Admissions

Starting Full Time School

You will receive a booklet issued by the Local Authority (LA) in the Autumn Term of the year before your child starts school.  This booklet contains information of how to apply for a school place and the closing date for applications.

All prospective parents are welcome to visit the school by arrangement with the headteacher, who will be happy to give them a tour and answer any questions.

Further information regarding admissions to school is available from the local authority website via this link.

The admission limit, which is determined by the LA, is 30 children in each school year.  If the number of applications exceeds this number, the LA will determine which of the applicants receive places in accordance with our admissions criteria.

As part of HCAT, please see further information on Trust Admission Arrangements via the link: https://www.hcacademytrust.education/hcat-admission-arrangements/

Oversubscription

The oversubscription criteria is applied when the number of applications exceed the admission number for the school.

Children who have a statement of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care Plan which names the school are required to be admitted. For community and voluntary controlled schools in Barnsley, priority will be given in the following order:

1. Looked after children and previously looked after children.
2. Children who will have brothers or sisters in school at the time of admission. Please note that younger siblings who attend ‘Birdwell Pre-School’ is not part of our organisation so will not be applicable for the sibling criteria. Siblings must be registered at Birdwell Primary School.
3. Where there is a member of staff who has been directly employed by the academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to school is made or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. Then children living nearest to school (distance measured in a straight line). Where parental responsibility is held by more than one person and those persons reside in separate properties, the child’s ordinary place of residence will be deemed to be the property at which the child resides for the greater part of the week, including weekends. 

Transfer of Primary School

Transferring a pupil schools during a term can be very disruptive and should be avoided wherever possible. If a transfer is being sought because of problems at your child’s existing school then you should contact the school to discuss ways of resolving the situation.

Parents can express a preference for up to three primary schools in Barnsley and/or any other Authority (including Voluntary Aided Schools and Academies), which must be placed in rank order. The single offer of a place will be made for the highest ranked school at which your child is eligible for a place. If a child is not eligible  for any of the preferences named on the form you will be allocated a place at the nearest community or voluntary controlled school with places available to your ordinary place of residence.

Parents will normally be informed of the outcome of their preferences within three school weeks. If you are not offered a place at a school named on your Common Transfer Form you will have the right to refer your case to an independent appeal panel.

You can find further information at www.barnsley.gov.uk/schooladmissions and check on the progress of your application by contacting Admissions on 01226 773670.

You can download a transfer form on the Barnsley Council website here. This form is only to be used if you are resident in Barnsley, otherwise you must obtain a common transfer form from your own Local Authority.

Current Class Sizes at Birdwell Primary School (30 PAN limit per class)

Reception – 24 students

Year 1 – 25 students

Year 2 – 30 students

Year 3 – 29 students

Year 4 – 26 students

Year 5 – 27 students

Year 6 – 22 students

Appeals

If a child has been refused a place at any school named on their application form or transfer form, parents have the right to refer their case to an independent appeal panel for consideration.

If you don’t wish to accept the school place you’ve been offered for your child, contact the school admissions team. You need to do this within 20 school days and let them know that you want to appeal against the decision. The admissions team will send you a notice of appeal – this includes an information booklet. You should complete and return this to them, stating the grounds on which you’re making the appeal. Parents must submit their written documentation 7 days prior to the appeal. If you’re appealing for a place in another local authority, you must complete one of their notice of appeal forms. The local authority will provide all relevant information regarding this process, their contact details are 01226 773670, or email:admissions@barnsley.gov.uk.

Admissions will write to you to let you know the appeal date 14 days before it takes place. They will send you documentation summarising the reasons for refusing the admission at least 7 days before the appeal.

You’ll be responsible for presenting your case, for deciding what you’d like to say at the appeal hearing and what written documentation you want the panel to consider. You should submit all written documentation to the Admissions Team at least seven days before the appeal. Appeal hearings will be held with 40 school days of the closing date for receiving the notice of appeal.

Please note that The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per school teacher. An infant class is one in which the majority of children will reach the age of 5, 6 or 7 during the school year i.e. reception, year 1 and year 2. If a place cannot be offered due to the legal limit of infant class sizes, it is highly unlikely an appeal will change the outcome of this.

Further information about the appeals process can be found here 

Further Information

You can find more information about admitting your child to school on the Barnsley Council website or contact them on the details below:

https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/children-families-and-education/schools-and-learning/school-admissions-and-transfers/

Admissions: (01226) 773670 or email:admissions@barnsley.gov.uk.

Requesting Admission Outside the Normal Year Group

A parent or carer of a primary-age child can request that a school delay or defer their child’s entry to reception, and the process for requesting admission outside the normal age group. If you feel this would be applicable to your child, please see further information about this in our Admission Arrangements for 2024/25 policy below.