The arrangements for the admission of pupils to primary schools in September 2025 will, as far as possible, conform to the following timetable.
Sunday 1 September 2024 - Apply from this date
School places are not allocated on a first come, first served basis. All applications received up to the closing date are given equal priority, but if you miss the deadline, a late application may reduce your chance of getting your preference of school.
Wednesday 15 January 2025 - National closing date for primary applications (statutory).
During this period all applications are processed and all preferences are considered against the published admissions policy. Where there are more applications than places available, decisions are made as to which children should be offered the available places. We will liaise and exchange information with all other admission authorities including neighbouring local authorities. The allocation and offer of a primary school place is finalised.
Wednesday 16 April 2025 - Offers issued to parents
(The national offer date is 16 April, if this date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, offers are sent the next working day.)
If you are not happy with an initial offer, the appeals period starts from your receipt of the offer. Appeal information will be issued later as this allows some time for waiting lists to operate.
Appeals which we receive after the deadline will be slotted into the schedule where possible. We cannot guarantee this however, and late appeals may have to be heard after the agreed date at a second round of hearings. The schedule is subject to change depending upon the availability of appeal panel members, clerks, venue, etc.
Children are admitted to Higher Walton CE Primary School in accordance with the Local Authority's policy, which is as follows: -
Children whose parents wish it may be admitted to the school from the beginning of the school year in which they become five years of age.
At this school, we have 17 places in each year group.
You are welcome to express an interest in your child having a place at our school at any time. Just telephone Mrs Rourke, our office manager , who will be pleased to take your child's details, and arrange a suitable time for you to have a guided tour of our school if you so wish.
At this school, the Local Authority decide which pupils will be admitted each year, based on the following priorities in order:
- Children in public care at the time when preferences are expressed and those who have been previously looked after
- Children for whom the Local Authority accepts that there are exceptional medical social or welfare reasons which are directly relevant to the school concerned
- Children with older brothers and sisters attending the school when the younger child will start
- Remaining places are allocated according to where a child lives. Those living nearest to the preferred school by a straight line (radial) measure will have priority.
If you have any queries regarding the above, please contact Lancashire County Council admissions team https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/area-education-offices/area-education-office-south/
If your child was born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 they will start primary school in September 2025!
Applications must be made online to the Local authority via the following link:
Applications can be made from 1 September 2024 but all applications must be submitted by 15 January 2025.
The Local Authority inform parents whether or not their application for a place at the school has been successful. Official offers are issued on 16 April 2025 and available to online applicants later that evening.
The Local Authority also notify us on that date as to which children have been offered places at our school. We then contact parents to confirm that you wish to accept the place you have been offered for your child.
Detailed guidance on how to apply for a place, and how to choose a school is provided on the admissions website.
All our admissions are now handled by the local authority. If you want to transfer your child to our school from another school, then you should contact the local authority admissions team and fill in an in-year application form. The process for applying is given below:
You can request that your child attends school part-time or defer their starting school until they reach compulsory school age, if that best suits the needs of your child. To find out more, please follow the link below:
Where schools are oversubscribed and/or you are unhappy with the outcome of your application you can add your child's name to waiting lists for other schools or find out about the appeals process below:
The situation will change for many families as the reserve list and appeal processes roll forward.
When we know which children have been offered places to start in the following September, we contact their parents with regard to their child attending our pre-school group.
This group meets every afternoon for one week in July before the children start school. It gives the children chance to get to know their future class mates and teachers, and helps to ease the transition from home to school.