Admissions & Appeals

Choosing a secondary school is an incredibly important process for parents and children alike.

At Allestree Woodlands School, we have held a Virtual Transition Event, which can be accessed by clicking on the link below. As part of our tour, prospective pupils and parents will be able to explore and better understand our curriculum offering, our fantastic learning facilities and hear from some of our staff and students.

We hope that our website, virtual transition tour and prospectus will answer the vast majority of questions that you may have, however should you need more guidance, we are happy and available to help. Please contact the school using the online contact form or telephone 01332 551921.

On this page: Admissions Criteria for 2024 and In-Year Admissions.

Admissions Criteria for September 2024

Allestree Woodlands School is an Academy School for students aged 11-18 with enhanced resource facilities for Hearing Impaired students. It does not select on the basis of ability.

Standard Admissions Number: 240

Applications for a place at Allestree Woodlands School should be made by stating the school as a preference on the common application form available from Derby City Education Authority.  This common application form must be returned to Derby City Council - not the school, by the closing date.

All parents/ carers will be notified regarding their application for a place by Derby City Council.

Where applications exceed the number of places available the following criteria are applied by the Governing Body Admissions Committee. This process is followed in the order set out below, in order to decide which students to admit:

1. A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).

2. Children who are living in the normal area served by the school and have siblings* who will be in year 8-11 at the time of the proposed September admission. Please note that the sibling criteria is not applicable when a sibling will be in year 12/13 in the academic year of proposed admission.

3. Other children living in the normal area at the time of admission.

4. Children who do not live in the normal area served by the school but who have siblings* who will be in year 8-11 at the time of the proposed September admission. Please note that the sibling criteria is not applicable when a sibling will be in year 12/13 in the academic year of proposed admission.

5. A child with a parent/carer who are employed at Allestree Woodlands School.

6. Other children whose parents have stated Allestree Woodlands School as a preference on the common application form.

7. Children whose parents stated Allestree Woodlands School as a preference on the common application form but did not return the form to Derby City Education Authority by the closing date.

In categories 2 to 5, when choices have to be made between children satisfying the same criteria, children living nearest to the school, measured by a straight line between their residence and the school, have priority. In category 7, places will be allocated in the same order of priority as for categories 2 to 5. Where children in category 7 have equal priority, places will be allocated to those living nearest to the school, measured by a straight line between the home address and the school using the National Ordinance Survey Set Points.

Note: The Governing Body Admissions Committee reserves the right to verify information and, if misrepresentation is confirmed, refuse or cancel the place.

Fair Access

Local Authorities are required to have ‘Fair Access Protocols’ in order to make sure those unplaced children who live in the Local Authority, especially the most vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. This includes admitting children above the published admissions number to schools that are already full.

Waiting List

If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available a waiting list will be established and maintained by Derby City Council using the above criteria.

Applying for a place at Allestree Woodlands School in 2024

If you want to apply for the intake year starting in September 2024, you can make your application from 4th September 2023 onwards. The closing date for online applications is 31st October 2023. If the closing date has passed you can still apply however any applications made after the deadline date will be classed as late and will be considered after all on-time applications.

 To make an application you can:

• apply online – it’s quick and easy and lets you track the progress of your application

• apply by phone on 01332 642730 – this takes around 5 minutes and you will need to know the name of the school you are applying to

• apply using a paper form – telephone 01332 642730 to ask us to send you one.

Letting you know the decision

Derby City Council will send you our decision which will be one of these three outcomes:

• School place is offered where your child meets the criteria for a place at the first preferred school.

• School place is offered where your child meets the criteria for a place at the second or subsequent highest ranked preferred school.

• Where it is not possible to offer you the highest ranked school, your child will be added to that school’s waiting list and you are informed of how to appeal to the Independent Appeal Panel if you wish.

  You can also track your application process online

What if I am refused a place for my child?

If you are refused a place for your child, for whatever reason given, you have the right to appeal this decision.  An independent panel will review your application and make a final, legally binding, decision on the matter.

Appeals information and forms can be requested directly from the school

Secondary transfer appeals (year 7)

National offer day is 1 March 2024.

Deadline for lodging appeals is 31 March 2024

Appeal hearings are scheduled throughout May/June - it is often the case that stage one of the appeal process is a joint hearing with all appellants present followed by private stage two sessions.

Appeals submitted after the deadline date will be heard after those who appealed by the deadline.

In-year admission appeals

For in-year admissions into any academic year group, appeals must be heard within 30 school days of being received by the appeals office.

Your appeal form and any additional information will be passed to the Clerk to the Independent Appeals Panel who will then contact you with further information about the appeal. Appeals do not have to be heard in-person. Appeals have been heard using an audio or video conference call. This method means that all that parents/carers require to attend the appeal is access to a phone.

Please note: Should your address change during the application and appeals process it is your responsibility to inform Derby City Secondary Admissions ASAP so that the waiting list is accurate and up-to-date. You can only make an appeal application if you have already applied for a place through Derby City Secondary Admissions and received a letter from them stating that your application was declined.

Please contact the school office if we can be of further assistance with the appeal process.