Admissions
Come and visit us
If you are interested in your child joining a school within the West Exmoor Federation, please contact us to discuss what we have to offer and to arrange a visit if you can. Once you decide you would like a place you must make a formal application.
How to apply
Most children join our federation at the main intake into school from the start of September in. As a parent, you can apply for a place to the Local Authority. There are different options for parents of children starting school in Reception. These includes part-time education and deferring or delaying admission until later in the Reception year or, for children with birthdays in the summer term, to the following September. Come and talk to us if you are considering this.
Do come and talk with us if you are interested in a place in a different year group for any reason.
Applications for residents of Devon are made between 15 November and 15 January for primary schools at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline. If your child lives in another LA, including Cornwall, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay you should apply through that council. The closing dates are the same nationally.
For questions about your child joining the federation or just about the admissions process in general, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly or contact Devon School Admissions Service on 0345 155 1019 or by email to admissions@devon.gov.uk Devon publishes guides to the admissions process: the Step by Step Guide and the In-Year Guide at http://devon.cc/prospectus
If you are interested in your child joining the federation in-year (once the academic year has started), you can apply for a place through Devon County Council at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline
There is a right of appeal and to a place on a waiting list for places where an application is refused.
Admission Arrangements
- Parent Privacy Notice
- Student Privacy Notice
Devon County Council is the admissions authority for Parracombe and Kentisbury; the Governing Body is the admissions authority for Lynton. They have responsibility for the admissions policies and decisions on applications for admission. We have an admissions policy for each academic year and they will be published on our website when they are proposed for consultation and after they have been determined annually. They are written to comply with the School Admissions Code 2021 and School Admissions Appeals Code 2022.
The Local Authority
Devon County Council publishes information about admissions and its own policies to support the admissions application and appeals process. This is at www.devon.gov.uk/admissions where you can read about the admission process in the Step by Step and In-Year Admissions booklets.
Applications can be made online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline or by using the forms available at http://devon.cc/applicationforms
There is an appeals process if an application is refused; this is detailed at www.devon.gov.uk/school-appeals
For questions about your child joining the school or just about the admissions process in general, please don’t hesitate to contact the school direct or contact Devon School Admissions Service on 0345 155 1019 or by email to admissions@devon.gov.uk.
The admissions policies for all state-funded mainstream schools in Devon can also be found at http://devon.cc/schoolpolicy
Our Admissions Policies
You can find our admissions arrangements below - we review the school policy annually and may make changes if we feel this is in the best interests of the school and our community.
Each academic year has its own policy document, with details about how to apply for a place in school from the start of Reception through to Year 6.
School Admissions Policy 2025-26
See our determined policy below. If you have any comments regarding the policy, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk. We amended our policy to remove a time limitation on when in-year applications could be made for children of Crown Servants or UK Service personnel.
School Admissions Policy 2026-27
See our determined policy below. If you have any comments regarding the policy, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk. We amended our policy to remove a time limitation on when in-year applications could be made for children of Crown Servants or UK Service personnel.
School admissions policy 2027-28
We will consult on an admissions policy between November 2025 and 16 January 2026. If you have any comments regarding the policy we propose, you can contact us at the school or schoolsadmissionpolicy-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.
After the consultation, we will determine the policy at a meeting of the admissions authority held before the end of February 2026. Once determined, the policy will be updated online by 15 March 2026.
Objections can be made up to 15 May 2026 to the Office of the Schools' Adjudicator.
West Exmoor Federaiton Admissions Policies
The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2026
The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions.
Allocation date for Reception or junior school Year 3: 16 April 2026
Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2026
Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 24 July 2026
Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 24 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted
In-year appeals can be submitted after a refusal. They will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being submitted.
The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2027
The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions.
Allocation date for the normal round Reception: 16 April 2027
Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2027
Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 23 July 2027
Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 23 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted.
In-year appeals can be submitted after a refusal. They will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being submitted.