name up to 3 primary schools and parents of Year 2 children (for junior schools) to name up to 3 junior schools, rank them in order of preference, and give reasons for their preference.  The online form may be used to apply for a place at any primary/junior school in or outside the borough.

Parents of children who are in nursery provision in Walsall, and are resident in Walsall must apply online if they want their child to join a reception class in a Walsall primary school or in another local authority’s area.

Attendance at a Walsall school’s nursery provision or co-located children’s centre does not guarantee a place at a Walsall primary school.

Online applications must be submitted on the Walsall Council website by the closing date of 15 January 2022

Preferences changed or added after the closing date without a significant change in circumstances will be processed as late applications.  When notifying a significant change of circumstances the applicant must supply documentary evidence to confirm the change.  An example of a significant change of circumstances is a house move that necessitates a change of preference(s).  This would need to be validated by documentary evidence such as a solicitor’s letter confirming exchange of contract or a copy of the tenancy agreement.

All applications for named schools will be considered in accordance with each school’s published admission criteria.  Schools that are their own Admission Authority will be provided with a list of information in respect of all applications naming their school, but not the rankings, together with copies of any supporting documentation.  These schools will use the information provided to apply their admission criteria and will then inform the School Admissions and Appeals Team of the order in which all applications meet their admission criteria.

The table below gives details of Walsall primary schools, which are their own admission authorities:

Where a child meets the admission criteria of more than one of the schools named on the online application form then Walsall Council will allocate a place at the highest ranked of those schools.  Admission Authorities will be advised of the pupils to be offered places.

By 23 January 2022 (tbc), Walsall Council will exchange application data and supporting documentation in respect of pupils resident in Walsall, who have applied for schools outside the borough, with the appropriate maintaining Local Authorities.  Similar information will be received for applications from out of borough residents who have expressed preferences for Walsall primary schools.

By 13 February 2022 (tbc), Walsall Council will input the results of all applications to Walsall schools and a list of potential offers will then be produced.  These potential offers will then be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have the potential offer of a place in an out of borough school.  This information will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings and will result in a list of provisional offers.

By 4 March 2022 (tbc), the provisional offers will be exchanged with other Local Authorities in respect of out of borough applications.  The information received will state which Walsall residents have a provisional offer of a place in an out of borough school.  These will be transferred onto the Walsall database, compared to rankings, and the results will be the final allocation of places at Walsall secondary schools.

By 27 March 2022 (tbc), the final allocations will be exchanged with the other Local Authorities in respect of the results of out of borough applications.

If a Walsall child does not meet the admission criteria for any of their preferred schools then Walsall Council will allocate a place at the nearest alternative primary school with vacant places, after consultation with the relevant admission authority.

On the National Notification Date, 16 April 2022 (or next working day), email notification of the outcome of their application will be sent to all parents of Walsall resident children who submitted an online application and requested email notification.

The Local Authority will make just one offer of a school place to each child, further offers will only be made after the offer date if it is subsequently possible to offer a child one of their parents higher ranked preferences.  An offer of a school place will not be withdrawn unless it is subsequently found to have been made in error, or as the result of a fraudulent, or intentionally misleading application, or the parent informs the Local Authority that they have made alternative arrangements for their child’s education and no longer require a secondary school place.

3. Late Application Policy

The online portal will close for secondary applications on 31 October 2021.  Late Applications and, where appropriate, schools’ own Registration Forms, received after the Closing Date, are processed as late applications.  Any request to change the name or ranking of a school made after the Closing Date will be processed as a late application.

The online portal will close for primary applications after 15 January 2021.  Late Applications and, where appropriate, schools’ own Registration Forms, received after the Closing Date, are processed as late applications.  Any request to change the name or ranking of a school made after the closing date will be processed as a late application.

Late applications will normally be considered for places after all the applications that were received by the Closing Date therefore, it is very likely that late applicants will not be offered a place at one of their preferred schools.

Applications received after the closing date will be passed to the appropriate Admission Authority for consideration under its Late Application Policy.  Each Admission Authority is required to publish its own Late Application Policy which explains how late applications will be dealt with.  The Late Application Policy for all Walsall community and voluntary controlled schools is shown below.

3.1 Late Applications received up to 4 weeks after the Closing Date

Late applications received up to four weeks after the Closing Date may be considered as being on-time but only where there are exceptional circumstances, including:

• Where the family were unable to submit their online application to Walsall Council on time because they moved into the Borough of Walsall after the Closing Date;
• The family were unable to comply with the admission timetable because of exceptional circumstances which prevented them from submitting their online application;
• When a single parent has been ill for some time.

In these cases, the circumstances must be given in writing at the time of application they will be subject to verification by Walsall School Admissions and Appeals Team.

This applies to applications for secondary schools received between 1 November 2021 and 29 November 2021. For primary schools, this applies to applications received between 16 January 2022 and 13 February 2022.

3.2 Late applications received more than 4 weeks after the closing date

Applications for schools received more than 4 weeks after the closing date but before the notification date will be considered only after all other applications.

This applies to applications for secondary schools received between 30 November 2021 and 28 February 2022.  For primary schools, this applies to applications received between 14 February 2022 and 15 April 2022.

3.3 Late applications received after the notification date (once places have been offered)

Applications received after the notification date: a place will be offered at the highest ranked school if places are available.  For Walsall residents, if a place is not available at any of the preferred schools a place will be offered by Walsall Council at the nearest alternative Walsall school with vacant places, after consultation with the relevant admission authority and the child’s name will be added to the waiting list for schools listed as preferences in admission criteria order.

4.    Waiting list policy

Waiting Lists for all Walsall schools, other than Walsall Academy, will be maintained by Walsall Council until 31 December 2022.  Parents may enquire about their child’s position on any Waiting list by contacting the School Admissions and Appeals Team at schooladmissionsadvice@walsall.gov.uk

Looked after children, previously looked after children and those who are allocated to a school in accordance with Walsall’s Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those children on the waiting list.

Waiting lists are kept of all children who have been refused a place at any school that was ranked higher than the school at which they have been offered a place, for example

• If a child is offered a place at the school that was ranked 2nd on their application, then the child’s name will only be placed on the waiting list for the school that was ranked 1st.
• If a child is offered a place at their parent’s first preference school the child’s name will not be added to any waiting list kept for lower ranked schools.

After 1 March 2022 (or next working day) for secondary transfers, or 16 April 2022 (or next working day) for primary admissions, a parent may contact the School Admissions and Appeals Team to apply for a place at an oversubscribed Walsall school.  Their child’s name will be placed on the school’s waiting list in admission criteria order.  Any vacancies will be offered on the basis of the admission criteria for the school.

Waiting lists will be kept for one term only and then discarded.  From 1 January 2023, parents who wish their child to be added to a new waiting list for a Walsall primary school should submit an online mid-year application. Parents who wish their child to be added to a new waiting list for a Walsall secondary school should contact the school directly.

 

5.    Midyear Admissions

5.1 Applications for midyear admission to Walsall primary schools:

The Local Authority will coordinate the midyear admission process for applications to all Walsall primary schools and academies.

Parents who wish to apply for admission to any Walsall maintained mainstream primary school other than at the usual point of entry (Reception or Year 3 when transferring from an infant school to a junior school) should submit an online application through the School Admissions pages of the Walsall Council website.  Applications may not be made directly to any maintained mainstream primary school or academy.  Any supplementary information forms required by a school must be returned to the relevant school.  Where a parent completes a supplementary form, it will not be regarded as a valid application unless the parent has also listed a preference for the school on their online midyear admission application.

Parents who wish to apply for places at schools outside of Walsall should contact the relevant local authority directly.

All Walsall maintained mainstream primary schools and academies must provide the School Admissions and Appeals Team with accurate details of the number of vacancies in each year group on a weekly basis to enable places to be offered to applicants for primary midyear admission without unnecessary delay.

On receipt of an application for primary midyear admission, the School Admissions and Appeals Team will assess the application to determine if it meets the criteria for consideration under the Walsall Fair Access Protocol, and where appropriate a referral will be made to the Fair Access Panel.

Once an application has been assessed in accordance with the published admission criteria of the preferred schools, the Local Authority will write to the applicant to indicate one of the following outcomes:

• Where the child is eligible for a place at one or more of their parent’s preferred schools they will be offered a place at the highest ranked preference;
• Where it is not possible to offer the highest ranked preference, where possible a place will be offered at a lower ranked preference and the offer letter will contain details of how the parent may appeal against the decision to refuse a place at the higher ranked school, and where there is a waiting list their child’s name will be added to it. Waiting lists will be held for one term only and parents who wish their child’s name to be added to the new waiting list will need to resubmit their online application at the start of each new term;
• If it is not possible to offer the applicant a place at any of their parent’s preferred schools and the child is currently without a school place, a place will be offered at an alternative Walsall school, which has places available, following consultation with other admissions authorities where appropriate.

Parents of children with a statement of special educational needs or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must contact Walsall Council’s SEN Team or the Local Authority that issued their statement or EHCP if they wish their child to move to a new school.

5.2  Applications for midyear admission to Walsall secondary schools:

Parents who wish to apply for admission to any Walsall maintained mainstream secondary school other than at the usual point of entry (Year 7) can submit an online application through the School Admissions pages of the Walsall Council website, or may apply directly to their preferred schools. 

Parents who submit an online application to Walsall Council must also submit any supplementary information forms required by a school directly to the relevant school.  Where a parent completes a supplementary form it will not be regarded as a valid application unless the parent has also listed a preference for the school on their online midyear admission application or applied directly to the school.

Parents who wish to apply for places at schools outside of Walsall should contact the relevant local authority directly.

All Walsall maintained mainstream secondary schools and academies must provide the School Admissions and Appeals Team with accurate details of the number of vacancies in each year group on a weekly basis to enable the Local Authority to provide accurate information on the availability of places to parents who enquire about midyear admission.

On receipt of an online application for secondary midyear admission, the School Admissions and Appeals Team will assess the application to determine if it meets the criteria for consideration under the Walsall Fair Access Protocol, and where appropriate a referral will be made to the Fair Access Panel.

The Local Authority will forward details of all applications received to the schools that are listed as preferences. Schools must write to notify the applicant of the outcome of their application. Schools must notify the Local Authority promptly of all direct applications that are received, and of the outcome of all applications for midyear admission.

Schools must not refuse to process an application which has been submitted on the Local Authority’s online common application form, or require that an applicant completes the school’s own application form.

Parents of children with a statement of special educational needs or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must contact Walsall Council’s SEN Team or the Local Authority that issued their statement or EHCP if they wish their child to move to a new school.

Extract from Determined Scheme for coordinated Primary, Secondary and Midyear Admissions for Walsall

The online portal will close for secondary applications on 31 October 2022. Late applications and, where appropriate, schools’ own registration forms, received after the closing date, are processed as late applications. Any request to change the name or ranking of a school made after the closing date will be processed as a late application. 

The online portal will close for primary applications after 15 January 2023. Late applications and, where appropriate, schools’ own registration forms, received after the closing date, are processed as late applications. Any request to change the name or ranking of a school made after the closing date will be processed as a late application. 

Late applications will normally be considered for places after all the applications that were received by the closing date therefore, it is very likely that late applicants will not be offered a place at one of their preferred schools. 

Applications received after the closing date will be passed to the appropriate admission authority for consideration under its Late Application Policy. Each admission authority is required to publish its own Late Application Policy which explains how late applications will be dealt with. The Late Application Policy for all Walsall community and voluntary controlled schools is shown below. 

3.1 Late applications received up to 4 weeks after the closing date

Late applications received up to four weeks after the closing date may be considered as being on-time but only where there are exceptional circumstances, including: 

• where the family were unable to submit their online application to Walsall Council on time because they moved into the Borough of Walsall after the closing date
• the family were unable to comply with the admission timetable because of exceptional circumstances which prevented them from submitting their online application
• when a single parent has been ill for some time

In these cases, the circumstances must be given in writing at the time of application they will be subject to verification by Walsall Council. 

This applies to applications for secondary schools received between 1 November 2022 and 29 November 2022. 

For primary schools, this applies to applications received between 16 January 2023 and 13 February 2023.

Late applications received more than 4 weeks after the closing date

Applications for schools received more than 4 weeks after the closing date but before the notification date will be considered only after all other applications.

This applies to applications for secondary schools received between 30 November 2022 and 28 February 2023. 

For primary schools, this applies to applications received between 14 February 2023 and 15 April 2023.

Late applications received after the notification date (once places have been offered) 

Applications received after the notification date: a place will be offered at the highest ranked school if places are available. For Walsall residents, if a place is not available at any of the preferred schools a place will be offered by Walsall Council at the nearest alternative Walsall school with vacant places, after consultation with the relevant admission authority and the child’s name will be added to the waiting list for schools listed as preferences in admission criteria order.

Extract from Determined Scheme for coordinated Primary, Secondary and Midyear Admissions for Walsall

Waiting lists for all Walsall schools, other than Walsall Academy, will be maintained by Walsall Council until 31 August 2023.  Parents may enquire about their child’s position on any waiting list by contacting the School Admissions and Appeals Team at schooladmissionsadvice@walsall.gov.uk

Looked after children, previously looked after children and those who are allocated to a school in accordance with Walsall’s Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those children on the waiting list.

Waiting lists are kept of all children who have been refused a place at any school that was ranked higher than the school at which they have been offered a place, for example

• if a child is offered a place at the school that was ranked 2nd on their application, then the child’s name will only be placed on the waiting list for the school that was ranked 1st
• if a child is offered a place at their parent’s first preference school the child’s name will not be added to any waiting list kept for lower ranked schools

After 1 March 2023 (or next working day) for secondary transfers, or 16 April 2023 (or next working day) for primary admissions, a parent may contact the School Admissions and Appeals Team to apply for a place at an oversubscribed Walsall school.  Their child’s name will be placed on the school’s waiting list in admission criteria order.  Any vacancies will be offered on the basis of the admission criteria for the school. The Local Authority will continue to co-ordinate the primary and secondary phased rounds, and will retain waiting lists until 31 August 2023.

After this, waiting lists for phased rounds will be held by the relevant admissions authority for a term only until 31 December 2023. From 1 January 2024, parents who wish their child to be added to a new waiting list for a Walsall primary or secondary school should apply via either the primary or secondary mid-year admission application process.