All the information you need to apply for a school place is in this guide or in our school admissions pages. This page is part of the East Sussex schools prospectus for 2023 to 2024.
If you need further advice contact the Admissions and Transport team. We can:
- answer detailed enquiries on the admissions process
- discuss your application
- let you know about home to school transport
- process applications for free school
The Admissions and Transport team
Children’s Services
East Sussex County Council County Hall
St Anne’s Crescent
Lewes
BN7 1UE
Phone: 0300 33 09 472 between 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday
Email: Admissions and Transport team
In-year Transfer
In-year transfers relate to children moving to a school during the school year, when they are already at school age.
If you are thinking of moving your child to Chiddingly School, we suggest that you take a look around before making an application with East Sussex. This means you can see if the school is right for your child before you apply.
Chiddingly School 01825 872307
You can make an online application for in-year transfers or telephone 0300 330 9472 to speak to the Admissions team at County.
Phase Transfer
Phase transfers relate to children who are starting school for the first time at the age of 4+. East Sussex County Council will release key dates for applications to primary schools in their Admission booklet. The process usually goes as follows:
- Early September – Admission booklet becomes available on ESCC website
- Parents then start to visits schools; view school websites; read school prospectuses
- January (exact date to be confirmed) – national application closing date
- April (exact date to be confirmed) – allocation day
Admissions criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools in East Sussex 2023-24
The priorities below will be used to decide who gets a place at community and voluntary controlled infant, primary and secondary schools.
- Looked after children and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or subject to residence orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following being looked after. An explanation of who falls into this criterion can be found in the ‘Explanation of words and phrases’ set out here: Apply for a school place 2023 to 2024 | East Sussex County Council
- Children who will have a brother or sister (sibling) at the school (or linked infant or junior school-see priority 4) at the time of admission and who live at the same address, within the predefined community area*
The definition of ‘sibling’ can be found in the ‘Explanation of words and phrases’ set out here: Apply for a school place 2023 to 2024 | East Sussex County Council
Details of the pre-defined community areas for each school can be found here East Sussex County Council Find my community area (primary and junior) | East Sussex County Council - Children of staff members contracted to work at the school in question where:
a) The member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or
b) The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage An explanation of who falls into this priority can be found below in the definitions section. - Children wishing to transfer between a linked infant and junior school. Linked infant and junior schools are:
- Motcombe Community School – Ocklynge Junior School
- Parkland Infant School – Parkland Junior School
- Pashley Down Infant School – Ocklynge Junior School
- Roselands Infant School – Stafford Junior School
- St Andrew’s CE Infant School – Tollgate Community Junior School
- West Rise Community Infant School – West Rise Junior
- Dudley Infant Academy- All Saints CE Junior Academy
- Other children living within a pre-defined community area Each home address within the county falls within a community area although living within the community area does not guarantee a place. Details of the pre-defined community area for each school can be found here: Find my community area (primary and junior) | East Sussex County Council
- Children who will have a brother or sister (sibling) at the school (or linked infant or junior school-see priority 3) at the time of admission who live at the same address, outside the predefined community area.* The definition of ‘sibling’ can be found in the ‘Explanation of words and phrases’ set out here: Find my community area (primary and junior) | East Sussex County Council
- Other children living outside the pre-defined community area.
Tiebreaker
In the event of oversubscription within any category, place allocation will be decided by prioritising applications on the basis of home to school distance measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). For split site schools, we will measure to the site where the child will attend for the majority of lessons at the point of entry.
In the event that applicants cannot be prioritised using the tie-breaker above because the distance measurements are the same, the Authority will use random allocation to decide which children will be offered the remaining places. This will be done electronically using the Authority’s admissions software.
*Children who have a sibling who joined Willingdon Primary School or Polegate School prior to 1 September 2018 and still live within the previous priority area serving the schools will continue to be considered under priority 2 for the school their sibling attends.
*Children living in the priority areas for Denton Primary School and for Harbour Primary School, whose sibling joined one of these school before 1 September 2022 will continue to be considered under priority 2 for the school their sibling attends.
*Children living in the Brodricklands and Hamlands Farm estates whose siblings joined Polegate School, Willingdon Primary School or Willingdon Community School prior to 1 September 2024 will continue to be considered under priority 2 for the school their sibling attends.
Definitions
Twins and children from multiple births (all community and voluntary controlled schools).
Where the admission of both twins or all siblings from a multiple birth would cause the school to rise above its Planned Admission Number, both twins or all of the siblings will be admitted.
Where the admission of the additional child or children from multiple births to an infant class would result in the class size rising above 30, the additional child/children would be exceptions to the Infant Class Size legislation throughout the infant phase or until the number in the class reduced to 30.
Children of staff definition
A member of staff will be considered to be a child’s parent for the purpose of this criterion if they are living in the same family unit as the child at the same address and are:
- their mother or father;
- any other person who has parental responsibility, such as an adoptive parent, a special guardian or person named in a child arrangement order;
- any other person who does not have parental responsibility but otherwise has the care of the child, such as a foster carer.
For applications made as part of a normal intake, the length of employment will be considered as at the closing date for applications. For in year applications and for the purpose of maintaining a waiting list, the length of employment will be considered as at the date the application is received.
To be considered under this category, applicants must indicate this in the reasons section of the application and supply an official letter/email from the headteacher/Chair of Governors of the school in question verifying that the parent with care qualifies under a) or b).
Applications for admission out of year group
Arrangements for requesting a delayed reception start can be found here: Admissions for summer-born children | East Sussex County Council
Arrangements for requesting admission out of year group at other points in a child’s education can be found here: Apply for a school place 2023 to 2024 | East Sussex County Council