Hello Children,
At Southmead we welcome you and your mummies and daddies and / or carers to school so you can see our children learning.  If you haven't had a chance to do this, we feel it is important that you see and experience the fun that our children have each day at school so ...   We have made a quick video to show you.  We hope you enjoy it.

If you have any questions, please get your adult to give us a call on 01271 812448 or email us at admin@southmead.devon.sch.uk.  

We would be only too happy to help.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Mr Plumb and ALL at Southmead.

Applying for a Reception place

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Please contact the school office to make an appointment, to come and look around the school.

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As soon as you step into Southmead Primary School we hope you feel we are a 'family' and we will always work in partnership with you.  Your child will feel valued as an individual.  We celebrate the talents they bring with them and we strive to help them to develop skills which will equip them for a global, diverse community in the 21st Century.  We want them to be happy, to try hard and to develop resilience and a 'can do' attitude to life.  Our curriculum is interesting, broad, balanced and includes a range of visits, visitors, input from our children and parents / carers.  Our staff enjoy learning, challenge themselves and train regularly to meet the needs of your children.  We welcome help from you so let us know if you would like to come into school.

The governing board is the admissions authority, responsible for the admissions policies and decisions on applications for admission. We have an admissions policy for each academic year. They are written to comply with the School Admissions Code and School Admissions Appeals Code. We take part in the co-ordinated admissions schemes of Devon County Council.

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Applying to come here

Once you decide you would like a place in Reception or at any other time after this, you must make a formal application. You can do this by applying to the Local Authority (via the link below) and not direct to the school. 

For the 'normal round' intake into school, children are offered places to start in Reception at the beginning of the September term after their fourth birthday. Children who are admitted to a vacancy at any time after this point are called 'In-Year' Admissions.

The Local Authority

Devon County Council publishes information about admissions and its own policies to support the admissions application and appeals process. This is at www.devon.gov.uk/admissions

Applications can be made online via the link below or by using the forms here.

The appeals process is detailed via this link below.

For questions about your child joining the school or just about the admissions process in general, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office direct or contact Devon School Admissions Service on 0345 155 1019 or by email to admissions@devon.gov.uk.

Our Admissions Policies

You can find our admissions policies below.  We review the school policy annually and may make changes if we feel this would be in the best interests of the school and our community.

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Each academic year has its own policy document, which details how to apply for a place in school from the start of Reception through to Year 6.

Proposed Admissions Policy 2026 / 2027 Consultation

Our Governing Body is the admissions authority for our school, responsible for the admissions policies and decisions when there is an application for admission. We have an admissions policy for each academic year. Policies are written to comply with the School Admissions Code 2021 and the School Admissions Appeals Code 2022. We take part in the normal round and the in-year co-ordinated admissions schemes of Devon County Council. 

Our Admissions Policies 

You can find our admissions policies above - we review the school policy annually and may make changes if we feel this would be in the best interests of the school and our community. 

Each academic year has its own policy document, with details about how to apply for a place in school from the start of Reception through to Year 6 / the start of Year 3 to Year 6 / the start of Year 7 to Year 11.

School admissions policy 2024-25

This is our determined policy. If you have any comments regarding the policy, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.     

School admissions policy 2025-26 

This is our determined policy.  If you have any comments regarding the policy, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.   

School admissions policy 2026-27 

We will consult on an admissions policy between November 2024 and 10 January 2025. If you have any comments regarding the policy we propose, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.   

After the consultation, we will determine the policy at a meeting of the admissions authority held before the end of February 2025.

Once determined, the policy will be updated online by 15 March 2025.     Objections can be made up to 15 May 2025 to the Office of the Schools' Adjudicator.

The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2025    

The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions. 

Allocation date for the normal round Reception or the new Year 3 intake: 16 April 2024 

Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2024 

Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 26 July 2024 

Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 26 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted. 

Allocation date for the normal round new Year 7 or 10 intake: 1 March 2024 

Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 22 April 2024 

Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 26 June 2024 

Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 22 April will be heard by 26 June. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted. 

In-year appeals can be submitted after a refusal. They will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being submitted.  

The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2026    

The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions. 

Allocation date for the normal round Reception: 16 April 2025 

Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2025 

Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 25 July 2025 

Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 25 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted. 

In-year appeals can be submitted after a refusal. They will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being submitted.   Along with all other schools and academies in Devon, we are consulting on an admission policy for 2026-27. The Local Authority is also consulting on its admission arrangements.