Guide for new parents

Choosing a school which will provide the best education for your child is one of the most important decisions that a parent has to make.

Admissions

Burnsall VA Primary School is a Voluntary Aided Church School serving an area of outstanding national beauty in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park between Ilkley and Grassington.

The school has strong links with the local parish church, St.Wilfrid’s. As a Voluntary Aided school, the school’s Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and is responsible for admissions. We are an inclusive school that welcomes all children and all applications will be treated fairly and objectively according to our admissions criteria.

The school can accommodate up to 84 children within the regulatory conditions set by North Yorkshire Education Authority. Normally Governors will not admit more than 12 children of Reception age.

Children who have a statement of special educational need, which names Burnsall VA Primary School, will be admitted. This is a statutory entitlement under section 324 of the Education Act 1996 and is not part of the oversubscription criteria.

Where there are more applications than places available, the Governors will offer places according to the following oversubscription criteria in order of priority.

Applications

Applications will be ranked in priority order. All applicants within each priority will be considered equally.

Priority Group 1

Children and young people in Public Care

This applies to all looked after children, including children with a residency order, children with special guardianship and children who have been adopted.

Priority Group 2

Children living within the normal area of the school

The normal area of the school is defined as those dwellings whose postal address includes any of the following villages: Burnsall, Appletreewick, Hebden, Hartlington, Thorpe, Barden, Skyreholme, Howgill and Greenhow. (available to view in school).

Priority Group 3

Children living outside the normal area of the school

If there are not enough places for all the children in one of these priority groups, we will give priority first to those with a sibling at the school at the time of application, (in all cases sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling) and then to those living nearest the school.

If within a priority group there are not enough places for all those with a sibling at the school at the time of application, we will give priority to those children with a sibling living nearest the school.

This will be measured from the main entrance of school to the front door of the applicant as measured by the Local Authority’s electronic mapping system.

Admission Procedure

Parents can register interest in a place for their child at any time by contacting the School Office.

In the Autumn Term prior to the academic year in which your child will commence in a Reception class, parents must complete a Common Application Form from the Local Authority.

These are available on line at www.northyorks.gov.uk under the education and learning section. The Local Authority will notify parents on our behalf as to whether or not an application has been successful.

Late Applications

If there are still places available at school after the closing date for admissions your child will still be offered a place.

However, if places are not available you can appeal if you wish and your child’s name will be put on a waiting list.

Appeals

Appeals against the governors’ decision not to offer a place must be lodged by the parents, in writing, with the Committee Service Unit at North Yorkshire County Council, within 14 days of the parents receiving notice that their child will not be offered a place.

Admission of children below compulsory school age

Children who are offered a Reception place in the school will be able to start school in the September following their fourth birthday.

Parents may request that the date their child is admitted to the school is deferred until later in the same school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in that school year.
Parents may request that their child attends part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age.
Requests for a child to start their schooling on a part-time basis or to defer the start until they reach compulsory school-age should be addressed to the Headteacher.
Compulsory school age is the beginning of the term following the child’s fifth birthday.

Deferred entry to primary schools

Parents of children who are offered a place at the school before they are of compulsory school age may defer their child’s entry until later in the school year. Where entry is deferred, the school will hold the place for that child and not offer it to another child during the remainder of the school year for which application was made.

It should be noted, however, that such children will only be allowed to start at the beginning of a term. Parents may not defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the beginning of the summer term of the school year for which the original application was accepted.

In-year applications

All in year applications for admission will be co-ordinated through the agreed North Yorkshire co-ordination scheme.

Applications for admission will be made using the Local Authority In-year Preference Form.

Late applications for Reception in Autumn Term will be made in the same way.

Term Dates

Friends of the school

Ofsted Parent View

Curriculum Downloads

For Pupils

AFTER SCHOOL CLUB