Admissions

Our admission policy is guided by the requirements of the law and will conform fully to the School Admissions Code. The admission oversubscription criteria have been created so as to ensure fairness, transparency and ease of operation to minimise appeals.

The planned admission number (PAN) for Reception will be 30.

The planned admissions number (PAN) for Nursery will be 26.

The Academy will admit children with an Education Health and Care Plan which names Dukesgate Academy. We will then allocate the remaining places in accordance with this policy.

Where more applications are received than there are places available, applications will be considered in accordance with the Academy’s published oversubscription criteria following the order stated below:

Where the number of applications for the Academy received during the normal admissions round exceeds the admission number of the school, then admission will be determined in accordance with the following priority of admission criteria:

1. Looked after children (as defined by section 22 of the Children Act 1989), previously looked after children and internationally adopted previously looked after children. This includes children who have ceased to be looked after because they were adopted or became subject to a child arrangements’ order or special guardianship order.

2. Children in Need - as defined by the Children Act (1989) i.e. those who are unlikely to achieve or maintain or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of health or development or a child / children whose health or development would be further impaired without the provision of services of the Local Authority. Applications under this criterion would need to be supported by an appropriate professional stating that attendance at Dukesgate Academy is essential.

3. Medical reasons. If claiming medical reasons, primary guardians must provide evidence from the doctor that the child has a medical condition which means that admission to Dukesgate Academy is essential.

4. Older brother or sister in attendance at Dukesgate Academy at the date when the pupil is to be admitted. This includes step-children and foster children living with the same family at the same address. Other children may be considered under the sibling criterion provided proof is available to demonstrate that the children are permanently resident at the same address as part of the same family unit. United Learning accepts that in some family units children may not be natural siblings.

5. Distance from the Academy. This will be measured in a straight line (as the crow flies) in miles from the child's permanent home address to the front entrance of the Academy.

The child’s ordinary place of residence will be deemed to be a residential property at which the person or persons with parental responsibility for the child resides at the closing date for receiving applications for admission to the Academy.

Where parental responsibility is held by more than one person and those persons reside in separate properties, the child’s ordinary place of residence will be deemed to be that property at which the child resides for the greater part of the week including weekends.

If the Academy cannot differentiate between the applications within criteria 2-5, a random allocation tie-breaker will be applied. This may be required for example, where applicants reside in the same block of flats or are children of a multiple birth living at the same address.

The Academy will operate a waiting list for each year group. This will be maintained by the Academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.

Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

At Dukesgate Academy, we try to accommodate all children who want to come here, although places will be offered in line with the above admissions criteria. We can accept up to 26 children in the Nursery class and 30 into the Reception class each year.

Dukesgate Academy is in Salford Local Authority. When applying for a place you complete the Salford application form. You can apply online at www.salford.gov.uk/apply-for-a-primary-place

Children can be admitted to the Nursery when they are 3 years old or if they will reach this age before 31 August in the year they are admitted.

Admission applications should be made through the Salford Admissions Team for the September intake. Information and application packs will be available from late October in the year before the September intake.

The application process for Reception applications for September 2025 opened on 1 September 2024 and closes on 15 January 2025.

On 16 April 2025 all on time applicants  who have applied online will be able to view their child’s offer of a school place by logging into the Family Portal. Those who have applied using a paper form will receive a decision letter in the post on or just after 16 April 2025.

Please be aware that applications submitted after the closing date will be classed as ‘late’, and will only be processed after those received on time. You may not receive the offer of a place until after 16 April 2025. 

Applying late could drastically reduce the chances of your child being allocated a place at with us,  so we would advise that you complete your application as quickly as possible and before the closing date to minimise the risk.  

Late applications will only be dealt with by the Local Authority once all other applications have been allocated and accepted.

A place in the Nursery class does not guarantee a place in Reception. All parents must re-apply for a Reception Class place.

Dukesgate Academy is in Salford Local Authority. When applying for a place you complete the Salford application form. You can apply online at www.salford.gov.uk/apply-for-a-primary-place.

Children born between 1 September and 31 March, have a legal right to defer admission to reception to the start of the term after the 5th birthday (that’s January or Easter). More information from Salford LA can be found here.

Most children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities will not be disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. The admission of pupils with disabilities is considered in the first instance in the same way as non-disabled pupils.  Further considerations are made in the light of need and accessibility. In practice we ensure that classroom and extra curricular activities encourage the participation of all pupils, including those having special educational needs or disabilities. Staff organise resources within the school to increase access to learning and participation by all pupils.

Children currently in another primary school can be admitted to Dukesgate Academy at any appropriate age.

If you would like your child to attend Dukesgate Academy, you should contact the school for information and to arrange a visit to the Academy.

The Academy will allocate a place in the required year group if one is available. You may obtain further advice from Salford Schools’ Admissions.

Once a place is allocated, the Academy offer an induction which will include a home visit.

If you are not offered a Reception place at the school, you have the right to appeal against the decision. Appeals are usually heard during the Summer Term.

The law on infant class sizes states that no five, six or seven year olds should be in a class of more than 30 pupils; the circumstances where an appeal committee can uphold an appeal for these year groups are therefore limited.

The Department for Education publishes a guide for parents on school admissions and appeals. The guide explains the school admissions and appeals processes; what parents can expect from the admissions system; how to object to unlawful arrangements and how to find further information and support.

For further information about how to appeal for a place at Dukesgate Academy, please contact Salford Local Authority

Children’s Services, School Admissions’ Team,
Second Floor, Unity House,
Salford Civic Centre,
Chorley Road, Swinton,
M27 5AW