Lakelands provides secondary education for pupils from a wide area of North Shropshire.

The school’s current admissions policy is operated by the Shropshire Local Education Authority (LEA), which is the Admissions Authority for all Community and Controlled Schools within Shropshire. Full details of the policy, together with information about arrangements for admission, are set out in the “Parents’ Guide to Education in Shropshire”. Copies of this booklet are held in school for the reference of interested parents, in local libraries and are available on request from the Admissions Team, Education Services Directorate, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND.

The school has an admission number of 116 for the Year 6 intake in 2009. For the year commencing September 2008 the number of preferences received and places allocated was as follows:

Parents of Year 6 children living in Shropshire will be required in the autumn term prior to the school year of transfer from
primary to secondary school to complete an LEA application form stating preferences for up to three schools. The closing date for applications will be 31st October 2008 and allocation letters will be sent to parents of Year 6 children on 2nd March 2009. If there are more applications for places than are available within the admission limit, then priority will be given based on:

* residence in catchment area
* sibling connection
* proximity of home address to school
* medical circumstances or Statement of Special Educational Needs
* children living outside catchment area but have attended primary school within catchment area for a whole academic year immediately prior to transfer

Parents are advised to read the “Parents Guide” for specific details about the admissions process administered by the Local Education Authority. Any specific requests for information on admissions should be directed to the Admissions Team on Tel: 01743 254459.

At Lakelands close links are maintained with all our local primary schools, and for children transferring to Lakelands at 11+ an agreed procedure ensures as smooth a transition as possible. We have a Year 6 Day every year in October for prospective pupils to spend the day here prior to places being offered by the LEA in March. Pupils follow a special timetable, taking part in assembly, staying for lunch, and having access to all areas of the school. This gives them experience of the school and relieves many of their concerns about the transfer.

However, these “Taster Days” have no relevance to admissions and the allocation of places. They do not give any guarantee of a place being offered to your child. Such days are entirely separate from “Induction Days” which will be held in the summer term prior to entry for those children who have been offered a place at the school by the LEA. Mrs Sophy Bellis and other members of staff visit primary schools to meet the children individually. The children then spend an induction day here, and their parents are invited to an information evening.

They are also invited to a number of events during the year. There is also an Open Day during the Autumn Term when parents are invited to visit and look around the school.

Arrangements are made to provide transport to those children who are living within our catchment area, but further than 3 miles from the school, through the LEA (forms are available from your child’s primary school, or from here). In addition we are pleased to provide details to parents upon request about the private provision of a coach between Oswestry and Ellesmere. This coach picks up pupils along its route including Oswestry, Park Hall, Whittington, Hindford and Frankton. In addition as Lakelands is a Sports and Language College pupils from local primary schools meet members of our PE and language departments who regularly visit to support the work being done there to provide extra opportunities.