Admissions

EKC Sheppey Secondary has an admission number (PAN) of 150 for entry into Year 7.

To apply for a Year 7 place for September, you need to complete the Local Authority’s (LA) ‘Common Application Form’ (CAF) by the deadline. All the details are listed on the Kent County Council Website following the link below:

www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/secondary-school-places

Parents are asked to apply online, or contact kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk for assistance.

All offers of Secondary School places will be made via the Local Authority.

Secondary oversubscription Criteria:

If EKC Sheppey Secondary receives more applications than there are available places, then children with the academy named on an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) will be automatically admitted to the academy. As a result of this, children on an EHCP will be counted against the PAN.

If there are still places available, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the oversubscription criteria set out below, with each criterion held in distance order:

Looked after children and all previously looked after children, including those who appear to have been in state care outside of England and or ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders).

Children with a sibling(s) who are already at the Academy when your child is due to start.

Children who attend a Trust Primary School on the Isle of Sheppey (up to a maximum of 60 places)

Child of staff employed at the Academy where a) the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

Isle of Sheppey residents – The Academy will give priority to those living on the Isle of Sheppey (as per the ‘Dual address’ definition).

Distance – The Academy will give priority to those living nearest to the Academy (as per the ‘Distance’ definition).

If the Academy still has an oversubscription, then a further tiebreaker will be used. Distance from the Academy will be used as a tiebreaker whenever two children have the same priority based on any criteria.

In the unlikely event that two or more children in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place. This process will be supervised by someone independent of the school.

Appeals

If your child is due to start secondary school in September 2025, you can appeal if you are refused a place at one of your preferred schools on National Offer Day (Monday 3rd March 2025).

The appeals process (or Appeals Hearing) lets you explain to an independent appeal panel why you think your child should be given a place at the school and lets the school explain why it could not offer your child a place.

You need to submit your appeal before 31st March 2025 for it to be considered by 17th June 2025.

Any appeals received after this time will be heard within 40 school days from the deadline, or where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education. For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days from the deadline for lodging appeals where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged where reasonably possible in line with updated guidance from the Department for Education

For more information on Appeals and the process to follow including the form to complete, please view our Trust Admissions Policy via our Trust website.

Appeals FAQs

In Year Admissions

Applications for in-year admissions are considered in the same way as those made at the beginning of the academic year and are dealt with in accordance the Local Authorities Fair Access Protocol.

Kent County Council has produced a standard form, known as the In-Year Casual Admission Form (IYCAF), which the Academy Trust uses to allow applicants to apply for school places in any year group outside of the normal admission round.

Details can be found on the LA website following the link below;

https://www.kent.gov.uk/ data/assets/pdf_file/0012/3522/in-year-application-form.pdf

In-year admissions forms can be obtained from and should be returned to the Academy. Forms will be processed no later than 10 working days from receipt.