Terms and abbreviations we may use for schools admissions.
We may use some of these terms when we tell you about applying for a school place
Parent or Carer
This includes all those people who have parental responsibility for a child who fall under the definition of “parent” as set out in Section 576 of the Education Act 1996.
Child’s home address
This is the child’s permanent address where he or she lives with a person with parental responsibility or with a parent (as defined in Section 576 of the Education Act 1996). It is the address where the child spends the majority of their time. We reserve the right to ask for proof of residence.
School Admissions Code
Document giving legislative framework together with other statutory instruments admission authorities follow. Produced by the Department for Education.
Admission number
Every school has an admission number, which is the minimum number of places available in the year group which pupils normally enter on joining the school (year 7 in secondary schools). The admission number is based on a capacity assessment formula produced by the Department for Education and takes into account the physical size of the school and its ability to provide the different parts of the curriculum.
Oversubscribed schools
This means that there have been more applications than there are available places.
Undersubscribed schools
This means that there have been fewer applications than there are available places within the admission number.
Oversubscription criteria
These are the policies that decide which children will be given priority where there are more applications than places.
Local Authority
This is your council area. Your local authority (LA) is the council you pay your council tax to and who are responsible for your bins and recycling.
Home Local authority
This is the LA in which the child lives. Applications should be made on your home LA common application form regardless of the school(s) applied for.
Children in Care and Children Previously in Care
This means children who are in public care. The School Admissions Code has been amended to include previously looked after children. These children are defined as children who were previously in care to a local authority in England, but immediately after being in care became subject to an adoption order, child arrangements order or special guardianship order.
The definition includes children adopted outside England including children adopted internationally. Parents are asked to provide with their application confirmation that their child was previously in care to an institution acting as a local authority, or an organisation that supports the best interests of the child, or community. The School Admissions Code gives both categories of children the highest priority.
Private Fostering Arrangements
A child, under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled) who is cared for and provided with accommodation by someone other than: A parent of his/ hers; A person who is not a parent of his or hers but who has Parental Responsibility for him/her; A sibling; A close relative of his or hers, for example, aunt, uncle, step parent or grandparent.