Criteria

Grey Court School has 240 year 7 places which are offered according to the criteria below.

Places are allocated to those pupils who have named Grey Court School in their Education, Health and Care Plan as part of the statutory consultation process, guided by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Remaining places are then allocated in the following order:

1. Places are offered firstly to looked after children and previously looked after children. Applications made under this criterion must be accompanied by details of circumstance and professionally supported evidence eg from a social worker. To qualify for the highest priority, currently looked after and previously looked after children are defined as:

   • Children who are (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 accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989, at the time an application for a school place is made.

   • Children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2022), or became subject to a child arrangements order (section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014), or a special guardianship order (in accordance with section 14A of the Children Act 1989), immediately following having been looked after. This also includes children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care (defined as in the care of or accommodated by a public authority, religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society) outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

2. Places are offered to those able to provide written evidence from a suitably qualified person such as a doctor, social worker or educational welfare officer, of particular social or medical needs which can only be met most appropriately by attendance at Grey Court School.  You must submit supporting documentary evidence at the time of application. This will be forwarded to the school. This evidence must confirm the circumstances of the case, why the child can only attend Grey Court School and why no other school could meet the child's needs. Circumstances cannot be taken into account unless information is provided at the time of application. Failure to provide such information at that stage will therefore affect whether or not children are allocated places at the preferred schools. All information submitted will be regarded as confidential.

3. Places are offered to those with a brother or sister attending the school, including the sixth form, at the time of admission, including adopted, foster, step or half siblings living at the same address. 

4. Children, by which is meant full, step, half and adopted siblings living in the same household, of staff directly employed by Grey Court School for two years or more before the admission application and at the point of admission.

5. Children who live nearest to the school. The home to school distance is the shortest route to the main school gate by road or maintained footpath in metres. This is measured by Richmond School Admissions' computerised geographical information system (GIS) and data supplied by ordnance survey. Accessibility of private or public transport will not be considered.

The Local Authority reserves the right to seek verification of the information parents have given on the application form and to withdraw places if false information has been given.

The Local Authority's Pupil Placement Panel may make placements, over the admission number if the school is full, for children who are deemed to be 'hard to place'.