Admissions & Appeals

The Dean Trust is the admissions authority for Dean Trust Wigan.

Dean Trust Wigan is responsible for all its own admissions although the co-ordination of admissions arrangements into Year 7 is undertaken by Wigan Local Authority.

• Parents seeking a place for their child in Year 7 in September 2021 must include Dean Trust Wigan in ranked order of preference on their Local Authority’s Common Application Form.
• The number of places available for admission to Year 7 in September 2021 will be 205. Places will be offered by the Local Authority on 1st March 2021.
• Pupils will be admitted without reference to ability or aptitude.

OVER SUBSCRIPTION

Where the number of applicants for admission exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, to determine how places are awarded:

• ‘Looked after’ children, including ‘previously looked after’, as defined by the School Admissions Code, 2014.
• Children who will have an older sibling attending the School up to and including Year 11 at the time of the applicant’s proposed admission. This includes half/step or adopted brothers or sisters, who are living at the same address as part of the same family unit. Except when the older sibling obtained a place solely because he or she was in possession of a Statement of Special Educational Needs or a Educational Healthcare Plan that names Dean Trust Wigan.
• Children of staff at Dean Trust Wigan who have 2 years continuous service at the time of application.
• Children who live nearest to the School, measured in a direct straight line from the child’s permanent place of residence to the main entrance of the School. This will be measured using property co-ordinates provided through a combination of the Wigan Local Land and Property Gazetteer (BS7666), other LA data and Royal Mail Postal Address Information.

The criteria used to determine admission refer in every case to the child’s home address this means the address where the child normally and permanently lives on a full-time basis, not the address of a child minder, grandparent or any other relative.

If parents are separated and child care arrangements are shared between two addresses the average of the distances of the two addresses from the school will be used to determine priority for admission.

We assume that you will always provide us with the correct factual information when you apply for a school place. You should be aware that any school place that has been offered on the basis of false information may be withdrawn and the place may be offered to another child.

If a successful applicant moves home between the date of allocation and the beginning of term in September 2021, the offer of the place will be reviewed. As a result of this review the offer may be withdrawn if an unsuccessful application is, as a result of the move, promoted to a higher priority on the Schools admissions criteria.

For all leasing agreements a minimum of 24 months leasing agreement is required with legally supporting documentation and also documentation pertaining to the disposal of the previous home. Any applicant who moves address must provide evidence and legal documentation to the effect they have purchased and exchanged contracts on a property and documentation relating to proof of disposal of the previous home.

WAITING LISTS

Unsuccessful applicants may ask to be placed on a waiting list and considered for any places that may arise in the future. These places will be awarded in accordance with the criteria listed above. These waiting lists will be maintained to the end of the academic year that your child has applied for.

TIE BREAK ARRANGEMENTS

In the event that following the over subscription criteria points 1 – 4 above, where two or more applicants are otherwise unable to be separated for a place at the school, this will be decided through a random draw conducted and scrutinised by persons independent from the School and from the Children, Families and Wellbeing Directorate.

FINAL TIE BREAK ARRANGEMENTS

Each random allocation event only holds for the allocation of the currently available school place. On any waiting list the remaining applicants remain equally ranked and any further place is offered as the result of a further random exercise.

APPEALS

Under the terms of the School Standards Framework Act 1998 you have the right to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel against any decision made by the School. Parents who wish to exercise this right must state their intention either in writing or on the school’s online form at www.deantrustwigan.co.uk within 28 days of receipt of notification letter.

IN-YEAR ADMISSION INTO YEARS 7-11 DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR SEPTEMBER 2021-2022

This section applies to applicants applying for places outside the normal admissions process:
• Pupils wishing to change schools
• Pupil moving into the area
• Pupils excluded from their school

Waiting lists are maintained for these year groups and any places that become available will be awarded strictly in accordance with the School’s published Admissions Policy at that date with the nearest person being awarded the place irrespective of how long they have been on the waiting list. These waiting lists will be maintained to the end of the academic year (September – July) that your child has applied for.

All applicants for places at Dean Trust Wigan must contact the school in writing or by completing the In-Year Transfer form available on our website www.deantrustwigan.co.uk under the Admissions section.

Dean Trust Wigan reserves the right to withdraw a place, at a later date, if it is discovered that false or in-correct information has either been withheld or not provided in order to secure a place.

Click here to visit Wigan Council for guidance on  : Applying for secondary schools

Click here to view The Dean Trust Central Admissions Policy.