Admission arrangements

Essa Academy is an 11 – 16 Northern Education Trust academy. As an academy within the Bolton Authority we admit students under the general criteria for admission as published by Bolton Council. The admission number (PAN) for Essa Academy in September 2025 is 210.

The academy is a comprehensive school and will accept children of all abilities. This means no child is offered a place or refused a place on the basis of his or her general ability.

The academy recognises that all children, including those resident outside the Borough, have an equal right to apply for a place. The academy will admit a pupil into any year group throughout the academic year if parents request a transfer which is agreed to by the Local Education Authority after consultation with the academy. NB If the transfer is from another secondary school within the Local Authority then consultation will take place with that school before transfer is finally agreed.

Click here for more information visit Bolton Council’s Secondary School Places

Admissions 2025 – 2026

The Academy will consider all applications for places without reference to the order in which the school is expressed as a preference. Where the Academy receives fewer applications/preferences than the admission number, it will offer places to all those applicants. Where more applications are received than the admission number, the Academy will use the same admission criteria below to rank applications.

Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be offered places first. The following criteria will then apply:

Criteria:

Criteria 1 – Looked after Children, Children in public care and previously looked after children. This includes any “looked after child”, “previously looked after children” and any child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order. ‘Looked after’ means that the child was (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions. This criteria also includes looked after children and all previously looked after children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

Criteria 2 – Other children who are considered as “vulnerable” whose application for the Academy is supported by the Assistant Director for Social Care. This will include:

• Children, for whom there is a Child Protection Plan or has been within a 12-month period.
• Children who have had a period in care within 2 years of the admission application and are still receiving social care Service.
• Children who are considered to be at significant risk of becoming looked after by public care.
• Children who are living in temporary accommodation due to fleeing violence and the area for rehousing has been identified.

Criteria 3 – Children who, on the date of admission will have a brother or sister attending Essa Primary Academy or Essa Academy. Sibling means a full, step half, or adopted or fostered brother or sister, but not cousin, who will be living permanently with them at the same address at the date of entry to the academy. The Academy may require proof of relationship (see Notes 2&3).

Criteria 4 – Children who are attending Essa Primary Academy at the time at which the application for admission to the Academy is made.

Criteria 5 – Children for whom the Local Governing Body accepts that they have proven exceptionally strong special medical or social circumstances, which are directly relevant to attendance at Essa Academy This will be evidenced by written professional documentation accepted by the Academy explaining why these needs can realistically only be met by Essa Academy and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school/academy.

Criteria 6 – Children of staff employed by Essa Foundation Academies Trust for two or more years or in a demonstrable skill shortage post, at the time at which the application for admission to the Academy is made.

Criteria 7 – Children who live nearest to Essa Academy, Bolton. The distance will be measured in a straight line using geographical information provided by Bolton Council. If a number of addresses have the same geographical property reference (such as a block of flats), or if there are a number of applicants living the same distance away from the Academy, random allocation by the Local Governing Body of Essa Academy will then be used to decide which of the children can be offered a place.

Monitoring Arrangements

This policy will be reviewed and approved by the Trust every year.

Whenever changes to admissions arrangements are proposed (except where the change is an increase to the agreed admission number), the governing board will publicly consult on these changes for a minimum of 6 weeks between 1^st October and 31^st January before the following February publication date.

Key Dates 2025-2026

Bolton Admissions Appeals

Usually your child will be offered a place at a preferred school, but if you are not offered a place in one of your preferred schools or you are unhappy with the school place allocated for whatever reason, you have the right to appeal to an independent panel. Bolton Council’s Democratic Services unit will set up appeals on behalf of all the schools in Bolton. Further details on the Appeals process will be included in your offer letter.