Admissions
As an Academy the Directors/Governors of the school must consider the admissions criteria on an annual basis. The outcome of this review must then be published 12 months in advance. Places will be allocated to pupils who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for SEN that names the school as appropriate provision.
For details of how to apply please telephone West Northamptonshire Council on 0300 126 7000, and ask for School Admissions or visit their website. You can also call the school office to arrange a visit on 01604 862880.
View our current Admissions Policy
Admissions arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
If your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan or a statement of special educational needs (SEN) there is a separate process for your child's school admission: please click here to the visit Local Authority website for further information.
In Year Admissions
Parents should apply via West Northamptonshire Local Authority Schools Admissions Service, which coordinates our admissions throughout the course of the year (until the end of August).
Application details will be forwarded to the governing body for consideration. If the number of children already admitted to the appropriate year group is lower than the published admission number, a place will be offered. If there are more applications than places available in the year group concerned, the governing body will apply the over-subscription criteria below to all the applications and make offers up to the admission number in criteria order. No admission will be made to an infant class where the regulatory class size limit of 30 children would be breached by doing so, subject to the exceptions noted in the Admissions Policy.
Upon receipt of an in-year application, the local authority, should aim to notify the parents of the outcome of their application in writing within 10 school days, but they must be notified in writing within 15 school days;
Where an application is refused, the local authority must also set out the reason for refusal and information about the right to appeal.
Where an applicant is offered a school place following an in-year application, and the offer is accepted, arrangements should be made for the child to start school as soon as possible, especially where the child is out of school (5 school days).
When there are more applications for places than there are places available (30), priority will be given in the following order:
- ‘Looked after children’, that is children in local authority care or previously in public care but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements order or special guardianship order, including those children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
- Children with specific medical and social needs where professionals have clearly identified that the school can best meet the needs of the child (see social/medical need. Definition/evidence required below).
- Children of staff employed by the Academy at the date of admission (see definition below).
- Children living with their parents/legal guardians in the civil Parish of Hartwell who also have a sibling attending the school at the time of admission (see residence definition below).
- Children living with their parents/legal guardians in the civil Parish of Hartwell (see residence definition below).
- Children with a sibling attending the school at the time of admission (see definition below).
- Proximity of the child’s permanent residence to the school, with those living nearer to the school being accorded higher priority. As detailed in the “tie breaker”.
Tie breaker
Where there are more applications in any one category, applications will be prioritised on the distance from the child’s home to the address point of the school, (priority being given to the children who live closer to the school).
Distances are measured on a straight-line basis from the child’s permanent residence to the main entrance of the school using the local authority geographical information system.
This information can also be found on the "Applying for a Primary School Place in Northamptonshire" document on West Northamptonshire Local Authority website.
Social/Medical need. Definition/evidence required
If you believe that your child has exceptional medical or social needs you will need to provide evidence of this from an appropriate professional. The needs must relate to your child and the evidence must detail how the needs of your child can only be met at your preferred school. This can be sent in a sealed envelope if you prefer. If accompanied by a professional’s letter, they MUST demonstrate in their judgement why Hartwell Primary School can meet your child’s needs, and also demonstrate why other local schools cannot meet your child’s needs. It is not sufficient for a professional to say in their judgement only Hartwell Primary School can meet your child’s needs, they must state why schools B or C cannot meet the needs.
The decision as to whether the application is met by this criteria is made by the School Governors.
Residency Definition
The child’s place of residence is the address of the parent or legal guardian with whom the child spends the majority of the time during the school week. Parent(s) / legal guardian(s) will be required to produce evidence of residency/home address on the admissions closing date in January following the formal offer of a place from the Local Authority. The proof of residence should be in the form of a Council Tax Statement, where this is not available we will require another source of independently verifiable proof of residency, e.g. a tenancy agreement.
*The Parish of Hartwell refers to the Civil Parish of Hartwell.
Definition of Staff
Staff are defined as a permanent member of all types of staff, full or part time. The definition of children of staff includes step children where the child’s main residence is that of the staff member.
Definition of Siblings
The definition of a brother or sister, sometimes referred to as a sibling:
- A brother or sister sharing the same parent
- A half-brother or half-sister, where two children share one common parent
- A step-brother or step-sister, where two children are related by a parent’s marriage
- Adopted children
A brother or sister must be living at the same address when the application is made.
Admissions Appeals
If a child is refused admission to the school either for September entry or during the course of the year, the parents have formal rights to appeal to the Independent Admissions Appeal Panel against the decision of the Governing Body. The Independent Admissions Appeals Panel is arranged by Peterborough Diocese Board of Education.
Please contact the Diocese of Peterborough Education Team Administrator on education@peterborough-diocese.org.uk for further details.
The timetable for appeals for parents unsuccessful in obtaining a primary place at the school for September 2024 is as follows:
Following the National Offer Day on 19 April 2022, the deadline for lodging an on-time appeal is 18 May 2022 (5pm).
The Appeal Clerk will send notification of the Hearing (Date and Time) and the Statement of Case to the Appellants, week commencing 6 June 2022.
On time appeals will be heard by 8 July 2022.
Spring/Summer 2022 appeals will take place either on Zoom or in-person at the diocesan offices in Northampton and Peterborough.
Proposed appeal hearing dates are between 4-8 July 2022.
Decision letters will be sent within 5 working days of the appeal hearing, subject to any unforeseen circumstances.
The Governors cannot consider repeat appeals in the same year unless there has been a significant change in circumstances.
Please telephone West Northamptonshire Council on 0300 126 7000 and ask for School Admissions if you are interested in your child attending Hartwell Primary School. Or you can contact the school office to arrange a visit on 01604 862880.