Admissions

Admissions Guidance from Manchester DBE

CofE schools should be both distinctively Christian and inclusive communities. The following points will support the development of admissions arrangements.

1. Remember your Christian Vision
2. Use the CofE Online Admissions Builder Tool
3. Follow CofE guidance regarding use of faith based criteria
4. If you have faith based criteria, use one of the Diocesan Template SIFs
5. Consult with the Diocese before public consultation

All admission authorities must formally agree their admission arrangements every year, even if the arrangements have not changed from the previous year.

Governing Boards of Voluntary Aided schools and Trustees of Academies are the admission authority for the school (the LA is the admission authority for Voluntary Controlled schools).

If the admissions arrangements are being amended, consultation must take place. Consultation must be held at least once every seven years regardless of changes.

Public consultation must last for a minimum of 6 weeks between 1 October and 31 January in the determination year, i.e. before you make your final decision by 28 February.  

The law requires you to consult with: 

1. parents of children between the ages of two and eighteen; 
2. other persons in the relevant area who in the opinion of the admission authority have an interest in the proposed admissions; 
3. all other admission authorities within the relevant area (except that primary schools need not consult secondary schools); 
4. whichever of the governing body and the local authority who are not the admission authority; 
5. any adjoining neighbouring local authorities where the admission authority is the local authority

Once admission authorities have consulted and formally determined their admission arrangements and recorded this in the minutes of the relevant governors/trustees meeting, they must notify the appropriate bodies and publish a copy of the arrangements on their website displaying them for the whole offer year (the school year in which offers for places are made). 

• Consultation window 1 October and 31 January
• Deadline to formally determine admission arrangements - 28 February
• Deadline to publish on school website - 15 March
• Deadline to send copy to LA and notify key stakeholders - 15 March
• Deadline for LA to publicise all schools' arrangements - 15 March
• Deadline for objectors to refer cases to the Schools Adjudicator - 15 May

For further advice regarding admissions please contact: admissions@manchester.anglican.org