Admissions
If you would like your child to attend our school, please see full details of our admission arrangements below. For more information read in our Admissions Policy.
Published Admission Numbers (PAN)
At Barcroft, our Published Admission Numbers are:
Nursery: 52 places (26 morning and 26 afternoon places)
Reception: 60 places
Year 1 - Year 6 : 60 places.
Nursery
Applications for a Nursery place at Barcroft are to be made directly with ourselves by completing a paper application form available from the school office.
We have a 52 place Nursery- 26 children in the morning session and 26 children in the afternoon session.
We offer a staggered intake in Autumn Term, Spring Term and Summer Term once the child turns 3 if there are places available.
To explore chargeable extras and learn more about what we offer please visit the Early Years pages:
Click the links below
Barcroft Academy - Join our Nursery
Barcroft Academy - Early Years Information
If there are more applications than there are places available, places will be allocated using the oversubscription Criteria in the following order of priority:
1. The child is 3 years old and will move to Reception in September
2. Children in Public Care (looked after children)
3. Children who have a brother or sister already in attendance at the school
4. Children for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds as supported in writing by a medical practitioner or a social worker
5. The child’s name is on the waiting list. The child will be allocated a place based on the date of when their child’s name was added to the list.
6. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line, with priority given to those living closest
Appeals for Pupils in Nursery
If your child is on our waiting list and will not have a place during our spring or summer intake you will be notified by telephone with a reason.
All appeals are dealt with by the Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust.
If parents wish to appeal against a decision to refuse entry, they can do so by completing a form from the academy.
Walsall Admissions Policy
Please use the link below to apply for a Primary place:
Parent guide for online applications
Parents guide to Online Admissions
Applying for a Reception Place 2027
If your child is due to start in Reception in September 2027, you will need to apply for a school place before the 15th January 2027.
To do this, you must submit an on-line application through the Primary Admissions web page of the Walsall Council website:www.walsall.gov.uk - primary school admissions
Letter to Walsall Parents 2027
Primary Admissions - September 2027 Presentation
Reception
Children are admitted to school at the beginning of the Academic Year in which they become 5 years old, provided a school place is available.
The application window for September 2027 admissions is open from 1st September 2026 until 15th January 2027.
If you would like to look around Barcroft Academy prior to applying for a place as your choice school, we are offering three open afternoons for 'new parents' where you can visit the school for a tour with the Early Years Leader or Headteacher
The dates for open events are:
If you have recently moved to the area, (and missed the open events) and would like to look around Barcroft Academy prior to applying for a place please call the academy office and a visit can be arranged with the Early Years Leader/ Headteacher
We also offer a Parent Transition meeting where you can meet the Reception teachers, see the classrooms and have a welcome pack about Barcroft Academy. If you are allocated a place at Barcroft Academy you will receive a letter from us in May inviting you to this meeting.
For any more information please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
Admission Criteria for Reception, Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2
The academy operates a maximum intake of 30 pupils in each class in Reception, Key Stage One and Key Stage 2. There are 2 classes in each year at Barcroft Academy so there will be 60 children per year group.
The admission authority for Walsall community and voluntary controlled schools is Walsall Council. Admissions are administered by the School Admissions Team. Where the number of preferences received exceeds the number of places available, Walsall Council’s admission criteria are applied to all community and voluntary controlled schools. The admission criteria are shown below, in order of priority, for these schools.
Criterion 1. Children in Care and previous children in care.
Criterion 2. Children who have a sibling in attendance at the school or paired junior school, when the application is submitted and who will still be attending the school at the proposed admission date.
Criterion 3. Pupils for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds as supported in writing by a medical practitioner or social worker.
Criterion 4. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.
Primary Admissions Information 2027
Walsall School Admissions Arrangements 2026-27
Pupils with SEN or a Disability
Barcroft Academy is committed to ensuring that pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or a disability have fair and equal access to our academy. We work closely with families, the Local Authority and other professionals to identify and meet individual needs and to support a smooth transition into school.
Our admission arrangements apply equally to pupils with SEN or a disability and we make reasonable adjustments where required to ensure pupils can access school life, learning and the wider curriculum.
Full details of our admissions process and arrangements can be found in the Academy Admission Arrangements document available from Education Walsall.
Mid Year Admissions 2026-27
Please see link below regarding how to apply for an admission place during the school year:
In-Year Admissions
Walsall School Admissions Arrangements 2026-2027
You can apply for the academic year 2026-2027 between 1st September 2026 and 28th June 2027 from 8am to 9.30pm.
National Offer Day - Reception Places
National Offer Day is when parents and carers are notified of the outcome of their application for a Reception place at Barcroft Academy for the following September. Offers are made by the Local Authority in accordance with the published Academy Admission Arrangements.
If you have been offered a place, please follow the instructions provided with your offer to accept the place and complete any required admission information.
If you ask for an email notification in your online application, you will receive your offer by email on 16th April 2027. The emails are sent automatically over the course of the day.
If you apply late, we will let you know after 16th April 2027.
Late applications
Your application will be treated as being late if:
- we receive it after the closing date (15th January 2027)
- you change the name or ranking of a school after the closing date
We process late applications after the on-time applications. You probably won’t be offered a place at one of your preferred schools if you apply late.
Admissions to Secondary School for September 2027
The portal to apply for a secondary place opens 11th September 2026. On-line applications must be completed by 31st October 2027 at 10pm.
Walsall Council Secondary Admissions
Secondary School Admissions Booklet
Appeals for Pupils in Reception to Year 6
If your child has not been offered a place at Barcroft Academy, it is because the year group applied for is full to capacity. You have a statutory right to appeal against the decision to refuse a place.
Appeals are dealt with independently on behalf of the Lighthouse Multi-Academy Trust. Parents and carers wishing to appeal should complete an appeal form, available from the academy office.
When making an appeal, you will be asked to explain in writing why you believe your child should be offered a place at Barcroft Academy. You may also be invited to attend an appeal hearing to present your case.
Further information about the appeals process, including relevant deadlines and arrangements, can be found in the Academy Admission Arrangements.
All appeals are dealt with by the Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust.
If parents wish to appeal against a decision to refuse entry, they can do so by completing a form from the academy office.
Appeals Timetable
Appeals for September 2027 primary school admissions must be received by 17th May 2027.
Please see appeals timetable below: