Admissions “In-Year” Casual Transfer and Admissions Appeals Information
“In-Year” Casual Transfer Applications
An “In-Year Admission” means any application for a place other than the normal year of entry, i.e. outside the normal Year 6 to 7 transfer. Admission to the school during the school year depends on whether or not there are places.
Admission Policies for the school can be found here: https://www.whitburncofeacademy.org/about-us/statutory-information/policies/
How to apply – All “In-Year” Casual Transfers are co-ordinated by South Tyneside Council, Admissions Department and further information including the “In-Year” Casual Transfer Application form can be found on the South Tyneside Council website https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/36364/School-admissions
The Local Authority will liaise with the Academy in the first instance. The Academy will process the application and then liaise with the Local Authority to advise if there is a place available or not.
Parents / Carers will be notified by the Local Authority if a place is available (the Academy will always seek evidence of residence first). If a place is available the student will be admitted as quickly as possible and always within 20 school days.
If a place is not available the Local Authority will issue a refusal letter which will contain information about how to Appeal. If Parents / Carers wish to Appeal they should contact Mrs T Lennox (contact details below) to request that the Appeal papers are issued and further information regarding the Appeals process will be included in the pack.
For further information around Admissions or Appeals for Whitburn Church of England Academy – Contact Mrs T Lennox, Principal’s PA, via the Main School Office on 0191 5293712.
Admission Appeal Hearings
In accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code, admission authorities must set a timetable for organising and hearing education appeals. The following timetable applies to appeals for admission to the Academy in Year 7 in September 2026.
Year 6 – Year 7 Transfer (timetable)
Important South Tyneside (only) dates are shown below (parents/carers should always note the dates of their own Local Authority):
4.30pm on Thursday 31st October 2025 (National Closing Day) Deadline date for applications to be received. Any applications received after this date will be considered as ‘Late‘ applications. Online system is not available after this date.
Monday 2nd March 2026 (National Offer day) Secondary ‘Offer Day’. The Local Authority will send notification to parents informing which school their child has been offered.
Wednesday 11th March 2026 Deadline for parents to accept the school place (for oversubscribed schools).
Wednesday 11th March 2026 Deadline for parents to request to place their child’s name on a waiting list.
Wednesday 11th March 2026 Deadline for parents to request an appeal form for Secondary Schools.
Monday 16th March 2026 Any places that have become available will be allocated from the waiting list in criteria order.
Tuesday 17th March 2026 Appeal forms sent out where requested.
Friday 31st March 2026 Where parents have not returned their acceptance slip for oversubscribed schools the Local Authority may withdraw the offer of the school place.
Friday 24th April 2026 Deadline for Appeal forms to be returned.
June 2026 Appeals to be heard.
31st December 2026 No waiting list available after this date.
Appeals in respect of in-year applications will be heard within 30 school days of receipt.
Appellants (the person(s) lodging an appeal) will receive a letter notifying them of the date, time and venue of the appeal including the names of the panel members appointed to hear their appeal at least 14 days before the hearing.
Appellants and the Admission Authority must provide the Clerk to the Appeals Panel with any documents they wish to submit to the panel no later than 8 days before the appeals hearing.
The Clerk to the Panel will send to the panel, the appellants and the admission authority all the documentary evidence to be considered at the hearing at least 7 days before the hearing.
The Clerk to the Panel will send a letter to the appellants and the admission authority notifying them of the panel’s decision and the reasons for the decision within 7 days of the hearing wherever possible.
For further information contact: Mrs T Lennox, Principal’s PA, Whitburn C of E Academy on 0191 5293712
School applications for foreign national children and children resident outside England
Information from the Government website is available via this link School applications for foreign national children and children resident outside England – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
