Definition of Terms

Home Address

The child's place of residence is taken to be the parental home, other than in the case of children fostered by a local authority, where either the parental address or the foster parent(s) address may be used. Where a child spends part of the week in different homes, their place of residence will be taken to be their parent or parents' address. If a child's parents live at separate addresses, the address where the child permanently spends at least three 'school' nights (i.e. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday or Thursday) will be taken to be the place of residence. Addresses of other relatives or friends will not be considered as the place of residence, even if the child stays there for all or part of the week. Evidence that a child's place of residence is permanent may also be sought. The evidence should prove that a child lived at the address at the time of the application and will continue to live there after the time of admission. Informal arrangements between parents will not be taken into consideration. In all cases all those with parental responsibility must be in agreement with the preferences made.

Looked after child

The revised School Admissions Code 2012 Section 1, 1.7 has expanded on who should be given priority in admission arrangements with regards to looked after children and children who were previously looked after.

A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order. 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 in accordance with section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989. An adoption order is an order under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. A 'residence order' is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a 'special guardianship order' as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child's special guardian (or special guardians).

Admissions authorities must give highest priority to children in care in their admission over-subscription criteria.

Parents

• the mother of the child
• an adoptive parent
• the father of the child where he was married to the mother either when the child was born or at a later date
• the father of the the child if (since 1 December 2003) he was registered as the father on the birth certificate
• any other who has acquired 'parental responsibility' through the course. We may require evidence of this.
• Siblings (brothers or sisters)

• a brother or sister who shares the same parents
• a half-brother, half-sister or legally adopted child living at the same address
• a child looked after by a local authority place in a foster family with other school age children
• a stepchild or children who are not related but live as a family unit, where parents both live at the same address.