Admissions
Our Admission Criteria
The Local Authority facilitate the process of consultation on admission arrangements for the schools in the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership including Hill West.
When we receive more applications than there are places available, we will apply the oversubscription criteria which will be used to decide who will be offered a place, and the ranking of the waiting list. Places at our school will be offered based on the following order of priority.
- Looked after or previously Looked After Children
- Children with a sibling already at the school they have applied for who will still be in attendance in Year 6 (for primary admissions)
- Children who live nearest the school of choice.
Within each of these categories priority is given to those who live nearest the school calculated on the basis of a straight line measurement between the applicant’s home address and the main school gates. For details of individual schools age range for primary and secondary the Published admission number for each school please visit the related school website or the www.atlp.org.uk
Waiting lists will not be fixed following the offer of places. They are subject to change. This means that a child’s waiting list position during the year could go up or down. Any applicants will be added to the school’s list in accordance with the order of priority for offering places.
Appeals are administered by the Local Authority. Parents who wish to appeal against the decision to refuse their child admission to the school of their choice should contact School Admissions at Birmingham Local Authority and request an appeal form. Appeals will be heard by an independent panel.
Allocating places to Children starting in Reception for September 2025
Children in Birmingham can start school (Reception) in the September after their fourth birthday. For example: If your child was born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021, they will be able to start school in September 2025.
- You will receive information from Birmingham City Council School Admissions Team in the Autumn about how to apply for a school place for your Reception child. If you have not received this you need to contact the School Admissions Team on 0121 303 1888.
- Application period starts 1st October 2024 and closes on 15th January 2025. Apply online at www.birmingham.gov.uk/schooladmissions.
- It is really important that you apply on time. If you apply late, you are less likely to get offered a place at any of your preferred school. Applications received after 15th January 2025 will be classed as late applications and will not be processed until after the offer of places on 16th April 2025.
- Places are allocated in line with Birmingham City Council’s admission criteria as outlined above (looked after children, siblings, then distance from school).
- Online applicants will be notified of their allocated place on 16th April 2025.
If you require any further information or guidance then please visit https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20119/school_admissions/1786/apply_for_reception_primary_school/7
In-Year Admissions
Pupils usually start school at the start of the school year in September. Sometimes your child will need to start or change school after this because:
- You move house, either within or into Birmingham.
- You want your child to change schools for other reasons.
To apply for an in-Year admission, please visit the below website for further details:
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20119/school_admissions/587/in-year_school_admissions
What happens after I apply?
If the school you request has places, your child will be offered a place at the school.
The school will notify the School Admissions and Fair Access Service of your child’s details and the outcome of the application.
If the school you request doesn’t have any places, your child will be placed on the waiting list for your preferred school and you will be offered a place at the nearest available school. You also have the right to appeal. You can appeal against the refusal of a place in current Reception class to current Year 13 using our In Year appeal form (see link below for appeals information)
Fair Access Protocol
The Fair Access Protocol sits outside the arrangements for the coordination of school places and is triggered when pupil hasn’t secured a school place under the in-year admissions procedures.
All admission authorities must take part in the Fair Access Protocol to make sure that unplaced children are offered a school place quickly.
There’s no duty for local authorities or admission authorities to meet parents’ preferences for schools when offering places under the Protocol.
The Fair Access Protocol has been amended to add an addendum to meet the new requirements of the new School Admissions Code that was implemented on 1 September 2021.
