Admissions Arrangements

All admissions are dealt with through West Northamptonshire Council’s online application process at www.westnorthants.gov.uk

We welcome visits from prospective parents. Please ring or email the school office to arrange an appointment: 01858 525261 office@clipston.northants.sch.uk

The school has a Published Admission Number of 15, meaning that 15 places are available for Reception aged children each year.

There are two types of admissions for primary schools in our West Northants Council:-

• School starters – this is to apply for a place in our Reception Class. The admission process usually opens in October and closes at the beginning of January in readiness for a taking a place the following September.  The Local Authority will expect you to make three choices in order of preference and allocate place according to each school’s admission criteria.  Outcomes of allocations are usually released to parents by mid-April and as a school we will contact you following the allocation to welcome you to our school family.
• In year admissions (moving schools during the school year) – this is to apply for a place in a specific year group. This can be done at any time throughout the school year.  The Local Authority will contact the school to check if there are spaces available in the required year group and allocate a place if available.  This place must be accepted within 10 working days of being offered.  If there are no available places, the Local Authority will manage a waiting list system, but parents will need to re-apply every term.

The school is subject to the Community Primary Schools Rural Admission Criteria.

The school’s Linked Area includes the villages of Clipston, East Farndon, Great Oxendon, Hothorpe, Kelmarsh, Marston Trussell, Thorpe Lubenham and Arthingworth. In reality, the school also admits children from outside this linked area, including from Sibbertoft, Desborough and Market Harborough.

How places are allocated

Places will be allocated to children who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan that names the school as appropriate provision.

Oversubscription Criteria

Where there are more applications for the school than there are places available, priority will be given in the following order:

1. Looked after children and all previously looked after children, including internationally adopted previously looked after children

2. Children who live in the linked area to the school

3. Children with a sibling continuing at the school at the time of admission of the child

4. Other children Allocation of places up to Published Admission Number (PAN)

If the PAN is exceeded within any criterion, priority will be given to those who live closest to the school.

Tie-breaker

Where two or more applications cannot otherwise be separated, random allocation will be used to decide who is allocated a place.

Parents of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are welcome to meet with the Head Teacher to discuss their child’s individual needs.

For further information, please ring the school or go to www.westnorthants.gov.uk

Appeals

West Northants Council also manage the appeals process for school places at our school.  Further information can be found at: School Admissions | West Northamptonshire Council