We are delighted that you are considering Thornton Primary School for your child. We are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and ambitious education for every child and to ensuring that all pupils feel that they belong.

Applying for a School Place

Thornton Primary School is a community primary school, and Lancashire County Council is the admission authority for the school. Lancashire County Council therefore manages applications and allocates places in accordance with its determined admission arrangements.

To apply for a place at Thornton Primary School, including a Reception place, or to find out more about school admissions, please visit:

Lancashire County Council – School Admissions

For children starting Reception in September 2027, applications can be made from September 2026, with the national closing date in January 2027. Lancashire provides current information about application dates, eligibility and the admissions process on its website.

Admission Number

Thornton Primary School is a community primary school, with Lancashire County Council as the admission authority. Lancashire County Council determines and publishes the admission arrangements and the Published Admission Number (PAN) for the school.

For September 2027, the Published Admission Number for Thornton Primary School is 20 pupils. This means that, under the normal admissions process, the school can admit up to 20 children into its Reception intake. The PAN applies to the normal annual Reception intake and does not mean that there are only 20 places available across the whole of Reception to Year 6.

Places in other year groups are dependent upon the number of pupils already on roll and whether a place is available in the relevant year group. Applications for these places are dealt with through Lancashire County Council's in-year admissions arrangements.

Lancashire County Council's admission arrangements must comply with the Department for Education's School Admissions Code and are designed to ensure that school places are allocated fairly, transparently and consistently.

Parents and carers should visit the Lancashire County Council school admissions website for the most up-to-date information about applying for a place at Thornton Primary School, admission criteria, in-year admissions and appeals.

If the school is oversubscribed

When a school is oversubscribed, places are allocated according to the published admission criteria rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. For Thornton Primary School, the Lancashire County Council criteria apply in the following order:

1. Children who are looked after or previously looked after, including children who were previously in state care outside England and subsequently ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

2. Children for whom Lancashire County Council accepts that there are exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons which are directly relevant to Thornton Primary School.

3. Children eligible for Services Premium.

4. Children who have an older brother or sister attending Thornton Primary School when the younger child is due to start.

5. Distance from the school, with priority given to children who live closest to Thornton Primary School using Lancashire County Council's straight-line (radial) distance measurement.

Where applications cannot be distinguished using the published criteria, Lancashire County Council has arrangements for resolving ties, including a random allocation where necessary.

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names Thornton Primary School are admitted in accordance with the statutory framework and are considered separately from the normal oversubscription criteria.

In-Year Admissions

An in-year admission is an application to move to Thornton Primary School during the school year or outside the normal Reception admission round.

As Thornton Primary School is a Lancashire community school, Lancashire County Council coordinates in-year admissions. Parents and carers should apply through the Lancashire County Council admissions process.

Further information and the application process can be found here:

Lancashire County Council – In-Year Admissions

If a place is not available, parents and carers can ask about the relevant waiting-list arrangements and have a right of appeal against an unsuccessful admission decision. Lancashire County Council does not hold waiting lists for in-year admissions to community and voluntary controlled schools, so families should follow the current advice provided by the Council.

Pre-School Admissions

Thornton Primary School also provides pre-school provision. Places are subject to availability and the arrangements for our pre-school provision are managed directly by the school.

For information about current pre-school places, sessions and eligibility, please contact the school office.

School Office:
Thornton Primary School

01253 821128

bursar@thorntonprimary.lancs.sch.uk

Our Pre-School provision is separate from the statutory Reception admission process. Being offered a place in pre-school does not automatically guarantee a Reception place at Thornton Primary School; parents and carers must make a separate application through Lancashire County Council for a Reception place.

Appeals

If your child is not offered a place at Thornton Primary School, you have a statutory right of appeal.

Appeals are independent of the admission decision. Details of how to appeal, including the relevant forms and guidance, are available through Lancashire County Council:

Lancashire County Council – School Appeals

For Reception applications, Lancashire publishes specific appeal deadlines and arrangements each year. Parents and carers should therefore check the current Lancashire County Council information when an admission decision is received.

Further Information

Lancashire County Council provides the most up-to-date information about applying for school places, admission criteria, waiting lists, appeals, in-year admissions and the admission timetable.

Lancashire County Council – School Admissions

Thornton Primary School is proud to be an inclusive school with a strong commitment to Love, Respect and Ambition. We welcome families to learn more about our school, our curriculum and our approach to supporting every child to achieve and belong.

Visit the Thornton Primary School website