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The Local Authority (Bolton Council) is responsible for offering places on behalf of the school. The council coordinates both admissions to Reception class (for a child, due to turn five years of age in an academic year which runs from 1st September to 31st August, who lives in Bolton), and in year admissions for a child transferring from another school within Bolton or who is a new Bolton resident (previously schooled outside of the Local Authority).
The contact details for the Local Authority are:
Pupil and Student Services, Bolton Council, Town Hall, Bolton BL1 1RU
Telephone: 01204 332143 / 332137
Email: admissions@bolton.gov.uk
Alternatively you can access information from Bolton Council's website. Please feel free to contact us here at Ladybridge Community Primary School if you have any further specific questions relating to our school.
Applying for a School Place
To apply for a school place, please click here for information.
All children who reach the age of five during the school year (1st September - 31st August) are eligible for admission to Reception at the start of the Autumn term.
The Local Authority is responsible for offering places on behalf of the school which is a 'Community Controlled Primary School'. The current policy (subject to change) for admission to community and controlled secondary schools for is as follows:
The Council will admit all children with a statement of special educational needs, in whose statement the school is named.
All parents will be provided with an online application form on which they will be asked to express 3 preferences in order of priority for a primary school. Places will be allocated up the published admission number for each school.
Further information is also available from Pupil and Student Services at the Local Authority (contact details above).
The school has an admission limit of 60 pupils for each year group. If more than the agreed number of applicants is received, then places will be offered according to the Local Authority Criteria, detailed below.
In the Autumn term, prior to a child starting in Reception class, we hold an open day for prospective parents to visit school. Once a child has been offered a place, all children have the opportunity to visit school in the Summer Term before they start school. Parents of pupils who have not been allocated a place, have the right to appeal.
Local Authority Over-subscription Criteria
If the school is over-subscribed the following criteria will be applied by the Local Authority to all applications in priority order:
1. A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those 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. A looked after child is a child who is (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 (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).
2. Children for whom there is a child protection plan or has been within a 12 month period (see definition under section 47 of the children act 1989).
3. Children who will have older siblings in years Reception to Year 6 of the preferred school at the time of application and date of admission. Sibling includes full, step, half, foster and adopted brothers, sisters or any child identifying as non-binary living as part of that family unit, living at the same address.
4. Children who have strong Church connections where the school is a Church school. Parents must complete the supplementary form as evidence that the family and the child are active worshipping members at the church to which the school is affiliated. Active worshipping members of the church will be those persons who worship at least once a month sustained over a period of a year prior to the closing date for applications.
5. Children who suffer from some medical condition or disability, which makes it, better for them to attend that school rather than another. Places will only be offered under this criterion if the child has a certified medical condition with strong professional supporting evidence confirming that existing exceptional problems with the child’s health would be seriously exacerbated if a place were not made at the preferred school. Medical evidence must be provided by the closing date for applications, 15 January 2026. Parents applying under this criterion must provide a letter from the child’s GP/Consultant setting out the reasons why the school is the most suitable school and details of the child’s medical condition. Medical evidence must be submitted by 15 January 2026. Evidence received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
6. Distance from school (Where you live) – Children who live nearest the school (geographical proximity). Under this category the remaining places will be offered to children who live nearest the preferred school. The distance will be measured in a straight line using route finder a computerized mapping system which measures from the point on the highway nearest to the centre of the home property and designated main entrance to the school.
Tie-breaker
If categories two to five are oversubscribed, distance from the school (as set out in category 6) will be used as a tie-breaker to decide between the remaining cases. If after measuring distances, it is still not possible to decide on the child/ren to be offered admission (for example two children living in the same block of flats or in the same house) the Local Authority’s system of a random draw will determine which of the children can be offered a place. The draw will take place at the Local Authority’s offices and the name(s) will be drawn by a Local Authority Officer who is independent of the admissions process.
Where a single place remains at a school and the application being considered is for twins or other multiple births, the Council will allocate above the admission number to accommodate each child.
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