Proposed admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled secondary schools for 2026/2027

All districts

The purpose of the admission arrangements is to ensure that all school places for maintained schools are allocated and offered in an open and fair way. LCC must comply with the School Admissions Code, published by the Department for Education [DfE], which has 'a force of law'. When a school is oversubscribed, ie, it has more applicants than places available, it needs a policy to allocate and offer places in an open and fair way, in line with the School Admissions Code. Listed below is the policy and associated procedures used by Lancashire County Council when allocating places for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools. The supplementary notes and Geographical Priority Areas [GPA] which form part of the admission arrangements make it clear to parents how and why places are allocated in a fair, clear and objective way.

Towards the end of the report, the admission arrangements for the Community and Voluntary Controlled Sixth Forms are provided:

Secondary

An admission number will be published showing the maximum number of pupils that the school will admit in the Autumn Term 2026. Parents are given the opportunity to express three preferences for a secondary school. Published criteria are used to decide which children should be offered the available places. In secondary schools an equal preference system operates, whereby the three parental preferences are given equal status. Each preference will be considered equally against the admissions criteria.

When a secondary school is oversubscribed, the following priorities apply in order:

Looked after children or a child who was previously looked after, but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangement order, or special guardianship order or those children who appear to the school to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (see note (x) below), then
Children for whom the Local Authority accepts that there are exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons which are directly relevant to the school concerned. (See note (i) below) then
Children eligible for Services Premium, [note xi] then,
Children living within the school’s geographical priority area with older brothers or sisters attending the school when the younger child will start, (see note iii below).
Children living within the school’s geographical priority area, then
Children living outside the school’s geographical priority area with older brothers or sisters still attending the school when the younger child will start (See note (iii) below) then
Children living outside the school’s Geographical Priority Area (see note (iv) below.

Notes

(i) The medical, social and welfare criterion will consider issues relevant to the child and/or the family. This category may include children without a Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who have special needs. Parents are responsible for providing the professional supporting evidence with the application by the closing date from a consultant, doctor, psychologist, social worker or from another relevant independent professional.

(ii) As required by law, all children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs/EHC Plan naming a school will be admitted before the application of the over-subscription criteria. Children who have a Statement of special needs/EHC Plan have their applications considered separately.

(iii) Brothers and sisters includes full brothers and sisters, step children, half brothers and sisters, fostered and adopted children living with the same family at the same address; and full brothers and sisters living at different addresses. The priority does not apply to siblings whose brothers and sisters transferred into a sixth form at 16+.

(iv) The distance criterion will be used as the tie breaker if there is oversubscription within any of the admission criteria; it is a straight line (radial) measure.

If the Local Authority is unable to distinguish between applicants using the published criteria (eg. siblings, those living the same distance from home to school, or families residing in the same block of flats) places will be offered via a random draw.

The distance measure is a straight line measurement (radial) between the applicant’s home address points and the address point of the school (co-ordinates provided by ordnance survey data).

(v) A child's permanent address is the one where he/she normally lives and sleeps and goes to school from. Proof of residence may be requested at any time throughout the admission process, (including after a child has accessed a school place). If there is any doubt about this, then the address of the Child Benefit recipient will be used.

(vi) The Local Authority will keep waiting lists for all Lancashire primary schools until 31 August 2026. These are kept in priority order using the school's published admission criteria.

(vii) From 1 September 2026, waiting lists will be transferred to and retained by individual admission authorities (the Local authority for community and voluntary controlled schools and own admission authority schools will each retain their own list). To comply with the School Admissions Code the waiting lists must be retained until at least 31 December 2026.

(viii) Applications for school places which are received late will not necessarily be dealt with at the same time as those received by the set deadline. The reasons for a late application may be requested and where these are not exceptional the relevant admission criteria will be initially applied to all others received on time. The late application will be dealt with after this process.

Application forms received after the published closing date, will only be considered at that time if the following conditions apply:

(a) if the number of preferences received for the school is below the published admission number or:

(b) there are extenuating circumstances justifying a late application.

These may include:

(a) parents moving into the County after the closing date;

(b) parent/carer illness which required hospitalisation for the major part of the period between the publication of the composite prospectus and the closing date for applications.

(ix) Where a child lives with one parent for part of the week and another for the rest of the week only one address will be accepted for a school admission application. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of school days (Monday to Friday). Proof of residence may be requested at any time throughout the admissions process.

(x) the highest priority must be given to looked after children and children who were previously looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order, child arrangement orders or special guardianship order). Further references to previously looked after children in the Code means children who were adopted (or subject to residence orders, child arrangement orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after. This includes children who are legally adopted from overseas. Relevant, legal documents must be provided to evidence the adoption.

A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. A child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society (see Section 23ZZA(8) of the Children’s Act 1989 (inserted by Section 4 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017). This includes children who were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (see Section 12 adoption orders) and children who were adopted under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (see Section 46 adoption orders). Child arrangement orders are defined Section 8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by Section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Child arrangement orders replace residence orders and any residence orders in force prior to 22 April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989, which defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).

(xi) Admission authorities may give priority in their oversubscription criteria to children eligible for the service premium. The service premium is additional funding paid annually to schools under Section 14 of the Education Act 2002 for the purposes of supporting the pastoral needs of the children of Armed Services personnel.

Children eligible for the Service Pupil Premium (SPP)

Pupils attract SPP if they meet one of the following criteria:

one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces, including pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service - this includes pupils with a parent who is in the armed forces of another nation and is stationed in England
registered as a ‘service child’ on any school census in the past 6 years
one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme

Children have to be flagged as service children ahead of the autumn school census deadline. Service parents must make the Local Authority aware of their status by talking to the relevant Area Education Office.

Evidence of eligibility for the Service Pupil Premium (such as a copy of a military identification (ID) card or official posting notice from a Senior Officer) must be submitted at the time of your application.

Shared care arrangements

When a child lives with one parent for part of the week and another for the rest of the week only one address will be accepted for a school admission application. This will normally be the one where the child wakes up for the majority of school days (Monday to Friday). Proof of residence may be requested at any time throughout the admissions process.

In the cases where a child lives with parents who have shared responsibility and the child’s time is split equally between two homes, the address of the parent who receives child benefit will normally be used. The Local Authority reserves the right to request further proof, in order to establish the home address, as fit the individual circumstances.

Where agreement cannot be reached:

Where shared care arrangements are in place, and parents/carers of the child submit two separate applications for different schools, the Local Authority requires parents to resolve matters between themselves, taking legal advice if necessary, and inform the Local Authority which application should be processed. The Local Authority will not become involved in private disputes.

The Local Authority has an obligation to process an application that has been submitted and signed by a parent with parental responsibility. We will consider the living arrangements and apply the shared care arrangement rules.

If there are any challenges to which address is to be used as a child's residency, individual admission authorities will be consulted. In cases where parents are separated and both have retained joint responsibility, the application will be accepted from the parent who is in receipt of the child benefit and with whom the child primarily resides.

Where shared care arrangements are in place it may be necessary to establish the permanent home address for the child. In certain circumstances parent/carers will be asked to write to the Local Authority stating the number of days each week the child spends with them. The Local Authority may ask for evidence of which parent/carer was in receipt of child benefit at the point of application. If the parent/carer is not in receipt of child benefit, the Local Authority will ask for proof of benefit award notices; Tax Credit Award Notices and child's registered address with the GP at the point of application. If the child’s home address cannot be verified the Local Authority reserves the right to request further documentary evidence to support any claim of permanent home address.

The Local Authority cannot release information or intervene where disputes or disagreements arise between parents in relation to any PROPOSED or submitted application for a school place.

We can only process applications from one address. If your child lives at another address from you or with another parent/carer from Monday to Friday, please provide the Parental Responsibility Order or Residence/Child Arrangements Order for the person the child lives with.

Further evidence can include:

a copy of a court order;
a letter from a solicitor setting out the arrangements;
a joint statutory declaration (prepared by a Commissioner for Oath);
a tax credit award notice (TC602) for current year.

Moving house

If you are about to move house, please contact the Area Education Office with your new address so that letters which are sent to you do not go astray. If you have already exchanged contracts on a house or have evidence of a confirmed offer of tenancy, you can ask for your child's application to be considered from the new address. It is required that a family does not just own a property, in a particular location, but that they are actually resident in the property. Evidence of your/the child's residency in the new property will be required.

We can’t accept a temporary address if you still possess a property that was previously used as a home address.

If you make a permanent house move after applying, but before allocation procedures have been undertaken, you must contact the Area Education Office. You may be able to change your preferences if you are changing address to a more distant property and the allocation will be based on the new address. We normally require two forms of evidence to confirm a house move. It may on occasions be necessary to request additional documentation, depending upon individual circumstances.

Documents accepted to evidence a house move:

Proof of purchase or tenancy agreement
Evidence of disposal of previous property
Council Tax document, evidencing the end of residency in previous home.
Council Tax document, evidencing the residency within your new home.

Other forms of evidence may also be accepted at the discretion of the County Council to cover individual circumstances.

If you move temporarily during the admissions process you must also discuss the matter with the Area Education Office. Temporary addresses are rarely accepted for admission purposes.

If you are moving to another area of Lancashire, details of schools in the area can be obtained from any Area Education Office. Admission Authorities will check address details and may randomly sample applications.

You must contact the Area Education Office if there are any changes in your child's living arrangements during the application and allocation of places period.

Places offered for Lancashire schools may be subsequently withdrawn where misleading or inaccurate information has been discovered.

Applications from abroad (and other areas of the UK)

It is no longer required that families must be physically resident in Lancashire (or nearby) in order to apply within the annual intake processes.

Where families relocate or return to an address in Lancashire after a statutory closing date but during the allocation period (ahead of finalisation of offers) then there will be considered as a late application. Appropriate evidence must be provided of ownership and date of relocation and residence at that address.

Please note that late entry to the annual intake processes will not be possible after the statutory closing dates unless an exception is agreed by the Local Authority and / or the admission authority.

The Authority has a duty to co-ordinate admission arrangements for all Lancashire maintained schools. The Authority will ensure that all Lancashire parents whose children are transferring to Year 7, receive the offer of one secondary school place on the agreed date.

Geographical priority areas

North Lancashire Schools

(For clarity - where reference is made to parishes, these refer to civil parishes not ecclesiastical parishes.)

District 1 - Lancaster

The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any school in Lancaster.

District 2 - Wyre

Millfield Science and Performing Arts College (02/101)

Fleetwood, Thornton Cleveleys (part*) and the Parish of Hambleton (shared with Hodgson and Baines).

* The cut off point being the Blackpool Borough boundary.

District 4 - Fylde

The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any school in The Fylde.

South Lancashire schools

(Please note that where reference is made to parishes, these refer to civil parishes not ecclesiastical parishes.)

District 6 - Preston

Ashton Community Science College

Parishes of Ingol & Tanterton, Lea and Preston*

*The Broadgate area bounded by the Preston dock branch railway line, the West Coast Main Line (railway Line), the Penwortham Parish boundary (River Ribble) and Guild Way is not included.

Broughton High School

Parishes of Barton, Broughton, Inskip with Sowerby, Lea (part of*), Preston (part of**) and Woodplumpton

Inskip with Sowerby is in both Broughton and Garstang Community Academy's Geographical Priority Areas.

*The area bounded by Lea Lane, Sidgreaves Lane, Hoyles Lane and the Woodplumpton parish boundary. This area is shared with Ashton Community Science College's Geographical Priority Area.

**The area bounded by the Woodplumpton parish boundary, the West Coast Main Line (railway line), and the B6241 (Lightfoot Lane/Tom Benson Way) in a westerly direction back to the Woodplumpton parish boundary. This area is shared with Ashton Community Science College's Geographical Priority Area.

District 7 – South Ribble

Balshaw's Ce High School

Parishes of Brindle (part of*), Clayton-le-Woods, Cuerden, Euxton (part of**) and Leyland (part of***)

*The part of the parish to the south of the M65 motorway

**The part of the parish to the north of the Chorley to Manchester railway line

***The area to the east of Worden Lane, St Andrews Way and Towngate. The area to the south of King Street and Leyland Way

Penwortham Girls' High School

Parishes of Hutton, Little Hoole, Longton, Much Hoole, Penwortham and Preston (part of*)

*The Broadgate area bounded by the Preston dock branch railway line, the West Coast Main Line (railway Line), the Penwortham Parish boundary (River Ribble) and Guild Way.

District 8 – West Lancashire

The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any school in West Lancashire.

District 9 - Chorley

The Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any school in Chorley.

East Lancashire Schools

Geographical priority areas

(Please note that where reference is made to parishes, these refer to civil parishes not ecclesiastical parishes.)

District 11 - Hyndburn Community High Schools

There are no longer any Community/Voluntary Controlled schools in Hyndburn

District 11 - Ribble Valley Community High School

Ribblesdale School - (11/113)

The above school's priority area is Clitheroe, Worston, Pendleton, Mearley, Whalley, Wiswell, Mitton, Read, Sabden, Simonstone, Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley, Billington, Dinckley, Balderstone, Clayton-le-Dale, Mellor, Osbaldeston, Ramsgreave, Salesbury, Wilpshire, Barrow, Stoneyhurst, Brockhall Village, Hurst Green, Langho, Ribchester, Higham, Goldshaw Booth and Barley with Wheatley, [West of Barley Lane], Fence and Old Laund Booth.

District 12 – Burnley - the Local Authority is no longer the admission authority for any school in Burnley.

District 13 - Pendle Community High School

Pendle Vale College – (13/111)

This area includes Barley Green, Higham, Fence, Wheatley Lane, Lomeshaye, Central Nelson and Barrowford.

The western perimeter of the area is the border with Ribble Valley from the centre of Barley Lane southwards and then eastwards between J12 and J13 of the M65. The perimeter then follows the M65 north eastwards past J13 to the end of the M65 J14. It turns south into White Walls Drive (A6068) and continues to the roundabout with Burnley Road (A56). From there it turns right into Burnley Road and turns left into Bott House Lane and immediately left into Hereford Road following the north side of the railway line. It then turns right going across country passing Bankfield House and Higher Knotts and emerging at The Nook. From The Nook it turns right into Southfield Lane and follows the centre of Southfield Lane. It then takes the left hand fork into Back Lane, where it crosses Shelfield Lane and then it takes the next right to Float Bridge. From Float Bridge it goes along Delves Lane following the centre of Delves Lane. It then turns left into Southfield Lane and immediately right into Barkerhouse Road following the centre of this road till it meets Leeds Road. It continues left into Leeds Road (A56) and it turns left again on to Holmes Street and immediately right on to Broadway (A682) and continues following the centre of Manchester Road (A682) to the roundabout with Churchill Way. It continues into Churchill Way and rejoins the boundary of the M65 at J12. It follows the boundary of the M65 westbound till it meets the Burnley boundary at Heald Wood, then follows the Burnley boundary where it meets with the Ribble Valley boundary and follows the Ribble Valley boundary until it arrives at Barley Lane.

District 14 - Rossendale Community High Schools

Alder Grange School – (14/101)

This school mainly services the area of RAWTENSTALL - Crawshawbooth, Constable Lee, Oakley, Hall Carr, Loveclough and Rawtenstall town centre, Goodshaw, Balladen, and Townsend Fold, together with the Hamlets of Dunnockshaw and Clowbridge. This includes the area known as Higher Nutshaw Farm.

Whitworth Community High School – (14/107)

This school mainly services the area of WHITWORTH - Whitworth, Broadley, Leavengreave, Shawforth.

Haslingden High School and Sixth Form – (14/109)

This school mainly services the area of HASLINGDEN - Haslingden, Helmshore, Rising Bridge, Edenfield, Stubbins, Turn, Chatterton and Strongstry.

Proposed admission numbers

Please note that the admission numbers for some schools may vary upon determination to support the extra demand for school places in the area.

School No.	Name Of School	Proposed Admission No. 2026/2027
02101	Millfield Science and Performing Arts College	175
06103	Broughton High School	180
06104	Ashton Community Science College	160
07101	Balshaw's Church of England High School	185
07111	Penwortham Girls' High School	160
11113	Ribblesdale School	285
13111	Pendle Vale College	210
14101	Alder Grange School	145
14107	Whitworth Community High School	130
14109	Haslingden High School & Sixth Form	270

Proposed admission numbers for community and voluntary controlled Lancashire sixth form places 2026/2027

School No.	Name Of School	Proposed Admission No. 2026/2027
14101	Alder Grange School	150
14109	Haslingden High School & Sixth Form	150