Admissions policy information

You must submit any applications by the deadlines (see next slide) for your child to be considered for a place.

An additional application must be submitted to apply for priority under the following criteria:

•previously looked-after children criterion

•exceptional medical or social need

•children of staff employed at the academy

It is vital you read the admissions policy for each academy / school you are applying for, to understand how applications are ranked.

Our academies are oversubscribed, so there is no guarantee a place will be allocated to your child.

•Open evenings: information and dates can be found on the academies’ websites​.

•3.30pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026 – deadline for supplementary forms (SIFs) to:

o enter a child for the non-verbal reasoning assessment 

•Non-verbal reasoning assessment is in October​.

•Performing arts assessments and cricket skills assessments are also in October; the outcome of these will be advised before the common application / preference form (CAF / CPF) deadline.

•31 October 2026 – deadline for the CAF / CPF to your local authority (LA) / council and any applications under:

o previously looked-after children criterion

o exceptional medical or social need

o children of staff employed at the academy

•1 March 2027 – LAs send e-mails / letters to families advising them of the school allocated to their child.

•The start of term is usually at the end of August or beginning of September.  Your child should be ready to start on the first day of term if they are offered a place. Holidays in term-time will not be authorised.

•Other Dixons schools have the admission policy they had when they converted (e.g. Dixons Allerton Academy, Dixons Cottingley Academy, Dixons Kings Academy).

•None of the academies are grammar schools; we are truly comprehensive.

•The assessment is not a pass / fail test.

•Siblings have a strong chance,​ but we cannot guarantee a place due to limited places in some ability bands.

•Children have no better or worse chance of getting a place according to their ability; places are fair-banded (i.e. we admit children from all ability levels).

•Where you live does not increase your chances of a place; these academies do not give priority based on how close your house is to the school.

Places are decided by the oversubscription criteria.

•The child sits the assessment (just once).

•GL Assessment (an external company) then allocate children to 1 of 9 stanines (ability bands) based on their scores.

•This tells us how many of the 180 / 160 places at Dixons Kings Academy should go to each stanine (this represents the numbers that have applied for each stanine).

•So, for example, if 20% of applicants at Dixons City Academy score in stanine 3, then there will be 36 places offered in stanine 3​ (i.e. 20% of 180).

•Because most children score in the middle, there are more places in the middle stanines.

•There are fewer people who score at the top or the bottom, so there are fewer places in those stanines.

•Make sure your child does not feel like they have taken an 11+.  If they do not get a place, it is not because they have failed the assessment.

•A computer programme randomly generates a number that applies to each application for each academy.

•This process is run separately.

•The applicants are then placed in random number order from the smallest to the highest.

•We then apply the oversubscription criteria (in the order listed below) to the applicants in each stanine, with applicants moving up the lists​ according to which criterion they qualify under.

•Children with an EHCP that names the academy; children who are looked-after; exceptional medical / social need*, 18 Performing Arts places (at Dixons City only), up to 3 children of staff at the Academy, siblings (brothers & sisters) in Years 7-10 only, children at Dixons Music Primary (at Dixons City only)​, children at Dixons Manningham and Dixons Marchbank (at both Dixons City and Dixons Kings academies).

•Applicants that do not meet any of the above criteria then follow in random number order.

•At the end of this there are 18 lists (nine bands split into inner & outer area) for Dixons Kings, and these are sent to the local authority.

•Put schools in your genuine order of preference on the CAF / CPF.  An equal preference system is in operation so you will not be disadvantaged by doing this. ​​

•No school sees your preference order​; they rank all applications according to the oversubscription criteria listed in their admissions policy.

•Take your choices seriously; check the oversubscription criteria to see whether you are likely to qualify for a place.  Schools can only rank applications against that criteria and cannot consider other reasons / information provided.

•You can change your preferences and the order of preference up until 31 October 2026.

•If you put several Dixons schools, be prepared to take whichever one you qualify for. There are no swaps because you prefer a different Dixons.

•If you want another Dixons school, add it on the CAF / CPF too​, but don’t put down a Dixons school that:

• your child will not be able to / is not willing to travel to​.  Not wanting to get on the bus or having to drive a long way is not a strong ground for appeal.

• your child does not want to go to.

There can be up to eight times as many applications as places, so make sure:

• you have your chosen schools (preferences) in genuine order, but don’t expect to get your 1st choice.

• you have added a local school on the CAF / CPF (one that admits by distance)​.  This may be Dixons Allerton, Dixons Cottingley, Dixons McMillan or Dixons Trinity if you live close*

If you are not allocated a place, you can appeal, but most academies are full​.  Appeals are generally only successful if the needs of a child having a place at a particular academy outweighs the academy’s case for being unable to admit any more children.

*Check the admissions page of the Dixons websites for the furthest distances in previous years and how many places were allocated in each criterion last year.

•To ensure schools are applying the oversubscription criteria correctly.​

•If you qualify for more than one Dixons, the local authority (LA) will allocate whichever is listed higher.

•If you only qualify for one Dixons, then that is the one you are allocated. 

•If you do not qualify for a place at your 1st preference, the LA will go down your list of preferences until you are allocated a school.

•If you put down all over-subscribed schools, and do not qualify for any of them, the LA will allocate your child a place at another school with a space.  You can stay on the waiting list for your preferred schools in case a place becomes available.

Waiting lists

•When a place is refused, that child will come out of the list for that academy.

•The next person on the list (whoever qualifies highest within the oversubscription criteria) will then fill that place.

•Ask questions if you are unsure by emailing the admissions office: admissions@dixonsca.com

•Make sure your SIF is submitted on time (30 September 2026).

•Make sure your CAF / CPF is submitted on time ​(31 October 2026) to your LA .

•Make sure you put a genuine order of preference​.

•On 1 March 2027, your LA will will advise you of the school allocated to your child.

Performing Art (PA) applications ​(Dixons City Academy) and cricket place applications (Dixons McMillan Academy, Dixons Trinity Academy)

•Outcome of applications will be advised to parents before the deadline for the CAF​ / CPF.

•Put the academy first if this is the preferred school​.

•You can still put other schools down, including Dixons schools.