Full Version of the Admissions Policy
JOHN CABOT ACADEMY ADMISSIONS POLICY
1. This document sets out the admission arrangements for the John Cabot Academy. These arrangements are without prejudice to the provisions of Annex 3 to this agreement. The document forms an Annex to the Funding Agreement between the John Cabot Academy and the Secretary of State. Any changes to the arrangements set out in this document must be approved in advance by the Secretary of State.
2. The Academy will comply with all relevant provisions of the statutory codes of practice (the School Admissions Code of Practice and the School Admission Appeals Code of Practice) as they apply at any given time to maintained schools and with the law on admissions as it applies to maintained schools. Reference in the codes to admission authorities shall be deemed to be references to the governing body of the Academy. In particular, the Academy will take part in the Admissions Forum set up by South Gloucestershire LA and have regard to its advice; and will participate in the co-ordinated admission arrangements operated by South Gloucestershire LA.
3. Notwithstanding these arrangements, the Secretary of State may direct the John Cabot Academy to admit a named student to the John Cabot Academy on application from an LA. Before doing so the Secretary of State will consult the Academy.
I: ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS APPROVED BY SECRETARY OF STATE
4. The admission arrangements for the John Cabot Academy for the year 2012/2013 and, subject to any changes approved by the Secretary of State, for subsequent years are:
a) The John Cabot Academy has an agreed admission number of 160 students. The John Cabot Academy will accordingly admit at least 160 students in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received.
b) The John Cabot Academy may set a higher admission number as its Published Admission Number for any specific year. Before setting an admission number higher than its agreed admission number, the John Cabot Academy will consult those listed at paragraphs 19-20 below. Students will not be admitted above the Published Admission Number unless exceptional circumstances apply and such circumstances shall be reported to the Secretary of State.
Process of application
5. Applications for places at the Academy will be made in accordance with South Gloucestershire Local Authority’s co-ordinated admission arrangements, and parents will complete their home Local Authority Common Application Form. John Cabot Academy will use the following timetable for applications each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year) which, whenever possible, will fit in with the common timetable agreed by South Gloucestershire Local Authority:
a) September – The Academy will publish in its prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including oversubscription criteria, for the following September (e.g. in September 2011 for admission in September 2012). This will include details of open evenings and other opportunities for prospective students and their parents to visit the school. Please note that, to be considered for admission, all applicants must complete and submit their home Local Authority’s common application form, including John Cabot as one of their preferences. The Academy will also provide information to the Local Authority for inclusion in the composite prospectus, as required.
b) September/October – The Academy will provide opportunities for parents to visit the Academy.
c) October – Parents complete the Common Application Form of their home Local Authority and return it to their home Local Authority to administer.
d) November – South Gloucestershire Local Authority receive the admission data for John Cabot Academy from the Local Authorities and forward this admission data to John Cabot Academy (regardless of preference).
e) Late November – John Cabot Academy sends appointments for assessments to be held in early December. All applicants are allocated an assessment regardless of categories in Section 7. The purpose of this is to establish base line data that will enable us to best determine the education provision for an individual student.
f) January – John Cabot Academy sends a list of their 160 offers of places to South Gloucestershire Local Authority.
g) January/February – South Gloucestershire Local Authority returns names of the students being offered a higher preference elsewhere. John Cabot Academy submits replacement offers. The Local Authorities apply the agreed scheme for own schools, informing other Local Authorities of offers to be made to their residents.
h) Early March – One offer of a secondary school place is made to parents by their home Local Authority.
Consideration of applications
6. The John Cabot Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 160 applications are received, the Academy will offer places to all those who have applied.
Procedures where the John Cabot Academy is oversubscribed
7. All applicants will undertake both elements of our admissions procedures. The first element will be a Non Verbal Reasoning Test (NVRT) on a date to be published each year, the purpose of which is to place all applicants into one of five ability bands. The percentage of places available in each band will be determined by the national profile for distribution of ability. The second element of the admissions procedure will be a test to determine an applicant’s interest and aptitude in Science and Technology. The purpose of this is to enable us to allocate 10% of our available places to those students who obtain the highest scores in this element of the procedure. Applicants in the following groups are then allocated a place:
i) Children in public care.
ii) Students with a Statement of Educational Need where John Cabot Academy is named on the statement and can meet the needs of the individual student.
iii) Non statemented students where the child has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities and this requires admission to the school applied for. i.e. no other school can accommodate the child’s needs. We will require written supporting evidence from a relevant professional, e.g. Doctor or Specialist which must be sent at the time of the application. Copies should be sent to John Cabot Academy direct.
Examples of physical/mental impairment that may require entry to a specific school include:
mobility or co-ordination problems; speech, hearing or eyesight impairment; or progressive conditions e.g. cancer, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy; or recognised mental illness.
iv) Students achieving scores within the top 10% of applicants in the test for interest and aptitude in Science and Technology.
v) The following criteria will be applied to the remaining places from within each of the ability bands.
a) Admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school (in Years 7 to
11 and including students of Year 12 age who completed their GCSEs in Year 11 at the Academy) and who will continue to do so on the date of admission (for this purpose “sibling” means half or full brother or sister; or adoptive brother or sister; or children of the same household. In the event of there being more siblings than there are remaining places in an ability band, it is possible that a sibling under these circumstances would not be offered a place. Where siblings exceed the remaining places in an ability band, places will be allocated by the drawing of lots.
b) Remaining places in each ability band will be allocated by the drawing of lots in 2 geographical zones. Zone A will be a zone up to a 4 mile radius from the fixed point shown on the attached map; Zone B will be a zone over 4 miles radius from the fixed point shown on the attached map. Wherever possible 80% of the places will be allocated to Zone A and 20% to Zone B.
bi) If, at the end of this process, there are unallocated places in a Zone within a band these will be filled by unallocated applicants from the other Zone within the same band by drawing of lots.
bii) If, at the end of this process, there are unallocated places in any band these will be filled by unallocated applicants in adjacent bands using the same allocation criteria set out at (b) above.
Operation of waiting lists
8. Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the LA’s co-ordinated admission scheme, the Academy will operate a waiting list. Where in any year the John Cabot Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate. This will be maintained by the John Cabot Academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.
9. Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in paragraph 7 of this Annex. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.
Arrangements for appeals panels
10. Parents will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the John Cabot Academy . The Appeal Panel will be independent of the Academy. The arrangements for Appeals will be in line with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals published by the Department for Education. The determination of the appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals and is binding on all parties. The Academy will prepare guidance for parents about how the appeals process will work and provide a named contact who can answer any enquiries they may have about the process.
Arrangements for admission to Post 16 provision
11. The John Cabot Academy will admit students into its Post 16. Applicants will need to satisfy minimum entrance requirements to the courses for which they are applying.
12. The John Cabot Academy will publish specific criteria in relation to minimum entrance requirements for the range of courses available based upon GCSE grades or other measures of prior attainment.
13. There will be a right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel for unsuccessful applicants.
Arrangements for admitting students to other year groups, including to replace any students who have left the John Cabot Academy
14. Subject to any provisions in the LA’s co-ordinated admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, the Academy must consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child. If more applications are received than there are places available, our over subscription criteria will apply. Parents of children whose application is turned down are entitled to appeal.
II: ANNUAL PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS
Consultation
15. The John Cabot Academy shall consult each year on its proposed admission arrangements.
16. The Academy will consult by 1 March:
A) South Gloucestershire LA;
b) Any other admission authorities for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation set by the LA;
c) Any other governing body for primary and secondary schools (as far as not falling within paragraph (b) located within the relevant area for consultation.
Determination and publication of admission arrangements
17. Following consultation, the John Cabot Academy will consider comments made by those consulted. The Academy will then determine its admission arrangements by 15 April of the relevant year and notify those consulted what has been determined.
Publication of admission arrangements
18. The John Cabot Academy will publish its admission arrangements each year once these have been determined, by:
a) copies being sent to primary and secondary schools in South Gloucestershire LA and neighbouring LAs within the catchment area;
b) copies being sent to the offices of South Gloucestershire LA and neighbouring LAs within the catchment area;
c) copies being made available without charge on request from the Academy;
d) copies being sent to public libraries in the area of South Gloucestershire LA and neighbouring LAs within the catchment area for the purposes of being made available at such libraries for reference by parents and other persons.
19. The published arrangements will set out:
a) the name and address of the Academy and contact details;
b) a summary of the admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria;
c) a statement of any religious affiliation;
d) numbers of places and applications for those places in the previous year; and
e) arrangements for hearing appeals.
Representations about admission arrangements
20. Where any of those bodies that were consulted, or that should have been consulted, make representations to the John Cabot Academy about its admission arrangements, the Academy will consider such representations before determining the admission arrangements. Where the Academy has determined its admission arrangements and notified all those bodies whom it has consulted and any of those bodies object to the Academy’s admission arrangements they can make representations to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will consider the representation and in so doing will consult the John Cabot Academy. Where he judges it appropriate, the Secretary of State may direct the Academy to amend its admission arrangements.
21. Those consulted have the right to ask the John Cabot Academy to increase its proposed Published Admissions Number for any year. Where such a request is made, but agreement cannot be reached locally, they may ask the Secretary of State to direct the Academy to increase its proposed Published Admissions Number. The Secretary of State will consult the John Cabot Academy and will then determine the Published Admission Number.
22. In addition to the provisions at paragraphs 20 and 21 above, the Secretary of State may direct changes to the John Cabot Academy’s proposed admission arrangements and, in addition to the provisions above, the Secretary of State may direct changes to the proposed Published Admissions Number.
Proposed changes to admission arrangements by the John Cabot Academy after arrangements have been published
23. Once the admission arrangements have been determined for a particular year and published, the John Cabot Academy will propose changes only if there is a major change of circumstances. In such cases, the Academy must notify those consulted under paragraph 18 above of the proposed variation and must then apply to the Secretary of State setting out:
a) the proposed changes;
b) reasons for wishing to make such changes;
c) any comments or objections from those entitled to object.
Need to secure Secretary of State’s approval for changes to admission arrangements
24. The Secretary of State will consider applications from the John Cabot Academy to change its admission arrangements only when the Academy has notified and consulted the proposed changes as outlined at 18 – 19 above.
25. Where the John Cabot Academy has consulted on proposed changes the Academy must secure the agreement of the Secretary of State before any such changes can be implemented. The Academy must seek the Secretary of State’s approval in writing, setting out the reasons for the proposed changes and passing to him any comments or objections from other admission authorities/other persons.
26. The Secretary of State can approve, modify or reject proposals from the John Cabot Academy to change its admission arrangements.
27. Records of applications and admissions shall be kept by the John Cabot Academy for a minimum period of ten years and shall be open for inspection by the Secretary of State.
