Admissions Policy 2015
William Bradford Community College
Contents
Admissions Policy 2014 – William Bradford Community College
1. Introduction
2. Admissions into year 10
3. Admissions into year 12
4. Waiting lists
5. In – year admissions / admissions other than transfer at the start of year 7
6. Fair access protocol
7. Appeals
Appendix
1. Definitions
2. Catchment Area Map
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William Bradford Community College
1. Introduction
1.1
William Bradford Community College (the academy) is a co-educational secondary school
catering for students from the age of 14 through to age 19 (school years 10 to 13). As an
academy the school is part of the Midland Academies Trust, who acts as the admissions
authority.
2. Admissions into year 10
2.1
Applying for a place
Arrangements for applications for places at the beginning of year 10 are made in accordance
with the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admission arrangements. Therefore, applications must
be made directly to the Local Authority in which the child lives. Details of the application
process and closing date for applications are available on Leicestershire Local Authority’s own
website. Details of open events for parents and their children can be found on William
Bradford’s website www.williambradford.leics.sch.uk/ and within the academy’s prospectus.
2.2
Published admission number for year 10
The published admission number for year 10 at the academy is 280. When the number of
applicants for this age group is below this number, then all applicants will be admitted.
2.3
Oversubscription criteria
Where the number of applications for admission into year 10 is greater than the published
admission number and after the admission of children with statements of Special Educational
Needs where the school is named on the statement, applications will be considered against the
criteria below and in the order in which they are set out:
i. A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after
being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship
order. See appendix 1 for a definition of an adoption order and a residence order.
ii. Students who live in the catchment area. See appendix 1 for catchment area definition.
iii. Students with a sibling on roll at the academy at the time of the proposed admission. See
appendix 1 for a definition of sibling.
iv. Students who will have attended a feeder school for at least two years before the time of
transfer. See appendix 1 for definition of attendance at feeder school.
v. Students transferring to High school who will have an older brother or sister attending the
linked Upper school at the same time.
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vi. If after the application of the above oversubscription criteria, there are still places
available; applicants will be prioritised by those whose home address is closest to the
academy site at Heath Lane, Earl Shilton. See appendix 1 for a definition of the home
address and the system used for measuring distance.
In the case of applications from twins and other multiple births (or two or more siblings in one
year group), they will be treated as a single application and within each oversubscription
criteria, will be considered before other applications to avoid the admission number being
exceeded. In the rare case where a multiple application would cause the academy to exceed its
admission number, the academy will admit all the applicants under a multiple application rather
than cause the applicants to be admitted to different schools.
2.4
Tie break when applying the oversubscription criteria
In the event of a tie between two or more applicants who cannot be separated when applying
the oversubscription criteria, a process of independently verified random allocation will be used
to allocate the places.
2.5
Late applications
All applications received up to and including 31st October of each year for the following
academic year will be treated as on time. Applications received after this date will be
st
considered to be late and may not be processed until after the following 1 March.
3. Admissions into year 12 (sixth form)
3.1
Applying for a place
Applications for year 12 should be made directly to the academy. Please refer to the academy’s
website www.williambradford.leics.sch.uk/ or prospectus for details of open events and the
application forms.
The academy’s sixth form has an open access policy for admission for internal and external
applicants and there are no minimum entry requirements when joining the academy at Year 12.
In order to follow their preferred course(s), all applicants will be expected to have met the
published minimum academic requirements for their course. If either internal or external
applicants do not meet the minimum academic requirements for their chosen course, they will
be given the option to pursue alternative courses available at the academy for which they do
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meet the minimum academic requirements. The specific requirements for the range of courses
available based upon GCSE grades or other measures of prior attainment, will be published in
the academy’s prospectus and website. These requirements are the same for internal transfers
and external admissions.
3.2
Published admission number for year 12
The academy will operate a sixth form with a maximum of 224 students across years 12 and 13
at full capacity. 112 places will be available in year 12 (the year 12 ‘capacity’) for the students
progressing from year 11 at the academy. The academy will only admit external applicants to
its sixth form if year 12 is undersubscribed by its own students.
3.3
Oversubscription criteria
The same oversubscription criteria listed above in 2.3 will apply when there are more applicants
for year 12 than there are places available. Following an unsuccessful application, where the
entry requirements have been met, applicants will have the right to appeal to an independent
appeal panel.
3.4
Tie break when applying the oversubscription criteria
In the event of a tie between two or more applicants who cannot be separated when applying
the oversubscription criteria, a process of independently verified random allocation will be used
to allocate the places.
4. Waiting lists
4.1
Where in any year the academy receives more applications than there are places available, a
waiting list will operate until 31st December of the same year. The waiting list will be maintained
by the academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for their child’s name to be placed on
the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application. Position on the waiting list and allocation
of places will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria outlined in
2.3 above. When a place becomes available, the applicant with the highest priority at that time
will be automatically contacted.
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5. In – year admissions / admissions other than transfer at the start of year 10 or year
12
5.1
Parents should apply via the normal in-year admissions procedures as co-ordinated by the
Local Authority in which they live. If the year group in which a place has been applied for has a
place available, then a place will be allocated. In the instance of the school being oversubscribed, the Local Authority will then forward the application form directly to the academy
which will then consider the application using the over subscription criteria above, with the
opportunity for the child to be placed on the waiting list in accordance with the over subscription
criteria ranking. Anyone refused a place will have the right to appeal to an independent appeal
panel.
6.
6.1
7.
7.1
Fair access protocol
The academy will participate in Leicestershire Local Authority’s In Year Fair Access Protocol.
Appeals
There will be a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel for unsuccessful applicants.
Should a parent wish to make an appeal, then full guidance on what to do, the form to be
completed and the name of the organisation running the appeals process can be obtained by
contacting the academy directly.
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Appendix 1
Definitions
i.
An adoption order is an order under Section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. A
‘residence order’ is an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom
the child is to live under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Section 14A of the Children Act
1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to
be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).
ii.
Leicestershire divides the county into school catchment areas. The catchment area for the
academy can be found in Appendix 2. The child’s full home address determines the school
where priority admission is given. The LA’s Customer Service Centre will provide further details
of the catchment area (telephone 0116 305 6684). The school admissions booklet ‘Your Guide
to Education’ provides district maps that outline in general the schools located in each district.
iii.
A sibling is defined as a brother or sister (including half-brother or half-sister, adopted brothers
or sisters, step brother or step sister) living at the same home address as the child applying for
a place. However where the school is oversubscribed no guarantee can be given that places
will be available for brothers and sisters.
iv.
Feeder school attendance means that the child must have been enrolled at the feeder school
on or before the start date of the Autumn Term, two years before transfer.
v.
The home address is considered to be a residential property that is the child’s only or main
residence. At the time places are allocated, proof of permanent residence at the property
concerned may be required. Where documentary evidence can substantiate to the satisfaction
of the academy’s admissions authority that care is split equally between parents at two homes,
parents must name the address to be used for the purpose of allocating a school place. When
measuring the distance of the home address to the school site a straight line measurement will
be made using Leicestershire County Council’s computerised mapping system, from the centre
of the child’s residence to the main entrance of the school site. The shortest measurement will
have the highest priority. Where the final place in a year group can be taken by two or more
students living an equal distance from the school, then selection will be by drawing lots, with an
independent person making the draw. Where the final place in a year group can be taken by
two or more students living in the same block of flats with an equal distance from the school,
then selection will be by drawing lots, with an independent person making the draw.
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Appendix 2