All schools are required to have an Admissions Policy in place. This policy must clearly outline the process by which children are admitted to the school, including the oversubscription criteria that will be applied if the number of applications exceeds the available places.
The policy must comply with the statutory requirements set out by the Department for Education and should also consider the guidance provided by the Liverpool Diocesan Board of Education.
Church school and admission
The Liverpool Diocesan Board of Education encourages schools to welcome children and young people from across all communities. In doing so, it seeks to ensure that every member of the school—staff, children, and young people alike – experiences it as a place of “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10).
Admissions Authority
The responsibility for drafting, implementing, and reviewing Admissions Policies rests with the designated Admissions Authority.
- For Voluntary Aided (VA) schools and academies, the governing body serves as the Admissions Authority.
- For Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools, the Local Authority (LA) acts as the Admissions Authority.
The Liverpool Diocesan Board of Education is pleased to offer support and guidance to all schools in this process, including VC schools, in the same way it supports VA and academy schools.
Key Resources
When writing and reviewing admissions policies, governors must adhere to the requirements set out in the School Admissions Code. In addition, they should take into account the guidance provided by the Liverpool Diocesan Board of Education.
To support this process, The National Society for Education (previously called Church of England Education Office) has developed an online tool known as the Admissions Builder. This tool enables schools to input key information – such as their vision statement, logo, and oversubscription criteria – and automatically generates a compliant admissions policy tailored to the school.
Schools Admission Code – School admissions code – GOV.UK
Admissions Builder – Admissions Arrangements | The Church of England
Liverpool Diocese Board of Education Guidelines
Timeline
June 2025 –Nov 2025:
Governors should review the school’s Admissions Policy to determine whether any changes are required. As part of this process, they should also check the date of the last public consultation and decide whether the current academic year will be a consultation year or not.
| Consulting | Not Consulting |
| You MUST inform the Board of Education prior to public consultation (dawn.harrison@liverpool.anglican.org) | If no changes are needed, and you have consulted within the last 7 years, Admissions Policy can be determined by governors |
| 1st Oct 2025- 31st Jan 2026 – Consultation Period – more details in the Admissions Code (Sept 2021 part 1.47) | |
| 6th Feb 2026 (or before) – inform the Board of Education of any changes made in light of the Public Consultation | |
| 28th Feb 2026 – all Admission Arrangements must be determined | 28th Feb 2026 – all Admission Arrangements must be determined |
| 15th March 2026 – last date to put policy on website and to inform LA/ Diocese | 15th March 2026 – last date to put policy on website and to inform LA/ Diocese |
Further Help and Support
For further information, or to consult on proposed admission arrangements or to send determined Admission Policy’s please contact
Dawn Harrison
Diocesan Schools’ Adviser (Governance and Admissions)
E: dawn.harrison@liverpool.anglican.org
Telephone – 0151 705 2177