Admissions 2027/2028
Trawden Forest Primary School is a community primary school. Lancashire County Council is the admission authority and is responsible for our admissions and appeals arrangements.
Our Published Admission Number for Reception is 30 pupils.
Applying for a Reception Place for September 2027
Parents are given the opportunity to express three preferences for a primary school. Published criteria are used to decide which children should be offered the available places.
Lancashire operates an equal preference scheme in accordance with the School Admissions Code. This means that all three parental preferences are considered equally against the admissions criteria.
Applications for children starting Reception in September 2027 opened on 1 September 2026.
The closing date for applications is 15 January 2027.
School places will be announced on 16 April 2027, or the next working day if this falls on a weekend or bank holiday.
Apply for a Primary School Place through Lancashire County Council
You can also access Lancashire County Council's main school admissions information here:
Lancashire County Council School Admissions
Determined Admissions Policy for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools 2027/2028
Trawden Forest Primary School follows Lancashire County Council's determined admissions policy for community and voluntary controlled primary schools.
When a school is oversubscribed on parental preferences, the following priorities apply in order:
- Looked after children and previously looked after children, including children who appear to have been in state care outside England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
- Children for whom Lancashire County Council accepts that there are exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons which are directly relevant to the school concerned.
- Children eligible for Service Premium.
- Children with older brothers or sisters attending the school when the younger child will start.
- Remaining places are allocated according to where a child lives. Those living nearest to the preferred school by a straight-line radial measure will have priority.
The full determined Lancashire County Council admissions policy, including definitions and supplementary information, can be found here:
Lancashire Determined Primary School Admission Arrangements 2027/2028
Tie-break
The distance criterion is used as the tie-break where there is oversubscription within any of the admission criteria. Distance is measured in a straight line between the applicant's home address and the school.
If Lancashire County Council is unable to distinguish between applicants using the published criteria, for example children living the same distance from the school or families living in the same block of flats, places will be offered by a random draw.
Where a single place remains and the applications being considered are for twins or other multiple births, Lancashire County Council will allocate above the admission number where necessary to accommodate each child.
Trawden Forest Primary School Transition Plan for EYFS Children
We recognise the significance for both parents and children of the first day at school and try to anticipate any concerns or potential problems through our transition plan detailed below.
Before choosing a school
- An Open Day in October allows parents and children to have a good look around the school before making a decision about which primary school to choose.
Once school places have been allocated
- Parents are invited to the new parents' information evening, which is held in June each year.
- School staff visit nurseries to establish a good knowledge of the experiences children have had before joining us.
- Where appropriate, personalised transition plans can be arranged.
- Children are invited for two half-day visits during the summer term before they start in September. We encourage parents to leave their children with us on the second of these visits where appropriate.
Starting school
- All children are offered a place from September. Our transition arrangements during the first week support children as they settle into school.
- There is also an opportunity for children to experience school dinners.
- Stay and Play sessions during the first term allow parents to play and learn alongside their children and help positive relationships to develop between school and home.
In-Year School Admissions
Sometimes children need to change schools during the academic year.
Applications for places outside the normal Reception admissions round are called in-year admissions.
Before applying to change schools, Lancashire County Council advises parents to speak to their child's current school and the school they intend to move to.
Lancashire County Council coordinates in-year admissions for community and voluntary controlled schools, including Trawden Forest Primary School.
Find out about In-Year Admissions and apply through Lancashire County Council
For further information about in-year admissions, please also see the documents below.
Admission Appeals
If your child is refused a place at Trawden Forest Primary School, you have the right to appeal the decision to an independent admissions appeal panel.
Lancashire County Council manages admission appeals for community and voluntary controlled schools.
Information about the appeals process, guidance and the online appeal form can be found on the Lancashire County Council website:
For Reception admissions, Lancashire County Council publishes the relevant appeal deadlines and hearing dates each year.
