• The Kirklees Admissions Policy
• What are the three key points about our admission policy?
• What are the admission priorities in the Kirklees policy?
• What is a priority admission area (PAA)?
• What is the published admission number (PAN)?

The Kirklees Admission Policy
Kirklees Council makes the admission policy for the community and voluntary controlled schools. It is the same policy for all these schools.

Voluntary aided schools have their own policies made by their governors.

Kirklees arranges admission to schools and units established for children with statements of special educational needs separately from the general admission policies.

What are the three key points about our admission policy?

1. The Published Admission Number (PAN) is the maximum number of children it is normally proposed to admit. Normally, we will not refuse children until that number is reached.

The PANs for all schools are listed.

• Schools in Kirklees - A to Z list
• Schools in Kirklees - Headteachers and contact details

2. If there are more applicants than places, there must be some way of deciding who gets priority for the places. These admission priorities are sometimes called the oversubscription criteria of the admission policy.

3. For every preference you are refused, you can appeal to an independent appeal panel.

What are the admission priorities in the Kirklees policy?
From September 2007, the priorities for admission to full time schooling in community and controlled schools are as follows:

We will admit children up to the PAN in order of priority. If, within any one of the priorities listed, we cannot offer all applicants a place, we will give preference to children living nearer the school. Distance is measured in a straight line.

The admission priorities are:

1. children in public care (looked after children)

2. children with a statement of Special Educational Needs which names the school

3. children who live in the school's Priority Admission Area (PAA) who have an older brother or sister attending from the same address at the date of admission (the younger sibling rule)

4. children who live in the school's PAA

5. children who live outside the school's PAA who have an older brother or sister attending from the same address at the date of admission (the younger sibling rule)

6. children who live outside the school's PAA.

Notes

a) Children in priorities 1 & 2 above may also be admitted above the Published Admission Number (PAN).

b) If we cannot agree to requests for admission in priorities 3 to 6 above without exceeding the PAN, we will give priority up to the PAN to children living nearest the school. Distance is measured in a straight line.

c) 'Live' means the child's permanent home at the date when applications close or, if a house move is involved, 12 January 2007.

d) For children transferring to a middle school, preference within any of the priority groups above (up to the PAN) will be given to children attending a first school in the middle school's priority admission area.

e) A PAA means a geographical area determined by Kirklees in consultation with the governing body of the school.

What is a Priority Admission Area (PAA)?
All community and controlled schools have a defined priority admission area. It has this name because children living there normally have priority for admission over children who live elsewhere. Some people refer to it as the catchment area. Maps of a school's PAA are available from the school or the Admissions Office at Oldgate House. You can also view them online.

• Find a school and your priority admission area

What is the Published Admission Number (PAN)?
Usually the PAN is the school's net capacity divided by the number of age groups of children in the school (excluding nursery classes). It is determined following consultation between Kirklees and the school governors.

If we decide on a lower number, we have to publish an explanation. It applies this year to:

Shaw Cross I & N School whose PAN is reduced from 63 to 60 so that the school can comply with the Key Stage 1 Class Size Regulations. Where classes should not exceed 30 children.