Consultation

We invite you to share your views on our consultation to explore changing the admissions arrangements for Houlton School from the 2027/2028 academic year onwards.
 
The consultation is running from Wednesday 26 November 2025 until Wednesday 21 January 2026. This is eight weeks in total – six weeks of consultation, plus two weeks for the Christmas break.
 
During this time, any member of our school’s community is invited to express their views about the proposed admission arrangements by completing this survey.
 
Background
In September 2027, and for subsequent years, Houlton School’s intake will be:
 
 - 30 children into Reception
 - 180 children into Year 7
 - 30 external applicants, who meet the entry criteria, into Year 12 (Sixth Form)
 
The academy will admit this number of pupils into each year group if there are sufficient applications. Where fewer applications than the published admissions number are received, TLET will offer places at the academy to all those who have applied.
 
Where more applications are received for children seeking to join Reception and Year 7,  Houlton School’s oversubscription criteria will be used.
 
What are the proposed differences to the oversubscription criteria for 2027/28 onwards?
To ensure that Houlton School is meeting the needs of the community, it currently has two defined Priority Areas. These are:
 
- Priority Area 1: The Houlton development
- Priority Area 2: An area including Clifton upon Dunsmore, Dunsmore and Newton

 
With people moving into the new housing in Houlton all the time, we have reached the point where we are consulting on removing Priority Area 2 from the oversubscription criteria.
 
All other elements of the oversubscription criteria will remain the same.
 
What will the proposed oversubscription criteria be in the new Admissions Policy?

Children/young people with an Education Health Care Plan will be given priority admission.
 
The proposed oversubscription criteria then sets out the following priority order:

1) Looked-after children, as defined by Section 22 of the 1989 Children Act
2) Siblings of existing students who live in the current Priority Area 1
3) Siblings of existing students who live outside of the current Priority Area 1
4) Children without siblings at the school who live in the current Priority Area 1
5) Children of staff who have been at the school for two years or more / meet a skills shortage and have a sibling at the school
6) Children of staff who have been at the school for two years or more / meet a skills shortage and do not have a sibling at the school
7) Children living outside of the Priority Area

You can read the proposed Admissions Policy by clicking on the link below.
 
How do you submit a response?
Any member of our school’s community is invited to express their views about the proposed admission arrangements by completing this survey.
 
If you wish to further discuss this matter, or anything mentioned in this letter, please contact the Transforming Lives Educational Trust.