Welcome to our School Admissions page. We are pleased to provide guidance on the process of enrolling your child at Barlows Primary School.
Our admissions process is designed to be transparent and straightforward and aligns with Liverpool City Council’s admissions arrangements and guidance.
Key dates and deadlines (where these have been published are outlined on this page.
We also invite prospective families to attend our open events, where you can explore our facilities, meet our dedicated staff, and gain valuable insight into our vibrant school community. We look forward to welcoming your family to Barlows Primary School.
Admission Arrangements
Are you interested in joining our Barlows Family?
Below you will find details of the various application processes to join Barlows Primary School dependent on your child’s age.
For the academic Year September 2024-2025 your child will be:
| Date of birth | Year Group |
| 01/09/2013 to 31/08/2014 | 6 |
| 01/09/2014 to 31/08/2015 | 5 |
| 01/09/2015 to 31/08/2016 | 4 |
| 01/09/2016 to 31/08/2017 | 3 |
| 01/09/2017 to 31/08/2018 | 2 |
| 01/09/2018 to 31/08/2019 | 1 |
| 01/09/2019 to 31/08/2020 | Reception |
| 01/09/2020 to 31/08/2021 | N2 |
Nursery Admissions Criteria and Process
Barlows Primary School has its own Nursery, which is part of Barlows Primary School. Our Nursery provision offers both full time and part time places for Nursery age pupils ages 3-4years. Pupils can access a nursery place (if available) from their 3rd birthday.
Full Time Nursery Places
Our full-time places are for those parents/carers in receipt of the 30-hour childcare funding. If your child is eligible for the 30 hours funding offer, you will need to apply online for your code.
This code must be provided to school prior to your child starting school and no later than the date requested by the school. You can apply for your 30 hours code at the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-childcare#content
In line with government funding guidelines, you will then be required to resubmit the request every 3 months and share your new code with school, in order to continue to access the 30 hours free childcare at Barlows Primary School Nursery.
Full time Nursery sessions
30 hour places are Monday-Friday, 8:45am-3:30pm. Pupils are required to attend the full 5 days for the full 5 hours, we unable to offer flexible drop off and pick up times.
Part Time Nursery Places
Our part-time places are for parents/carers in receipt of the 15-hour childcare funding only. If your child is eligible for more than 15 hours, i/e/ the 30 hour offer, you will need to apply online for your code.
Part time Nursery sessions
Our part-time sessions are structured as either morning or afternoon sessions only. 15 hour places are Monday- Friday either 8:45am-11:45am or Monday-Friday 12:30pm-3:30pm.
At present, we do not offer the option for parents/carers to pay for additional sessions.
Allocating places
When allocating places to our Nursery, we use the following criteria.
- Looked after children and previously looked after children, including those children who have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted
- Those pupils who have parents/carers in receipt of 30 hour funding.
- Pupils with a sibling already in our school.
- Distance from the school.
Waiting List
For families who are not allocated a place, we have a waiting list. If you are not allocated a place and would like to be placed on our waiting list, please contact the school office on 0151 525 2751 and request to be placed on the waiting list.
Please note, attending our Nursery has no bearing on whether the local authority will allocate you a place in our Reception class.
As a maintained school, our admissions policy for Reception is determined by Liverpool City Council.
Reception Admissions Process
When to apply for a Reception school place:
| Date of birth | Starting school | When to apply |
| 01/09/19 to 31/08/20 | September 2024 | 01/09/23- 15/01/24 |
| 01/09/20 to 31/08/21 | September 2025 | 01/09/24- 15/01/25 |
| 01/09/21 to 31/08/22 | September 2026 | 01/09/25- 15/01/26 |
If your child is due to start Reception in the September, you can apply online from 1st September for a Reception place the following September.
The closing date for Reception applications for is usually in January. Please check for updates on the Local Authority Admissions website for the exact date at:
https://liverpool.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/closing-date/
Please note, even if your child has had a place in our school Nursery, you still need to apply for a place in our Reception classes. Places are allocated by Liverpool City Council, not Barlows Primary School.
You can find out more by visiting their admissions webpage: https://liverpool.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/how-to-apply/
Before you apply, you will be asked to register for an account online.
Please use the links below, to register and gain further information on how to apply for a Reception place at Barlows Primary School
Step by step guide: How to register for a school admissions account.
Step by step guide: How to apply online for Reception.
Co-ordinated Admission Arrangements – Reception
The School Admissions Code requires all local authorities to have co-ordinated admission arrangements for admission into Reception. This means that parents/carers receive a single offer of a school place for their child on the same day. The result is a more objective, clear and fair admissions process.
Liverpool Local Authority have agreed to use the following co-ordinated admission arrangements and equal preference scheme to allocate places in Liverpool primary schools.
If your child is due to start Reception in September 2025 or September 2026, please refer to the relevant document at the link below:
Primary school co-ordinated admission arrangements for September 2024:
Primary school co-ordinated admission arrangements for September 2025:
In-year school transfers (Year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 Places)
An in-year transfer is when a child moves from one school to another during the academic year because:
- you move house, either within or into Liverpool.
- you want your child to change schools for other reasons.
If you are moving from outside of Liverpool, you will need to apply via the Liverpool City Council’s website at: https://liverpool.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/in-year-transfers/
In accordance with guidance set out by Liverpool City Council, if you wish to move your child from one Liverpool school to our school also in Liverpool, please speak to your child’s current school.
They will liaise with us directly.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools
If your child has SEND or additional needs, placements will be based on their statement or education, health and care plan. For more information and advice please contact SENDIASS or visit the Local Offer website.
Transferring to secondary school? Information for Year 6
Each academic year, Year 7 applications open in the September when your child is in Year 6. Applications usually close in the October of the same year. Please see the links below for further information:
If you live in Liverpool apply at: Liverpool Secondary School Admissions
If you live in Sefton apply at: Sefton Secondary School Admissions
If you live in Knowsley apply at: Knowsley School Admissions
You can usually apply online from 1st September.
The closing date for Year 7 applications is usually in October.
Please ensure that you have completed the online preference form AND returned any supplementary paper forms (where applicable) directly to your preferred schools by the closing date.
Our Waiting Lists
The following criteria (in accordance with what has been set out in School Admissions Code – September 2021 has been agreed for when we are oversubscribed.
Our oversubscription criteria is be reasonable, clear, objective, procedurally fair, and comply with all relevant legislation, including equalities legislation.
Places will be allocated in the following order:
- Looked after children and previously looked after children, including those children who have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted
- Those pupils who have an EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan)
- Pupils with a sibling already in our school (including step siblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings and other children living permanently at the same address). This does not include siblings of former pupils.
- Distance from the school – using the https://www.distance.toonline distance calculator to ascertain the distance between the child’s home address and the school.
- Our admission arrangements include an effective, clear, and fair tie-breaker to decide between two applications that cannot otherwise be separated. This will be decided by flippism (flipping a coin).
How do I make an appeal for a place at Barlows Primary School?
If you wish to appeal against a decision to refuse a place for your child at this school you can appeal online or in writing.
Information on how to appeal can be found via:-
https://liverpool.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/appeals/
Please ensure that you read the guidance notes published online before submitting your appeal.
For appeals during the 2024/25 admissions round (to start Reception or via infant to junior transfer in September 2024), you should return your completed form to Liverpool City Council by 17 May 2024.
Primary Appeals Timetable – 2024/25 Admissions Round
• Offer Date:17 April 2024
• Deadline for lodging appeals:17 May 2024
We aim to hold appeal hearings within 40 school days after the deadline.
In some exceptional circumstances we may need to hold hearings after this date.
We will give appellants 10 days notice of an appeal hearing date and time.
Appeals may be held remotely via video link with our clerking service.
If you are not successful in an appeal
If you do not win your appeal you will be advised what your options are.
Parents can only have one appeal to an individual school in any school year – you may wish to appeal for a number of schools at the same time.
Decision letters are sent out within 5 school days of the decision being made wherever possible.
Further help
Our school office is a great source of information, please ask for one of our admin staff who will be more than happy to help.