Sparken Hill Academy
Admissions
Trustees of Sparken Hill Academy are the admissions authority for the school.
Applications must be made through your home local authority on the Common Application form. For Nottinghamshire residents, this can be found on the NCC website:
and applications should be completed by the closing date for applications as stated in the Nottinghamshire Co-ordinated scheme. The offer of a place will be made by the Local Authority to all parents on the offer day set out in the co-ordinated scheme.
The published admission number is 75 children per year. All applications for the Reception year will be ranked in accordance with the admission criteria as set out in the policy.
What if I wish to change school "in-year?"
This means that your child currently has a school place but (for whatever reason), you decide to move schools. If you do wish to change school mid-year, please visit the LA in-year information page:
Appeals
Admission Appeals Timetable 2027
For children starting in Reception at Sparken Hill Academy in September 2027, and for in-year appeals during 2026/27.
Interim timetable, published October 2026. Appeal hearing dates and the deadline for further evidence will be confirmed by Nottinghamshire County Council. This page will be updated as soon as they are, and no later than 28 February 2027.
Who handles our appeals
Sparken Hill Academy Trust is the admission authority for the Academy. Our appeals are arranged by the Education Appeals Team at Nottinghamshire County Council, which is independent of the Admissions Team. Appeals are heard by an independent panel of three people, and the panel's decision is binding.
To appeal, please use the County Council's online form or printable form: Appeal a school admission decision (Nottinghamshire County Council). You can also call the County Council on 0300 500 8080.
Appeals for a Reception place in September 2027
| Stage | Date or timescale |
|---|---|
| National Offer Day (refusal letters sent) | Friday 16 April 2027 |
| Deadline for lodging an appeal | Monday 17 May 2027 (20 school days after National Offer Day) |
| Deadline for sending further evidence | To be confirmed by Nottinghamshire County Council |
| Notice of your hearing | At least 10 school days before the hearing, unless you agree to a shorter period |
| Appeal hearings | Dates to be confirmed by Nottinghamshire County Council. All appeals lodged by 17 May 2027 will be heard within 40 school days of that deadline. |
| Decision letters | Sent within 5 school days of the panel's decision wherever possible |
You can appeal and still accept the place you have been offered elsewhere. Accepting a place does not affect your appeal.
Late appeals
Appeals lodged after 17 May 2027, including appeals following a late application, will be heard with the main round wherever possible. Otherwise they will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged, whichever is later.
In-year appeals (2026/27)
If you applied for a place to start during the school year and were refused, please lodge your appeal within four weeks of the date of your refusal letter wherever possible. In-year appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
Further information
- Please include all your reasons and any supporting documents with your appeal form.
- Hearings are usually held by video call. You may choose not to attend, and the panel will decide your appeal on the written information.
- Our admission arrangements are published on this page.
- For questions about our school, please contact the school office on 01909 534060 or office@sparkenhill.com.
Published in line with the School Admission Appeals Code 2022.
Admission appeals: how they work
If you applied for a place at Sparken Hill Academy and were refused, you have the right to appeal. You cannot appeal against the school you have been offered instead.
Please send your appeal to Nottinghamshire County Council, not to the school. Sparken Hill Academy Trust is the admission authority for the Academy, and the County Council's Education Appeals Team arranges our appeals on our behalf. Appeals sent to the school may be delayed.
Who decides your appeal
Your appeal is heard by an independent panel of three people. Panel members have no connection with the Academy or its Trust Board. The panel looks at why a place could not be offered and at your own circumstances, and its decision is binding on both you and the Academy.
At the hearing the Academy is represented by a presenting officer, who explains why the place could not be offered. A clerk is also present to record the hearing and advise on procedure.
How to appeal
- Make your appeal online through the County Council's website: Appeal a school admission decision. You will set up an account, which you can then use to send further information and follow your appeal. If you cannot appeal online, download a paper form from the same page or call 0300 500 8080.
- Give all your reasons for wanting a place at Sparken Hill, and include any supporting documents, such as a letter from a doctor.
- Lodge your appeal by the deadline in the timetable below. You can still appeal after accepting a place at another school, and we recommend that you do accept one, so that your child is not left without a place.
Before the hearing
- You will be told the date of your hearing at least 10 school days before it, unless you agree to a shorter period. You will also receive the papers for your case.
- Further information should reach the County Council by the evidence deadline in the timetable below. Information sent later may mean your hearing has to be moved.
- Please tell the County Council on your appeal form if you need an interpreter or signer, or support with a disability.
- You may bring a friend, family member or professional with you.
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 appeals
By law, infant classes cannot have more than 30 pupils with one teacher. If your appeal is for a child in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, these infant class size rules may apply, and the panel can only allow your appeal in limited circumstances. Please read the County Council's guidance on types of appeals before you complete your form.
The hearing and the decision
Hearings are usually held by video call using Microsoft Teams. If you prefer, you can choose not to attend, and the panel will decide your appeal on the written information. The decision letter is normally sent within 5 school days of the panel's decision. Where several appeals for the Academy are heard together, decisions are made once all the appeals have been heard.
If you are unhappy with how your appeal was handled
The panel's decision is final and there is no further appeal. If you believe your appeal was not conducted properly, you can complain to the Department for Education, which can look at how the appeal was handled but cannot change the decision. See Appealing a school's decision (GOV.UK). If you believe the decision was legally wrong, you should take independent legal advice.
Help and advice
- Coram Children's Legal Centre offers free, independent advice on education law: childlawadvice.org.uk
- For places available at other schools, contact County Council Admissions on 0300 500 8080.
- For questions about our admission arrangements, contact the school office on 01909 534060 or office@sparkenhill.com.
Admission Consultation 2028-29
From Friday 23 October 2026 until 12 noon on Friday 18 December 2026, the Governors are consulting on Sparken Hill Academy's proposed admission arrangements for the 2028–29 school year.
No changes are proposed to our admission arrangements. However, the School Admissions Code requires all admission authorities to consult on their arrangements at least once every seven years, even when nothing has changed.
The full proposed arrangements and a response form are available below. Paper copies, large-print versions and translations are available from the school office.
We welcome your views. Please send your comments by 12 noon on Friday 18 December 2026 in any of the following ways:
- In person: complete a paper response form, available from the school office, and hand it in.
- By email: send a completed response form to office@sparkenhill.com.
- By post: write to FAO Chair of Governors, Sparken Hill Academy, Sparken Hill, Worksop, Notts S80 1AW.
The Governors will consider all responses before determining the arrangements by 28 February 2027.