Newfield School is a ‘Good’ (Ofsted 2022) school that sits on top of one of Sheffield’s seven hills with a view that spans the edge of the Peak District, the civic centre and the industrial east. Our intake is a comprehensive mix of socio-economic groupings and cultures, including 40% in receipt of the pupil premium, and is reflective of the local community. We take great pride in providing a rich curriculum that is broad and balanced. 

As an Academy, Newfield School is its own admission authority.  However, Newfield has chosen to retain the Local Authority's admission arrangements since it became an Academy on 1 May 2014.  Applications for admission are handled by the Local Authority Secondary Admissions Team.  They can be contacted at 5th Floor West Wing, Moorfoot Buildings, Sheffield, S1 4PL.  Their telephone details are as follows: 0114 273 5790 or email ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk.

The closing date for expressing preferences online is mid-October. (please check the Local Authority Admission Pack or website for the date).  Parents are notified of the school that their child has been allocated on 3 March. The indicated Admission Number of Newfield School is 210 per year group, this is the number of places available in Year 7.

Newfield School has determined its Admission Arrangements for 2025/26 in accordance with Regulation 17 of the School Admission Regulation 2012. Any objection for these arrangements should be made to the Schools Adjudicator. 

Special Educational Needs  

Section 324 of the Education Act 1996 requires the Governing Bodies of all maintained schools to admit a child with a statement of special educational needs (now re-named the Education and Health Care Plan) that names their school. This is not an oversubscription criterion, schools are required to admit a child in these circumstances whether they have places or not. Newfield School complies fully with this requirement.  

Oversubscription Criteria  

In the event of oversubscription the following categories will be prioritised for places at Newfield School, operated on the school’s behalf by Sheffield Local Authority; 

Priority One - Children in Public Care (Looked After Children)  

All Admission Authorities MUST prioritise the admission of "Relevant Looked After Children" within their admission criteria. A "Relevant Looked After Child" is defined as: 
"a child who is looked after by a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989(b) and who (a) is looked after at the time an application for admission to a school is made and (b) in relation to whom the local authority has confirmed that the child will still be looked after at the time when the child will be admitted to the school. The Admission Code of Practice extend this category to also include children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order."

Priority Two - Catchment area with Sibling (11-16 Year 7-11)  

Children who normally reside with a parent or person with parental responsibility in the defined catchment area and who will have a brother or sister at Newfield School on the day of admission will be considered next. The definition of a sibling for these purposes is given below. This means that all catchment/sibling applications are prioritised before catchment applicants irrespective of distance. The normal distance tie-breaker will apply within each category.  

A sibling is a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:  

1. a brother and/or sister  

2. a stepbrother and/or stepsister (to include half-brother/sister)  

and in both cases will be attending Newfield School at the point of entry. 

Priority Four - Catchment Area  

Children who normally reside with a parent or person with parental responsibility in the defined catchment area, but will not have a sibling at Newfield School at the point of admission will be considered next.  

Priority Five - Siblings  

A non-catchment sibling is a child who permanently or usually lives at the same address as:  

1. a brother and/or sister  

2. a stepbrother and/or stepsister (to include half-brother/sister)  

and in both cases will be attending Newfield School at the point of entry. 

Priority Six - Contributory Feeder School  

Applicants for a Year 7 place at Newfield School whose children attend a designated feeder primary school but do not fit into any of the above categories 1, 2, 3,4 or 5 above will be considered next. 

Parents are advised In the Sheffield Guide for Parents " that If they choose to send their children to a non-catchment primary school, they have a lower priority for entry to the linked secondary school and that there is no guarantee of a place there”  

Priority Seven - All other applicants  

Any applicant who does not fall into one of the above categories will be considered next.  

Tie Breakers  

For any admission category that is oversubscribed there are two stages of further consideration.  

A. Exceptional medical, social or special educational needs  

Where exceptional medical, social or special educational needs are demonstrated and supported by a professional, an application may be prioritised by the Admission Committee (AC) but only within its admission category. It is the parent's responsibility to provide supporting evidence. The applicant must supply sufficient supporting evidence from relevant professionals at the time of the original application, for the Academy to consider whether an individual case constitutes exceptional circumstances to be prioritised. In any event, the evidence must support the view that the child must attend the school applied for and that they could not have their needs met at any other school. Applications will only be submitted to the Admission Committee for further consideration if they are accompanied by supporting evidence. Further information about the Admission Committee can be found in the Local Authority Composite Prospectus, “A Guide for Parents”.  

B. Distance  

In circumstances where exceptional circumstances are not demonstrated, the final tie-breaker will be the distance from the home address to the school building. This is a straight line measurement from the house to a specific point at the school building. Where the remaining place could be made for a number of children living equi-distant from the school the determination of the single offered will be made by random allocation.  

The random allocation will:  

• be independently supervised by a representative of the Legal and Governance Service of Sheffield LA 

• take place on a date and time notified in advance to the participating parents so that they can attend as witnesses  

More details can be found on the Local Authority website. 

Appeals 

Appeals for entry to Year 7 will be administrated by the Local Authority on behalf of the Academy and in line with the statutory Appeal Code of Practice. Appeals will be heard at the Sheffield Town Hall. Parents will be advised of the exact closing date for appeals applications and appeal procedures when they receive notification of the outcome of their application on  1 March.  Appeal Application Forms can be obtained from the Local Authority or downloaded from their website. 

You will be notified of the date and time of your appeal in writing by the City Council.  Schedules will be determined after the closing date for receiving appeals. Year 7 appeals for those submitted on time are normally concluded before the Spring Bank half term at the end of May or in the first two weeks of June.  

Please note that the appeal panel is independent of the Academy and the Local Authority and its decision is legally binding on both the Academy and on parents For any further advice on the appeals process please contact the Admissions Team on 0114 273 5790 or email ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk 

Admissions Team Contact Details  

Any enquiries should be referred to the Local Authority’s Admissions Team:  

Telephone: 0114 273 5790
Email: ed-admissions@sheffield.gov.uk  
Admissions Team: Inclusion and Learning Service, Floor 5, West Wing, Moorfoot,  
Sheffield S1 4PL 

 

Transition 

Newfield School has close links with our family of primary feeder schools. Students in Year 5 and Year 6 have many opportunities to work with our staff in school before the main transition days in July prior to starting at Newfield in September. Year 7 students soon settle into their Newfield School routine because of their familiarity with the school and key staff. 

We understand the transition from primary to secondary school can be an anxious time for students, they often worry about being with their friends and meeting older students. We have worked with our family of primary feeder schools to put students in groups of two or three, based upon who will best support their learning at Newfield School. We will ensure that students are with at least one person they know from primary school.  

A Head of Year will have pastoral oversight for the year group, with a Head of Lower School having an overall view of the transition period and the academic progress for Year 7 and Year 8. There will also be a member of the Senior Leadership Team linked to each year group.