School Admissions

Children are admitted to the Reception Class from September of the school year in which they will have their fifth birthday.

Parents who are interested in a place at The Oaks need to complete a “School Interest Place” form, available from the office to register their child with the Pupil and Student Services Dept at the Town Hall. Early in the spring term, before the child is due to start in the September, places will be allocated by the LA according to the LA’s admissions policy. Please ask at the office for a booklet explaining the procedures if you need one but the following criteria are used throughout the LA when admitting children to primary school.

Places will be allocated in the first instance to those children who:

• Have a statement of Special Educational Need
• Are in the care of the Local Authority
• Have an older brother or sister attending the school at the time of the child’s admission
• Suffer from an illness or have a disability, which makes it better for them to attend this school rather than another. This must be notified at the time of application. (An examination by the School Medical Officer may be necessary.)
• Face a difficult or unreasonable journey to another school. Those children with the easier or shorter journey to an alternative school will have a lower priority for this school.

It is hoped that the allocation procedure described above will result in a satisfactory offer of a place for each child. If however the final offer is not satisfactory parents have the right to appeal under Section 7 of The Education Act 1980. A leaflet explaining the Appeals Procedure is available from the Education Department. An appeal must be made in writing within 15 days of the date of the final offer to the Assistant Chief Executive, Town Hall, Bolton.

During the term before the children are due to start at The Oaks families are invited into school to discuss procedures and admission arrangements.

In year admissions are also coordinated by the local authority details of how to apply can be found at www.bolton.gov.uk/website/pages/Primaryschoolplaces