Admission information

The role of Cornwall Council

Cornwall Council and all Cornwall's schools must follow the Admissions Code 2021. For further information visit the School Admissions Code pages on the Government website.

Cornwall Council is responsible for producing these admissions arrangements every year:  

Please follow this link to make all admissions

Coordinated Admissions Scheme

This document tells you:

• the way applications for state-funded schools in Cornwall will be processed; and
• how places will be allocated.

It is intended to make the admissions process clear and fair.   

Oversubscription Criteria

This document tells you:

• how applications will be prioritised when a school does not have enough places for everyone that has applied.

Cornwall Council decides the oversubscription criteria for community and voluntary-controlled schools.  This because it is the 'admission authority' for these schools. 

This document can be viewed on the page for the relevant year of entry. 

The governing body or Academy Trust for these schools decide their own arrangements:

• academy
• foundation
• trust
• voluntary-aided

This is because they are their own admission authority.

Fair Access Protocol

All local authorities must have a Fair Access Protocol. 

• It must be agreed with the majority of schools in its area.
• If children have not been able to get a school place during the school year:
  • the Fair Access Protocol aims to help them get a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible.
• This is particularly for vulnerable children.
• It must also ensure that schools are not asked to take more children than other schools who:
  • have been excluded from other schools
  • have challenging behaviour

Please visit the Fair Access Protocol page for more information.

Children in care / previously in care

Cornwall Council is committed to making sure that every:

• child in care; and
• child that was previously in care can start as soon as possible at a school which is appropriate to their needs and situation.

Certain legal agreements support this aim. For further information, please see the protocol via the link below:

Protocol for the admission of children in care

Service families

Service families may be disadvantaged when applying for a school place.

This is because:

• they are more likely to need to apply outside the normal admissions round when schools may already be full; or
• they may be unable to provide a specific address ahead of a posting in good time for the relevant admissions processes.

Please visit the Service Families - school admissions page for more information