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Admissions advice

Advice on the admission of summer born children

Advice for Local Authorities, school admission authorities and parents.

This is advice from the Department for Education. It is non-statutory, and has been produced to help local authorities, admission authorities and parents understand the framework within which admission authorities must operate when responding to parental requests for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group. It will help local authorities and admission authorities fulfil the duties imposed on them by the statutory School Admissions Code.  

School Admission Code

This statutory guidance is for:

  • headteachers and school leaders
  • school staff
  • governing bodies
  • local authorities
  • admission authorities of maintained schools as defined in section 88(1) (a) and (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998
  • schools adjudicators
  • admission appeal panels

It applies to:

  • maintained schools
  • academies and free schools

It covers:

  • admission arrangements
  • applications and offers
  • ensuring fairness and resolving issues
  • relevant legislation

It also features an admissions timeline.

It should be read alongside the ‘School admission appeals code’.

School Admissions Appeals Code

This statutory guidance is for:

  • headteachers and school leaders
  • school staff
  • governing bodies
  • local authorities
  • admission authorities of maintained schools as defined in section 88(1) (a) and (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998
  • schools adjudicators
  • admission appeal panels

It applies to:

  • maintained schools
  • academies and free schools

It explains:

  • the statutory basis for the school admission appeals code
  • how schools should conduct appeal hearings with regard to:
    • constitution of appeal panels
    • reaching decisions on appeals
    • infant class size appeals
    • further appeals and complaints about appeals
  • appeals by governing bodies against local authority decisions to admit twice-excluded children
  • the role of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
  • complaints about appeal panels

It should be read alongside the ‘School admissions code’.