Admissions information
King Alfred’s Academy is a co-educational comprehensive academy and part of the Vale Academy Trust. As such, it is its own admissions authority. King Alfred’s Academy has adopted the Local Authority’s Admissions Policy (Oxfordshire County Council) and the Governing Body has delegated the responsibility for admission arrangements for Years 7 – 11 to the Local Authority. (The policy is the same as for all Community Schools). King Alfred’s Admission Number will be 290 from 2025/26. Students from our agreed catchment area will be admitted at age 11 without reference to ability or aptitude.
Our aim is that every parent or guardian of a child living in the catchment area who has applied for a place in the normal admission round receives an offer of a place at our Academy.
The catchment area for King Alfred’s Academy can be found via the link below. This includes the primary schools listed below, although as a very successful academy we are increasingly taking students from out of catchment.
our catchment
KA'S CATCHMENT AREA
PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN OUR CATCHMENT
Charlton Primary School
Grove CE Primary School
The Hendreds CE Primary School
Millbrook Primary School
Ridgeway CE Primary School, Childrey
St Amand’s RC Primary School
St James CE Primary School, East Hanney
St Nicholas CE Primary School, East Challow
Stanford-in-the-Vale CE Primary School
Stockham Primary School
Uffington CE Primary School
Wantage CE Primary School
In-Year Admissions
King Alfred's is a popular, well subscribed school serving Wantage, Grove and the surrounding villages within our catchment area. We are delighted to consider in-year admission requests for students joining us during the academic year. In the first instance parents or carers should contact Oxford County Council (OCC) schools admissions team.
The Local Authority will process the application and inform you directly about the outcome of your application.
Assuming we can offer a place and parents choose to accept it, they should then contact us to arrange an admissions meeting with a senior teacher at a convenient time. Parents can be expected to provide identification such as birth certificate and passport for their child, together with information from the previous school if moving from overseas. A start date will be agreed at this meeting.
It is worth noting that from mid-July onwards, OCC concentrate on sorting primary school admissions and any appeals, so a delay can be expected. King Alfred's Academy is closed during the summer holidays and the in-year admissions process will commence at the beginning of the new academic year.
The Vale Academy Trust Admissions Rules for In Year Applications for King Alfred’s Academy remain the same as for Community Schools and there is no change to the designated catchment area for the academy.
If you have any general queries relating to In-Year Applications, or would like to arrange a visit to the academy, please use our enquiries form, or call us on 01235 225700.
Admission Appeals
The Vale Academy Trust follows the Admissions and Appeals process of the Oxfordshire Local Authority co-ordinated scheme.
Parents and carers who wish to appeal against the decision of the Trustees/Governors of The Vale Academy Trust to refuse to offer a place in the school may make an appeal to an Independent Panel, and details of the procedure (including Appeals Timetables) are available from the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) website:
The Independent Appeals Panel have a statutory duty to act in accordance with:-
- The School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998, as amended by subsequent legislation and case law;
- The Codes on School Admissions and School Admission Appeals produced by the Department for Education (DfE); both of which govern all school Admission Appeals/Reviews.