Relevant Area for Admissions in Norfolk

What is the 'Relevant Area'?

The Relevant Area is the geographical area used for consultation on school admission arrangements. It helps ensure that the right schools, admission authorities and neighbouring organisations are consulted where changes to admissions may affect them.

Why does the Local Authority define it?

Local authorities have a statutory duty to define the relevant area for admissions purposes. This is set out in the School Admissions Code and associated regulations.

Defining the relevant area helps to:

Ensure fair and transparent consultation on admission arrangements
Make sure all affected schools and communities are included
Support effective planning of school places

How we define the relevant area

When determining the relevant area, we aim to take a proportionate and practical approach that reflects Norfolk's mix of rural and urban communities. We consult with all admissions authorities operating in Norfolk, before formally determining these arrangements.

Who does this apply to?

The relevant area applies to all admission authorities, including:

Norfolk County Council (for community and voluntary controlled schools)
Academy trusts
Voluntary aided and foundation schools

Norfolk's Relevant Area

Norfolk County Council as the admission authority for community and voluntary-controlled infant, junior, primary and secondary schools, and with responsibility for co-ordinated admissions schemes and the Fair Access Protocol will consult with the following parties when defining the Relevant Area:

The three neighbouring local authorities: Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire
Every other admission authority for a local school in Norfolk
All academy, foundation and voluntary aided schools within 1 mile for primary schools of the Norfolk border and 3 miles for secondary of the Norfolk border.

1. Admissions Authority: Norfolk County Council

Community school and Voluntary Controlled schools

Primary schools:
When consulting on admission arrangements, each Norfolk primary school's relevant area is a distance of a 5-mile radius^* from the school. Where this distance falls outside of Norfolk, this area is adjusted to 3 miles into the neighbouring County. Any school can exceed this distance for consultation if their Governing Body decide to do so.
- Norwich district located Primary schools:
  For Primary schools located in the Norwich district^†, the distance of a 3-mile radius will be applied.
Secondary schools:
When consulting on admission arrangements, each Norfolk secondary school's relevant area is a distance of a 10-mile radius^* from the school. Where this distance falls outside of Norfolk, this area is adjusted to 3 miles into the neighbouring County. Any school can exceed this distance for consultation if their Governing Body decide to do so.

Consultees must include, (as detailed in School admissions code - GOV.UK):

Parents of children between the ages of two and eighteen
Other persons in the relevant area who in the opinion of the admission authority have an interest in the proposed admissions
All other admission authorities within the relevant area (except that primary schools need not consult secondary schools)
Whichever of the governing body and the local authority is not the admission authority
Any adjoining neighbouring local authorities where the admission authority is the local authority
In the case of schools designated with a religious character, the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination

2. All other Admissions Authorities operating in Norfolk

The academy trusts or governing bodies of academy, free, foundation and voluntary aided infant, junior and primary schools acting as their own admission authorities, located within Norfolk, will be required to consult within the following relevant area:

Primary schools:
A 5-mile radius^* of the school, or, where this covers a neighbouring authority area, up to 3 miles into that area.
- Norwich district located Primary schools:
  For Primary schools located in Norwich district^†, the distance of a 3-mile radius will be applied.
Secondary schools:
A 10-mile radius^* of the school, or, where this covers a neighbouring authority area, up to 3 miles into that area.
- Norwich district located Secondary schools:
  For Secondary schools located in Norwich district^†, the distance of a 5-mile radius will be applied.

Consultees must include:

Norfolk County Council (via [email protected] )
Parents of children between the ages of two and eighteen
Other persons in the relevant area who in the opinion of the admission authority have an interest in the proposed admissions
All other admission authorities within the relevant area (except that primary schools need not consult secondary schools)
Whichever of the governing body and the local authority is not the admission authority
Any adjoining neighbouring local authorities where the admission authority is the local authority
In the case of schools designated with a religious character, the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination.

^*Please Note: To support setting in identifying the specific establishments that constitute the relevant area for an admissions authority, any authority can use the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) website from the DfE. Search the database using the location option and providing the postcode of the consulting school. Then apply the appropriate distance radius to the filters on the left. The resulting query can be saved and exported to an excel formatted list of schools and contact details.

^†Please Note: To determine whether a school is classified as a 'Norwich' district located school: Access GIAS, search for and select the relevant school, navigate to the 'location' tab and check the 'District' field.

Supporting tools and information

There are tools available to support schools and admission authorities in understanding their local context and the scope of their Relevant Area.

In particular, the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) service can help you to:

Identify nearby schools: Any authority can use the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) website from the DfE. Search the database using the location option and providing the postcode of the consulting school. Then apply the appropriate distance radius to the filters on the left. The resulting query can be saved and exported to an excel formatted list of schools and contact details.
Check which district the school is located within: Using GIAS, search for and select the relevant school, navigate to the 'location' tab and check the 'District' field.

Determination and review

These arrangements will normally be reviewed every two years, at which point we will consult again with schools and stakeholders. It may be necessary to review or revise these arrangements earlier if structural changes affect how local areas are defined.

Keeping this information to hand

We recommend that schools and admission authorities save or bookmark this page. You may find it useful when:

Preparing for annual admissions consultations
Considering changes to your admission arrangements
Submitting requests to vary determined arrangements

If you have any questions regarding this page, please contact [email protected].