Admissions

Last updated: 01/05/2013 Add to My Bookmarks Subscribe

Finding the right school place for your child is an important concern as a parent/carer.  These admissions web pages aim to provide you with all the information you need in order to apply for a school place quickly and easily.  If you would prefer to receive advice via telephone or email, please contact the Admissions Team (see contact details on the right).

About schools in Cornwall

• For a list of schools in Cornwall, including contact details, please visit the Contact Details page.  For information on pre-school and nursery places, please visit the
• Pre-school page.

Find your designated or nearest school

To find your nearest school (which won't necessarily be the school designated for your address) please visit the My Area page using the link on the right and enter your postcode when prompted.

To find information on designated schools - i.e. the school/s that Cornwall Council has designated for your address - and the way these are used, see the Designated Areas page.

Applying for a school place

The links below will provide you with all the information, guidance and application forms you need to apply for a school place in Cornwall.

• Changing Schools during the Current School Year
• Applying for a School Place to Start in September 2013
• Applying for a School Place to Start in September 2014

Moving into or out of Cornwall?  If you are currently living outside Cornwall and want to apply for a school place within the County, either during the school year or at one of the standard points of entry (September into reception, year 3 in a junior school or transferring to secondary school), your application must be made via your home Local Authority.  However, if you have a confirmed address in Cornwall, evidenced by either a signed rental agreement or completed proof of purchase, you can apply direct to Cornwall Council.  Similarly, if you live in Cornwall and wish to apply for a school within another county, your application must be made via Cornwall Council unless you have evidence of an address as stated above. 

Need help with your application?  The Choice Advice Service (Family Information Service) is here to help you!  Further information and contact details can be viewed by visiting the Choosing a School page.

The role of Cornwall Council

Cornwall Council and all Cornwall's schools must act in accordance with the Department for Education's (DfE) Admissions Code 2012.  For information on the Admissions Code and Regulations visit the DfE Website.

In line with the Admissions Code, Cornwall Council is responsible for producing the admissions arrangements listed below on an annual basis.  The agreed or proposed arrangements for each year can be found by clicking the links in the 'Apply for a school place' section above. 

About admissions arrangements

Co-ordinated admissions scheme: This document outlines the way in which applications for schools in Cornwall will be processed and how places will be allocated, and is intended to make the admissions process clear, fair and transparent.  This document is determined by the Local Authority and applies to all schools including academies and free schools.  Cornwall Council's co-ordinated schemes for the relevant year can be found via the 'Applying for a school place' link above.

Oversubscription criteria: This document outlines the way in which applications will be prioritised when a school has more applications than places available.  Cornwall Council sets the oversubscription criteria for community and voluntary-controlled schools because they are the 'admission authority' for these schools.  The governing body or academy trust of foundation, trust, voluntary-aided, academy or free schools set their own oversubscription criteria because they are their own admission authority.  Cornwall Council's arrangements for community and voluntary-controlled schools for the relevant year can be found via the 'Applying for a school place' link above and the arrangements for all other schools can be found via their individual websites.  They will also be shown on these web pages for convenience.

Fair Access Protocol: This document, which is prepared by the Local Authority and agreed with the majority of schools in Cornwall, aims to ensure that children who haven't been able to secure a school place during the school year, particularly those who are vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible.  The Protocol can be seen here: Fair Access Protocol.

Annual report to the Schools Adjudicator

All local authorities are required to complete a report for the Schools Adjudicator annually which describes the effectiveness of admissions in the previous year.  The 2012 report can be seen here: Office of the Schools Adjudicator Report 2011/12.

The appeals process

If you are not offered a place at the school of your choice, you may appeal this decision.  When you are refused a place at your preferred school, you will be sent details of how to appeal if you wish to and the deadlines and relevant timescales for this process.

For LA maintained schools, the Local Authority makes arrangements for appeals to be heard.  For academies and free schools it is the school that are responsible for arranging appeals. However, the academy or free school may choose to ask Cornwall Council's Democratic Services to arrange appeals on their behalf.

Appeals are heard by an independent panel. A decision by an appeal panel whether or not to offer a school place is binding on the admission authority. If your appeal is unsuccessful, you may not appeal again for the same school within the same academic year unless there has been a change of address or significant material change in your circumstances.

The appeals timetable

The School Appeals Code states that admission authorities must set a timetable for organising and hearing appeals that:

1. includes a deadline for lodging appeals which allows appellants at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge their written appeal;
2. ensures that appellants receive at least 10 school days' notice of their appeal hearing;
3. includes reasonable deadlines for appellants to submit additional evidence, for admission authorities to submit their evidence, and for the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties;
4. ensures that decision letters are sent within five school days of the hearing wherever possible.

Admission authorities must ensure that appeals lodged by the appropriate deadlines are heard within the following timescales:

• for applications made in the normal admissions round, appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals;
• for late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged;

for applications to sixth forms:

• where the offer of a place would have been conditional upon exam results, appeals must be heard within 30 school days of confirmation of those results;
  where the offer of a place would not have been conditional upon exam results, appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals;
• for applications for in-year admissions, appeals must be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

Any appeals submitted after the appropriate deadline must still be heard.

The timetable for appeals can be found in the co-ordinated schemes using the 'Applying for a school place' link above for the relevant year.  If you have any queries, please contact the Admissions Team using the contact details on the right of this page.