We admit up to 30 children in Reception each year – this is our PAN (Pupil Admission Number). If fewer than this apply, we offer a place to all applicants.

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be admitted to the school named on their plan. These children are assigned places before the oversubscription criteria is applied.

We follow the Leeds Local Authority oversubscription criteria. This criteria has now been updated to include: “Children who were in state care outside of England and were then adopted”. We will consult on this new criteria in time for our September 2023 intake, so this criteria won’t apply for children starting at our academy in September 2022.

Leeds Local Authority may need evidence that you meet the priority criteria below.

• Submit your evidence here – leeds.gov.uk/admissions
• Or use these forms – Priority 1A | Priority 1B

If there are more applicants than places, we will adopt the selection process outlined in the Leeds City Council Admissions Policy.

Priority 1 – Looked after and previously looked after children

A looked after child is defined as a child who is (one of the following):

• in the care of a local authority
• being provided with accommodation by a local authority’s social services (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989)

A previously looked after child is any child who was previously looked after but stopped being so because they were (one of the following):

• adopted, including those adopted from state care outside of England
• became subject to a Special Guardianship order
• became subject to a Child Arrangements Order

You must submit evidence of your child’s previously looked after status (a copy of the court order or adoption birth certificate and evidence of being in local authority care or a letter from the state) with your application. 

Priority 2 – Children with exceptional social or medical needs that can only be met at a specific school

This priority is a request for admission to one specific school because your child has exceptional needs that can only be met at that school. It must be supported by professional evidence.

All schools in Leeds have experience of supporting a wide range of social and medical needs. However, in exceptional cases, there may be compelling reasons why a child needs to attend one specific school. This priority can be requested in these cases, and applicants will need to clearly demonstrate the connection between your child’s need, the specific school and how that school can meet your child’s needs in a way that no other school can. It must be supported by professional evidence. A panel of council officers will review your request for this priority.

A request would not be granted where a parent wishes for their child to attend a school based on the child’s abilities, because their friends attend the school or due to childcare arrangements. Any request for this priority must outline why the child’s circumstances are exceptional, and why only one school is suitable.

You can find out more about this priority on our “check if you need to submit extra information page”. 

You must provide the following information with your application:

• your child’s name, date of birth and address
• the name of the one school you are requesting this priority for
• what precise support your child requires due to their specific needs
• why only this school can provide the support needed to meet your child’s needs and no other can
• what extra support or funding your child currently receives
• you must attach supporting evidence from an independent  professional, such as a medical specialist which confirms exactly what your child’s needs are and why, in their view, only one school can meet that need.  Without this evidence, your child’s needs cannot be considered

Cases will be considered individually and where necessary in consultation with the school that you’ve requested.

Priority 3 – Children who have a brother or sister attending the school

To get this priority, the sibling must:

• live the same address as the child applying
• still go to the school when the child applying starts (in September)
• be a full, half, step or foster sibling (this priority does not include cousins or other family members sharing a house)
• Specific school rules for siblings

Priority 4 – Children who live in the catchment priority area for the school

**Co-op Academy Beckfield does not have a catchment priority area, so this criteria from the Leeds City Council Admissions Policy does not apply.

Priority 5 – other children, by straight line distance

If none of the other priorities apply, your application will be considered under this priority.

If children meet the same priority (tie break):

In any priority, if children meet the same priority but there are not enough places left for all of them, the places will be allocated based on distance from the school. For example, if there are 4 places remaining at the school and 5 children all live in the priority catchment area, the 4 priority catchment children living closest to the school will be allocated those places.

If two or more children live exactly the same distance from the school (i.e in a block of flats) and there are not enough places for both, we will draw lots. This will be witnessed by an independent person.

We will not draw lots for twins or other multiple birth siblings from the same family. Where they are tied for the final place we will admit them all, exceeding the Published Admissions Number for the school.

Visit our policies page.

If you require any help, your local Council website has lots of information about the process. You can also contact us.

Leeds City Council Admissions Website
Leeds City Council Admissions Helpline – 0113 222 4414

Bradford City Council Admissions Website
Bradford City Council Admissions Helpline – 01274 439200