This is the 2009/2010 admissions policy for City of York Council Community and voluntary controlled secondary schools.

1. The City of York Council policy for allocating secondary school places is designed to be as fair as possible while ensuring that resources are used sensibly. Pupils will normally be admitted into the year group relevant to the pupils age.
2. Under the secondary school admission arrangements the allocation of places is based on where the child/parent lives and the preferences of parents.
3. Any school's resources, such as teachers and classrooms, have to be used carefully to ensure the best possible standards for education and a safe environment. If no limit were set on the number of pupils that can go to a school each year these standards could not be maintained. Some schools will be oversubscribed. If that is the case, priority is given to certain categories of pupil. The criteria set out in paragraph 4 will be used to prioritise all applicants who have applied for a place at a school.
4. First priority: Pupils looked after by the authority - This applies to all pupils who are in the care of the local authority or are provided with accommodation by the authority (see section 22 of the Children Act 1989);
   Second priority: Pupils who live within the catchment area normally served by the school - The catchment areas are designated by the City of York Local Authority and are made available to parents via the annual Guide for Parents, secondary school open nights or from the Education Access Team;
   Third priority: Pupils considered by the Local Authority to have exceptional social or medical needs which relate to the preferred school - The Local Authority may consult with other medical/educational professionals for a further opinion as to whether a pupil should be allocated a place to an individual school due to a particular medical condition or social need;
   Fourth priority: Pupils with siblings at the school in September 2009 - Siblings are defined as brothers or sisters living in the same house, as their primary place of residence, including half- and step-brothers or sisters;
   Fifth priority: Pupils who live closest to the school using the nearest available safe walking route - Distance is measured from the home address to the entrance of the school using the LA's computerised measuring system. The Local Authority is constantly reviewing the nearest available safe walking routes, working closely with the Road Safety Team.
   Important note: The admission of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is covered by different admission regulations, however where a school is named in a pupils statement of special educational needs, the LA and the school have a duty to admit the child and will therefore be allocated a place at the named school.
5. If a school is oversubscribed a waiting list will be held from when allocations have been made on the 2 March 2009 until 30 September 2009. A pupils position on the list will be determined by the criteria set out in paragraph 4. If a place is to be allocated to a pupil and there is more than one pupil from the same over subscription criterion (i.e. two pupils who have an elder sibling already in the school), a place would be offered to the pupil who fulfils a place in the next higher criterion. 
6. Applicants refused a place at a school have the right of appeal. Appeals are heard by an independent appeals panel. Applicants will be able to appeal once for a place at a given school in any one school year unless any significant new information comes to available which was not available at the original hearing.