School Admissions:

All children are welcome to attend Asterdale Primary School, whether they live in our catchment area or beyond. We are happy to show prospective parents and children around our school. Please either email (admin@asterdale.odysseyct.org.uk) or telephone the school office (01332 662323) to make an appointment if you would like to look round our school.

The Local Authority are the Admission Officers for our school and are responsible for co-ordinating all applications from Parents and Carers for school places. If you want to apply for an Infant, Junior or Primary school place in Derby, you need to make an application to Derby City Council.

If your child is due to start Reception in September or; they are currently in Year 2 at an Infant School and wish to transfer to us, you will need to apply for a school place.

Find out more about the process for the school admissions arrangements for Derby:
Primary Admissions Handbook‌ - the handbook includes information on the number of places available at our school and a breakdown of the categories of children offered a place in previous years.

You can also read the Applying for a Primary School Place Leaflet‌ which provides information regarding the application process for your child.

We recommend that you learn more about our school by visiting us - you will know you've made the right choice after one visit! 

You can make an application from 3 November 2024. The closing date for online applications is 15 January 2025. If the closing date has passed, you can still apply however any applications made after the deadline date will be classed as late and will be considered after all on-time applications have been processed.

When applying for a place, remember:
Most schools in Derby city have catchment area criteria. Children living in the catchment area are given a higher priority when places are offered.

The admissions process for children with a Statement of Special Needs or Education, Health and Care Plan is different. More information can be found on our Special education needs assessment page.

The quickest and easiest way to apply is online. You can also apply by telephone on 01332 642730. Alternatively, you can request a paper application using the same telephone number.

For all admissions please select the following link Primary School Admissions or:

School admission authorities are required to provide admission for all children in the September following their forth birthday. However, a child is not required to start school until they have reached compulsory school age following their fifth birthday.

For summer born children, parents can request that their child attends part-time until they reach compulsory school age or that the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until after in the same academic year. Where parents consider sending their summer born children to school in the September after their fifth birthday and request that they enter the reception class in September instead of the year 1 class, the admission authority is required to make the decision based on the individual circumstances of each case.

Please note, you will still need to make an application for delayed entry at the normal time and before the closing date of 15 January 2024, as well as submitting an application for a place in the current round.

If you move before the closing date and can provide proof that you were resident at that address before the closing date, your application will be assessed from that address.

If you move after the closing date but before the offers have been made, the Council will assess your application from where you were living at the closing date.

Once the decisions have been made on National Offer Day, they will update your address for waiting list purposes if they haven’t been able to offer you your choice of Asterdale Primary School.

If you change address after the National Offer Day and want to keep the place at the school we have offered you, the council will reassess your application from your new address to see if you would still have been offered the place and let you know the decision. Please note, they measure distances from home to school by straight line using national Ordnance Survey Set Points, if you move further away than the last person offered, they may have to withdraw the school place.

If you also own a property within 20 miles of Asterdale Primary School, the property closer to us may not be accepted even if the other property is rented out to somebody else. If the information is insufficient or inconclusive, the council can request further information.

If you move into the city and cannot show proof as above, the residency will be calculated using the furthest point to the city boundary from Asterdale Primary School.

If you live outside of Derby city you should apply through your local council even if you want to apply for a place at Asterdale Primary School.

How the Council process your application:

If you apply for a place after 15 January 2024, you will receive a decision on National Offer Day, 16 April 2024.

The admission authority (Derby City Council) will consider your application after all on-time applications. If there are still places available, the admission authority will look at your application, along with any other applications that were made late.

If you change your address, you may be required to provide proof of residence. If this is necessary, they will let you know once you have submitted your application.

The National Offer Day for infant and junior applications is 16 April 2025.
If you apply online, we send emails on 16 April notifying you of the outcome of your application.

If you apply by post or over the telephone, the council send decision letters by second class post on 16 April.

If you are happy with the offer, you do not need to do anything else - we will contact you.
If you are unhappy with the place offered to you, please contact the council and they will advise you what you can do next.

You are strongly advised not to decline the place offered to your child unless they have been offered a place in an alternative school. If you do not accept the place offered, your child may not have a school place for September, leaving you liable for prosecution by the Education Welfare Service (EWS). You can accept or decline the place at a later date if your child is offered a place at an alternative school from the waiting list or as a result of any successful appeal or late application you may make.

If you have not been offered a place at Asterdale Primary School, your child will automatically be put on the waiting list. All oversubscribed schools have to maintain a waiting list until December 2025. The council maintain waiting lists for most schools for one academic year. If you wish for your child to remain on the waiting list, you must contact them by 31 July 2025.

The admissions process for children with an Education Health Care Plan is different. More information can be found on the Special Education Needs Assessment page within Derby City Council Admissions section.

If your request for a school place is refused, this is usually because the school has received more applications than there are places available. Derby City Council Admissions Team can give you more information on other schools that may have places available.
You can appeal the decision, however please check that your child has met all the admission criteria before making an appeal.

For all "In Year" applications we use our LA's in year co-ordination scheme, which can be accessed by following the link below:

In Year Admission