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Admissions 2025-26
Procedure for admitting pupils to The Macclesfield Academy
Objectives and constraints
The Macclesfield Academy Trust is responsible for determining the Academy’s Admission Policy. In undertaking this responsibility, the Trust will be guided by the requirements of the law and will conform fully to the admissions code. The admissions oversubscription criteria have been created so as to ensure fairness, transparency and ease of operation to minimise appeals.
Admission Number(s)
The planned admission number for year 7 will be 120.
Oversubscription Criteria 2025-26
In the event of The Macclesfield Academy being over-subscribed the Governors of the Academy, in prioritising applications, will, after offering places to students who have a Statement of SEN or an Education, Health and Care plan naming the Academy use the following criteria:
1. Looked after children or previously looked after children as defined in section 22 of the Children Act 1989. A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority at the time of application and who the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the time of admission to the Academy. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order). Children for whom there are particular medical or social reasons which, in the Academy’s view, justifies admission to the Academy. Supporting evidence from a registered professional, such as a medical practitioner, psychologist or social worker, must be provided which sets out the particular reasons why the Academy is the most suitable school and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school. The Academy Trust will consider the information presented and will determine whether the evidence is sufficiently compelling to apply this criterion to the application. Few applications fall within this category.
2. Pupils whose brother or sister attends the Academy and who is expected to continue at the Academy in the following school year. This also includes adopted brothers/sisters, half brothers/sisters and step brothers/sisters living at the same address.
3. Children of all staff employed at The Macclesfield Academy for two or more years, at the time at which the application for admission to the Academy is made, or staff recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
4. Pupils who attend one of the following primary schools which are participating members of the Macclesfield Academy Learning Community:
- Ash Grove Academy
- Gawsworth Primary School
- Hollinhey Primary School
- Ivy Bank Primary School
- Parkroyal Community School
- Wincle C of E Primary School
5. All other pupils based on distance criteria using the methodology adopted by Cheshire East Council.
Notes
In relation to siblings in the same year group exceptionally it may be necessary to offer places over the published admission number. This is to ensure that, as far as possible, siblings (as defined in criterion 3) can attend the same school. Where capacity is exceeded in any of the above admission criteria a place will be allocated to the student living nearest to the school measured using the Local Authority distance measuring system which measures straight line distance in miles from the student’s permanent place of residence to the main school.
Proof of address and residency may be required and the Governors retain the right to withdraw any place offered on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application.
When a child lives at more than one address e.g. spends part of each week at different addresses, full details of the arrangements must be included on the application form (or by means of an accompanying note) to enable the Governors to decide which address (or, exceptionally, addresses) to use for admission purposes.
Late applications for places will be considered after all applications received on time. Repeat applications will not be considered within the same school year, unless the parents’ or the Academy’s circumstances have changed significantly since the original application was made.
Pupils whose applications for year 7 are unsuccessful will be offered the opportunity by Cheshire East Council admissions team be placed on a ‘reserve list’ for the first term of the academic year. If any further places become available, they will be allocated according to the oversubscription criteria set out in these arrangements. This process will be managed by the Cheshire East Council admissions team and all enquiries about the reserve list should be directed to them.
Following changes in admissions legislation, applications for school places received after the first day of the school year into the relevant age group (which includes secondary transfer at 11+) or into any other year group must be made on the common application form provided by the authority where you live, i.e. your ‘home’ local authority.
Parents who are not offered a place for their child have a statutory right of appeal to an independent appeals panel. Parents should download the appeal form from the Academy website or request a hard copy from the Headteacher’s PA. The form should be returned by email to headteacher@macclesfieldacademy.org by post to The Clerk to the Governors, The Macclesfield Academy, Park Lane, Macclesfield, SK11 8JR.
Please see also the Cheshire East Council website for further details of the applications process and key dates and for details of the Fair Access Protocol which applies to in-year admissions: