Abbs Cross School and Arts College

Abbs Cross School, Commitment to Opportunity and Excellence

Application Criteria

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
September 2009
Abbs Cross School and Arts College
Commitment to Opportunity and Excellence

A. Policy and Number for entry in Year 7

Pupils will be admitted at age 11 without reference to aptitude or ability (except as in B iii) below). The number of intended admissions for the year commencing 1st September 2010 will be 168.

B. Oversubscription for entry in Year 7

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

i) Children who are looked after* (children in public care).

ii) Where a brother or sister of the child is attending the School at the time of entry.

iii)10% of places (17) will be allocated to children who show particular aptitude in the Performing Arts (Music, Drama, Dance).

iv)Proximity of the child's home to the School, with those living nearer (as the crow flies) being accorded the higher priority.

*It is now a legal requirement to give children who are looked after the highest priority.

C. Administrative Arrangements

The Local Authority will be making a single offer against our criteria and as such the statement of preference on the Common Application Form is critical, since no offer will be made to a lower preference if the higher preference criteria are met.

i) It is the policy of the school not to accept Performing Arts applications after the set closing date, which for admission in September 2010 is 23rd October 2009. Late applications, from parents in a position to have applied by the closing date, will therefore be held on a waiting list and considered after those received by the deadline.

ii) No second applications for places will be considered within the same academic year.

iii)All Performing Arts applications will be acknowledged in writing within ten days of receipt as proof of application. Parents should contact the school without delay if no acknowledgement is received.

Notes - General

  • The final criterion of proximity will be critical to applicants for a place should the school be oversubscribed, and who do not qualify under one of the other criteria. Proximity to the school is measured by a straight line, not by the shortest walking or bus route. The extent of places allocated by proximity will vary each year, depending on the volume of demand.
  • The home address is a key part of the admissions process. When considering an applicant for a proximity place (as in B iv) overleaf) no account will be taken of any intended change in normal address until an exchange of contracts has taken place. Applicants will need to provide supporting evidence from a solicitor regarding the date of exchange of contract. In the case of rented property, sight of the rental agreement is required. In such cases applicants are strongly advised to inform the school of a change of address at the earliest opportunity.
  • Please note that an allocation of a place may be withdrawn if, after having gained a place on the basis of the home address, the applicant moves further away from the school.

Notes – Performing Arts

  • Where a pupil seeks admission to the School on the basis of their aptitude in Performing Arts, applicants will be invited to the School for an audition on Saturday 7th November 2009. The audition will comprise of aptitude tests in one of the disciplines of music, drama or dance. This is explained in more detail on the supplementary application form.
  • When the pupils are in the School the courses open to them will be those open to all pupils of the School, though it is expected that such pupils will continue with their extra-curricular Arts studies throughout their period at the School.
  • If a pupil admitted under B iii) leaves the school, the Arts place may be offered to an Arts applicant held on the waiting list in the relevant year group. Where there is no suitable applicant, the place will be offered in accordance with B i), ii) or iv).

GM/VMT
September 2009