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Catchment Area

Children living in the areas served by the following primary schools: Coates Primary School, Park Lane Primary School, New Road Primary School, Alderman Jacobs Primary School, Heritage Park Primary School and Duke of Bedford Primary School.

Students will be admitted into Year 7 without reference to ability or aptitude.  In 2025, the published admission number will be 240.

All preferences are treated equally.  Where applications for admissions exceed the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit:  NB. Children who have a statement of special educational needs that names the College will be admitted. Those children with a statement of special educational needs that does not name the College will be referred to Student Assessment to determine an appropriate place.

Priority will be given to children with a statement of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care Plan which names the College. This will be in addition to any specific arrangements to specialist provision.

  1. Children in Care – ‘Looked After Children’ and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order).
  2. Children who appear to the Trust to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
  3. Children living in the catchment area and attend one of the schools listed above and who have a sibling at the College at the time of admission. Parents may contact the LA if they are uncertain whether or not they reside in the catchment area
  4. Children living in the catchment area of the Primary schools listed above and who have a sibling at the College at the time of admission. Parents may contact the LA if they are uncertain whether or not they reside in the catchment area2.
  5. Children living in the designated catchment areas and attend one of the schools listed above.
  6. Children living in the designated catchment areas
  7. Children of staff
  8. Children who live outside the catchment area, who attend primary schools within it and who have a sibling at the College at the time of admission. 
  9. Children who live outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the College at the time of admission. 
  10. Children who live outside the catchment area who attend the primary schools within the catchment area.
  11. Children living nearest the College as measured by the shortest straight line distance, from the centre of the home address1 to the College using the Local Authority’s measuring system.

In cases of equal merit, priority will go to children living nearest the College according to the shortest distance.  This is measured as a straight line from the reference point of the home to the main pupil entrance at the College.

  1. The home address is defined as the address of the adult with parental responsibility with whom the child normally lives and which applies at the time of application. Applications based on future addresses can only be considered up to 6 teaching weeks before the child is expected to take up the place and upon confirmation of a minimum of six-month tenancy agreement or exchange of contracts.
  2. A map showing the catchment area and/or further information can be obtained from the College.
  3. A sibling is defined as Sibling is defined as a brother or a sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent / carer’s partner and in every case the child must be living in the same family unit at the same address. Every effort will be made to ensure that twins and those from multiple births can be admitted together.
Access the Cambridgeshire County Council website, for details of how to apply for a place at Sir Harry Smith Community College.