Admissions Policy 2027/28

Admission Number(s) - Year 7

The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy has an agreed admission number of 180 pupils for Year 7 for the academic year 2027/2028.

Process of Application

Arrangements for applications for places at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy will be made in accordance with the Local Authorities (LA’s) co-ordinated admission arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by the relevant LA.

The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy will use Croydon LA’s timetable for applications to The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year). This will fit in with the timetable for the co-ordination of admission arrangements within Croydon LA as agreed by the Admissions forum, Croydon LA, local schools and Academies.

Procedures where The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy is oversubscribed

Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below. After the admission of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy is named on the statement, the criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below:

looked after children and all previously looked after children, including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
Medical:¹ Pupils with serious medical reasons for needing to attend the Academy.
Siblings:² Children with a brother or sister who will be in attendance at the Academy at the time of enrolment of the new pupil.
Children of staff at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy.³
Distance:⁴ Priority will be given to pupils living nearest to the Academy as measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the designated entrance(s) of the Academy.

¹The medical reasons must be verified by a doctor or consultant and declared at the time of application if known at the time. (Claims for priority of admission on medical grounds will not normally be considered if submitted after a decision on the original application has already been made). Decisions on priority of admission on medical grounds will be made on the basis of a report from a qualified medical professional e.g. a hospital consultant and/ or the Family’s GP.

² A sibling is defined as a brother or sister, half brother or sister, step brother or sister or adopted brother or sister whose main residence is at the same address.

³ A member of staff is defined as:

Someone who has been employed at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy is made, or
Someone who has been recruited to fill a vacant staff post at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

⁴‘Home’ is defined as the address where the child normally resides as their only or principal residence. Addresses involved in child minding (professional or relatives) are excluded. Parents will be asked to provide documentary evidence to confirm an address and parental responsibility. The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy should be notified of changes of address immediately. Failure to do so could result in the child being denied a place at the Academy. Distance will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the designated entrance(s) of the Academy using a computerised measuring system (GIS) and geographical reference points as provided by the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG). If a child lives in a shared property such as flats, the geographical references will determine the start point within the property boundaries to be used for distance calculation purposes. In the event that the distances are the same for two or more candidates the order of ranking will be determined by random selection, independently scrutinised.

Operation of waiting lists

The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy will operate a waiting list for each year group. Where in any year The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until at least the end of the first term (normally late December). This will be maintained by The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.

Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out above. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. Each child added to the list will require the list to be ranked again in line with the published oversubscription criteria.

Arrangements for admitting pupils to other year groups, including replacing any pupils who have left The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy

Local Authorities will co-ordinate admissions for in-year applications and for applications for year groups other than the normal point(s) of entry. This will not affect the Academy’s right to determine which applicants have priority for admission.

Subject to any provisions in the LA’s co-ordinated admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child unless one of the permitted reliefs apply. If more applications are received than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria above shall apply. Parents whose application is turned down shall be entitled to appeal.

Procedures where The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy may be undersubscribed

The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy will consider all applications for places at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy. Where fewer than the published admission number(s) for the relevant year groups are received, the Academy will offer places at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy to all those who have applied.

Secondary Inclusive Practice Forum (previously known as Fair Access Panel)

The Academy may refuse entry to a child, outside the normal admissions round, with a record of challenging behaviour. In such cases, the Academy will refer the case to the local authority for consideration under the Secondary Inclusive Practice Forum. The use of this provision will depend on local circumstances and must be described in the LA’s protocol. A copy of the protocol can be obtained from Croydon Council via the Children, Families and Learning Team.

Fraudulent or intentionally misleading applications

A place may be withdrawn if it has been obtained through an intentionally misleading or fraudulent application. This includes the declared age of children applying for admission to the Academy.

Admission of children outside their normal age group

Applicants may choose to seek a place outside their child’s chronological (correct) year group. Decisions on whether to offer a place outside of a child’s chronological year group will be made by the governors on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. This will include taking account of the parents’ views; views of the Principal, information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional and whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group. Applicants must state clearly why they feel admission to a different year group is in the child's best interest and provide what evidence they have to support this.

Appeals

If the Academy refuses entry to a pupil, we will explain in writing the reason why. If you wish to appeal this decision you must write to the Clerk of Governors, c/o the Archbishop Lanfranc Academy, within 10 working days of receipt of our refusal letter, clearly setting out the grounds for appeal.

Policy Approval

Approved by Governors 15th October 2025