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Admissions
Arrangements for 2009 - 2010
Wheatfields Primary School is a Foundation School, maintained by Cambridgeshire County Council. This means that the Governing Body is the admission authority, responsible for setting and applying the admissions policy for the School. All decisions regarding the admission of children into the School are made by a sub-committee of the Governing Body.
The School primarily serves a catchment area comprising that part of St. Ives to the north of St. Audrey’s Lane and east of Ramsey Road from its junction with the A1123, except the area to the north bounded by Ramsey Road, Albemarle Road, the footpath leading to Burleigh Centre and Marley Road. However, applications are welcome from all parents, regardless of where they live.
The School caters for children aged 4 to 11 (Reception up to Year 6). At the age of 11, children transfer to secondary school. Although there is no guarantee of a place, children living in the catchment area and/or attending Wheatfields Primary are given priority for admission to St. Ivo School.
How to Apply
The application process for admissions into Reception (initial year of entry) is co-ordinated by Local Authority, which acts on behalf of the governing body to offer places at the School. Parents should submit a Common Application Form, available from their child’s primary school or from the Local Authority Admissions Team, no later than 5th December 2008. Offer letters will be issued by the Local Authority on 21st April 2009. Late applications (those submitted after 6th December 2008) will also be handled by the Admissions Team.
To apply for a place after the start of term or for any other year group, please contact the School for an application form. Most applications can be responded to, in writing, within 10 school days. If the School is unable to offer a place, you should contact the Local Authority Admissions Team for advice.
Contacts:
School Office: 01480 466919 or office@wheatfields.cambs.sch.uk
Parents wishing to visit the School before submitting an application are welcome to do so, though it may not always be possible to organise this at short notice. Please note that visits are not interviews and do not affect any decision regarding the availability of a place. Please contact the school to make arrangements. All parents are advised to read the Local Authority booklet for parents on primary admissions before submitting an application.
How places are offered
For admission into Reception in September 2009, the Local Authority, on behalf of the Governing Body, will offer places to 60 children. This is the Published Admission Number (PAN) for that year group. In the event that more than 60 applications are received, with Wheatfields listed as either 1st or 2nd choice of school, the oversubscription criteria will be applied to determine priority for places. Both preferences are treated equally, regardless of whether they are first or second preferences.
Oversubscription Criteria
Where applications exceed the PAN, places will be allocated in order to:
- Children who are Looked After, have a statement of special educational need which names the school or for whom this is the only school that can meet their long-term medical needs ;
- Children living in the catchment area with a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
- Children living in the catchment area;
- Children living outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission;
- Children living outside the catchment area, but nearest the school according to the shortest straight line distance.
In cases of equal merit, priority will go to children living nearest the school according to the shortest straight line distance.
Reserve Lists
When an application is refused, the child’s details are automatically placed on
a reserve list for the year group, ranked according to the oversubscription criteria. As part of the co-ordinated scheme for primary admissions, the Local Authority Admissions Team holds the initial reserve list on behalf of the governing body until the end of the first week of the autumn term in the initial year of intake. Where mid-phase applications are received, children’s details will be held on the reserve list for a period of one term following the term for which the place was refused.
Parents will be contacted immediately if a place becomes available for their child, but should be aware that their child’s place on a reserve list may change if an application is subsequently received that meets a higher criterion than their own.
Appeals
The parents of any child who is refused a place at Wheatfields Primary School have a right of appeal to an independent Appeal Panel. The panel consists of three people who are independent of the school’s Governing Body and the Local Education Authority. The panel will consider the circumstances of the case put before them and the Governing Body and parents must abide by the decision it makes.
Appeals for Wheatfields Primary School are currently arranged by the Chair of Governors. Further information and appeal forms are available from the Admissions Team or the school office.
Definitions
For the purposes of admission to Wheatfields, the Governing Body has adopted the Local Authority’s definitions of parent, sibling and home address. Details of these can be found towards the back of the Local Authority’s admissions booklet for parents.
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