Admissions Policy

 

Admissions Policy 

Admission number of 226.

The West Bridgford School is a DCSF designated Specialist Technology College, which delivers the National Curriculum, but emphasises Mathematics, Science and Design Technology. It is also a foundation school.

The proposed published admission number for Year 7 is 226.

In accordance with the Code on Admissions, priority in the first instance is given to

Children in public care who are ‘looked after’ at the time an application for admission is made and who the local authority can confirm will still be looked after at the time of admission to the school.

Children with a statement of special education needs that names the West Bridgford School will be admitted.

Subsequently, where the number of applications for admission exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit:

1.0     Children who live in the catchment area on the closing date for applications as part of the co-ordinated admissions scheme in the year preceding admission to secondary school. 

Places will be allocated in the first instance to children, who at the time of admission,

will have a brother or sister attending the school in years 7-11.  

2.0     For children outside the catchment area up to 22 (10%) of places will be offered to those who can demonstrate an aptitude for Technology and could therefore benefit from the distinctive education offered by the West Bridgford School as a specialist technology school.

The parents of those students whose entry is to be based on technological aptitude will be required to present their child for the Assessment (one hour) at The West Bridgford School in the year preceding entry, details of which will be published within the school’s prospectus.

3.0     Children who live outside the catchment area and who are attending a linked primary phase school on (date to be confirmed) preceding admission to secondary school. The linked primary schools are Greythorn, Heymann, Jesse Gray and West Bridgford Junior.

4.0    Other children who live outside the catchment area. 

 Proximity to school

In the event of an over-subscription of any of the above criteria proximity to the school will be used with those living nearer being given priority. Distance measurements to be made ‘as the crow flies’ from the home address to the main reception office of the school.

Special circumstances

Special consideration will be given to children with an exceptional level of need with regard to a physical disability provided written evidence from a registered health professional such as a doctor, is received at the time of application. The school has good access for students with a physical disability and we form part of the local authority’s strategic plan to improve access for child with physical disability. 

Children of nomadic travellers that live within the catchment area will be given special consideration.

Requests from the local area pupil placement panel for ‘hard to place children’ will be given special consideration.

The governors of the school will consider each application on its merits in consultation with the local authority. Cases agreed under ‘special circumstances’ will take precedence over all of the numbered criteria.

Withdrawing an offer of a place

Any offers of a place found to be made on the basis of inaccurate information can be withdrawn. Such examples would include fraudulent applications, intentionally misleading applications, a false claim to residence in the catchment area and the failure of a parent to respond to an offer of a place within a reasonable amount of time. 

Technological Aptitude Assessment

Parents who wish to seek a place for the child at the school based upon technological aptitude are asked to present their child for the assessment (1 hour) in the year preceding entry on one of the following dates:

Saturday, 2 October 2010 

Saturday, 9 October 2010

Monday, 11 October 2010

Arrival time for each day will be 8:45 a.m. The assessment will start at 9:00 a.m.

Parents who wish their child to take the assessment should request, complete and return an assessment application form, which is available from the school, 7 days before the assessment. Further information regarding the assessment will then be provided. Please note, sitting the assessment is not considered an application in itself. Results of the assessment will be provided before parents have to complete the CAF (Common Application Form).

Admission to the sixth form including admission number for those admitted for the first time

 The admission number for the Post-16 centre will be 170.

The West Bridgford School Post-16 centre presently only offers ‘A’ level courses. Subsequently we propose the following admissions criteria:

 3 AS level subjects plus General Studies  -  3 GCSEs at grade B or above in subjects to be studied plus a further 2 or more GCSEs at grade C or above.

4 AS level subjects plus Genera Studies  -  2 GCSEs at grade A/A* and 2 at grade B (or higher) in the subjects to be studied plus 1 or more GCSEs at grade C or above.These requirements do not include English oral grades or GCSE half course grades.

Students will only be considered if they have achieved a minimum of grade C at GCSE level in both English and Mathematics.

The maximum number of places from external candidates for Post-16 entry in year 12 will be 25.

Over‑subscription for the Post-16 centre

Where the number of applications for admission exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit:

1.0     Children in public care who are 'looked after' at the time an application for admission is made and who the     local authority can confirm will still be looked after at the time of admission to the school.

2.0      Children who already attend the school and meet the entry criteria.

3.0       Children who do not presently attend the school and meet the entry criteria.

4.0     In the event of an over-subscription of the above criteria proximity to the school will be used with those living nearer being given priority. Distance measurements to be made ‘as the crow flies’ from the home address to the main reception office of the school.

Definitions:

Residence

This is defined as the child’s permanent place of residence which is deemed to be the residential property at which the child normally and habitually resides with the person or persons having parental responsibility for the child at the time of completion of the application form. If a child’s parents live at separate addresses, which ever of the two addresses the child permanently spends at least 3 school nights i.e. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday will be taken as the place of residence. Addresses of other relatives or friends will not be considered as the place of residence even when the child stays there for all or part of the week. Proof of permanent residence (minimum 12 months tenancy agreement in the case of rented accommodation) and other evidence from the court regarding parental responsibilities in these matters may be required.

Brother and sister

The governors define brother and sister as being those children who share the same biological parents. This includes half-brother or half-sister or legally adopted child living at the same address as the child. 

Parent

Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 defines ‘parent’ to include; all natural parents, whether they are married or not; and any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person; and any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or a young person.

Having parental responsibility means assuming all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority that a parent of a child has by law. People other than a child’s natural parent can acquire parental responsibility.

Measuring distance ‘as the crow flies’

For applications in the normal year of entry which are managed under the co-ordinated admissions arrangements distance is measure using Arc View software and the school governors use this information to rank order applications. 

For applications outside of the normal year of entry or for those applications held on the waiting list after the (date to be confirmed) the governors of the school use ‘Micro-soft Auto route’ 2006 to measure distance.

Late applications

Late applications are those submitted after the closing date for the co-ordinated admissions scheme and will be dealt in accordance with that scheme. Late applications will be considered up to the date in late December specified in the co-ordinated scheme providing the applicant can evidence that they have moved into the area after the closing date for applications or can establish at the time of completing the form that there were exceptional reasons for missing the closing date. Examples include family bereavement, hospitalisation, family trauma. Supporting evidence may be required.

When the school is informed by the local authority that a place has been offered, it will write to the parent(s) seeking written confirmation that they will take up the place. If this confirmation is not received within 4 weeks, the school will notify the local authority that the offer of a place should be withdrawn and offered to the child ranked highest on the waiting list.

Waiting list

If, after the offer of places has been made, the school is over-subscribed, all unsuccessful applications will be placed on the waiting list which will be administered by the governors of the school in partnership with the local authority for the duration of the co-ordinated admissions scheme. Your position on this waiting list will be determined by the school’s published over-subscription criteria. Once the co-ordinated scheme is closed, the waiting list will remain open at all times, but will be administered by the governors of the school.  

Independent Appeals

Parents have the right to an independent appeals panel if you are not happy with the outcome of your application. Repeat applications in the same academic year will not be considered unless there is a significant and material change in circumstances. Parents wishing to appeal should write to the Clerk to Governors, c/o West Bridgford School, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7FE within 14 days of notification.

Catchment area

The school’s defined catchment area can be found on the school’s web site at www.wbs.eu.com

Coordinated admission scheme

All applications for places in the normal year of entry are made on the common application form. For entrance to the school in September 2010 the closing date of the coordinated admission scheme is 16 October 2009, preceding admission to secondary school. Places are allocated on 1 March 2010.

Applications outside the normal year of entry

In the event of a place being available in the appropriate year group for a mid term application an offer of a place at the school will be made. If no places are available the child’s name will be placed on the school’s waiting list. The position on this waiting list will be determined by the school’s published over-subscription criteria. Parents have the right of appeal to the refusal for a place.