Malborough with South Huish Primary School is a Community school. Devon County Council is the admissions authority, responsible for the admissions policies and decisions on applications for admission. We have an admissions policy for each academic year. They are written to comply with the School Admissions Code and School Admissions Appeals Code. We take part in the co-ordinated admissions schemes of Devon County Council. 

Come and visit us

If you are interested in your child attending our school, you are welcome to come in and visit us. You can arrange a visit on 01548 561444 or by emailing malborough@southhamsfederation.org.uk.  The School Administrator will be able to discuss admission with you.

Applying to come here

Once you decide you would like a place in Reception or at any other time after, you must make a formal application. You can do this by applying to the Local Authority (Devon County Council) and not direct to the school.

If your child is due to start Reception, children are offered places to start in Reception class at the beginning of the September term after their fourth birthday, even if they intend to defer admission until later in the academic year.  Children who join at any time after this point are called ‘In-Year’ Admissions.

The Local Authority

Devon County Council publishes information about admissions and its own policies to support the admissions application and appeals process. This is at www.devon.gov.uk/admissions

Applications can be made online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline or by using the forms available at http://devon.cc/applicationforms  

There is an appeals process if an application is refused; this is detailed at www.devon.gov.uk/school-appeals 

For questions about your child joining the school or just about the admissions process in general, please don’t hesitate to contact the school direct or contact Devon School Admissions Service on 0345 155 1019 or by email to admissions@devon.gov.uk.

Our Admissions Policies

You can find our admissions policies below – we review the school policy annually and may make changes if we feel this would be in the best interests of the school and our community.

Each academic year has its own policy document, with details about how to apply for a place in school from the start of Reception through to Year 

Please see below the amendments which have been made to the 2025 and 2026 policies as highlighted in bold italic:

	As determined	Amendments recommended:
Page 2	[amendments after determination section]	Informed by a Determination of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (REF4394 19 March 2025), a time restriction on in-year applications for children of Crown Servants and UK Service personnel was removed.
Around Page 7	Applications can be submitted at any time after the year group has started[1] but won’t be processed earlier than 8 school weeks before the place is required (or 16 school weeks for children of UK service personnel). They are considered in date order, with all those received at the school or by Devon’s School Admissions Team by 6pm on any one day considered together.	Applications can be submitted at any time after the year group has started[2] but won’t be processed earlier than 8 school weeks before the place is required. Applications will be processed earlier than this for children of UK Service personnel and Crown Servants. They are considered in date order, with all those received at the school or by Devon’s School Admissions Team by 6pm on any one day considered together.
Around Page 17	Schools will consider in-year admissions for families of UK service personnel posted to a new area and of crown servants returning to the country up to 16 school weeks in advance.	Schools will consider in-year admissions for families of UK service personnel posted to a new area and of Crown Servants returning to the country without reference to the 8 school weeks limit for other applications. Evidence will be required to confirm the posting.

The Admissions Appeals Timetable 2026

The deadline for submitting appeals allows appellants at least 20 school days to prepare and submit a written appeal. The appeal must then be heard within 40 school days for the normal round and within 30 days for in-year admissions.

Allocation date for the normal round of admissions : 15 Nov 2025 - 15 Jan 2026

Deadline for appeal forms to be submitted: 31 May 2026

Appeals will be heard within 40 school days, by: 24 July 2026

Where possible, appeals that are submitted after 31 May will be heard by 24 July. If that is not possible, they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being submitted.

In -year appeals can be submitted after a refusal.  They will be heard within 30 days of an appeal being submitted.

Draft 2027 Admissions Policy

The 2027 Admissions Policy is currently in draft form, and a public consultation is being led by the Local Authority. The consultation period will run until 16 January 2026, after which the policy will be formally determined by the Board of Governors and the final version published by 15 March 2026.

For any further information please go to Devon County Council School Admissions