Admissions
Barnwell Academy Nursery School Admissions
At Barnwell Academy we have a school nursery provision for 36 children. The places are spilt with 18 morning places for 5 days per week and 18 afternoon places for 5 days per week. Parents with children who will turn 4 between September and the following August can apply.
Places can be registered as early as possible with most families choosing to do so when their child turns 2 years old. To register and request a place visit the school office at the main school reception.
If our school nursery is oversubscribed and we can not offer a place for every child it will be necessary to consider all of the children registered against the published admissions criteria for the school.
As we also have a Daycare provision for 0-5 year olds we can also offer wraparound care and 30 hours provision between, the hours of 8am-6pm, for children who attend our school nursery.
If you would like your child to attend Barnwell Academy school, please see full details of our admission arrangement below.
Admissions for Sunderland Local Authority 2024-25
Sunderland City Council - to apply follow this link to Online School Admissions
Arrangements for Barnwell Academy are available in the Sunderland School Admission Primary Booklet however, you can read the extract of our Admission policy here:
Barnwell Academy Admissions Policy
The Trust Board of Barnwell Academy is the Admissions Authority for this Academy. The Trust Board intends to admit up to 30 pupils into Reception in September 2025.
Reception applications must be made on the Common Application Form (available from the Local Authority) by the determined closing date and an offer will be made by the Local Authority on behalf of the school on the National Offer date. Applications received after the closing date will only be considered after all those received by the closing date have been considered. Parents must indicate which category they are applying for and should provide supplemental evidence in support of the application. This will enable the Trust Board to make an informed decision.
Parents (a parent is determined as a person with parental responsibility) have the right to express a preference for a school of their choice. In the first instance all preferences expressed will be considered on an equal weighting basis, but where a child is eligible for more than one place it will be the highest ranked school/academy for which they are eligible that they will be offered.
Published Admission Number
The Published Admission Number (PAN) for this Academy is 30.
Where a pupil has an Education, Health & Care Plan naming Barnwell Academy, a place will be offered (subject to confirmation by the Local Authority).
The admission criteria within this policy are applied if the number of applications exceeds the number of places.
Admission Criteria
- A Looked–after child – This refers to a child that is looked after by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22(1) of the Children’s Act 1989 and a child who was looked after, but ceased to be so, because of adoption (or become subject to a residence order or special guardianship order) and a ‘Looked-after’ child who appears to the Admission Authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as result of being adopted – a child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society.
Parents are asked to send proof as supplemental information including evidence of an ‘order’ and confirmation from the Virtual School.
- A Sibling Link – A child who has an older brother/sister (including adoptive, foster or step-children) that shares the same parent/carer and lives at the same address, who will be attending the preferred school.
- Exceptional medical or psychological reasons – (you must include a medical or psychological report, prepared by a professional, to confirm information that you include in this section. This report should explain why only this school can meet your child’s medical or psychological needs. Common childhood medical conditions such as asthma or giving a child’s or giving a child’s nervousness at starting new school as a psychological reason for choosing a particular school are unlikely to be accepted as exceptional). If you intend to use this criterion when expressing a preference, please contact the School Admissions Team before completing the application form. (Eligibility under this category will be considered by a meeting of Senior LA Officers).
- A child of permanent staff* employed by the school.
- All other children.
*This is applicable to all permanent staff employed by Barnwell Primary Academy as follows:
- a) Where the member of staff has been employed by the school/academy for 2 or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the academy is made, and/or
- b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
Tie Breaker
Where there are places for some, but not all applicants within a particular criterion priority will be given to children living closest to the academy. Places will be offered on the basis of distance from the centre of the home address to the main entrance of the school with priority being given to those living closest to the school. Distance is measured by the shortest, safest walking distance, using a geographical information system (GIS).
At the first stage of allocations there will be no distinction between 1st, 2nd and 3rd preference applications. Therefore all applications will be considered equally against the admission criteria. If a pupil then qualifies for a place at more than one school, the parent’s highest ranked preference will be offered and any lower ranking offers will be disregarded.
In determining allocations, priority will be given to those applications where the parental preference is received by the published deadline date.
Appeals
Where it is not possible to offer a place, the child will be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list is sorted using the admission criteria and will be held until 31st December, after the children start school in September.
Parents/carers who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal. Further details of the appeals process will be included with the notification letter but are also available from the School Admissions Team and the academy.
Exceptional Circumstances
The academy may be asked to increase its PAN (Planned Admission Number) only where:
- An event/incident occurs in another educational establishment which could not possibly have been planned for, e.g. fire.
- To comply with other agreed protocols, e.g. children in care, fair access, SEN.
- A child moves into an area outside the normal admissions round and no other school/academy would provide suitable education within a reasonable distance of their home.
- An allocations error has occurred, and a place should have been offered.
- Multiple birth siblings would be split and therefore will be offered together.
- Children of armed forces personnel.
Admission of Children below Compulsory School Age and Deferred Entry
A child is entitled to a full-time place in September following their fourth birthday. A request may be made for the date at which a child, below compulsory school age, is admitted to the academy, to be deferred to later in the academic year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age, or beyond the beginning of the final term of the academic year. A child may take up a part-time place until the child reaches compulsory school age. Upon receipt of
the offer of a place a parent should notify the academy in writing, as soon as possible, that they wish to either defer their child’s entry to the school or take up a part-time place.
Admission of Children outside their Normal Age Group
A request may be made for a child to be admitted outside of their normal age group. Any such request should be made in writing to the Headteacher of the academy. The committee responsible for admissions will make its decision about the request based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child. In addition to considering the views of the Headteacher who has statutory responsibility for the internal organisation, management and control of the academy, the committee will consider the views of the parents and of appropriate medical and education professionals.
Summer Born Children
The parents of a summer born child, i.e. a child born between 1 April and 31 August, may request that the child be admitted out of their normal age group, to the Reception class in the September following their fifth birthday and that that the child will remain in this cohort as they progress through school. Parents who want to make this request should make an application for their child’s normal age group at the usual time. The application to the Local Authority should include this request. The Local Authority will consult with the academy, and the committee responsible for deciding upon admissions will make its decision about the request based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child. In addition to considering the views of the
Headteacher, who has statutory responsibility for the internal organisation, management and control of the academy, the committee will consider the views of the parents and of appropriate medical and education professionals. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the request before primary national offer day. If the request is agreed, the application for the normal age group may be withdrawn before a place is offered. If their quest is refused, the parent must decide whether to accept the offer of a place for the normal age group, or to refuse it and make an in year application for admission to year one for the September following the child’s fifth birthday.
Where a parent’s request is agreed, they must make a new application as part of the main admissions round the following year. One admission authority cannot be required to honour a decision made by another admission authority on admission out of the normal age group. Parents, therefore, should consider whether to request admission out of the normal year group at all their preference schools, rather than just their first preference schools.
In-Year Applications
An application can be made for a place for a child at any time outside the admission round and the child will be admitted where there are places available. Applications should be made by contacting the academy direct and a school transfer form must be completed. If a parent requests information from a school regarding places in year groups, this will be responded to within 2 days. Parents will be advised of the outcome of their application within 5 days upon receipt of the transfer form. They will also receive the decision in writing within 10 school days.
Nursery Class Applications
Nursery application forms are available from the academy office. Staff will require evidence of your child’s birth certificate at the time of application. Applications can be received any time after the child’s second birthday. Places will be allocated using the Trust’s admission criteria by order of priority. Additional forms of identity may be required to establish eligibility.
Please note that attendance in the Nursery class is not a criteria for school admissions. Nursery admission does not guarantee admission to Reception year group and a separate application form for admission to Reception year group will have to be made.
In Year Admissions
If you are applying for an in year place at Barnwell Academy please complete the Primary School Transfer Form below.
All applications forms received will by considered by the school. Barnwell Academy has a published admission number of 30 in each class.
Upon receipt of the transfer form the school will notify parents and carers of the decision within 10 school days and a written decision within 15 school days.
If there are no places available and the class/year group is full you can appeal the decision.
To receive an appeals form please contact the school office in person, via telephone on 0191 5844440 or by email: barnwell.primary@schools.sunderland.gov.uk
Please note we do not currently hold a waiting list for in year places.