Proposed admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled secondary schools for 2027/2028
All districts
The purpose of the admission arrangements is to ensure that all school places for maintained schools are allocated and offered in an open and fair way. LCC must comply with the School Admissions Code, published by the Department for Education [DfE], which has 'a force of law'. When a school is oversubscribed, ie, it has more applicants than places available, it needs a policy to allocate and offer places in an open and fair way, in line with the School Admissions Code. Listed below is the policy and associated procedures used by Lancashire County Council when allocating places for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools. The supplementary notes and Geographical Priority Areas [GPA] which form part of the admission arrangements make it clear to parents how and why places are allocated in a fair, clear and objective way.
Towards the end of the report, the admission arrangements for the Community and Voluntary Controlled Sixth Forms are provided:
Secondary
An admission number will be published showing the maximum number of pupils that the school will admit in the Autumn Term 2027. Parents are given the opportunity to express three preferences for a secondary school. Published criteria are used to decide which children should be offered the available places. In secondary schools an equal preference system operates, whereby the three parental preferences are given equal status. Each preference will be considered equally against the admissions criteria.
When a secondary school is oversubscribed, the following priorities apply in order:
- Looked after children or a child who was previously looked after, but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangement order, or special guardianship order or those children who appear to the school to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (see note (x) below), then
- Children for whom the Local Authority accepts that there are exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons which are directly relevant to the school concerned. (See note (i) below) then
- Children eligible for Services Premium, [note xi] then,
- Children living within the school’s geographical priority area with older brothers or sisters attending the school when the younger child will start, (see note iii below).
- Children living within the school’s geographical priority area, then
- Children living outside the school’s geographical priority area with older brothers or sisters still attending the school when the younger child will start (See note (iii) below) then
- Children living outside the school’s Geographical Priority Area (see note (iv) below.
Notes
(i) The medical, social and welfare criterion will consider issues relevant to the child and/or the family. This category may include children without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who have special needs. Parents are responsible for providing the professional supporting evidence with the application by the closing date from a consultant, doctor, psychologist, social worker or from another relevant independent professional.
(ii) As required by law, all children with a EHCP naming a school will be admitted before the application of the over-subscription criteria. Children who have an EHCP have their applications considered separately.
(iii) Brothers and sisters includes full brothers and sisters, stepchildren, half brothers and sisters, fostered and adopted children living with the same family at the same address; and full brothers and sisters living at different addresses. The priority does not apply to siblings whose brothers and sisters transferred into a sixth form at 16+.
(iv) The distance criterion will be used as the tie breaker if there is oversubscription within any of the admission criteria; it is a straight line (radial) measure.
If the Local Authority is unable to distinguish between applicants using the published criteria (eg. siblings, those living the same distance from home to school, or families residing in the same block of flats) places will be offered via a random draw. The draw will take place at the local authority’s office and the name/s will be drawn by an officer who is independent of the admissions process.
The distance measure is a straight line measurement (radial) between the applicant’s home address points and the address point of the school (co-ordinates provided by ordnance survey data).
(v) A child's permanent address is the one where he/she normally lives and sleeps and goes to school from. Proof of residence may be requested at any time throughout the admission process, (including after a child has accessed a school place). If there is any doubt about this, then the address of the Child Benefit recipient will be used.
(vi) The Local Authority will keep waiting lists for all Lancashire primary schools until 31 August 2027. These are kept in priority order using the school's published admission criteria. Each child added will require the waiting list to be ranked again in order with the published admission criteria.
(vii) From 1 September 2027, waiting lists will be transferred to and retained by individual admission authorities (the Local authority for community and voluntary controlled schools and own admission authority schools will each retain their own list). To comply with the School Admissions Code the waiting lists must be retained until at least 31 December 2027.
(viii) Applications for school places which are received late will not necessarily be dealt with at the same time as those received by the set deadline. The reasons for a late application may be requested and where these are not exceptional the relevant admission criteria will be initially applied to all others received on time. The late application will be dealt with after this process.
Application forms received after the published closing date, will only be considered at that time if the following conditions apply:
(a) if the number of preferences received for the school is below the published admission number or:
(b) there are extenuating circumstances justifying a late application.
These may include:
(a) parents moving into the County after the closing date;
(b) parent/carer illness which required hospitalisation for the major part of the period between the publication of the composite prospectus and the closing date for applications.
(ix) Where a child lives with one parent for part of the week and another for the rest of the week only one address will be accepted for a school admission application. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of school days (Monday to Friday). Proof of residence may be requested at any time throughout the admissions process.
(x) The highest priority must be given to looked after children and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order, child arrangement orders or special guardianship order). Further references to previously looked after children in the Code means children who were adopted (or subject to residence orders, child arrangement orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after. This includes children who are legally adopted from overseas. Relevant, legal documents must be provided to evidence the adoption.
A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. A child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society (see Section 23ZZA(8) of the Children’s Act 1989 (inserted by Section 4 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017). This includes children who were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (see Section 12 adoption orders) and children who were adopted under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (see Section 46 adoption orders). Child arrangement orders are defined Section 8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by Section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Child arrangement orders replace residence orders and any residence orders in force prior to 22 April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989, which defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).
(xii) Admission authorities may give priority in their oversubscription criteria to children eligible for the service premium. The service premium is additional funding paid annually to schools under Section 14 of the Education Act 2002 for the purposes of supporting the pastoral needs of the children of Armed Services personnel.
Children eligible for the Service Pupil Premium (SPP)
Pupils attract SPP if they meet one of the following criteria:
- one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces, including pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service - this includes pupils with a parent who is in the armed forces of another nation and is stationed in England
- registered as a ‘service child’ on any school census in the past 6 years
- one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme
Service parents must make the Local Authority aware of their status by talking to the relevant Area Education Office.
Evidence of eligibility for the Service Pupil Premium (such as a copy of a military identification (ID) card or official posting notice from a Senior Officer) must be submitted at the time of your application.
Shared care arrangements
In the cases where a child lives with parents who have shared responsibility and the child's time is split between two homes, the home address used will be that which is directed by the court or the address where the child lives for the majority of the week. The Local Authority reserves the right to request further proof in order to establish the home address, as fit the individual circumstances.
The Local Authority has an obligation to process an application form that has been signed and submitted by a parent stating that they have parental responsibility.
In the cases where a child lives with parents who have shared responsibility and the child’s time is split equally between two homes, the Local Authority will consider the child's address registered for Child Benefit and with the GP surgery at the time of application.
Only one application can be considered for each child, and we would expect that in most cases parents/carers will take the above parental address requirement into account, agree on their preferences and submit one application. The system will highlight where two applications have been made and both parents will be contacted to withdraw one of these applications.
In the event of two applications being received for a child with shared residency we will then only consider the application from the parent/carer with whom the child resides the majority of the time, provided that individual has Parental Responsibility for the child.
If a Court order is made which contains directions/orders regarding the child's education, a copy of this Order must be provided to the Local Authority who will act in accordance with that order, as far as possible. If the child resides with two parents/carers equally, both have parental responsibility and both submit applications, then neither application will be considered, and the Local Authority will contact parents asking them to agree a single application to go forward for processing and provide a deadline for the final application to be confirmed.
In cases where parents cannot agree on the preferences for their child they should endeavour to do so as soon as possible. If mutual agreement is not possible, ultimately, a Specific Issues Order from the court may need to be obtained. If an agreement on a valid application form to be processed is not received both applications will not continue to be processed until an agreement is made or a court order is provided, and no offer will be made until the single application has been confirmed.
The Local Authority will not issue more than one offer to a child. School and local authority staff must treat all parents equally, unless a court order limits a parent’s ability to make educational decisions, participate in school life or receive information about their child.
We can only process applications from one address. If your child lives at a different address from you or with another parent/carer from Monday to Friday, please provide the Parental Responsibility Order for the person the child lives with.
Please note that the address that the parent enters on the admissions application form will be used to assess home to school transport eligibility. The address of the other parent cannot be used for transport assessment purposes.
Moving house
If you are about to move house, please contact the Area Education Office with your new address so that letters which are sent to you do not go astray. If you have already exchanged contracts on a house or have evidence of a confirmed offer of tenancy, you can ask for your child's application to be considered from the new address. It is required that a family does not just own a property, in a particular location, but that they are actually resident in the property. Evidence of your/the child's residency in the new property will be required.
We can’t accept a temporary address if you still possess a property that was previously used as a home address.
If you make a permanent house move after applying, but before allocation procedures have been undertaken, you must contact the Area Education Office. You may be able to change your preferences if you are changing address to a more distant property and the allocation will be based on the new address. We normally require two forms of evidence to confirm a house move. It may on occasions be necessary to request additional documentation, depending upon individual circumstances.
Documents accepted to evidence a house move:
- Proof of purchase or tenancy agreement
- Evidence of disposal of previous property
- Council Tax document, evidencing the end of residency in previous home
- Council Tax document, evidencing the residency within your new home.
Other forms of evidence may also be accepted at the discretion of the County Council to cover individual circumstances.
If you move temporarily during the admissions process you must also discuss the matter with the Area Education Office. Temporary addresses are rarely accepted for admission purposes.
If you are moving to another area of Lancashire, details of schools in the area can be obtained from any Area Education Office. Admission Authorities will check address details and may randomly sample applications.
You must contact the Area Education Office if there are any changes in your child's living arrangements during the application and allocation of places period.
Places offered for Lancashire schools may be subsequently withdrawn where misleading or inaccurate information has been discovered.
Applications from abroad (and other areas of the UK)
It is no longer required that families must be physically resident in Lancashire (or nearby) in order to apply within the annual intake processes.
Where families relocate or return to an address in Lancashire after a statutory closing date but during the allocation period (ahead of finalisation of offers) then there will be considered as a late application. Appropriate evidence must be provided of ownership and date of relocation and residence at that address.
Please note that late entry to the annual intake processes will not be possible after the statutory closing dates unless an exception is agreed by the Local Authority and / or the admission authority.
The Authority has a duty to co-ordinate admission arrangements for all Lancashire maintained schools. The Authority will ensure that all Lancashire parents whose children are transferring to Year 7, receive the offer of one secondary school place on the agreed date.
Priority for twins/multiple births:
Where a single place remains at a school and the application being considered is for twins or other multiple births, the Council will allocate above the admission number to accommodate each child.
Geographical priority areas
North Lancashire Area
(Please note that where reference is made to parishes, these refer to civil parishes not ecclesiastical parishes.)
District 1 - Lancaster
The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any secondary school in Lancaster.
District 2 – Wyre Community High School
Millfield Science and Performing Arts College (02/101)
Fleetwood, Thornton Cleveleys (part*) and the Parish of Hambleton (shared with Hodgson and Baines).
* The cut off point being the Blackpool Borough boundary.
District 4 - Fylde
The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any secondary school in The Fylde.
South Lancashire Area
(Please note that where reference is made to parishes, these refer to civil parishes not ecclesiastical parishes.)
District 6 – Preston Community High Schools
Ashton Science College
Parishes of Ingol and Tanterton, Lea and Preston*
*The Broadgate area bounded by the Preston dock branch railway line, the West Coast Main Line (railway Line), the Penwortham Parish boundary (River Ribble) and Guild Way is not included.
Broughton High School
Parishes of Barton, Broughton, Inskip with Sowerby, Lea (part of*), Preston (part of**) and Woodplumpton
Inskip with Sowerby is in both Broughton and Garstang Community Academy's Geographical Priority Areas.
*The area bounded by Lea Lane, Sidgreaves Lane, Hoyles Lane and the Woodplumpton parish boundary. This area is shared with Ashton Community Science College's Geographical Priority Area.
**The area bounded by the Woodplumpton parish boundary, the West Coast Main Line (railway line), and the B6241 (Lightfoot Lane/Tom Benson Way) in a westerly direction back to the Woodplumpton parish boundary. This area is shared with Ashton Community Science College's Geographical Priority Area.
District 7 – South Ribble Community High Schools
Balshaw's CE High School [VC]
Parishes of Brindle (part of*), Clayton-le-Woods, Cuerden, Euxton (part of**) and Leyland (part of***), Buckshaw Village
*The part of the parish to the south of the M65 motorway
**The part of the parish to the north of the Chorley to Manchester railway line
***The area to the east of Worden Lane, St Andrews Way and Towngate. The area to the south of King Street and Leyland Way
Penwortham Girls' High School
Parishes of Hutton, Little Hoole, Longton, Much Hoole, Penwortham and Preston (part of*)
*The Broadgate area bounded by the Preston dock branch railway line, the West Coast Main Line (railway Line), the Penwortham Parish boundary (River Ribble) and Guild Way.
District 8 – West Lancashire
The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any secondary school in West Lancashire.
District 9 - Chorley
The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any secondary school in Chorley.
East Lancashire Area
(Please note that where reference is made to parishes, these refer to civil parishes not ecclesiastical parishes.)
District 11 – Hyndburn
The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any secondary school in Hyndburn.
District 11 - Ribble Valley Community High School
Ribblesdale School - (11/113)
The above school's priority area is Clitheroe, Worston, Pendleton, Mearley, Whalley, Wiswell, Mitton, Read, Sabden, Simonstone, Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley, Billington, Dinckley, Balderstone, Clayton-le-Dale, Mellor, Osbaldeston, Ramsgreave, Salesbury, Wilpshire, Barrow, Stoneyhurst, Brockhall Village, Hurst Green, Langho, Ribchester, Higham, Goldshaw Booth and Barley with Wheatley, [West of Barley Lane], Fence and Old Laund Booth.
District 12 – Burnley
The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any secondary school in Burnley.
District 13 - Pendle Community High School
Pendle Vale College – (13/111)
This area includes Barley Green, Higham, Fence, Wheatley Lane, Lomeshaye, Central Nelson and Barrowford.
The western perimeter of the area is the border with Ribble Valley from the centre of Barley Lane southwards and then eastwards between J12 and J13 of the M65. The perimeter then follows the M65 north eastwards past J13 to the end of the M65 J14. It turns south into White Walls Drive (A6068) and continues to the roundabout with Burnley Road (A56). From there it turns right into Burnley Road and turns left into Bott House Lane and immediately left into Hereford Road following the north side of the railway line. It then turns right going across country passing Bankfield House and Higher Knotts and emerging at The Nook. From The Nook it turns right into Southfield Lane and follows the centre of Southfield Lane. It then takes the left hand fork into Back Lane, where it crosses Shelfield Lane and then it takes the next right to Float Bridge. From Float Bridge it goes along Delves Lane following the centre of Delves Lane. It then turns left into Southfield Lane and immediately right into Barkerhouse Road following the centre of this road till it meets Leeds Road. It continues left into Leeds Road (A56) and it turns left again on to Holmes Street and immediately right on to Broadway (A682) and continues following the centre of Manchester Road (A682) to the roundabout with Churchill Way. It continues into Churchill Way and rejoins the boundary of the M65 at J12. It follows the boundary of the M65 westbound till it meets the Burnley boundary at Heald Wood, then follows the Burnley boundary where it meets with the Ribble Valley boundary and follows the Ribble Valley boundary until it arrives at Barley Lane.
District 14 - Rossendale Community High Schools
Alder Grange School – (14/101)
Proposed Admission Criteria: Alder Grange School – 2027/28
When Alder Grange School is oversubscribed, the following priorities apply in order:
- Looked after children or a child who was previously looked after, but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangement order, or special guardianship order or those children who appear to the school to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted, then;
- Children for whom the Local Authority accepts that there are exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons which are directly relevant to the school concerned, then;
- Children eligible for Services Premium, then;
- Children living within the school’s geographical priority area with older brothers or sisters attending the school when the younger child will start, then;
- Children living within the school’s geographical priority area:
- Higher priority will be given to children living North of Binns Street, Bottomley Bank Lane / Bonfire Hill Road, then;
- Other children living within the school's geographical priority area.
- Children living outside the school’s geographical priority area with older brothers or sisters still attending the school when the younger child will start, then;
- Children living outside the school’s geographical priority area.
This school mainly serves the area of Rawtenstsall - Crawshawbooth, Constable Lee, Oakley, Hall Carr, Loveclough and Rawtenstall town centre, Goodshaw, Balladen, and Townsend Fold, together with the Hamlets of Dunnockshaw and Clowbridge. This includes the area known as Higher Nutshaw Farm.
Whitworth Community High School – (14/107)
This school mainly serves the area of Whitworth - Whitworth, Broadley, Leavengreave, Shawforth.
Haslingden High School and Sixth Form – (14/109)
This school mainly serves the area of Haslingden - Haslingden, Helmshore, Rising Bridge, Edenfield, Stubbins, Turn, Chatterton and Strongstry.
Proposed entry requirements for community and voluntary controlled sixth forms 2027/2028
The criteria which are to be used to allocate Year 12 places when a community or controlled sixth form is oversubscribed are described below:
14101 – Alder Grange School Sixth Form
Alder Grange is designed to cater for students from a wide range of abilities, offering a blend of courses mainly at level 3, and some level 2 including A level and Applied. We consider applications from all students and build a personalised curriculum offer to suit their abilities.
Specific course entry requirements will vary and be agreed at interview. These necessarily vary with the blend of courses applied for but in general:
Proposed admission numbers
Please note that the admission numbers for some schools may vary upon determination to support the extra demand for school places in the area.
Proposed admission numbers for community and voluntary controlled Lancashire secondary school places 2027/2028
| School No. | Name of School | Proposed Admission No. 2027/2028 |
|---|---|---|
| 02101 | Millfield Science and Performing Arts College | 175 |
| 06103 | Broughton High School | 180 |
| 06104 | Ashton Community Science College | 160 |
| 07101 | Balshaw's Church of England High School | 185 |
| 07111 | Penwortham Girls' High School | 160 |
| 11113 | Ribblesdale School | 260 |
| 13111 | Pendle Vale College | 210 |
| 14101 | Alder Grange School | 145 |
| 14107 | Whitworth Community High School | 130 |
| 14109 | Haslingden High School & Sixth Form | 270 |
Proposed admission numbers for community and voluntary controlled Lancashire sixth form places 2027/2028
| School No. | Name of School | Proposed Admission No. 2027/2028 |
|---|---|---|
| 14101 | Alder Grange School | 150 |
| 14109 | Haslingden High School and Sixth Form | 150 |