Draft Admissions Policy 2011/12

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL SUNNINGDALE

DRAFT ADMISSIONS POLICY AND GUIDANCE NOTES FOR
COMPLETING THE COMMON APPLICATION FORM (CAF)
AND SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FORM (SIF)
FOR 2011/12

Holy Trinity Primary School is a Church of England Voluntary Aided School.  This status means that the Admissions Authority is the Governing Body, acting through its Admissions Committee, and not the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.  However, the Admissions Policy, the Admissions Criteria, these Guidance Notes and the Common Application Form comply with the School Admissions Code 2008 issued by the DCSF.  The Admissions Criteria are subject to a consultation process with relevant parents and other groups with an interest in the local area, including The Oxford Diocesan Board of Education.

Compulsory school age starts in the term following a child’s 5th birthday.  This is defined as by 31 December for the Spring Term, by 31 March for the Summer Term and by 31 August for the Autumn Term.  Holy Trinity CE Primary School will admit all children in the September of the school year in which they will be 5 years old.  This will be either on a full or part time basis depending on the term in which the child has his/her birthday.

Parents may request that the date their child is admitted to the school be deferred until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in that school year.  Parents may not, however, defer entry into the next school year.  In addition parents may request that their child attends part time until the child reaches compulsory school age.  (See note 13)

If a place is not available the LA will issue a letter of refusal to the parents advising them of the right to appeal.  In addition the LA will refer the parents to Holy Trinity CE Primary School.   If requested the child’s name will be held on a waiting list which will remain applicable for each year group.  The Admissions Criteria will be applied to identify the child’s position on the waiting list at the time any places become available.  Places will be offered in accordance with those Criteria and does not depend on the date a child was placed on it.

Applications received after the final date for which applications are due* will be considered only after applications received by that date* have been processed.  A response will be provided in accordance with the coordinated admissions scheme*.  Should a place not be available the parents will be asked if they wish to place their child’s name on the waiting list.

Please read the School Prospectus and the Admissions Criteria before completing the Application Form.

The Admissions Committee is required by law to consider only the information supplied on the Common Application Form (CAF) and Supplementary Information Form (SIF).   It is very important that you take great care to ensure the details you provide are complete and correct before submitting them.

Notes:

1. Residency means the address at which the child lives and sleeps during the week (Mon to Fri).  Proof of residence may be requested by asking for evidence such as inclusion on the Electoral Register, or a recent utilities bill confirming your name and address.  Applicants moving into the catchment area will be requested to provide by the application date* evidence from a solicitor that there is a legally binding agreement to buy the house or a formal tenancy agreement, backed up as soon as possible by evidence from the Electoral Register or a utilities bill as above.
   
   Parents of pupils without this evidence intending to move into a catchment area after the application date* cannot have a place reserved for them.
   
   Residency would also include temporary residency to cover arrangements for children in foster homes or other similar care circumstances which the Admissions Committee considers to be genuine exceptions.
2. Definition of parent:  A parent is any person who has parental responsibility for or is the legal guardian of the child. 
3. Definition of sibling:  Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling.  If we have insufficient places for multiple births in a family, we would allow the parents to decide which child or children should accept the place or places available.
4. Church connections will be considered to be strong if a parent is on the electoral roll of Holy Trinity Church or another Anglican church and is an active member of the congregation.  Active is defined as attending a service of worship twice a month as well as being involved in at least one other activity organised by the church for a minimum of a year.  Details of involvement are required on the supplementary information form and must be supported by the clergy.
5. Parents seeking further information about the coordinated admissions arrangements for The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead should consult the Education Admissions Office on 01628 798888/683870 or by email at school.admissions@rbwm.gov.uk
6. For entry to the Foundation Year starting 1^st September 2009 the school received 68 applications.  30 places were offered.  In 2009/10 the applications equivalent to this criteria were:  Cat 2 – 10, Cat 3 – 5, Cat 4 – 20, Cat 5– 0, Cat 6 – 2, Cat 7 – 2, Cat 8 – 29.   During this year we received 4 appeals for foundation stage of which 0 were successful.
7. A child would only be given a Statement of Special Need naming Holy Trinity CE School, Sunningdale after consultation with the school by the RBWM.  Such action is very rare.
8. Fraudulent applications will be treated as such and offers of places may be withdrawn.
9. Applications for earlier admission will not be considered; nor will applications be reconsidered within the same academic year unless there is a major change of circumstances (eg, change of address).
10. Holy Trinity Primary School complies with the ‘Fair Access Protocol’ as implemented by the LA in September ’07.
11. This policy, updated November 2009, was designed to comply with all necessary and relevant legislation, including the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, equal opportunities, etc.
12. For further information, in the first instance, please contact the School Secretary, on 01344 620716, or via email: holytrinitysunn@rbwm.org
13. It should be noted that children born between:

1^st September 2006 – 31^st December 2006 may have their entry deferred until the first day of the spring term (term 3).

1^st January 2007 – 31^st March 2007 may have their entry deferred until the first day of the summer term (term 5).

1^st April 2007 – 31^st August 2007 may not have their entry deferred into the next academic year.

*Dates and process of application will be in accordance with the coordinated admission scheme – the details of which will be as published in the RBWM’s composite booklet on admissions.