Where applications for admissions exceed 210, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit:
a) Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school.
A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
b) Particular aptitude in either Sport or Performing Arts (The Governing Body award a maximum of 10% of such places in total). Places will only be offered under this criteria if the parent has expressed a preference on the Kent County Council “Common Application Form” for Fulston Manor School.
c) Brothers or sisters of students who will be at Fulston Manor at the time of application. In this context, brother or sister is taken to mean a child who lives as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, step-brothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters (please see Home Address Information below for clarification).
d) Children of staff, who will have been employed at the school for a minimum of two years, when applying for a school place.
e) Children who attend South Avenue Primary School, which is part of the Multi-Academy Trust including Fulston Manor School.
f) Residence in the villages of Borden, Bredgar, Frinsted, Milsted, Rodmersham, Tunstall and
Wormshill together with Highsted Valley. (EVIDENCED BY AN ME9 POSTCODE).
g) Health and Special Access Reasons – Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school’s legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents’/guardians’ physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and Fulston Manor School.
h) Nearness to school based on the distance of a student’s home from Fulston Manor School. The distance between the child’s permanent home address and the school is measured in a straight line using Ordnance Survey address point data. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the school as specified by Ordnance Survey. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody.
Appeals
Parents/carers of pupils who are not offered a place at the school have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. For places in Year 7, details of the Appeals Process will normally be sent out by the Local Authority with the offer letters. Appeals should be lodged in writing to: The Admissions Officer, Fulston Manor School, marked ‘Appeals’.
Waiting Lists
Fulston Manor School will, in line with the local authority, maintain a waiting list until the first day of the Spring Term in the admissions year. Offers of admission from the waiting list will be made in accordance with the oversubscription as laid out above. Placing a child’s name on the waiting list does not guarantee that a place will become available.
Withdrawal of Offers
Fulston Manor School reserves the right to withdraw the place in the following circumstances:
- Where a parent/carer has failed to respond to an offer within a reasonable time.
- Where a parent/carer has failed to notify the school of important changes to the application information.
- Where that place was offered on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application from a parent/carer.
Home Address Information
Fulston will accept as a pupil’s address the residential property that is the child’s only or main residence, not an address which your child may sometimes stay or sleep due to your own domestic arrangements. It will be either:
- Owned by the child’s parent(s), carer or guardian.
- Leased to or rented by the child’s parent(s), carer or guardian with a written agreement.
Evidence of the most recent Council Tax Bill will be required, plus proof of the child’s permanent residency at the property stated on the Council Tax Bill. If you live separately from your partner but share responsibility for your child, and the child lives at two different addresses in the week, we will regard the child’s home address as the one at which they reside (as evidenced by the Council Tax bill). The Governing Body reserves the right to check information given on an application form. If any information is found to be incorrect, or if you fail to notify Fulston of any key changes to the information provided, then the offer of a school place can be withdrawn, as we can only accept one current home address on an application form.
