Primary and secondary schools coordinated admissions scheme 2021

The "LA” means Buckinghamshire Council (BC) acting in its capacity as the local authority.

The "LA area” means the area in respect of which the LA is the local authority (i.e. the county of Buckinghamshire excluding the Milton Keynes Borough area).

"Home LA” means the LA in which the applicant is resident.

“Primary education” “secondary education” “primary school” and “secondary school” have the same meaning as in Section 2(1), 2(2), 5(1), and 5(2) respectively in the Education Act 1996.

“School” means a community, foundation, or voluntary controlled or aided school “Academy” means a school to which Academy arrangements relate.

Academies are required by their funding agreements to participate in local schemes. This includes Free Schools. “selective Academy” is an academy which replaces a school and for which section 6(3) of the Academies Act 2010 applies.

“Grammar school” means a secondary selective Academy located in Buckinghamshire selecting pupils solely on the basis of academic ability.

“foundation school” means a maintained school (including trust schools), which is designated as a foundation school “voluntary-aided school” means a maintained school which is designated as a voluntary-aided school.

“Admission authority” in relation to a community or voluntary-controlled school means the LA and, in relation to an Academy, foundation or voluntary aided school means the governing body of that school.

“school place” means a place at any school or Academy covered by this scheme.

"The equal preference scheme” is the scheme operated by Buckinghamshire Council whereby all preferences listed by parents/carers on the application are considered under the admission rules for each school without reference to parental rankings.

Where a pupil can be offered a place at more than one school, the rankings are used to determine the single offer by selecting the one ranked highest on the application.

“The admission year” means the school year starting at the beginning of September in relation to which the school place offers are made.

“Admission arrangements” mean the arrangements for a particular Academy or school(s) which govern the procedures and decision making for the purposes of admitting pupils to the Academy or school and which relate to the admission year.

“Application” means the application form/process supplied by the LA electronically (via an online portal) or on paper for the purpose of admission to either primary or secondary education.

“Eligible for a place” means that a child has been placed on an Academy or school’s ranked list at a position which falls within the published admission number.