Joining Us
Find out details about admissions, in-year applications and appeals here.
School Places at Thomas Telford Primary: Admissions for September 2025
Thomas Telford Primary Free School will begin operations in temporary accommodation during its first year, 2025-2026.
The Planned Admission Number
The ‘planned admission number’ is the number of children the LA considers the school can accommodate. In September 2025, the school will offer 30 places in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3, along with 15 places in Years 4 and 5.
These classes will be located in a temporary two-storey building on the site of the permanent school. The placement of these temporary classrooms is designed to mitigate delays and provide the much-needed spaces ahead of the 2026 opening of the permanent school.
Applying for a school place
All school admissions are managed by Telford and Wrekin Local Authority, please click here for full details: https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/20026/school_admissions
Children can attend primary school from the September following their 4th birthday. If your child’s 4th birthday falls between (1st September 2024 to 31st August 2025) (Date of birth between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021) then they will start school in September 2025.
If your child’s 4th birthday falls between (1st September 2025 to 31st August 2026) (Date of birth between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022) then they will start school in September 2026.
Starting School in Reception
We are pleased to announce that all 30 places for our reception class in September 2025 have been allocated.
If your child is joining us in September, you will be receiving a New Starter Information Pack in the post.
Further details regarding transition dates will be shared soon.
In-Year Applications: Children joining Year 1 to Year 5
How to apply: children entering Year 1 to Year 5
Applications for the 2025-2026 school year will open on 16th June for children entering Year 1 to Year 5.
All in-year school admissions are managed by Telford and Wrekin Local Authority, please click here for full details:
https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/20026/school_admissions/281/in_year_admissions
Applications must be submitted through the Telford and Wrekin School Admissions Portal, direct link below (please be aware that you will need to sign in or create an account to use the Portal):
Offers will begin on 30th June and will be extended throughout the summer.
Once the school has opened in September, parents and children will be welcome to visit the school (if year group places are available) and we will try our best to accommodate your visits as quickly as possible. Please contact the school office to book an appointment.
In our bid to provide the smoothest possible transition for all children when starting school –
- We may ask you if you could accompany your child during the transition visits to share additional incidental information and support to them during that time.
- It may be decided that your child would benefit from a staggered/graduated entry to school.
Both of these additional provisions will be considered by staff in light of your child’s individual needs, if either are thought to be appropriate, we will contact you to discuss the possibilities or you may wish to contact us.
Moving into the area
For parents moving into the area please click here https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/20026/school_admissions
to download and view Telford and Wrekin’s Primary School Admissions which includes arrangements for admission.
Additional Admission Arrangements
Changing Schools
You will need to apply through the Admissions Team for a school place if you want to transfer between Telford and Wrekin schools, have moved or are planning to move to the Telford and Wrekin area during the academic year.
Determined Admission Arrangements for 2025/26 in accordance with the School Admission Code 2021.
Those children who are or were previously looked after by Telford & Wrekin or any other local authority. A ‘looked after child’, or a child who was previously looked after, but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order.
Children previously in state care outside of England and have ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. All these children are known as children in care and will be offered places.
In the case of oversubscription, children who live in the school’s defined catchment area, and who live closest to the school, measured by straight line from the pupil’s home (front door) to the school’s main office entrance point, will be offered places in this order:
1. Pupils living in the identified catchment area who, on the day of admission, will have a brother(s), sister(s), step brother(s), step sister(s),half-brother(s) or half-sister(s) living as a family at the same address and who attend the school.
2. Pupils who have a parent employed within the school, for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post at the school for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
3. Pupils living within the identified catchment area. Any places which remain available, will then be allocated to applicants from outside the school’s defined catchment area, as measured by a straight line from the pupil’s home (front door) to the school’s main office entrance point, in this order:
Any places which remain available, will then be allocated to applicants from outside the school’s defined catchment area, as measured by a straight line from the pupil’s home (front door) to the school’s main office entrance point, in this order:
4. Pupils living out of the catchment area who, on the day of admission, will have a brother(s), sister(s), step brother(s), step sister(s),half-brother(s) or half-sister(s) living as a family at the same address and who attend the school.
5. Pupils living out of the catchment area and who live closest to the school, measured by straight line from the pupil’s home (front door) to the school’s main office entrance point.
Tie Breaker
Where two applications cannot otherwise be separated, the place will be offered on the basis of random allocation by drawing lots supervised by an independent observer.
Appeals
The Appeals Procedure
Any parent can apply for a place for their child at any time outside the normal admission round. Thomas Telford Primary Free School will show due regard for mid-year admission schemes formulated by the relevant Local Authorities. Thomas Telford Primary Free School will communicate with the relevant local authorities to ensure that they are advised of any student mobility in the interests of safeguarding. Any vacancies will be offered on the basis of the admission criteria for theschool.
When a year group is full, and we are not able to offer a place, parents can either request to be put on the waiting list or they have the right to Appeal.
The waiting list uses our oversubscription criteria, which can be found in our Admissions Policy.
For any admission queries please contact admissions@ttprimaryschool.co.uk
If a parent wishes to appeal, they must set out their grounds for the appeal in writing.
Please use the following form: Admission Appeal Form
Membership of appeal panels
There will be an Independent Appeals Panel appointed in accordance with the provisions of the statutory School Admission Appeals Code. Appeals will be considered by a panel appointed for this purpose and will include independent panel members.
A Chair
2 lay people
Type of appeal
Applications made in the normal admissions round for a reception place for September 2025 and for late applications.
Parents are allowed 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful, to prepare and lodge their written appeal, including any additional evidence they would like the panel to view.
Parents will be given at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing.
Hearing the appeal will be within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals.
A decision letter will be sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible
Applications for in-year admissions
Parents are allowed 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful, to prepare and lodge their written appeal, including any additional evidence they would like the panel to view.
Parents will be given at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing.
Hearing the appeal will be within 30 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals. The Clerk will contact you confirming appeal dates.
A decision letter will be sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible.
Reaching a decision
The panel can uphold or dismiss an appeal. The panel’s decision to admit a child is legally binding on the school. The decision of the Appeals Panel will be final.
Please note: If an appeal is lodged in June, the appeal may not be heard until after the school summer holidays. Appeals are not heard during the school holidays.
Complaints about the appeals process
Complaints should be directed to the secretary of state at the DfE.
For any admission queries please contact admissions@ttprimaryschool.co.uk Please do not use this email to submit appeals.
Useful websites
Expression of interest
We would love the opportunity to be a pivotal part of your child’s educational journey over the years ahead.
Please complete the form below to express your interest in joining Thomas Telford Primary Free School.
Please note: applications for children to join Year 1 to Year 5 at Thomas Telford Primary Free School for the 2025-2026 school year will open on 16th June 2025. All applications need to be completed through the Telford and Wrekin Admissions Portal. Further information and links to the relevant webpages can be found here: Joining Us