Admissions Policy

Pamphill First School is a Church of England community school for pupils aged 4 – 9, maintained by Initio Learning  Trust. 

Children Starting School in September 2025

Parents of Reception age children starting school in September 2025 should apply for a place through the local authority in which they live.  Click on the link for the relevant Dorset County Council web pages and catchment area maps:

The admission policy for this school is detailed below at the bottom of this page.

Tours of the School

We are always delighted to show parents around our school and give them an opportunity to explore our setting. This allows you as a parent to ask us any questions you may have. Please contact the school on 01202 883008 to arrange a tour or email the School Office at office@pamhillfirstschool.org.

In most cases our Headteacher will accompany parents on school tours.

Children Starting In Reception

For new pupils due to start school in September, tours are available during the Autumn Term.

 

Children Joining Our School At Any Time Other than the Start of Reception Year

We welcome applications from parents for their children to join our school at any time. If the school place you are seeking for your child is required during the school year, you will still need to apply via the local authority in which you live. Click on the link below to be taken to the Dorset Local Authority web pages:

Dorset LA Admissions information.

 

The closing date for applications is 15 January 2026.

Any application or change made after this date will be classed as late. This means Dorset Council will not consider it until after the on-time round.

Offers will be released: 

• on 16 April 2026 if you applied on time (by 15 January 2026) 
• on 14 May 2026 if you apply late (between 16 January 2026 and 15 April 2026) 

 

Children Joining Our School At Any Time Other than the Start of Reception Year

We welcome applications from parents for their children to join our school at any time. If the school place you are seeking for your child is required during the school year, you will still need to apply via the local authority in which you live. Click on the link Dorset LA Admissions information to be taken to the Dorset Local Authority web page.

Click here for information about Dorset Council's In-Year Coordination scheme

Click here for information about moving school during the school year (in year admissions).

Parents are asked to note the following information regarding School Admission Arrangements:

Witchampton C of E First School is a member of the Initio Learning Trust partnership of schools.This is a vibrant and exciting family of schools, driven to provide high quality education and to fully support the local and wider community. 

Admissions Appeals

Click here for information about how to appeal an admissions refusal.

Click here for the admissions appeals timetable.

• Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date.
• You will receive at least 10 school days notice of your appeal hearing date. School days do not include school holidays, inset days, bank holidays or weekends
• Appeals are heard during the daytime on weekdays and are not normally heard during school holidays. Where there are multiple appeals for places at the same school, the hearings may go over a number of days
• The school’s case will be made available to parents and Panel members at least 5 school days before the start of the appeal hearing
• Additional evidence may be submitted up to 5 working days before the hearing
• Any additional evidence received after this date might not be considered at the appeal hearing. The Appeal Panel must decide whether it should be considered, taking into account its significance and the effect of a possible need to adjourn the hearing
• Following the hearing, decision letters will be sent, where possible, within 5 school days of the end of the hearing. During busy periods, such as main entry, full decision letters may take longer than this, so the Clerk will send a brief decision summary email in the interim
• Appeal hearings for in-year places will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged

 

Useful Admissions Information

Click here to read the School Admissions Code 

Click here to read the School Admissions Appeals Code 

A note that the deadline for schools appeals timetable for 2025 to be published on websites was 28 February 2025.