Guide to starting school or moving up to junior school

Primary schools in Buckinghamshire are for children aged 4 to 11, and include the following types of school:

• Infant schools (4 to 7 years old)
• Junior schools (7 to 11 years old)
• Combined schools (4 to 11 years) Check which combined schools admit additional children into Year 3
• Special schools - for children with an Education, Health & Care Plan.

Academies are independent state schools and are established by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups, or as a result of schools converting in line with Government legislation. Places are offered on behalf of the governing body or trust, which sets and applies the admission rules.

Community and Voluntary-Controlled schools are managed by the Local Authority (LA).

Foundation schools are schools where the governing body sets and applies the admission rules. We will offer school places on behalf of the governing body.

Free Schools are set up by local groups and have greater control of the curriculum, selection of staff and school conditions. They are funded directly from Central Government. Free Schools are not selective and are free for children to attend. Places are offered on behalf of the trust which sets and applies the admission rules.

Voluntary-Aided schools are managed by the Church of England or Roman Catholic diocese. The governing body of the school sets and applies the admission rules and we will offer school places on behalf of the governing body.

All schools have Admission Rules (criteria) which are used to decide which children should be offered places, if there are more applications than places available.

You can use the school directory to see which type each school is classed as, and which rules apply to each school. Schools do have different rules, so you must check these before making your application.

When we talk about an Admission Authority, this is who is responsible for admissions for a particular school.

For Community or Voluntary-Controlled schools, the Admission Authority is Buckinghamshire LA. For Academies, Foundation, Free and Voluntary-Aided, schools, this is the school itself.