Admissions Policy

Admission Arrangement

Pupils in Year 6 at Stalham Academy (formerly Stalham Junior School), Catfield Primary School, Happisburgh Primary School and Ludham Primary School are eligible for transfer to Stalham High School. All of these schools are within the catchment area.

Admission of students from outside the catchment area will be considered if admission limits allow. If you live outside the Stalham catchment area, you should contact the school to arrange a mutually convenient time to make a visit, if you’d like to meet the Headteacher and/or senior staff. Please go to the Local Authority’s website for more information about the Admissions process.

Admission Limits

As an Academy, admission limits are agreed annually with the Local Education Authority (LEA).

If there are more requests for places than places available students will be allocated places in the following order of priority:

1. those in public care who are due to transfer;
2. those with a Statement of Special Education Needs naming the school;
3. those who are due to transfer and live in the area served by the school;
4. those who are due to transfer who have a brother or sister currently attending the school;
5. those who are due to transfer living outside the area served by the school who have attended a feeder Primary school;
6. those with a medical need supported by appropriate professional recommendation;
7. those who are due to transfer living outside the area served by the school whose parents are willing to accept responsibility for transport costs to school;
8. those not due to transfer.

If all children within the above criteria cannot be accommodated priority will be given to those living closest to the school within that rule.

Parents / carers may appeal against a decision not to admit a child in writing to the Governing Body of the school. The governors involved in hearing the appeal must have not been involved in the original decision for non-admittance.

Secondary school admissions timetable 

Important dates for secondary school admissions for September 2025: 

• Applications open:    11th September 2024 

• Applications close:  31st October 2024 

• National offer day (when you get your school offer):    3rd March 2025 

• Appeals closing date:    28 March 2025 

• Mini admission round starts (when we consider changes parents have made to their applications since the closing date):  3 April 2025 

• Appeals hearings take place:    May/June 2025 

• We maintain waiting lists for oversubscribed schools until 31 December 2025 

How to appeal

How you appeal depends on the type of school you applied to.

Tell us you intend to appeal

You need to give notice that you intend to appeal for a secondary school place by Friday 14 March 2025.

If you applied to an Academy:

• Contact the school's Headteacher and tell them you want to Appeal

• The school will send you an Appeal Form

Submit your appeal form

You need to complete and return the appeal form by Friday 28 March 2025.

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

If you applied to an academy, return the completed form to the school.

For further information, visit:  https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/38205/Appeal-for-a-secondary-school-place