When the School is oversubscribed, after the admission of students with an Education, Health and Care Plan or a Statement of Special Educational Needs naming the School (which will reduce the number of available places accordingly), priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in priority 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 England. or A ‘previously looked after child’ is a child who was looked after (in England), but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements or special guardianship order, as well as a child who appears to the Trust Board to have been in state care outside of England care (i.e. in the care of or accommodated by a public authority, religious organisation or any other provider whose sole/main purpose is to benefit society), but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted.
• Priority will next be given to the children of staff who have a contract of employment with the School in either or both of the following circumstances:
  • Where the member of staff has been employed by the School for at least two years at the time at which the application to the School is made
  • Where the member of staff has been recruited to fill a skill-shortage area
• up to 10 places will then be allocated to children who demonstrate an aptitude for sport and up to 10 places will be allocated to children who demonstrate an aptitude for music. Forms are available on the Admissions page of the School’s website. The closing date for applications is 21^st September 2025. Tests will be held during the week beginning Monday 6^th October 2025 and parents will be informed of the result of the test before the closing date for applications, which is 31st October. Details of the test are set out at the end of this Policy. Children who have not secured one of the top 10 places available in each of the aptitude tests and/or who do not fall within paragraphs 1, 2 or 3 above will be considered according to paragraph 5 below
• Places will then be allocated to the inner and outer catchment areas as follows:
  • 80% of remaining places will be allocated to children living within the Bath City Boundary
  • 20% of remaining places will be allocated to children living beyond the Bath City Boundary

All applications received by the Local Authority after the deadline will be considered to be late applications. Late applications will be considered after those received on time. If, following consideration of all applicants the school is oversubscribed, parents may request that their child is placed on the school’s waiting list.

Parents may request that their child is admitted outside their normal age group. To do so parents should include a request with their application, specifying why admission out of normal year group is being requested and the year group in which they wish their child to be allocated a place.

When such a request is made, the School will make a decision on the basis of the circumstances of the case and in the best interests of the child concerned, taking into account the views of the Headteacher and any supporting evidence provided by the parent.

The School will operate a waiting list for each year group. Where the School receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until 31st December after the beginning of the school year. This will be maintained by the School and it will be open to any parent who asks for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.

All applicants refused a place have a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel constituted and operated in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code. All applicants refused have a right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. Hayesfield will send all the appropriate paperwork to each applicant.
Appellants should contact admissions_transport@bathnes.gov.uk for information on how to appeal.
Information on the timetable for the appeals process can be found on the Bath & North East Somerset Council website: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/schools-colleges-andlearning/admissions-schools/admissions-appeals.

Map Showing the City of Bath Boundary
Please click here to view a high resolution version of the map. The City of Bath Boundary (red line) is used to denote the inner and outer catchment areas within this policy.

The home address is where a child normally lives. Where a child lives with parents with shared parental responsibility, each for part of a week, the address where the child lives is determined using a joint declaration from the parents stating the pattern of residence. If a child’s residence is split equally between both parents, then parents will be asked to determine which residential address should be used for the purpose of admission to school. If no joint declaration is received where the residence is split equally by the closing date for applications, the home address will be taken as the address where the child is registered with the doctor. If the residence is not split equally between both parents then the address used will be the address where the child spends the majority of the school week.

‘Sibling’ means a natural brother or sister, a half brother or sister, a legally adopted brother or sister or half-brother or sister, a step brother or sister or other child living in the same household as part of the same family who, in any of these cases, will be living at the same address at the date of their application for a place.

Having a son at Beechen Cliff/St Mark’s does not automatically guarantee sibling priority.