01202 873747

Our school is an academy and and belongs to the Castleman Academy Trust.

Children first start school in the September after their 4th birthday. The first year in school is a very special time and we try to make sure that there are lots of opportunities for you to meet with staff to discuss progress.

For more information about School Admissions, please click here.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, please contact the Special Educational Needs Team who will be able to help you with your child’s continued education and advise of the next steps.

Admission Appeals Timetable – Entry in September 2025

School Admission Appeals will be processed in line with the requirements set out in the School Admissions Appeals Code. Below is a timetable that sets out key dates for the appeals process. Key information has also been provided below that sets out how in-year appeals will be dealt with.

Please ensure that you read this information carefully before lodging your appeal.

Primary Phase Timetable and Deadlines – Primary/Infant/First (Year R Entry), Junior (Year 3 Entry), Middle (Year 5 Entry)

Offer letters posted to parents and carers on National Offer Day by Local Authority 16 April 2025
Deadline for acceptance of the offer by parents and carers 1 May 2025
Deadline for lodging an on-time admission appeal 16 May 2025
Appealing hearing dates June and July 2025

 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date.
  • You will receive at least 10 school days’ notice of your appeal hearing date. School days do not include school holidays, inset days, bank holidays or weekends.
  • Appeals are heard during the daytime on weekdays and are not normally heard during school holidays. Where there are multiple appeals for places at the same school, the hearings may go over a number of days.
  • The school’s case will be made available to parents and Panel members at least 5 school days before the start of the appeal hearing.
  • Additional evidence may be submitted up to 5 working days before the hearing.
  • Any additional evidence received after this date might not be considered at the appeal hearing. The Appeal Panel must decide whether it should be considered, taking into account its significance and the effect of a possible need to adjourn the hearing.
  • Following the hearing, decision letters will be sent, where possible, within 5 school days of the end of the hearing. During busy periods, such as main entry, full decision letters may take longer than this, so the Clerk will send a brief decision summary email in the interim.
  • Appeal hearings for in-year places will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

Late appeals and in-year appeals will be heard in line with the deadlines set out in the School Admission Appeals Code.

Ferndown First School In-Year Applications

In-year Applications are when you wish to move your child from one school to another part way through their time at a school.

Together with other schools in Dorset, and in accordance with statutory requirements, Ferndown First School has agreed to join the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admissions scheme for the entry admission and transfer process. Therefore, the in-year application and allocation process will be handled by the Local Authority.

Full details of the application process and the application form, can be found on the Dorset website on the link below.

https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/education-and-training/schools-and-learning/apply-for-a-school-place/moving-school-part-way-through-the-school-year

Details of the application process for appeals can be found by clicking the following link:

https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/appeal-a-school-admission-decision-1

Appeals against In-Year Applications

For a parent to submit an appeal to the Local Authority At least 20 schools days from the parent receiving notice of the refusal of a school place
Notice of the appeal hearing At least 10 school days before the appeal hearing
Appellants (usually the parents) to submit evidence 8 school days before the appeal hearing
Admissions Authority (the school) to submit their evidence 8 school days before the appeal hearing
The clerk (person organizing the appeal) sends appeal papers to the parents, the panel and the school 5 school days before the appeal hearing
Additional evidence from the appellants: sometimes the appellants want to provide additional information after seeing all the papers 5 school days before the appeal hearing
Decision letters sent to the appellants: this is the letter that tells the appellant if their appeal has been upheld or refused Within 5 school days of the hearing (wherever possible)