Co-ordinated Scheme for School Admissions
2024/25
Part 1: Co-ordinated Scheme for Primary Admissions for 2024/25
Normal Year Admissions
(a) All parents/carers of Bolton children must complete the Bolton LA application
form online for admission to the borough maintained primary schools. This will
include children with an Education Health and Care Plan.
(b) The LA will provide parents with access details to the online application form
which will be distributed to their registered home address. Information on
admission arrangements and guidance notes will be available to view on the
Council’s website. Hard copies will be available on request.
(c) The LA application online application will allow parents/carers to express up to
3 preferences in rank order and to state reasons for the preferences.
(d) Parents/carers must submit their online application by 15th January 2024.
(e) The procedures for processing application forms received after the closing date
is given below.
(f) The LA will forward relevant information from the online application forms 2
February 2024 to other local authorities where Bolton residents have expressed
a preference for a maintained school or academy in their area. On this date
other LAs will provide details of preferences for Bolton schools or academies
expressed by their residents
(g) The Local Authority enable all schools in Bolton to access information from the
application via the School Portal where parents/carers have expressed a
preference for them. The parent’s preference ranking for them will not be
shared with the admission authorities in compliance with the School Admissions
Code
(h) Bolton admission authority schools and academies will update the School
Portal by 8 March 2024 of the priority ranking of all applicants according to their
admission arrangements
(i) By 15 March 2024, the LA will inform other local authorities of offers to be made
to children resident within their areas and receive details of offers they will be
making to Bolton residents. This information will continue to be exchanged until
31 March 2024.
(j) All parents/carers of Bolton children will receive emails from the LA informing
them of the outcome of the application for admission to the borough primary
schools on 16th April 2024. If admission is refused to the preferred school or
academy parents/carers will be informed of the alternative school to be offered
and provided with advice on how to appeal following a link on the email offer.
(k) The LA will continue to co-ordinate admission arrangements until the end 31
December 2024 and will hold a waiting list of all pupils whose preference for
the school could not be met. The LA will provide the relevant admission
authority details of children requesting admission through the School Portal.
The LA will convey to parents/carers of Bolton children the outcome of their
application.
Late Applications
Only in exceptional circumstances where evidence is available will late applications
be considered on time. These may include the following:
• parents who removed into the borough after the closing date
• Parental/carer/child illness which required hospitalisation for a major part of the
period between the publication of the LA's admission booklet and the closing
date for the application form.
1. Late applications received after the closing date but before 15 February
2024
The closing date will as far as possible be strictly observed. Late applications
will only be considered after all the applications received by the closing date
have been considered. Wherever possible, late applications received before
15 February 2024 will receive notification of the offer of a school place on 16
April 2024.
2. Late applications received after the 15 February 2024
Applications received after 15 February 2024 will only receive notification of the
offer of a school place after the allocation date, 16 April 2024.
The LA will continue to manage the co-ordinated admission arrangements after
the allocation date i.e., 16th April 2023 until 31
st
December 2023.
The application submitted to the LA and any relevant documents will be passed
on to the appropriate admissions authority for consideration. The LA will retain
responsibility for informing parents/carers about the outcome of their
application. If admission is refused to the preferred Borough school(s) or
academy, advice and guidance will be included in the offer email or letter, which
will also inform parents/carers of the alternative school to be offered and their
right to appeal including details of the appeals process
Waiting list
Bolton LA maintains waiting lists for admission to the borough schools and academies
and for 2024 admissions this will be held until 31 December 2024. Details of children
who have not been offered a place at their preferred school(s), including late
applicants will automatically be placed on the waiting list.
The waiting list will be compiled using the relevant published oversubscription criteria.
As no distinction will be made between applications received on time and late
applications, the waiting list will remain fluid.
The LA will maintain the waiting list until 31 December 2024. Procedures for changing
schools after this period are outlined in the policy relating to in year admissions.
A child can only be on the waiting list for up to three schools at any one time. A child
will automatically be adding to the waiting list to any original preference schools where
they have been refused a place. Preferences can be changed after the offer date on
16th April 2023 if necessary.
Looked after children, previously looked after children and those allocated a place at
the school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those
on the waiting list.
Change of preferences
If a parent makes an on time application, they may change the order of those on time
preferences after the closing date by emailing Pupil and Student Services.
A change of preference (i.e. adding new preferences) after the closing date 15th
January 2024 will only be acceptable in exceptional circumstances. This is likely to
be when there is a change of address. Verification must be provided e.g., letter from
solicitor exchanging contracts or a tenancy agreement together with evidence to
confirm permanent residency at the new address. The LA cannot change any
preferences for whatever reason after 15 February 2024 until after the offer date of 16
April 2024.
Applications outside the normal year of entry
Parents/carers may occasionally apply for their child to be admitted outside their
normal age group (i.e. to the year above if the child is gifted or talented or to a lower
year if the child has special educational needs or has experienced problems or is a
summer born child starting school for the first time).
The Local Authority, as admission authority for community and voluntary controlled
schools; the governing body as admissions authority for voluntary aided schools; or
the Academy trust as the admissions authority for, academies and free schools, will
consider these applications individually.
The decision will be taken by the admission authority after discussion with the Head
teacher and other relevant professionals, The decision will consider the circumstances
of each case and will be made in the best interests of the child concerned, in
accordance with the requirements of the School Admissions Code (2021).
Children from Overseas
An application for a school place will be accepted for children from overseas even
though they may not be resident in the UK at the time of application. However, in
most cases, where distance rules apply only their home address overseas will be
used for admissions purposes.
The exception to this is where the children are of parents returning from foreign
postings, such as UK service personnel and other crown servants (including
diplomats) who have been posted abroad on a fixed term contract and who are
returning to live within the UK, proof of the future UK residency (or a service unit’s
postal address) will be required if application is made to an oversubscribed school.
Parents living outside of the UK are advised to consult the guidance at www.gov.uk
to ascertain their status and that of their dependents, including children under 18 for
whom they wish to apply for a school place.
Children from Service families or crown servants
Applications for children of service personnel with a confirmed posting or crown
servants returning from overseas will be considered in advance of the family moving
into the area if necessary. Where possible, an application must be included in the
normal admission round.
An official letter, such as a posting note or letter of support from the commanding
officer should be sent to the local authority as soon as possible. This should include
the relocation date and Unit postal address or quartering area address (the address
of the closest house in the nearest ‘quartering area’).
Until a fixed address is available, the Unit postal address or quartering area address
will be used and a school place allocated accordingly.
Timetable for Primary Admissions for September 2024
Closing date for online applications to the LA
15 January 2024
LA sends application details to other Local Authorities by 2 February 2024 and
Bolton voluntary-aided schools and academies can access the information via the
School Portal
Other LAs, Aided schools/Academies to update via the School Portal a ranked list
of pupils by
7 March 2024 until 31 March 2024
March to April 2024 The Local Authority will resolve all potential offers to ensure
that each child receives a single offer of a school place
Offers made to parents by LA
16 April 2024
Parents to accept/decline place offered by
30 April 2024
Appeals
May to July 2024
Part 2: Co-ordinated Scheme for Secondary Admissions for 2024/25
Normal Year Admissions
(a) All parents/ carers of Bolton children must submit the Bolton LA online application
form for admission to secondary maintained schools whether located in the
Borough or in neighbouring LAs. This will include children with an Education Health
and Care Plan.
(b) The LA will provide parents with access details to the online application form.
Information on admission arrangements and guidance notes will be available to
view on the Council’s website. Hard copies will be available on request.
(c) The online application will allow parents / carers to express up to 3 preferences in
rank order and to state reasons for their preferences. This will include maintained
schools in this and the neighbouring LAs. Parents/carers should only indicate an
independent school if a place has been offered and they are sure a place will not
be required at a maintained school.
(d) If Canon Slade School, St James CE High School or Bolton Muslim Girls School
are expressed as preferences, parents / carers must additionally complete the
school application form which is obtainable from the school if they wish to apply
under the school’s faith criteria. The completed form must be validated by the Vicar
/ Faith Leader in time to enable parents to return it to the school by the deadline
published by the school.
(e) For Bolton children the completed LA application form along with other relevant
supporting documents must be submitted online or returned to the Bolton LA’s
Pupil & Student Services.
(f) The closing date for the submission of the completed LA preference form will be
31st October 2023. (The supplementary application form for Canon Slade, St
James CE or Bolton Muslim Girls Schools will specify the closing date for return)
(g) The procedures for processing application forms received after the closing date is
given below.
(h) The LA will forward relevant information from the submitted application by 10
November 2023 to other local authorities where Bolton residents have expressed
a preference for a maintained school or academy in their area. On this date other
local authorities will provide details of preferences for Bolton schools and
academies expressed by their residents.
(i) The Local Authority enable all schools in Bolton to access information from the
application via the School Portal where parents/carers have expressed a
preference for them. The parent’s preference ranking for them will not be shared
with the admission authorities in compliance with the School Admissions Code
(j) Bolton admission authority schools and academies will update via the School
Portal by 8 December 2023 of the priority ranking of all applicants
(k) By 12 January 2024, the LA will inform other local authorities of offers to be made
to children within their area and receive details of offers they will be making to
children resident in Bolton. This information will continue to be exchanged until
31January 2024.
(l) All parents / carers of Bolton children will receive emails from the LA informing
them of the outcome of the application for admission to Borough and neighbouring
LA schools on 1 March 2024. If admission is refused to the preferred maintained
school or academies parents / carers will be informed of the alternative school to
be offered. Where a place cannot be offered at a maintained school or academy
or a neighbouring LA school(s)/academy, the LA’s email will advise parents /
carers of their right of appeal and provide details of the appeals process.
(m)The LA will continue to co-ordinate admission arrangements until 31 December
2024. The LA will provide the relevant admission authority details of children
requesting admission. The LA will convey to parents / carers of Bolton children the
outcome of their application.
Late applications
Only in exceptional circumstances where evidence is available will late applications
be considered on time. These may include the following:
• parents removed into the borough after the closing date
• parental / carer / child illness which required hospitalisation for a major part
of the period between the publication of the LA’s admission booklet and the
closing date for the application form
All applications received after 31 December 2023 will be classed as late regardless of
the circumstances.
1. Late applications received after the closing date until 15 January 2024
The closing date will as far as possible be strictly observed. Late applications will
only be considered after all the applications received by the closing date have been
considered. Wherever possible, late applications received before 15 January 2024
will receive notification of the offer of a school place on 1 March 2024.
2. Applications received after 15 January 2024
Applications received after 15 January 2024 may only receive notification of the
offer of a school place after the allocation date, 1 March 2024.
The LA will continue to manage the co-ordinated admission arrangements until
31
st
December 2024.
The LA form and any relevant documents will be passed on to the appropriate
admissions authority for consideration. The LA will retain responsibility for
informing parents / carers about the outcome of their application. If admission is
refused to the preferred Borough school(s) or academy, advice and guidance will
be included in the offer email or letter, which will also inform parents/carers of the
alternative school to be offered and their right to appeal including details of the
appeals process.
Waiting list
The LA will maintain a waiting list for admission to the community &voluntary-
controlled schools. Parents / carers of all unsuccessful applicants, including late
applicants, will automatically be placed on the waiting list which will be maintained until
31 December 2024.
The waiting list will be compiled using the relevant published oversubscription criteria.
As no distinction will be made between applications received on time and late
applications, the waiting list will remain fluid.
A parent cannot add their name to the waiting list for a school that was not one of their
original three preferences unless there is evidence of extenuating circumstances.
Looked after children, previously looked after children and those allocated a place at
the school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol must take precedence over those
on the waiting list.
Change of preferences
A change of preference will only be acceptable in exceptional circumstances. This is
likely to be when there is a change of address. Verification must be provided e.g.,
letter from solicitor exchanging contracts or a tenancy agreement. The LA cannot
change any preferences for whatever reason after 31 December 2023 until after the
offer date of 1 March 2024.
Timetable for Secondary admissions for September 2024
Closing date for applications and return of forms to the LA
31 October 2023
LA sends application details for schools in other LAs to those LAS
11 November 2023
School Portal available for access to aided schools/academies/free schools
within Bolton LA from 31 October 2023
Aided schools, Academies/ free schools (via the school portal) and
neighbouring LAs to inform Bolton LA of pupils to be offered / refused places 8
December 2022
LA to exchange information of children to be offered and refused places with
neighbouring LAs 12 January 2022
Final exchange of offers between Local Authorities.
31January 2024
Schools informed by LA of the list of pupils offered admission to their school,
including pupils not resident in the borough LA.
26 February 2024
Offers made to Bolton parents by LA
1 March 2024
Appeals
April to July 2024
Part 3: Proposed Co-ordinated Scheme for In-Year Admissions to Primary
Schools from September 2023
1. Applicants should contact the Local Authority or the school where they are
seeking admission
2. Applications can be made online at www.bolton.gov.uk/admissions. The
application form lists those schools that have chosen not to co-ordinate and
parents/carers will be advised to contact those schools directly to make an
application.
3. For Voluntary Aided, Free Schools and Academies applicants may need to
complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) obtainable from the school
which should be returned directly to the school.
4. Parent/carer must return any documentation to support the application, e.g.
medical information, direct to Pupil & Student Services.
5. When an application is received the Local Authority will liaise with the school to
determine if a place can be offered.
6. All applications must be processed as far as possible within 10-15 school
days of receipt.
7. Where a place can be offered then the school must agree a start date with the
parent /carer to admit the student within 10 school days of the offer being made
8. Where schools are full in the relevant year group, the pupil’s name will be added
to the waiting lists which will be maintained by the Local Authority for the
remainder of the 2023/24 school year. Waiting lists will be prioritised in
accordance with the schools published admission criteria
9. The Local Authority (Pupil & Student Services) will provide parents with relevant
advice and guidance of the appeals procedures.
10. For those schools and academies that do not co-ordinate in year admissions
they must inform the Local Authority of the outcome of all applications for
admission.
11. All schools and academies must inform the Local Authority of places as and
when they become available so that places can be offered to children from the
waiting lists.
Part 4: Co-ordinated Scheme for In-Year Admissions to Secondary Schools –
September 2023
1. Applicants should contact the Local Authority
2. Applications can be made online at www.bolton.gov.uk/admissions. The
application form lists those schools that have chosen not to co-ordinate and
parents/carers will be advised to contact those schools directly to make an
application.
3. For Canon Slade School, St James CE Secondary School and Bolton Muslim
Girls School applicants may need to complete a Supplementary Information
Form (SIF) obtainable from the school which should be returned to the relevant
school.
4. Parent/carer must return any documentation to support the application, e.g.
medical information, direct to Pupil & Student Services.
5. The Local Authority will liaise with the school to determine if a place can be
offered
6. All applications will be processed as far as possible within 10-15 school days
of receipt
7. If a place can be offered, then the Local Authority will forward the application
details to the school. The school must agree a start date with the parent/carer
to admit the student within 10 school days of the offer being made
8. Where schools are full in the relevant year group, the Local Authority will
provide parents with relevant advice and guidance of the appeals procedures.
The pupil’s name will be added to the waiting lists which will be maintained by
the Local Authority for the remainder of the 2023/24 school year. Waiting lists
will be prioritised in accordance with the schools published admission criteria
9. For those schools and academies that do not co-ordinate in year admissions
they must inform the Local Authority of the outcome of all applications for
admission.
10. All schools, and academies must inform the Local Authority of places as and
when they become available so that places can be offered to children from the
waiting lists
