Determined Co-ordinated Scheme for Primary School Admissions for 2025/26

First Round Applications for Reception and Junior YR3 - 2025 Intake (applications received before the deadline of 15 January 2025)

25. The LA will act as a clearing house for the allocation of places by the relevant admissions authorities in response to the PCAFs. The LA will only make a decision with respect to the offer or refusal of a place in response to any preference expressed on the PCAF where -

a. it is acting in its separate capacity as an admission authority, or
b. an applicant is eligible for a place at more than one school, or
c. an applicant is not eligible for a place at any of the schools for which a preference was expressed.

26. The process by which the LA will allocate places is explained at paragraphs 28- 35.

27. 15 January 2025, closing date for all applications to be received by the School Admissions Team. Applications received by this date will be classed as first round applications.

28. 7 February 2025: Exceptional circumstances deadline.

Only in exceptional circumstances such as those listed here will a late application be considered at the same time as applications received by the deadline of 15 January 2025.

• where there has been a change of family circumstances after the deadline date which has a significant effect on the preferences given on the original application. (If this is a house move, this must have been completed with an exchange of contracts before 7 February 2025).
• a move into Wiltshire from outside the county after the deadline date but before 7 February 2025. Confirmation of the new address (in the form of an exchange of contracts or a tenancy agreement of a minimum of six months) must be provided before 7 February 2025.
• service personnel moving to a Wiltshire address after the deadline date. A posting notice must be provided before 7 February 2025.

Documentary evidence should be provided with the application (or at the latest by 7 February 2025) to verify the circumstances which caused the late application to be made. If evidence cannot be provided, the application will not be treated as an exception.

29. By 07 February 2025 where parents have nominated a primary school outside the LA area, the LA will notify the relevant LA.

30. By 10 February 2025 the LA will notify all F and VA schools and Academies of every preference that has been expressed for that school.

31. By 7 March 2025 all F and VA schools and Academies must have considered all of the preferences for their school and provide the LA with a ranked list of all applicants in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

32. The LA will then match this ranked list against all other ranked lists and:

• Where the child is eligible for a place at only one of the preferred schools, a place at the school will be offered to the child.
• Where the child is eligible for a place at two or more of the nominated schools, they will be offered a place at whichever school was their highest available preference.
• Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools and they live in Wiltshire, a place will be allocated at the next nearest school to the home address with available places.
• Should this place subsequently be declined then it is the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

33. Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools and the child lives in Wiltshire, they will be allocated a place at a school. This will be their designated school if places are available or at another school (to which there would be an entitlement to free school transport if it were outside the statutory safe walking distance from the home). Should this place subsequently be declined then it is the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

34. By 21 March 2025 the LA will inform other LAs of any places in Wiltshire schools which will be offered to their residents.

35. By 15 April 2025 the LA will inform Wiltshire schools of the pupils to be offered places at their schools.

36. On 16 April 2025 (National Offer Date) letters will be despatched to all parents who submitted an application by 15 January 2025 offering a place at one school.

37. These offer letters will give the following information:

a. the name of the school at which a place is offered;
b. the reason why the child is not being offered a place at any of the other schools nominated on the PCAF;
c. information about their statutory right of appeal against any decisions to refuse places at other preferred schools;

38. 30 April 2025 is the deadline for parents to accept the place offered. Parents should confirm their acceptance online if they have applied online, or if they have applied by paper return the acceptance/decline slip directly to the Local Authority.

If the parent does not respond to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the offer by 30 April 2025, the Local Authority will send a reminder to the parent informing them that failure to respond could result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. Should the offer be withdrawn then it will then be the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

Second Round Applications for Reception and Junior YR 3 2025 Intake (applications received between 16 January 2025 and 25 April 2025)

39. Second round applications, i.e. those received between 16 January 2025 and 25 April 2025 for the Reception Intake round will not be considered until after all first round on time applications have been processed. Second round applications will be considered together with any applicant previously refused a place in the first round and if necessary, will be prioritised using the oversubscription policy in place at the time.

Additional applications:
Only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. If the Local Authority receives a further application for a child who has already secured a place in an earlier round, the new stated preferences will automatically supersede any earlier preferences stated.

During the second round of applications parents should note that the school initially allocated will be retained for their child pending the outcome of that application and that there is no guarantee of gaining a place at the preferred school named on the new application.

Parents can only hold one offer. Therefore, if an offer is made to a child during the second round of allocations any offer made in the first round will automatically be withdrawn.

Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools, and the child lives in Wiltshire, the child will be allocated a place at their designated school if possible, unless an alternative place is available within a safe statutory walking distance from their home address.

The LA will contact all Foundation, Aided schools and Academies named as a preference on the application form to determine whether or not a place is available. An offer will be made for the school named as the highest preference where there is an identified place.

40. By 7 May 2025 details of second round applications received between the 16 January 2025 and 25 April 2025 to be sent to Academies, Foundation and Voluntary Aided Schools.

41. By 13 May 2025 Academies, Foundation and Voluntary Aided Schools should provide the LA with a ranked list of second round applications.

On receipt, the LA will match the returns from all schools and will make an allocation of one place for each applicant:

• Where the child is eligible for a place at only one of the preferred schools, a place at the school will be offered to the child.
• Where the child is eligible for a place at two or more of the nominated schools, they will be offered a place at whichever school was their highest available preference.

42. By 23 May 2025 the LA will send out the second round offers for applications received between 16 January 2025 and 25 April 2025.

43. 6 June 2025 is the last date for second round offers to be accepted by parents. Parents should return their acceptance/decline slips back to the LA.

If the parent does not respond to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the offer by 6 June 2025, the Local Authority will send a reminder to the parent informing them that failure to respond could result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. Should the offer be withdrawn then it will then be the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

Third Round Applications for Reception 2025 Intake (applications received after 25 April 2025)

44. Third round applications, i.e. those received after 25 April 2025 for the Reception Intake round will not be considered until after all the second round applications have been processed. Third round applications will be considered together with any applicant previously refused a place and if necessary, will be prioritised using the oversubscription policy in place at the time.

Only one offer of a school place for each child can be held at any one time. If the Local Authority receives a further application for a child who has already secured a place in an earlier round, the new stated preferences will automatically supersede any earlier preferences stated.

During the third round of applications parents should note that the school initially allocated will be retained for their child pending the outcome of that application and that there is no guarantee of gaining a place at the preferred school named on the new application.

Parents can only hold one offer. Therefore, if an offer is made to a child during the third round of allocations any offer made in the first or second round will automatically be withdrawn.

The LA will contact all Foundation, Aided schools and Academies named as a preference on the application form to determine whether or not a place is available. An offer will be made for the school named as the highest preference where there is an identified place. Where the child is not eligible for a place at any of the nominated schools, and the child lives in Wiltshire, the child will be allocated a place at their designated school if a place is available, unless an alternative place is available within the safe statutory walking distance from their home address.

45. Applications received after the 25 April 2025 will be considered in date order of receipt and will be looked at after 27 June 2025 (i.e. once the second round of applications have been processed).

46. If the parent does not respond to the Local Authority to confirm if they wish to accept or decline the offer by the date stated in the letter, the Local Authority will send a reminder to the parent informing them that failure to respond could result in the offer of the place being withdrawn. Should the offer be withdrawn then it will then be the parent's responsibility to apply for an alternative school place.

Applications for Reception 2025 Intake (applications received after 24 July 2025 - end of term)

47. Any applications received by the LA after 24 July 2025 will be forwarded to the school within two school days of receipt at which time the process for in-year applications will apply.