Admissions
Consultation on the proposed 2027-28 admission arrangements for St John's Primary School.
In accordance with the School Admissions Code, Forward As One CE Multi Academy Trust (the admission authority) is consulting on proposed changes to our admission arrangements for entry in September 2027. Consultation will run for a minimum of 6 weeks from Wednesday 17th December 2025 to Wednesday 28th January 2026. This consultation period falls within the statutory window as per the Admissions Code: GOV.UK.
We are consulting with parents of children aged 2-18, local schools and admission authorities, the local authority, the diocese and other interested parties in the locality as required under the Admissions Code.
What's changed/summary of proposals:
Nursery Admissions
- Nursery admissions are no longer included in this policy
- Nursery places will be covered by a separate admissions policy
- A Nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place
Sibling Priority
- Children with a brother or sister already attending school will be given higher priority than under the current policy
Faith-Based Admissions
- Applying under faith criteria is optional
- The faith criterion now applies to C of E worship only
- A two-band system will be used:
- Band A: regular Church of England worship over the last two years
- Band B: regular Church of England worship over the last year
- Priority for attendance at other places of worship has been removed.
Medical ad Social Needs
- Children with exceptional medical or social needs that can only be met at this school will continue to be considered
- This criterion will now be applied after sibling and faith criteria
Waiting Lists
- A waiting list will be held for Reception admissions until 31st December
- Places on the waiting list are ranked by the published admissions criteria, not the date of application
- Children place through Fair Access process may take priority
Tie - Breaks
- Where two children cannot be separated by distance, places will be decided using an independent random allocation process
A full copy of the proposed admission arrangements are linked below and available on request.
Admissions policy below:
How to respond:
Please respond by Wednesday 28th January 2026 (consultation closes at 5pm on this date). Responses can be submitted by:
- Email: enquires@fa1.uk (subject: Admissions Consultation)
- Online form: forms.offfice
- Post: The Clerk to the Board of Trustees, Forward As One CE Multi Academy Trust, Newnham Street, Bolton, BL1 8QA (FAO Admissions Consultation)
What happens next:
All responses will be considered by the Trust Board prior to determination of the admission arrangements by 28th February 2026. Once determined, the arrangements will be published on each academy's website by 15th March 2026 and a copy sent to the local authority. Once the final arrangements are determined, anyone with concerns has the right to refer the matter to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the consultation or need the documents in an alternative format.
Please see https://www.forwardasone.uk/Admissions-Consultation-2027-28 for more information.
Kind regards,
Miss L Bonter (Headteacher)