Admissions

As an academy, places at Hey with Zion from Reception Class upwards are allocated by Oldham Local Authority, according to the same criteria as maintained schools. The process has remained unchanged since becoming an academy.

Admission number 40

Hey with Zion has a Published Admissions Number of 40 children per year group.

Mainstream School Admissions

To apply for a place in Reception class upwards, please follow the link below: (currently to be updated for 2027 admissions)

How to apply for a Primary School Place

Hey with Zion is an Oldham School, and we follow the Admissions Processes from Oldham Local Authority.

You are welcome to put your child's name down on our admissions list online, according to the Key Dates for Admissions below. You are welcome to book a tour of the school at any time.

You will be informed of your child's allocated place by email in April – see Key Dates for Admissions below.

How to apply for a primary school place

Key Dates for Admissions

Admissions for 2026/27

The application round opens on 1 September 2026 (subject to confirmation) and closes on 15 January 2027
The offer date for the September 2027 intake is 16 April 2027 (National Offer Day)

For further details with regards the admission arrangements for our school, including waiting lists, in year admissions, admissions of children of outside their normal age group and the appeal process, please see the Admission Policy.

If your child is offered a place at Hey with Zion you will be invited to an evening meeting to meet our Reception staff and be given an information pack containing all the information you will need and to provide an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. A session will also be held in July for your child to come in to school and experience their new environment for themselves.

For further information on how to apply, how places are allocated if school is oversubscribed, process for deferring entry, in year admissions, appeal process etc pleases see admission policy

Oversubscribe Criteria Priority Order

Looked After Children: Children in care, or previously in care.
Exceptional Medical/Welfare Needs: Supporting evidence (GP/social worker letter) is required at the time of application.
Siblings: Children with a brother, sister, step-sibling, or half-sibling currently attending the school or applying for a place at the same time.
Distance: Proximity of the home address to the school, calculated using a straight-line measurement from the Local Land and Property Gazetteer

Deferring Entry

Key Information regarding Deferring and Delaying:

Deferring (Same Year): Your child starts later in the school year, but in the same year group.
Delaying (Summer Born Only): Your child starts a full year late, joining the reception class instead of Year 1, making them the oldest in the year.
Process: Submit an online application for the normal age group while simultaneously submitting a written request to the Admissions Team with evidence from professionals (e.g., educational psychologists, medical staff).
Decisions: For community schools, the Local Authority decides; for academies, the headteacher decides. Decisions are made based on what is best for the child’s development.

In-Year Admissions

Application Method: All applications are processed online, or a supplementary form may be required by your child’s current school.
Availability: Before applying, you can email transfers@oldham.gov.uk to check for available places.
Processing Time: In-year transfers take a minimum of 15 school days to process.
Supplementary Form: If changing schools, a supplementary form must be completed by your child’s current/previous school and uploaded with your application.

Appeals Process

Key Steps and Timelines (2027)

16 April 2027: Primary school offers emailed to parents.
17 April – 8 May 2027: Deadline to submit an appeal form.
By 13 July 2027: All appeals heard.

How to Appeal

Obtain Form: Download the School Admission Appeal Form.
Submit Evidence: Send the completed form, including any necessary medical or supporting evidence, to the School Appeals Team.
Submission Method: Email the form to schoolappeals@oldham.gov.uk or post it to: School Appeals, Oldham Council, Spindles Shopping Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1LF.
Acknowledgement: If you do not receive confirmation within seven days, contact the team at 0161 770 4213.

The Hearing Process

Notice: You will receive at least 10 school days' notice of the hearing date.
Format: Hearings are usually held online via Microsoft Teams.
Panel: An independent panel of 3-5 members (including a layperson) will review your case.
Decision: The decision of the panel is final and binding on both the council and parents.

Important Notes

Waitlists: If you are refused a place, your child is automatically placed on the waiting list.
Limit: You can only appeal for a specific school once per academic year.
Late Appeals: Appeals for late applications must be heard within 30 school days of being lodged

Nursery Place Admissions

Places in our Nursery, are allocated by the school in a first come, first served basis.

We have 20 full-time places and/or 40 part-time places in nursery (20 morning and 20 afternoon) depending on the uptake of full-time places. Full-time places carry a financial cost which can be covered by the 30 hour Government Funding with a valid entitlement code.

You are welcome to put your child's name on our waiting list at any time - we have some children who have been on our list from the day they are born! Our nursery is a popular establishment, giving children the starting foundations to their learning journey.

The allocation process begins just before Easter of the year your child would be due to start Nursery in September, we will be in touch confirming that you are still interested in a place and if so, your preference of session.

Places are offered on a first come first served basis and parents are invited to express their attendance preference such as full-time or part-time. We endeavour to accommodate everyone's wishes.

Our intake is in September of each year, places offered to those children who reach the age of 3 in the previous term, subject to availability of places.

Our fee structure for the academic year 2026/27 is detailed below:

Description	Unit	Unit price	Monthly (Sept - June)
Free entitlement hours – 15 hours per week (part time place)	Weekly	Free	Free
Free entitlement hours – 30 hours per week (with a 30hr Government Free Education Entitlement Code)	Weekly	Free	Free
Free entitlement hours – 30 hours per week (without a 30hr Government Free Education Entitlement Code)	Weekly	15 hrs Free	Free
	Weekly	15 hrs @ £6.03	£90.45 (£325.62 per month)
Meals/snacks (school dinners – optional, children can bring their own packed lunch if preferred)	Weekly	£14.50 (25/26)
Consumables (for example, nappies and sun cream) provided by parents/carers	Ad Hoc	Free	Free
Additional voluntary services (for example, trips and in-school visits)	Ad Hoc	Costed per individual event

Nursery fees can be paid using Tax Free Childcare if your employer is part of this scheme. Please ask at the office for our bank details and DfE number to set this up. Fees can also be paid using Childcare vouchers ie. Sodexo, Fideliti.

If you do not wish to pay for specific consumables, for example because you wish to provide your own, please make your nursery aware so next steps can be discussed.

If you would like to book a tour of our school and nursery, please contact the school at any time.

Please note: a place in our nursery does not guarantee a place in mainstream school you must follow the local authority application process.