In Warwickshire children normally start full-time primary education in the September of the school year in which they are five years old. With the policy of open enrolment parents may request a place for their child at any school/Academy of their choice; they will be allocated a place if the school/Academy has a vacancy. Each setting has a priority area and children who live within the priority area will be allocated places first. The priority area for Racemeadow Primary Academy is Atherstone, north of Long Street.
Selecting a school
We would be delighted to show parents and children around our Academy and to answer any questions you may have. As with all schools, parents who choose to send their children to Racemeadow will be asked to complete an admission form.
Induction of Foundation Stage children
There is close liaison between the Foundation Stage teachers at Racemeadow and staff at the Atherstone Early Years Nursery, other nurseries and pre-schools in the area.
Children being admitted into the Foundation Stage will be invited to spend some time with their new class teacher through ‘Stay and Play’ sessions.
Each year, there is a meeting for parents of the new intake when the school’s aims, objectives, procedures and practices are explained. This is an opportunity to ask any questions which may arise and to meet key staff who will be working with your children.
Foundation Stage teachers will make home visits at the end of the summer term or start of the autumn term. The children start school on a part-time basis attending for either the morning or afternoon session for a few days and then most children attend the Academy full-time.
Transfer to Secondary School
At the end of Year 6 children move on to secondary education. Parents will receive full details of the options available to them from the Local Authority and have to make their choices by the beginning of the Summer Term. Most Racemeadow Primary Academy children transfer to The Queen Elizabeth Academy. Visits are made to the children by staff from the secondary school and the children spend a day (Induction Day) at their new secondary school. Parents are informed about the arrangements during the Summer Term. We also take part in a variety of transition projects.
Liaison
There is close liaison between staff from the nursery, primary and secondary schools. This helps to ensure the smooth passage through, and transfer across, the different phases of education. The different schools ensure that the key staff meet together each year to plan the Transfer and Induction Programmes for your children. The Head Teachers from the local cluster of schools also meet on a half termly basis.
REAch2 Academy Trust (the Trust), as the admission authority for all of its academies as per the admissions code 2021, is consulting on the admission arrangements for all of its schools. It is the responsibility of the Trust to determine the arrangements for all of its schools, ensuring that they are fully compliant with the admissions code 2021 and other statutory legislation, such as the Equalities Act 2010.
On 4 October 2023, the Trust Board approved several variations to the current arrangements, which seek to add clarity to a number of key definitions within the policy. The new policy also includes more information on how parents can access other admissions related information, including in-year admissions, appeals processes, and Fair Access Protocol’s.
The new policies do not propose any change to the school’s existing over-subscription criteria. The new policy seeks to make clear that children within the final category of the over-subscription criteria are ranked by the distance they live from the school. The Trust has therefore re-named this criterion from ‘other children’ to ‘distance’. Children within that criterion will still be ranked in the same way.
You can find the proposed school policy for 2025/2026 by visiting Academy Directory - REAch2 Academy Trust
The consultation will run from 6 December 2023 to 31 January 2024.
We welcome feedback from all stakeholders on the proposed arrangements. Responses to the consultation may be placed by any of the following means: