Admissions

 

ADMISSIONS POLICY

(COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY CONTROLLED SCHOOLS)

 Admissions to the school are controlled by Wakefield Local Authority  

(the District Council). Full details of the Authority's policy on admissions are given in the "Guide for Parents". This is available in all schools and from the School Admissions Team at County Hall in Wakefield.  The policy is summarised below:

At this school, 250 pupils will normally be admitted in the school year beginning in September 2008. This is the Admission Number (AN) set by the Authority after consultation with the Governing Body of the school.  

If the number of preferences received for the school does not exceed the Admission Number, all preferences will be met (see explanatory note 1).

All applications received will be considered in the following order:      

• Applications received by the closing date in the normal admissions round:
• For secondary applications the closing date is (date to be confirmed) October 2007 and
• For primary applications the closing date is (date to be confirmed) November 2007.
• Late applications received between the closing date for the normal admissions round and the end of the summer term, for these applications the following dates will apply:
• Applications for secondary places received by (date to be confirmed) November 2007 will be accepted as if they had been received by the closing date.
• Applications for primary places received by (date to be confirmed) December 2007 will be accepted as if they had been received by the closing date.

Applications received after these dates: these will be regarded as late applications and will be considered after all applications received on time.  

However, if there are more applications for admission to a school than there are places available, preference will be given in the following order:  

• Children with a statement of special educational needs which names the school.

• Children in Public Care (Looked after Children) (see note 6)

• (i)        Children who live in the school's catchment area who have brothers and sisters attending the school at the time of admission (see explanatory note 4);    

                (ii)        Other children who live in the school's catchment area (see explanatory note 2);   

                (iii)        Children who live in that part of the primary school's catchment area which is designated as an option area (see explanatory note 3).

         

• Children who have brothers or sisters in attendance at the school (see explanatory note 4);  

• Other children, with priority being given to those living nearest to the school

In all categories, when decisions have to be made between children satisfying the same criterion, children living nearest to the school, measured as the crow flies, have priority.  

Where a family of twins or triplets request admission and there is only one school place available it will be left to the family to decide whether or not they wish to take up the place for one of their children and appeal for the second or third child in the same year group, or to decline the place.

Where a child resides with more than one parent/carer, at different addresses, the Authority will use the preference expressed by the parent/carer at the address where the child lives the majority of the time during the school week as the main place of residence.

Children will be placed in the appropriate category depending upon their circumstances at the closing date for receiving applications for admission to school.  Changes in address will be accepted in accordance with the provisions of the Secondary and Primary Co-ordination schemes.  In cases where there is an anticipated change in circumstances, documentary evidence will be required.  In the event of any category being over-subscribed, places will be offered in the order of priority (a)-(e) detailed above.                                                                                

For children with a statement of special educational need, certain other conditions also have to be satisfied.  Further information can be obtained from the Authority’s SEN Group or Parent Partnership.

Hard-to-Place Protocol

In line with the Government’s Five-Year Plan for Education the Authority has agreed a Hard to Place Protocol with its High Schools.  This means that, in some circumstances, pupils defined in the Protocol will have a higher priority for admission than all other pupils seeking admission to that school.  Full details of the Protocol can be obtained from the LA.

The offer of a Place at a School

Decisions will be posted 1st class to parents on:

       Secondary school                (date to be confirmed) March 2008

       Primary, infant & junior schools       (date to be confirmed) March 2008

Unsuccessful Applications

If a Wakefield pupil is not eligible for a place at any school, one will be allocated at another Wakefield Community School in accordance with Wakefield Co-ordinated Admission Arrangement Schemes.

Any parent whose child is not offered a school place for which they have expressed a preference has the right to an independent appeal panel.

 Explanatory notes

• Admission Numbers

Each maintained school has an Admission Number (AN).  This is the number of children who can be admitted in the school year (2008/2009)

• Catchment areas

The Authority thinks it is important that schools should serve their local communities and so each one has its own catchment area.  However, parents are required to express a preference, stating their choice of school, even if this is the catchment area school.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that there will be a place for every child in their catchment area school, it cannot be guaranteed that this will always be the case.

If parents are in any doubt about the catchment area school for the area in which they live, they need to contact their local school or the School Admissions Team at County Hall.

• Option Areas (Primary schools only)

The home addresses of some parents may fall into an area that forms part of the catchment area of two schools.  Parents will be informed if they live in such a designated ‘option area’ and will be asked to indicate their preferred school.

• Brothers and sisters

This category includes children with brothers or sisters (including step-brothers or sisters residing at the same address) of statutory school age, living at the same address, in attendance at the same school, or a school on the same site, on the date of admission.

• Families Living Outside the District Boundary

Children from families living outside the District boundary will be considered alongside those who live within the Wakefield Metropolitan District.

• Children in Care

This refers to children who are subject to care orders and interim care orders, or who are accommodated by a local authority in full time placements.

APPLYING FOR THE SCHOOL

• If your child is due to transfer to high school in September 2008, all applications must be made on a Common Application Form.  This is still the case even if the school is your catchment area school.

If you live within Wakefield Metropolitan District, you should use Wakefield’s Common Application Form.

If you live outside the Wakefield Metropolitan District, you should use the Common Application Form of your ‘home’ education authority.

You will receive a Common Application Form automatically.  This must be returned by (date to be confirmed) October 2007.  Late application forms will be dealt with only after those returned by this date and are therefore less likely to be successful in obtaining a place than preferences returned on time.

• All other cases

You should contact the Headteacher of your child’s existing school who will be able to offer advice.  You must then contact the School Admissions Team (see below).

Transfers between schools will normally only take place at the beginning of a school term and you should not remove your child from their current school until then.

If your child has a statement of special educational needs

Please see the ‘guide for parents:  Secondary’ (see below).

Further information

Full details of the admission arrangements for schools in Wakefield Metropolitan District are given in the ‘Guide for Parents: Secondary’.  This is produced by Wakefield Local Authority and is available from the School Admissions Team at County Hall.

The School Admissions Team is happy to advise parents on all aspects of admissions to the Authority’s schools.

Please write to :

School Admissions Team, County Hall, Wakefield, WF1 2QL.

The telephone number is Wakefield (01924) 305616/17, 305789 or 306766

Admission figures for Castleford High School Technology College

Currently Castleford High School is fully subscribed for the year 2007/8

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