STEP Admissions and Appeals

Welcome to STEP Academy Trust and thank you for your interest in educating your child at one of our Academies. The following notes are designed to provide guidance on enquiries or applications for places.

STEP Academy Trust is the admission authority for the Academies within the Trust and the allocation of school places has been delegated to the Local Authority School Admissions Teams.

CONSULTATION ON PROPOSAL TO VARY THE DETERMINED ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SEPTEMBER 2024 INTAKE AT PEACEHAVEN HEIGHTS ACADEMY AND TELSCOMBE CLIFFS ACADEMY

STEP Academy Trust is consulting on the variation to the 2024 admission arrangements for Peacehaven Heights Academy and Telscombe Cliffs Academy, East Sussex. The School Admissions Code 2021, requires admission authorities to publicly consult where changes are proposed to admission arrangements.

This consultation seeks stakeholder’s views and comments. Please see below the documents in relation to the consultation and information on how to submit your views.

Your feedback must be submitted no later than 28 December 2022

Please note the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 Admission Policies have been updated in line with the requirements of the new School Admissions Code which comes into force on 1 September 2021 and will apply with immediate effect. Changes to the policies have been made to clarify the key issues around the admissions for vulnerable children, in-year admissions and Fair Access Protocols.

We welcome visits to our Academies before application and are flexible in trying to ensure you can look around at a mutually convenient time. Please telephone the Academy office to make an appointment with a member of the admissions team. If possible, we will try to arrange for a member of the Senior Leadership Team to be available for further questions. Please check each Academy’s website for further details.

Applications for Reception places at one of our South London STEP Academies will be made in accordance with the PAN London coordinated admission arrangements administered by the Local Authority School Admissions team.

Applications for Reception places at one of our East Sussex STEP Academies will be made in accordance with the East Sussex County Council coordinated admission arrangements.

Information on our Academies is displayed on their website. The Academies will use the timetable specified by the Local Authority each year and published annually to parents for admissions of pupils to primary schools. For detailed information, please check the local authority website.

In year admissions (those that take place to all other year groups) are made as places become available. In recent years there have been very few places available for ‘in year’ admissions at our academies. However, you still make a formal application to your home Local Authority and your child’s name will be added to the waiting list for the academy of your choice.

Consideration of Applications

Applications are considered for reception places annually. For ‘in year’ admissions, applications are considered as soon as a place becomes available.

Waiting lists are maintained by the LA and all enquiries should be made to them. Children on waiting lists are ranked according to the priority they have under the published admission arrangements. Waiting lists do not operate on a ‘first come first served’ basis; if new applicants have a higher priority, they will be ranked higher than those who have been on the list for some time.

Please see below links to in year admissions information:

Secondary Transfer

Each September, parents/carers of children in Year 6, are able to apply for secondary school places for the following year. For detailed information, please check the Local Authority website.

Appeals

Parents/carers who are not offered a place for their child will be entitled to appeal to an independent committee under the provisions of the:

School Standards and Framework Act, 1998.

A service level agreement has been taken out with Local Authority Independent Appeals Services and Clerks Associates to carry out the role of clerk to administer appeals hearings.

Information about the appeals process can be located under the Appeals section on the Academy website.

Angel Oak Academy