Admissions

Reception intake for September 2026

Applications to the Academy should be made via the local authority (council) common application form (CAF).  More information about the application process and a link to the form can be found on the Council’s website in November.  You will need to name the Academy as one of your school preferences on that form.  If you live outside of the Bradford area, you will need to apply via your own local authority’s website.  The deadline for applications is 15 January 2026.

The published admission number (PAN) for this Academy is 60.  Up to 6 of these places can be offered to children with an aptitude for music.  To apply for a music place, a supplementary information form (SIF) needs to be completed.  The deadline for the form is 3.30pm on Friday 5 December 2025.  The form and further information about the music places can be found below.

If the Academy receives more applications than there are places available, places will be ranked in the order of the oversubscription criteria.  For full details of the admissions arrangements including the criteria, please read the Admissions and Appeals Policy (available from the Downloads section below).

If you wish to submit an application under exceptional medical or social need criterion, or children of staff criterion, please read this guidance document for further information and a link to the separate application form.  The deadline for applications is 15 January 2026. This form is required in addition to naming the Academy as a preference on the local authority application form.

If you are applying for a place under the pupil premia criterion, please read this guidance document for further information and a link to the separate application form.  The deadline for applications is 15 January 2026. This form is required in addition to naming the Academy as a preference on the local authority application form.

If you are applying for a Reception place and for your child to start a full year behind their chronological age group, you will need to complete the Request to offset Form (available in the Downloads section below) and submit this and the supporting evidence directly to the Academy.  Applications should be submitted before 15 January 2026 to ensure they can be considered before the deadline for Reception applications.

The table below shows the number of applications there were last year and how many places were allocated in each of the criteria:

* Siblings are children with brothers / sisters who are currently attending the Academy and who will still be attending the Academy in September, and who live at the same address.

The distance of the home address of the last child admitted under the distance criterion changes each year, as this is dependent upon factors such as the number of children applying that year, the number who qualify under the higher criteria, and the number of children who list the Academy as their 1st preference.  As a guide for parents who are considering applying to the Academy, the furthest distance in previous years has been as follows:

Open Evening

The Academy will hold two open events.  The dates of these are:

• Thursday 27 November 2025.  Tour starts at 3.30pm and finishes at 4.00pm.
• Thursday 8 January 2026.  Tour starts at 3.30pm and finishes at 4.00pm.

Please attend either event.  It is not necessary to book a place.

Music places

Up to 6 places (10% of our intake) are available each year.  These places are aimed at children who demonstrate a gifted musical aptitude, and children will be required to actively participate in the music workshop to be considered for a place.

To apply for a music place, parents must complete the Dixons Music Primary supplementary form (SIF).  The online form is available here.

Alternatively, if you wish to download a supplementary form this will be added to the Downloads section at the bottom of the page in early August.  Paper forms can also be requested by e-mailing:  admissions@dixonsta.com or by telephoning Admissions on 01274 089780 – option 7.

The deadline for the form is 3.30pm on Friday 5 December 2025.

Applicants will be invited to attend a short music workshop on the morning of Friday 12 December 2025. Children who are unsuccessful in gaining a music specialist place will still be considered for one of the remaining places, along with all other applicants.

Further information on the Music places and the workshops can be found in the Admissions and Appeals Policy (available from the Downloads section below).

Further information about the Academy can be found on this website or by contacting the Academy via:

e-mail: info@dixonsmp.com

telephone: 01274 089870

In-Year admissions

The funding agreement for the Academy dictates how many students it will be funded for in total. The Academy plans its operations such as staffing, timetabling, and provision of resources based on the funding received; this equates to the following provision:

• There are 60 places in each of the year groups Reception to Year 6

If a child is refused a place, this is because admission of another child would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources.

Where vacancies occur, places are not offered based on the length of time children have been on the list but are filled in coordination with the local authorities and in line with the oversubscription criteria. It is, therefore, possible that a child may be added to the list who qualifies more highly within the criteria than children already on the list because each time a child is added, the list will be ranked again in line with the published oversubscription criteria. Looked after children, previously looked after children, and those allocated a place at the Academy in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol take precedence over those on a waiting list.

Applications should be made on Bradford local authority’s ‘In Year Common Application Form’ (ICAF) which is available from the website. The form needs to be submitted directly to the local authority.  On receipt of the form, the local authority will process this and then write to you with the outcome.

Should you have any questions about the admissions process, please e-mail: admissions@dixonsta.com or telephone: 01274 089780 – option 7.