Admissions
If you would like your child to attend our academy, please see full details of our admission arrangements below. More information can be found in our Admissions Policy.
Open days are arranged throughout the year but you are always welcome to contact the Headteacher to make arrangements to visit the school.
Published Admission Number (PAN)
The Published Admission Number (PAN) for Sunshine Academy is:
Nursery - 52 places
Reception to Year 2– 60 places
Internal Applications
Nursery (Little Rays)
Please contact the school office on 01922 710174 or complete our Nursery Registration form here
We have a 52 place Nursery - 26 places in the morning and 26 places in the afternoon session.
At Sunshine we offer a staggered intake in Autumn Term, Spring Term and Summer Term once the child turns 3 years old.
We offer both:
- 15 hour provision and
- 30 hour provision
For more information please and to find out about chargeable extras please visit our nursery provision page here
To learn more about what we can offer in Early Years at Sunshine Academy, please visit our Early Years Page here
Appeals for Little rays Nursery
If your child is on our school waiting list and will not have a place for Nursery during our Spring and Summer intakes you will be notified of the reason.
If you feel you need to appeal as your child did not receive a place in Little Rays you will need to write a letter to the Chair of Governors (Michael Christoforou) and explain why you believe the academy should admit your child.
You will needs to submit the letter within 20 school days of being notified that your child does not have a place. A member from school will contact you regarding the appeal within 14 days of receiving the letter and you will be give a date to attend the appeals meeting.
You will be given 10 school days notice to attend the appeal hearing meeting. Decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing.
* Submitting an appeal does not necessarily mean your child will be allocated a place
Walsall Admissions Policy for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
Please use the link below to apply for a Primary place:
Parent guide for online applications
Parents_guide_to_Online_Admissions.pdfApplying for a Reception place 2027
If your child is due to start in Reception in September 2027, you will need to apply for a school place before the 15th January 2027.
To do this, you must submit an on-line application through the Primary Admissions web page of the Walsall Council website:
www.walsall.gov.uk/primary_school_admissions
If you would like to defer your child's entry to Reception, more information can be found on the Walsall Council website by clicking the link below:
Reception
Children are admitted to school at the beginning of the Academic Year in which they become 5 years old, provided a school place is available.
Children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023 can apply for a Reception place starting in September 2027.
The application window for September 2027 Walsall Local Authority is as follows:
Open: September 2026
Closes: 15 January 2027
If you would like to look around Sunshine Academy prior to applying for a place as your choice school, we are offering open afternoons for 'new parents' where you can visit the school for a tour with the Early Years Leader/Head Teacher.
The dates for open afternoons are:
- ADD DATE
If you have recently moved to the area, (and missed the open afternoons) and would like to look around Sunshine Academy prior to applying for a place please call the academy office and a visit can be arranged with the Early Years Leader/ Head Teacher.
We also offer a Parent Transition meeting in June where you can meet the Reception teachers, see the classrooms and have a welcome pack about Sunshine Academy. If you are allocated a place at Sunshine Academy you will receive a letter from us in May inviting you to this meeting.
For any more information please do not hesitate to contact the academy office.
Admission Criteria for Reception and Key Stage 1
The academy operates a maximum intake of 30 pupils in each class in Reception and Key Stage One. There are 2 classes in each year at Sunshine Academy so there will be 60 children per year group.
The admission authority for Walsall community and voluntary controlled schools is Walsall Council. Admissions are administered by the School Admissions Team. Where the number of preferences received exceeds the number of places available, Walsall Council’s admission criteria are applied to all community and voluntary controlled schools. The admission criteria are shown below, in order of priority, for these schools.
Criterion 1. Children in Care and previous children in care.
Criterion 2. Children who have a sibling in attendance at the school or paired junior school, when the application is submitted and who will still be attending the school at the proposed admission date.
Criterion 3. Pupils for whom a place at the school is essential on medical or social grounds as supported in writing by a medical practitioner or social worker.
Criterion 4. Distance between the home address and the school as measured in a straight line with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.
Primary Admissions Information 2027-28
Walsall_School_Admission_Arrangements_2027_to_2028.pdfMid Year Admissions 2026-27
You can apply for the academic year 2026/27 between 1 September 2026 and 27 June 2027.
Please see link below regarding how to apply for an admission place during the school year:
In-Year Admissions
Walsall_school_admissions_arrangements_2026-27.pdf
National Offer Day – Reception Places
National Offer Day for reception school places is 16 April 2027. On this date, parents and carers who applied for a place for their child starting in Reception in September 2027 will be informed of the outcome of their application by the local authority.
If your application is successful, you will receive details of the school your child has been offered and information about how to accept the place. If it is not possible to offer your preferred school, you will be informed of the alternative place offered and provided with information about your right to appeal.
Following National Offer Day, parents will also have the opportunity to request to be placed on a waiting list for their preferred school(s), in line with the local authority’s admissions arrangements.
If you apply late, we will let you know after 16 April 2027.
Late applications
Your application will be treated as being late if:
- we receive it after the closing date (15 January 2027)
- you change the name or ranking of a school after the closing date
We process late applications after the on-time applications. You probably won’t be offered a place at one of your preferred schools if you apply late.
Appeals for pupils in Reception to Year 2
If your child has not been offered a place at any of your preferred schools, it is because the year group you applied for is full to capacity. You can find out more about how schools allocate their places in the determined admission arrangements document.
https://go.walsall.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/school-admissions
You have a statutory right to appeal against this decision.
It’s important to be realistic about your reasons for appealing and the chances of being successful. An appeal can prolong the period of uncertainty for you and your child.
To make an appeal, you will have to set your case out in writing and attend an appeal hearing.
All appeals are dealt with by the Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust.
If parents wish to appeal against a decision to refuse entry, they can do so by collecting and completing a form from the academy office.
Appeals timetable
Appeals for September 2027 primary school admissions must be received by 17th May 2027.
Please see appeals timetable below: