Ark Boulton Academy is a non-selective, non-denominational, mixed school serving 11–16 year olds. Each year we admit 180 children into Year 7. To apply, you will need to go through the Birmingham City Council website. If the school is oversubscribed, priority is given to pupils with statements of special educational needs. Places are then offered in the following order of priority:

• Looked After Children and all previously Looked After Children.
• Children of Staff at the school where there is a demonstrable skill shortage - children of members of staff will have priority in the oversubscription criteria if the staff member is filling a post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. ARK Schools is required to approve the Principal’s designation of such posts and confirm the assessment that a member of staff appointed meets the requirements of the shortage. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year.
• Children who have a sibling who already attends the school and who will continue to do so on the date of admission (for this purpose “sibling” means a whole, half or step-brother or step-sister resident at the same address). In the case of twins or brothers and sisters in the same year group, where there is only one place available in the academy, both will be considered together as one application.
• Children of staff in the school – where there is no demonstrable skill shortage, priority may be given where the academy is oversubscribed to a child of a person who will have been employed in the academy for two or more years at the time the application for admission is made. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year.
• Distance measurement – Priority will be given to those children who live closest to the school.

The academy keeps a waiting list which is used to fill casual vacancies occurring if students leave during the year, or withdraw from a place that has been offered.

Please note: If your child has been allocated a place at Ark Boulton Academy by Birmingham City Council, you will recieve an email inviting you to complete our online enrolment form. (The email will be addressed from admin@applicaa.com, please check your inbox and junk mail folders for the email).

Any procedures and queries regarding application to Ark Boulton Academy can be found:

• on the Birmingham City Council website
• by ringing the Birmingham Admissions Team on 0121 303 1888
• by emailing admissions@birmingham.gov.uk

If you have any specific questions about the academy please contact our Admissions Team on 0121 773 8156 or email admissions@arkboulton.org.

Appeals for children refused a place at a preferred school for admission to Year 7 in September 2022 will be heard in line with the School Admissions Appeals Code (2012).

On-time appeals will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for submitting appeals. Appeals submitted after this date will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being submitted, whichever is the later date.

The independent appeal panel clerk will notify parents/carers of the date of their appeal; appeal hearings will take place during May/June/July 2022.

If you wish to appeal for a place in September 2022 Year 7, please click here for the Ark secondary appeal form, and contact Birmingham City Council using this form to notify the Admissions Team of your appeal.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions it may not be possible to hold appeal panel hearings in the usual way this year.The Department for Education has now issued revised guidelines for Admissions Authorities on how appeals should be dealt with. Appeals will be heard during May/June/July; all appellants will be contacted by the independent appeals clerk to explain the process, which will be the same for all Ark schools.