Admissions

Admission to Primary School

It is wonderful to know that you are considering applying for a place at Burley Oaks Primary School. On this page you will find all the information relating to the admissions process and the FAQs can be found below.

Moorlands Learning Trust is responsible for the admission of children into Burley Oaks. Whilst we are happy to help with any queries, those specific to the admissions process should be directed to Bradford Council who coordinate the process on behalf of MLT. Contact details can be found below.

Our Admissions are managed through Bradford Local Education Authority.

The Bradford admissions page can be accessed by clicking here.

The current admissions criteria for this school is set out below.

Please see our admissions polcies here.

How to apply for a place in reception

You should receive information about making an application for Reception from your child’s current nursery or through the post in mid-November. Please contact the Admissions Team if you do not receive this.

To apply for a primary school place you can apply online at www.bradford.gov.uk/admissions.

The online admissions system will be available for reception applications from November 2025 until January 2026 for children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023. You may also need to complete a supplementary application form or provide us with evidence supporting your application depending on the schools you have applied for.

In either case, you must apply by 14 January 2027 at the latest.

Applications for other year groups

Parents or carers living within the Bradford District who would like their child to move to a different school should first contact their child’s current school to discuss the reasons for the transfer.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan please contact the SEN Team on 01274 435750 for advice. Do not complete an In Year application.

If you are new to Bradford or decide you have no alternative but to request a transfer, please read the following information before completing an In Year Common Application Form (ICAF). The application can be completed online or using this application form (Word, 60 Kb).

Additional information relating to an in-year transfer can be accessed at:

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/education-and-skills/school-admissions/in-year-applications/

Open Days 2026/27

Details of the Open Days for 2027 Admissions will be announced in September 2026.

We would like to welcome you to our school on either an 'Come & Do' Open Evening where you can tour our school at your leisure and meet our Teaching Staff, or one of our Open Day parent tours during a school day.

The day tours will be led by either our Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher, and are limited to only a few parents per session. This is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get the most from the visit around school and ask any questions.

Open Evening/Come & Do!:

This is an exciting opportunity for you and your child to have a taster of life in school. Play in Reception, make music together, delve deep into Forest School, become a scientist and experience a range of other hands on learning opportunities.

Open Day Tours*:

Please book a space on the sessions above using the link below:

*Please note tour numbers are currently limited to 2 adults per family.

If you have any questions about the tours, please contact the school Office on 01943 862642

When do I need to apply for my child to start in reception?

You need to apply if you have a child who will be starting school from 1 September 2027. This includes children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023.

An information booklet can be accessed here for admission in September 2027.

What if my child was born during the summer term?

All parents are expected to apply for and take up a reception place in the school year in which their child will reach the age of five (rising fives). All children are entitled to a full time place in the September following their fourth birthday. However, the compulsory school age (CSA) for full time education is the start of the term following the child’s fifth birthday and parents may request that their child’s entry is delayed (deferred) until later in the same school year or until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age.

Whilst parents have the legal right to keep their child out of formal education until the term following their 5^th birthday, the Local Authority or an individual school admitting authority has the right and responsibility for deciding which year group a child should be admitted to.

The premise is that, except in limited circumstances, if parents are determined to defer entry to full time education until the following academic year when the child reaches compulsory school age, as is their legal right, a place would be offered in Year 1, enabling their child to remain within their chronological age group and not being ‘offset’ unless it is deemed in the child’s best interest to start in Reception.

"Requests for deferment due to a child born prematurely, summer born or based on other personal circumstances will be considered by a panel consisting of an Educational Psychologist, Early Years Achievement Officer and a Primary school headteacher. It is important that the view of the Headteacher of the school that the child will be attending is taken into consideration, therefore it is important that families meet with the school to discuss their request to defer." (Guidance on admission of summer born children, Bradford Council website)

For more information, please see a link to the guidance below:

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/education-and-skills/school-admissions/admission-of-summer-born-children/

Can I choose what primary school my child goes to?

You can make a preference for up to five schools, these should be listed in the order you would prefer them.

What help is available to decide which schools to apply for?

Before you decide on a particular school, you should visit the schools in your area. While schools welcome visitors, it helps them if you make an appointment.

If you would like information on how particular schools are performing, you can get a summary of the latest Ofsted report from the school, or see full reports on Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). You can also find information on the school’s Key Stage two results on the Department for Education website at www.dfe.gov.uk or in the school’s booklet.

When will I find out what school my child has been allocated?

You will receive a letter mid-April to inform you which school your child has been offered a place at. There will be an acceptance form with the letter which you must return to the school. If you have applied online, you will also receive an email telling you which school your child has been offered a place at.

If you applied late on a paper form you will be sent a letter telling you which school has been offered.

Information about the appeals process can be found here.

How do I appeal?

If you do not receive a place at our school and wish to appeal this decision, please follow the admissions appeal process on the Bradford Admissions website:

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/education-and-skills/school-admissions/make-an-appeal/