Q. How do I apply for a place in Year 7 at The Discovery Academy for my child who is currently in Year 6 at Primary School?

Application forms can be filled out on-line at the Stoke-on-Trent Local Authority website www.stoke.gov.uk/admissions and must be submitted no later than the 31st October in the year prior to your child starting at secondary school.  Applications cannot be made directly to the Academy.  E-mails from the Local Authority should be received by parents/carers on the 1st March the following year confirming which school your child has been allocated.

The academy follows Stoke-on-Trent City Council admission arrangements. Details of these are below:

Year 6 transferring in September 2024, please see the Admissions Policy 2024-2025.pdf

Year 6 transferring in September 2025, please see the Admissions Policy 2025-2026.pdf

You can contact the Admissions Team on admissions@stoke.gov.uk or 01782 234598 should you require any further advice or assistance.
If you pay your Council Tax to Newcastle Borough Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council or Stafford Borough Council, please apply via www.staffordshire.gov.uk

Q. How do I apply for my child to transfer (in year) to The Discovery Academy?

Parents/carers should visit The Discovery Academy in person and request an application form directly from the Admissions Team.  Should a place be offered to your child, the transfer process should take no more than 6 days.  If there is no space available in the relevant year group then you will be have the opportunity to go onto a waiting list.

In year transferring in September 2024, please see the Admissions Policy 2024-2025.pdf

Q. What is The Discovery Academy’s oversubscription criteria?

Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number, The Discovery Academy will first accept all students with a statement of special educational needs where The Discovery Academy is named on the statement. After the admission of students with statements of special educational needs, the criteria below will be applied to the remaining places for this age group in the order in which they are set out:

• Children who are in the care of a Local Authority (looked-after children), or provided with accommodation by them (section 22 of the Children Act 1989), and children who were previously looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order);
• Children with compelling medical or exceptional social reasons for attending The Discovery Academy (robust and documented social, medical or psychological evidence must be provided in support, from an appropriate independent registered professional such as a social worker, hospital consultant, GP or health visitor at the time of the application, and must set out why the Academy is the only school/academy that can meet the young person’s needs);
• Siblings of students attending The Discovery Academy at the time of entry;
• Children who live nearest to The Discovery Academy by straight-line distance.