Admissions

Apply to join us

All school applications must be made to the home Local Authority in which you live, regardless of which Local Authority the schools of your choice are situated in. Applications are coordinated nationally by Local Authorities to make sure the process is fair to all.

We've included links to three three most popular councils where students come to join us from, below.

The deadline for applications is midnight on Tuesday 31st October 2023.

To begin your application, please click on the relevant LINK below:


Oxfordshire County Council
West Northants Council
Buckinghamshire Council 

 

Admissions Policies 

Admissions Policy 2023-24

ADMISSIONS POLICY 2024-25

ADMISSIONS POLICY 2025-26

 

To apply online you will need:

  • an email address to register (if this is not your first child you can use your existing account to make the application)

  • the names of the schools you are requesting for your child (in preference order) – It is strongly recommend that you use all four preferences to make sure you get a school of your choosing.

If you are unable to apply online:

You can request a paper application form from the school or the Oxfordshire County Council School Admissions Team.
 

National offer day:

After the application deadline, all submitted applications will be processed.

  • If you make your application between 3rd September 2023 and 31 October 2023, you will be notified of the outcome on national offer day (1st March 2024).

  • If you apply online, you'll receive an email on national offer day. You'll be able to log in and see the school that has been offered for your child. You can accept or reject your place online.

  • If you apply by paper, Oxfordshire County Council will send you a letter by second class post on national offer day.

In accordance with legal requirements, children who have an Education, Health & Care (EHC) Plan or a Statement of Special Educational Need naming the school will always be admitted.

  1. The admission rules for The Cooper School are shown below in descending order of priority.

  2. Children who are “looked after” – Please view the full policy for further details.

  3. Disabled children who need to be admitted on the grounds of physical accessibility. The definition of disability is that contained within the Equality Act 2010.

  4. Children of employees of the Bernwode Schools Trust (Multi Academy Trust) schools – whether they live in the designated area or not.

  5. Children who attend one of the Bernwode Schools Trust (Multi Academy Trust) schools, regardless of whether they live in the school’s designated area or not.

a. Children who live in the designated area with a brother or sister on roll at the time of application who will still be attending at the time of entry. However, if there are more applicants than places priority will be given, within this group, to those children who live closest to the school by the nearest designated public route as defined on the Oxfordshire County Council’s Directorate for Children, Education & Families’ Geographic Information System.

b. Children who live in the designated area who live closest to the school by the nearest designated public route as defined on the Oxfordshire County Council’s Directorate for Children, Education & Families’ Geographic Information System.

  1. Children living outside the designated area who have a brother or sister on roll at the time of application who will still be attending the preferred school at the time of entry. – Please view the full policy for further details.

  2. Children who attend one of the following schools: Charlton-on-Otmoor CE Primary School Finmere CE Primary School Fringford CE Primary School Langford Village School, Bicester Launton CE Primary School Longfields Primary and Nursery School, Bicester and live outside the designated area. If there are more applications than places, priority will be given to those children who live closest to the school by the shortest designated public route as defined on the Oxfordshire County Council’s Directorate for Children, Education & Families’ Geographic Information System.

  3. Those children who live closest to the school

Now that here are three secondary schools in Bicester there are more places available to students. Therefore, school preference is more important than the proximity of the school to your home.

Of course you can.

If you are considering The Cooper School for your child, we would be delighted to arrange a tour of the school at a time that suits you. Please do not hesitate in contacting the school via our Contact Us page to request further information or to book your tour/visit.

We also hold annual Open Evenings, usually at the end of September and/or the beginning of October of each year. This offers an excellent opportunity to visit all of our departments and speak to members of staff, as well as current students.

Please check our school calendar for details or contact the school. Our Open Evenings are also published on this website, in the local press and on social media.

Yes. Your application will only be refused if other applicants meet the admissions criteria more than you. Please see the ‘Admissions criteria’ question above for more details regarding the order of criteria for allocation of a place at The Cooper School.

You must apply at the website of the Local Authority in which you live. If you live in a council with a unitary authority, you will have a single council that you need to apply to, the same as the one you pay Council Tax to. However, if you live in an area that has multiple councils, (Town, District and County) this will likely be your County Council. Applications normally open in early September and stay open till October 31st of each year.

Local Council authorities that our pupils normally live in include:

Applications normally open at the beginning of September and are open until 23rd October. You should apply in the year your child begins attending Year 6. For more exact details, please visit the website of the Local Authority you live in that is responsible for education.

Yes. We hold annual Open Evenings, usually at the end of September and/or the beginning of October of each year. This offers an excellent opportunity to visit all of our departments and speak to members of staff, as well as current students. Please check our school calendar for details or contact the school. Our Open Evenings are also published on this website, in the local press and on social media.

Please read the information for appeals on your council's website