Lees Brook Academy
The Archway Learning Trust (hereafter referred to as the Trust) in liaison with the Department for Education and Derby City Local Authority supports Lees Brook Academy.
This document sets out the admission arrangements for Lees Brook Academy, which is its own admission authority, and has responsibility to ensure that the admission arrangements comply with the School Admissions Code and School Admissions Appeal Code and is implemented objectively and fairly.
How to apply:
Admission to Lees Brook Academy is carried out as part of the home authority co-ordinated admission arrangements.
The deadline for applications for those children applying for a Year 7 place starting September 2027 is 31st October 2026 by completing the Local Authority School Common Application Form (SCAF).
If you live in Derby City and you are applying for a secondary school place for September 2027 you can apply online by visiting www.derby.gov.uk or request an application form by contacting 01332 642350 or via email: admissions@derby.gov.uk. If you live outside Derby City, you must complete your home authority’s application form.
Notification of school allocation will be made by the home local authority on National Offer Day. For September 2027 entry, the National Offer Day is 1st March 2027.
For in-year admissions, please contact the Academy on 01332 671723 or complete the relevant in-Year application form available on the academy website www.leesbrook.co.uk under Prospective Parents > How to Apply
Admission to schools outside the normal year group:
Lees Brook Academy will consider requests for admission outside the normal year group and take account of the circumstances of each case. Requests must be made in writing as a supplement to the application to the Archway Learning Trust.
All requests to educate a child outside their normal year group must include evidence of the child’s circumstances from a relevant professional detailing the child’s educational need which makes education outside the normal age group necessary. Parents/carers must consider the impact of a child being educated with children of a different age.
Admission Arrangements:
Lees Brook Academy has a planned admission number of 210 places in Year 7.
Consideration of application:
The Trust will consider all applications for places. Where fewer applications are received than places available, the Trust will offer places to all those who have applied.
Children, who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), naming Lees Brook Academy, will be admitted first, followed by looked after and previously looked after children. This will reduce the number of reserved places available for other applicants on a pro rata basis.
Oversubscription criteria:
(see notes on pages 4 for definitions)
Oversubscription occurs when the academy receives more applications than places. The academy will apply the following criteria in these circumstances.
After the admission of students with a statutory right to a place at the Academy through an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), naming Lees Brook Academy in their plan. Priority for admission will be given to those who meet the criteria set out below in priority order:
1)1Looked after children or children who were previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including children who were previously in state care outside of England and who ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2) 2Priority will next be given to the Children of staff, specifically teaching or support staff, full or part-time on the payroll of the Archway Learning Trust working at Lees Brook Academy at the time of admission, where:
-
- the member of staff has been employed at the academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or
- the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
3) Priority will next be given to the children living in the 3catchment area* served by the academy and have a 4sibling who will be on roll at Lees Brook Academy at the time of admission.
4) Priority will next be given to children living in the 3catchment area* at the time of admission.
5) Priority will next be given to children who do not live in the catchment area served by the academy but who have a 4sibling attending the academy at the time of admission.
6) Priority will next be given to children whose parents/carers have named Lees Brook Academy as a preference on the school common application form.
*For those families who move after the closing date, but before the offer date, the Trust and/or Local Authority will assess applications from the address where the child was living at the closing date and reassess applications on the National Offer Date.
Tiebreaker:
In the event that two or more applicants meet the admissions criteria equally, priority will be given to the child living nearest the Academy, measured by a straight line. The line will be measured from the home address to the Academy using the national Ordnance Survey set points.
In-Year Admissions:
Applications for places after the usual entry point (e.g., after Year 7) should be made directly to the academy. If places are available and there is no waiting list, an offer will be made to the applicant. If there are more applicants than available places, the oversubscription criteria will apply. In the event of oversubscription, parents/carers whose application is unsuccessful have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel, and their child’s name will be placed on a waiting list.
In-Year Applications should be completed using our application form available on the academy website www.leesbrook.co.uk under Prospective Parents > How to Apply. Alternatively, where this is not possible a paper application can be collected from the academy. Paper applications should be returned to: Admissions, Lees Brook Academy, Morley Road, Chaddesden, Derby DE21 4QX.
Parents/carers will be notified of the application outcome within 15 school days of submission.
Waiting Lists:
The Academy will operate a waiting list for each year group where they receive more applications for places than there are places available. This will be maintained by the academy, and it will be open to any parent/carer to ask for their child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application
Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. Where places become vacant, they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. The waiting list will be reordered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria whenever anyone is added to or leaves the waiting list.
Arrangements for Appeals Panels:
Where a parent/carer has been refused a place for their child at Lees Brook Academy, they have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. The appeal process will be in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code published by the Department for Education. The decision of the appeal panel will be made in line with the School Admission Appeals Code and is binding on all parties.
Appeals should be made to the Independent Appeals Clerk, c/o Lees Brook Academy, Morley Road, Derby, DE21 4QX within 20 school days of refusal. Information on the timetable for the appeals process is on our website www.leesbrook.co.uk under Prospective Parents > Appeals.
Notwithstanding these arrangements, the Secretary of State may direct the Trust to admit a named student to the Academy upon application from any Local Authority. Before doing so, the Secretary of State will consult with the Trust.
Late Applications
The local authority and Lees Brook Academy will accept applications received after the deadline date however, these will be dealt with after National offer day alongside any other applications that were made after the closing date of 31st October 2026.
Fair access protocol:
The School Admissions Code requires all local authorities to establish in-year fair access protocols to ensure that access to education is secured quickly for children who have no education place, and to ensure that all schools and academies in an area admit their fair share of vulnerable and challenging children and young people. The code requires that all educational settings and academies must participate in their local authority’s protocol in order to ensure that unplaced children are offered a place at a suitable educational setting as quickly as possible. This includes admitting children above the published admission number to schools and academies that are already full. Lees Brook Academy and the Trust will participate fully in the Derby City Council’s fair access protocol.
Admission Arrangements for Post 16 (age 16):
Lees Brook Academy Sixth form has a planned admission number (PAN) of 20 for external applicants. Please visit www.leesbrook.co.uk/sixthform for the admission arrangements, courses and how to apply or email skillsacademy@leesbrook.co.uk or phone 01332 671723 option 4.
Notes:
1) Children in Public Care – A looked after or previously looked after child is:
a) in the care of a local authority or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions in accordance with section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989, at the time of making an application to a school.
b) or a child who has been *adopted, placed under a **special guardianship order, or subject to a ***child arrangements order after being in care. This also extends to children who are considered to have been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of, or accommodated by, a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other care provider whose primary purpose is to benefit society.
*an adoption order refers to an order under the Adoption Act 1976 (see section 12, adoption orders), as well as children adopted under the Adoption and Children’s Act 2002 (see section 46, adoption orders).
**Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).
***child arrangements orders are defined in Section 8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by Section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Child arrangements orders replace residence orders and any residence order in force prior to 22 April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order.
2) Children of staff – The term staff child includes:
- a biological child of staff members;
- an adopted child of staff members;
- a stepchild* living in the same household as the member of staff, where the staff member’s spouse or civil partner is the child’s parent / legal guardian.
3) Children living in the catchment area – are children residing in a defined geographical area, which the Academy serves. Details of the academy’s defined catchment area can be found on the Derby City Council website.
https://maps.derby.gov.uk/webmap/Map.aspx?MapName=PublicMaps
A child will be considered ‘living in the catchment area’ if the child’s permanent place of residence which is deemed to be the residential property at which the child normally and habitually resides with the person or persons having parental responsibility for the child at the time of completion of the application form is within the catchment area designated for the academy. If a child’s parents live at separate addresses the child’s permanent place of residence will be whichever of the two addresses the child permanently spends at least 3 school nights i.e. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday each week. Addresses of other relatives or friends will not be considered as the place of residence even when the child stays there for all or part of the week. Proof of permanent residence (minimum 12 months tenancy agreement from the date of application in the case of rented accommodation) and other evidence from the court regarding parental responsibilities in these matters may be required. Where a child is resident at two addresses for an equal amount of time, the child’s permanent place of residence will be the address shown on the child benefit letter.
4) Sibling – The term sibling includes:
- a brother or sister who share the same parents
- a half-brother or half-sister, where two children share one common parent
- a stepbrother or stepsister, where two children are related by a parent’s marriage
- adopted or fostered children living in the same household under the terms of a Child Arrangement Order.
We do not consider these as siblings:
- cousins or other family relationships not included above
- siblings who at 1 September 2027 will not be registered pupils at the academy
Where applications are received for twins, triplets, or other children of multiple births, if one child from the multiple birth is allocated a place, all children from the same multiple birth will be offered a place. This may result in the Academy admitting above the published admission number.
How to Respond
Comments can be submitted in the following ways:
Online Consultation Form: Archway Learning Trust – Admission Arrangements Consultation 2027/28 – Online form
Email: admissions@archwaytrust.co.uk
Post: Admissions Services Lead, Archway Learning Trust, Aspley Lane, Nottingham, NG8 5GY
Please clearly state on your response that it relates to Lees Brook Academy. All responses must be received by 5:00pm on 21 January 2026.