School admissions
Please follow the advice below before completing the application for your child/ren.
You do not have a right to choose the school your child will go to, you do, however, have a right to express a preference.
Our ability to meet your preference will depend upon not only the demand for places at an individual school but also on the number of places available.
Visit the school/s you would like to apply for
One of the best ways to assess a school is by visiting it in person. Consider the distance and accessibility of the school. A visit to a school does not mean that your child will be offered a place, nor does it give priority for places. Parents should not assume that an offer of a visit by a school constitutes any obligation on the part of the school or the Local Authority.
The school cannot offer your child/ren a place.
Look at the school prospectus
You can obtain a copy from the school directly.
Look at performance data
Check the GOV.UK government funded website that provides detailed information about schools, including links to school performance data.
Research Ofsted reports
It may also be helpful to read the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) reports, which are produced by the Government’s School Inspectors.
Check your catchment area school
You should not assume that you live within a particular school catchment area, some streets are split and therefore it is always best to check. You can check which catchment area on the catchment area map. You can also email the Access Team at school.admissions@northtyneside.gov.uk to find out your catchment school.
Consider the Admission Policy
A school admission policy explains the method by which a school will allocate its places. Admission Authorities have a legal responsibility to publish a clear admission policy and to implement it rigorously when considering applications. This is to ensure that the process is fair and transparent. You can find the admission policies for all schools in this booklet or on the school website.
Before completing your application form consider the admission policy for the school(s) you are applying for and estimate your realistic chance of being offered a place at a particular school. You can assess this by working out how high up in the oversubscription criteria your child will be. You will also need to state on your application form which category you are applying under.
Check the Published Admission Number (PAN) for the school
All schools have a published admission number largely based on the size of the school buildings and their capacity to accommodate pupils. Once a published admission number has been set, the Admission Authority must respect that number. Pupils should not normally be admitted above the published admission number unless exceptional circumstances apply, for example where a child is given an Education, Health and Care Plan that names a school which is oversubscribed.
Look at the statistics from the previous year
You can check which schools were oversubscribed. This will tell you the number of applications received and the number of appeals that were heard. However, parents should note that these figures could change significantly from year to year and they are no guarantee that your child will be offered a place at your preferred school.
Use all three preferences
You can apply for up to three schools in order of preference. If you only apply for one school, you will not be considered for other schools. Schools do not know the order you have ranked them on your application form or which schools you have applied for. This information is confidential prior to the allocation of school places.
Be realistic
The more realistic you are when deciding which schools to apply for, the more likely it is that you will get one of your preferred schools. Try to obtain as much information as possible about how places at your preferred schools are offered. It is recommended that you apply for a place at your catchment area school as one of your preferred schools as this is the school that we are most likely to be able to offer your child a place. Please note, a place at your catchment area school cannot be guaranteed.
Twins and multiple births
For admission to Reception, year one and year two twins and multiple births will be placed at the same school and in cases where there is only one place left and the next child on the waiting list is one of a twin or other multiple birth they will be offered a place as an ‘excepted pupil’ for the time they are in an infant class or until the numbers fall back to the
current infant class size limit.
Deferring Entry to Reception (Summer Born Children)
Paragraph 2.17 of the School Admission Code requires the Admission Authority of the school to make the decision, and it is clear that Admission Authorities must make the decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case. Parents should discuss this as soon as possible with the school(s) they are interested in applying for and they should make it clear that they wish to apply for a Reception place a year later than the year into which the child could have been admitted.
Parents who are refused a deferred place at a school have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. Further information on the admission of summer born children is available at www.gov.uk.
The term summer born children relates to all children born from 1 April to 31 August. These children reach compulsory school age on 31 August following their fifth birthday (or on their fifth birthday if that falls on 31 August). Most requests for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group will come from parents of children born in the later summer months or those born prematurely. If you have a summer born child and you are considering delaying entry you must inform us before the 12 January 2026 so your child can be removed from the transfer group.
Parents must complete a paper form application for a school place at the correct time and clearly state that they will be requesting to delay entry to the following year. Before doing this parents must contact the school/s to discuss the reasons for delaying entry. If the Headteacher agrees please note this does not guarantee a place at the school the following year and agreement must be provided in writing to the Access Team at school.admissions@northtyneside.gov.uk. The Local Authority will consider the views of the headteacher regarding their refusal to consider applications for delayed entry. Please note some schools may also have information about delayed and deferred entry and summer born children on their website.
Please check the information for the school/s you want to apply for by referring to the school’s website.