Admissions

Admissions – Joining our School

Come and visit us

If you are interested in your child attending our school, you are welcome to come in and visit us. You can arrange a visit by phoning 01548 560494 or by emailing thurlestone@lapsw.org 

The Learning Academy Partnership is the admissions authority for our school, responsible for the admissions policies and decisions when there is an application for admission. We have an admissions policy for each academic year. Policies are written to comply with the School Admissions Code 2021 and the School Admissions Appeals Code 2022. We take part in the normal round and the in-year co-ordinated admissions schemes of Devon County Council.

Applying to come here

Once you decide you would like a place you must make a formal application. This is the same for all new admissions, including children who have a sibling with us, children who have been a pupil here before and including children who have been at our nursery. You can do this by applying to the Local Authority (Devon County Council)

If your child is due to start in Reception (Foundation Stage), children are offered places to start in Reception at the beginning of the September term after their fourth birthday, even if they intend to defer admission until later in the academic year.

The Local Authority

Devon County Council publishes information about admissions and its own policies to support the admissions application and appeals process. This is at www.devon.gov.uk/admissions you can read about the admission process in the Step by Step and In-Year Admissions booklets.

Applications can be made online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline 

There is an appeals process if an application is refused; this is detailed at www.devon.gov.uk/school-appeals

For questions about your child joining the school or just about the admissions process in general, please don’t hesitate to contact the school direct or contact Devon School Admissions Service on 0345 155 1019 or by email to admissions@devon.gov.uk.

The admissions policies for all state-funded mainstream schools in our Trust can be found at http://devon.cc/schoolpolicy  (this includes our Cornwall and Torbay schools)

 

Our Admissions Policies

You can find our admissions policies below – we review the academy policy annually and may make changes if we feel this would be in the best interests of the academy and our community.

Each academic year has its own policy document, with details about how to apply for a place in our academy from the start of Reception through to Year 6.

See our determined policy below.  If you have any comments regarding the policy, you can contact us at the school or  schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.

Proposed 2027/2028 admissions policy

We will consult on the admissions policy between 3^rd November 2025 and 15 December 2025. If you have any comments regarding the policy we propose, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.  

After the consultation, we will determine the policy at a meeting of the admissions authority held before the end of February 2026. Once determined, the policy will be updated online by 15 March 2026.

Objections can be made up to 15 May 2026 to the Office of the Schools' Adjudicator.

Amendments proposed:

The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2026

The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions.

Allocation date for Reception or junior school Year 3:  16 April 2026

Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2026

Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 24 July 2026

Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 24 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted.

In-year appeals can be submitted after a refusal. They will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being submitted.

The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2027

The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions.

Allocation date for the normal round Reception: 16 April 2027

Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2027

Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 23 July 2027

Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 23 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted.

In-year appeals can be submitted after a refusal. They will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being submitted.

Part time offer for reception children of non compulsory school age.

We invite parents to visit so that we can discuss the provision on offer to children in our Reception class, how it is tailored to meet the needs of the youngest children, parent concerns, how their needs would be met as they move through the school and school readiness. Children follow the same Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in Reception as in Nursery and Childminder settings. The Early Years is delivered in a way where learning involves lots of play and exploration rather than formal learning at tables and can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual child.