Arrangements for Admissions

Weobley High School supports the excellent work done in its contributory primary schools of Weobley, Staunton-on-Wye, Dilwyn, Canon Pyon and Credenhill. We value our links with these schools and collaborate with them closely on many aspects of our schools’ provision. Each term Mr. Holder meets with Primary School Headteachers in order to strive for seamless progression for year 6 students into year 7 and to arrange the many cross-phase activities. We also have a “taster Day” for year 5 so that they may familiarise themselves with Weobley High School even earlier. During the day pupils followed a normal timetable, guided by current students to help them gain a feel for the school.

Parents will have the opportunity to tour the school during a normal session and visit the school during an evening to see what facilities we have to offer on our Open Day when they will be able to speak to teachers and senior staff.

We are also pleased to receive a significant number of pupils from a much wider area, including the city of Hereford.

The transfer from primary school to secondary school can be an anxious time for pupils and parents. We operate an ‘open door’ policy for parents; any parent will be received at any time and shown around the school. A telephone call before such a visit is essential so that the Headteacher or Senior Staff can be available. Pupils who are due to join in September will be able to spend at least one more day with us in the Summer term, and will have lessons in their new tutor groups, meet with Learning Co-ordinator and Form Tutor and be supported by older students and prefects who will ease them into life at high school sensitively!

Admissions

Herefordshire Council, Children’s Services deals with admissions to Weobley High School and the planned admission number for Year 7 is currently 100 pupils. Please contact the School Admissions team for further information on admissions and appeals.

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/schools-education/secondary-school-admissions/2

ADMISSIONS ARRANGEMENTS FOR 2026/2027 

OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA

The oversubscription criteria list  below applies to all schools where Herefordshire Council is
the admissions authority. This policy should be read in conjunction with the information for parent’s booklet.
Places will be allocated as follows:

Children with a Statement of Special Education Needs or an Educational, Health & Care Plan
which names a particular school will be allocated places, after which places are allocated
according to an agreed set of criteria, in strict order of priority.

Priority 1: Looked after children(5) and previously looked after children(6) who have since been
adopted, or became subject to a child arrangements order(7) or special guardianship order, (8)
including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care
outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

Priority 2 – Children who are on roll at a primary school that is hard federated (has a single
governing body) with the preferred secondary school.

Priority 3 – Children living within the defined catchment area* of the school;

Priority 4 – Sibling connection – Children who have a sibling** at the preferred school not only at
the time of application but also when the child is due to start;

Priority 5 – Exceptional circumstances – Children with exceptional medical, social or
compassionate grounds for admission and whose parents can show that entry to a particular
school only is necessary for the wellbeing of their child. Parents are required to produce a
medical certificate or other appropriate information preferably from an independent source.

Priority 6 – Distance*** – Children who live nearest to the school by the shortest available walking
route.

General Notes for  Weobley Secondary Schools Only

 

Where, at any school, applications exceed the number of places, the priorities will be applied in
the sequence indicated above, i.e. after children who either currently are or were in the ‘looked
after’ system it will be children attending a hard federated primary school, then catchment area
children, siblings, exceptional circumstances, then according to distance, each assessed as
indicated above.

If the admission of the top three categories can be satisfied, but there are insufficient places for
all catchment area children, priorities will be decided first by reference to exceptional
circumstances, then according to distance, with those living nearest to the school using the
distance calculations outlined below *** taking priority

If the admission of the top four categories can be satisfied, but there are insufficient places for all
out of area siblings, priorities will be decided first by reference to exceptional circumstances, then
according to distance, with those living nearest to the school using the distance calculations
outlined below *** taking priority

In case where distance is not the final deciding factor i.e. two applications are at exactly the same
distance then the final tie breaker will be a lottery undertaken by an individual independent of the
Children and Families directorate.

* In order to determine the relevant catchment area, the home address of a child is defined as the
only or main permanent residential address, at the closing date for applications, where the child
usually resides and which is the usual address of the parent/carer with main responsibility for the
child. If arrangements are such that a child resides at two addresses for equal amounts of time,
then parents must decide which address to use for admissions purposes.

5 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) at the time of making an application to a school.
6 This includes children who were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (see section 12 adoption orders) and children
who were adopted under the Adoption and Childrens Act 2002 (see section 46 adoption orders).
7a A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were
accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main
purpose is to benefit society. 7 Child arrangements orders are defined in s.8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by s.12 of the Children and
Families Act 2014. Child arrangements orders replace residence orders and any residence order in force prior to 22
April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order. 8 See Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 which defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or
more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).

Where more than one parent submits an application for a child, or where there is a parent not in agreement with the preferences, the Local Authority may not be able to process any application until agreement over the preferences is reached. Failure to ensure agreement prior to submission, may result in a delay in any application being processed and in some instances, where agreement cannot be reached we may not be able to proceed until a legal resolution has been sought and the courts determine which parent can make the final decision on schooling Copies of catchment area maps, if required are available from the LA, or can be viewed in schools. To find the catchment school for a postcode please visit https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/schools-education/find-school

** A sibling connection refers to a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or
sister, step brother or sister, or a child of the parents/carer’s partner, and in every case the child
should be living in the same family unit at the same address.
******Distance is measured by the shortest available walking route (using road and/or made up
footpath) using the nearest network node from the property address point to the nearest network
node at the main school entrance gate.

Please see Information for parents’ booklet for the relevant age group for details of
requesting admission out of the normal age group and for information on waiting list.

Application Form and Closing Date

Parents are invited to indicate 3 preferences on a common application form, which will also
enable parents to give reasons for their preference. All preferences are treated as equal initially,
and sent out as equal to other admission authorities. However, if more than one school place
can potentially be offered to an individual applicant, the single offer is for the school the parent
ranked highest.
The Herefordshire application form invites all parents resident in the County to name 3 preferred
schools, in order of preference, by 31 October 2025 the National Closing date for secondary
school applications. It is made clear that parents should name all schools for which they wish
their child to be considered for a place, including any voluntary aided and foundation schools and
Academies and/or any maintained schools outside the County. There is agreement with Powys
and Monmouthshire that the closing date of 31 October 2025 will be respected even if this date is
different to their closing date. This will be important if a parent expresses a preference for a
school outside Herefordshire.
Initial Allocation Process
By w/c 17 November 2025 the Admission Office sends other admission authorities/Local
Authorities details of applicants for their schools.
Admission authorities then apply their admission criteria, including any selection tests, and will
send the Herefordshire Admission Office by 6 January 2026 a list indicating the order in which all
children for whom applications to the school have been made have priority by reference to the
over-subscription criteria.
Although all applications need to be assessed and grouped against the criteria, admission
authorities of significantly oversubscribed schools need not give individual rankings to applicants
in the lowest priority groups for admission, if there is no likelihood of being able to offer them a
place after elimination of multiple offers. The Herefordshire Admission Office will draw up a
similar list for any school for which it is the admission authority. After other admission authorities
have sent their ranked lists to the Local authority in whose area they are located, each local
authority should have a list for each of its maintained schools.
Finalising the Allocation Arrangements
Herefordshire will then compare the lists for all schools in its area. When a child qualifies for one
of the available number of places at more than one school, the Herefordshire Admission Office
provisionally allocates a place at the school indicated by the terms of its co-ordinated scheme. It
also adjusts the list for any other school for which a preference was expressed by that parent,
moving another child who was previously not allocated a potential place up the list to the
provisional place, which has been vacated.

By 13 January 2026, the Herefordshire Admission Office (whose own decisions on which school
to offer, in the event of multiple potential offers, will have been made in accordance with its model
scheme, i.e. the school ranked highest by the parent) will also have received similar notifications
from other local authorities of any places which those local authorities or schools in their areas
can offer in response to any preference expressed by one of their residents. Monmouthshire and
Powys will not have a co-ordinated scheme in place by September 2026. But they will supply
information to Herefordshire on applicants applying for schools in the county.
Herefordshire has agreed that the appropriate authority will make where the highest ranked
school is situated in Monmouthshire or Powys the offer of the place, which is likely to be before
the official date of Monday 2 March 2026. When this situation arises the Herefordshire
Admission Office will only confirm that an offer has been made by another local authority. That
confirmation will be sent on 2 March 2026.
Clearly, if no preferred school in the home local authority can be offered, the Herefordshire
Admission Office need not look for an alternative place if it knows that another Local authority will
be making an offer.

 
Late Applications

Between 1 November 2025 and 13 January 2026 (final allocation list) it is likely that the
Herefordshire Admission Office will receive late applications. The council has agreed within its
co-ordinated scheme to accept these applications, on the understanding that the delay was
reasonable, for example service family moving to the Credenhill Garrison or a family moving into
the area. Because the individual circumstances will vary from application to application the
determination of the Director of Children and Families or her nominee will decide what is
reasonable. In the case of another admission authority the determination will be made by the
Governing Body.
Applications received after 13 January 2026 will be placed on a waiting list based on the
oversubscription policy. Allocations will be made against the preference order as vacancies
occur although the Herefordshire Admission Office will endeavour to offer a suitable school at a
reasonable distance to the child’s home where vacancies exist. However, parents will be able to
appeal against the decision that an offer to their preferred school has not been made.
Offer of a Place
If any child looks like remaining unplaced, the Herefordshire Admission Office will consider how
to place them in schools within its area, having regard to any reasons expressed by the parent for
their (unsuccessful) preferences.
Each local authority then sends the schools, which it maintains, the final lists of pupils to be
allocated places.
On Monday 2 March 2026 – the ‘National Offer day’ for secondary schools – it writes to every
resident parent who filled in its secondary application form, to tell them of their allocated school
place. Where the school in question is its own admission authority, the local authority must state
that the offer is being communicated on behalf of that school govern

Parents are invited to indicate 3 preferences on a common application form, which will also
enable parents to give reasons for their preference. All preferences are treated as equal initially,
and sent out as equal to other admission authorities. However, if more than one school place
can potentially be offered to an individual applicant, the single offer is for the school the parent
ranked highest.

The Herefordshire application form invites all parents resident in the County to name 3 preferred
schools, in order of preference, by 31 October 2024 the National Closing date for secondary
school applications. It is made clear that parents should name all schools for which they wish
their child to be considered for a place, including any voluntary aided and foundation schools and
Academies and/or any maintained schools outside the County. There is agreement with Powys
and Monmouthshire that the closing date of 31 October 2024 will be respected even if this date is
different to their closing date. This will be important if a parent expresses a preference for a
school outside Herefordshire.

Initial Allocation Process
By w/c 14 November 2024 the Admission Office sends other admission authorities/Local
Authorities details of applicants for their schools.

Admission authorities then apply their admission criteria, including any selection tests, and will
send the Herefordshire Admission Office by 6 January 2025 a list indicating the order in which all
children for whom applications to the school have been made have priority by reference to the
over-subscription criteria.

Although all applications need to be assessed and grouped against the criteria, admission
authorities of significantly oversubscribed schools need not give individual rankings to applicants
in the lowest priority groups for admission, if there is no likelihood of being able to offer them a
place after elimination of multiple offers. The Herefordshire Admission Office will draw up a
similar list for any school for which it is the admission authority. After other admission authorities
have sent their ranked lists to the Local authority in whose area they are located, each local
authority should have a list for each of its maintained schools.

Finalising the Allocation Arrangements

Herefordshire will then compare the lists for all schools in its area. When a child qualifies for one
of the available number of places at more than one school, the Herefordshire Admission Office
provisionally allocates a place at the school indicated by the terms of its co-ordinated scheme. It
also adjusts the list for any other school for which a preference was expressed by that parent,
moving another child who was previously not allocated a potential place up the list to the
provisional place, which has been vacated.

By 13 January 2025, the Herefordshire Admission Office (whose own decisions on which school
to offer, in the event of multiple potential offers, will have been made in accordance with its model
scheme, i.e. the school ranked highest by the parent) will also have received similar notifications
from other local authorities of any places which those local authorities or schools in their areas
can offer in response to any preference expressed by one of their residents. Monmouthshire and
Powys will not have a co-ordinated scheme in place by September 2025. But they will supply
information to Herefordshire on applicants applying for schools in the county.

Herefordshire has agreed that the appropriate authority will make where the highest ranked
school is situated in Monmouthshire or Powys the offer of the place, which is likely to be before the official date of 1 March 2025. When this situation arises the Herefordshire Admission Office
will only confirm that an offer has been made by another local authority. That confirmation will be sent on 1 March 2025.

Clearly, if no preferred school in the home local authority can be offered, the Herefordshire
Admission Office need not look for an alternative place if it knows that another Local authority will
be making an offer.

Late Applications
Between 1 November 2024 and 13 January 2025 (final allocation list) it is likely that the
Herefordshire Admission Office will receive late applications. The council has agreed within its
co-ordinated scheme to accept these applications, on the understanding that the delay was
reasonable, for example service family moving to the Credenhill Garrison or a family moving into
the area. Because the individual circumstances will vary from application to application the
determination of the Director of Children and Families or her nominee will decide what is
reasonable. In the case of another admission authority the determination will be made by the
Governing Body.

Applications received after 13 January 2025 will be placed on a waiting list based on the
oversubscription policy. Allocations will be made against the preference order as vacancies
occur although the Herefordshire Admission Office will endeavour to offer a suitable school at a
reasonable distance to the child’s home where vacancies exist. However, parents will be able to
appeal against the decision that an offer to their preferred school has not been made.

Offer of a Place
If any child looks like remaining unplaced, the Herefordshire Admission Office will consider how
to place them in schools within its area, having regard to any reasons expressed by the parent for
their (unsuccessful) preferences.

Each local authority then sends the schools, which it maintains, the final lists of pupils to be
allocated places.

On 1 March 2025 – the ‘National Offer day’ for secondary schools – it writes to every resident
parent who filled in its secondary application form, to tell them of their allocated school place.
Where the school in question is its own admission authority, the local authority must state that the
offer is being communicated on behalf of that school governor

Further details can be obtained from:

Mrs D Skyrme, Children’s Wellbeing, Plough Lane Offices, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE

Telephone: 01432 2609