Start With The Correct Year
Find the determined admission arrangements for the September your child starts Year 7. A consultation draft is a proposal, not necessarily the final policy. An older prospectus or open-day slide may omit later changes.
Save the policy URL, title and relevant year. Read amendments or linked appendices: catchment maps, address definitions and test arrangements may sit outside the main PDF. If the correct-year policy is not yet published, use the current policy as background and mark it for review.
The Policy Terms That Matter Most
| Term | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Published Admission Number (PAN) | The intended number of places for the normal intake; it is not the number of test candidates. |
| Academic eligibility | The qualifying standard, rank or assessment stages required for consideration. |
| Oversubscription criteria | The order used when eligible applicants exceed available places. |
| Priority or catchment area | The official boundary and what residence within it changes. |
| Tie-break | How the authority separates otherwise equally ranked applications. |
| Supplementary Information Form (SIF) | Extra information required by a school; it normally does not replace the CAF. |
Eligibility Is Not The Same As Priority
Eligibility asks whether your child can be considered. Priority asks where that application stands compared with others. A child can pass the academic test but be in a category that rarely receives offers when demand is high.
Read the whole ordered list. Some policies use score within a category; others use distance after qualification. Sibling priority, pupil premium provisions and other categories are school-specific and may have evidence deadlines. Do not assume they apply because another school uses them.
Try a fictional application.Identify the category, the order within that category and the final tie-break. If one is unclear, quote the clause when asking the admission authority for clarification.
Read The Address Rule Slowly
Record the address date and how the school defines the child’s main residence. Look for rules on moving house, shared care, temporary addresses, ownership or tenancy evidence and returning to a previous address.
If a boundary is unclear, use the authority’s checker or obtain written clarification. A postcode search on a general map does not establish eligibility. Do not assume buying or renting inside the area is enough without meeting the actual residence rule.
Watch For Extra Forms
- Test registration
Confirm the organiser, deadline, stages and acknowledgement.
- Access arrangements
Check the evidence needed and the separate deadline, if any.
- CAF
Submit through your home local authority by its deadline.
- School forms and category evidence
Check any SIF, score-sharing instruction or proof needed to claim a priority category.
A Better Reading Order
Read the document in this order: entry year → eligibility → priority criteria → tie-break → address rules → forms and deadlines. Then check waiting-list and appeals instructions so you know where to return after allocation.
Keep a short school record using those headings. Avoid copying the entire policy into notes; record the clause and its practical effect on your child’s application. Where two official documents appear inconsistent, ask the admission authority which published version applies before relying on either.
A few more answers
Common questions
What does PAN mean?
PAN is the Published Admission Number for the normal intake. It is not a pass mark or the number of children allowed to sit the test.
What is the difference between eligibility and oversubscription criteria?
Eligibility establishes whether an application can be considered. Oversubscription criteria rank applicants when demand exceeds available places.
Does a school’s supplementary form replace the CAF?
Normally no. Complete the CAF and any separately required school or test forms.
Can I rely on last year’s admission policy?
Last year’s policy is only background if your entry year’s arrangements are unpublished. Recheck the determined arrangements for the actual entry year before applying.
Official sources
Reviewed 30 Sept 2026. Check the published arrangements for your child’s entry year.