Pupil Admissions

Admission Information for Fakenham Academy (Year 7, 12 and In Year Admissions)

 

Year 7 Admissions

Transfer to secondary school

Secondary school applications for September 2025 closed on the 31st October 2025. If you applied, the Local Authority will offer you a school place on the 1st March 2025 (National Offer Day).

 

Late applications:

If your child is due to transfer to secondary school in September 2025 and you haven’t applied, you can make a late application by completing a paper application form. Request a paper application form by using the Local Authority general enquiry form. Your application will be treated as late and will therefore have a lower priority than applications received on time.

 

When children transfer to secondary school:

Secondary schools are for 11- to 16-year-olds (school Years 7 to 11). Your child is due to transfer to secondary school when they are in their last year (Year 6) at primary or junior school.

 

  • You need to apply for a secondary school place for September 2025 if

    your child currently goes to primary or junior school and

  • they were born between 1st September 2013 and 31st August 2014

 

When you get your school offer:

If you applied for transfer to secondary school for September 2025, the Local Authority will offer you a school place on the 1st March 2025 (National Offer Day).

 

  • If you applied online, you will be able to see the offer in your admissions account online from 8.30am on the 1st March 2025. The Local Authority will also send you the offer by email.

  • If you completed a paper application form, the Local Authority will send your school offer by post. The Local Authority send offer letters by 2nd class post on the 1st March 2025.

 

The Local Authority will inform the Principal of the school that your child has a place. The school will contact you with further information.

 

Secondary school admission timetable for September 2025 entry

Applications open – 11th September 2024

Applications close – 31st October 2024

National Offer Day (when you get your school offer) – 3rd March 2025

 


Further Information:

Norfolk county council admissions

For more information, read our admission policy below:

Admission Policy

 

In-Year Admissions

The following guidance is for families who want to move a child to a different school, at any time other than the usual transfer to secondary school. This type of request is known as an ‘in-year transfer’.

Places cannot be saved for children moving to a catchment area. We may not offer a school place if the school is oversubscribed. A school is oversubscribed if it receives more applications than the number of available school places.

 

If you are moving house

If you are moving to Norfolk you can apply for a change of schools. You can also apply if you are moving house within Norfolk and travelling to your child’s current school will become unreasonable. The application will be considered as near as possible to your house move.
We advise making an application before you move house, but only when you have confirmation of your move date. You must provide evidence to confirm you new address before a school place can be offered.

 

If you are not moving house

If you are not moving house but want to change your child’s school, we expect children to start at a new school at the start of a new term. You should not withdraw your child from their current school before an alternative school place is offered. Applications are processed by the Local Authority to the following timetable:

 

5 July - 31 October, the new school start date is Spring term in January (after Christmas)

1 November - 28/29 February, the new school start date is Summer term (after Easter)

1 March - 31 May, the new school start date is Autumn term in September (after the summer holidays)

 

Decisions on applications made between the 1st March and 31st May will be sent out before the end of the Summer term.

Any applications received between the 1st June to 4th July will be treated as a late application. It will only be considered after all the application received before the 31st May.

 

How to apply:

In Year admission are coordinated by the Local Authority on behalf of the Sapientia Trust. Please complete one application for each child:

 

 

You will receive an acknowledgement of the submitted application. All applications will be dealt with as quickly as possible and a decision will be made:

 

  • Within 15 school days if you are moving house

  • All other applications will be processed in line with the timetable under ‘if you are not moving house’

 

Within a school year, we will only consider one in-year application for your child. The school year begins in September. However, if your circumstances change significantly we may consider another application for your child.

 

If your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan:

You should not complete an ‘in-year transfer’ application. You should discuss a change of schools with your EHCP co-ordinator.

 

In-Year Transfer Appeal:

You have the right to appeal the decision if we do not offer your child a place at our school.

 

The appeal hearing is an opportunity for:

 

  • The Sapitentia Trust (admission authority) to explain why your child was refused a place at the school

  • You to explain why you want your child to go to the school

 

Before you appeal:

You should read advice about school admission appeals for parents and guardians on GOV.UK.


How to appeal:

All applicants refused a place have a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel constituted and
operated in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code.

Appellants should contact the school by email for information on how to appeal; the email address
is: office@fakenhamacademy.org

Information on the timetable for the appeals process is on the Norfolk County Council Website:
www.norfolk.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools/school-admissions/school-admission-appeals 

Make sure you explain why you’re appealing for a place at the school and include any supporting information.

 

Further information:

Norfolk County Council Admissions 

Introduction to parents carers 24/25