Admissions and Year 6 Transition

This page is designed to give information about admissions to Sharnbrook Academy mid-year and for Year 6 students wishing to join us via the normal submission round.

Families of students who wish to join the school outside of the normal admissions round are invited to make an In Year application to the Local Authority for a school place.

For information regarding Admissions please use this link to the Bedford Borough Council

The Determined Admission Arrangements for September 2026 can be viewed below:

Oversubscription Criteria

If fewer applications than the stated PAN are received at any point of entry, all applicants will be admitted. If the school is oversubscribed, after the admission of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs, or Education Health and Care (EHC) plan where the school is named in the Statement or the plan, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in order:

1. Looked After Children (LAC) and children who were looked after but ceased to be so by reason of adoption, a residence order or a special guardianship order; children who appear to the Admission Authority to have been in state care (i.e.in the care of or accommodated by a public authority, religious organisation or any other provider whose sole/main purpose is to benefit society) outside of England but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted only;
2. Children with siblings at the Academy;
3. Children attending Harrold Primary Academy or Great Ouse Primary Academy;
4. Children attending the named Primary Schools (see notes);
5. Other children living in the catchment area (see notes);
6. Children of staff who have been employed by Sharnbrook Academy for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made (see notes) 
7. Any other children

Tiebreaker:

If applying these criteria results in there being more children within any of the above categories than the number of available places, the tie break will be the distance the pupil lives from the Academy, measured in a straight line, using the Local Authority’s computerised mapping system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.  The distances will be measured from the address point of the pupil’s home (note e) to the main school reception. Priority will not be given within each criterion to children who meet other criteria. Where there is one remaining place available but the next measured distance is shared equally by more than one applicant, the place will be allocated by lot supervised by an independent person. Where there is one remaining place available and the next child to be considered for admission is one of a multiple birth group, all multiple birth siblings will be admitted even if this exceeds the PAN.

Appeals Procedure

The academy follows the published appeals procedure set out by the Local Authority. Please go to:

Appeal against a school place decision for schools within Bedford Borough | Bedford Borough Council

The allocation of places for September 2024 are detailed below:

Year 6 Transition

At Sharnbrook Academy, we strive to make our new students feel confident about the transition to secondary school.  We understand the importance of making them feel welcome and ensure that they are a valued part of the school community. 

We work closely with all sending primary schools to ensure that we have a detailed understanding of the needs of all students joining us. 

The year 7 curriculum is broad and balanced, giving our year 7 students the experience of specialist lessons in specialist facilities.

Our transition programme is designed to help students settle in quickly, start to make new friends and be excited about the prospect of joining Sharnbrook Academy. 

Our Open Evening took place on Thursday 2nd October 2025. You can access the Principal’s presentation slides here Year 6 Open Evening Presentation October 2025.pptm