Starting Secondary School 2015

Transcription

1 MERTON COUNCIL PUTTING YOU FIRST Starting Secondary School 2015 Transfer from Primary to Secondary School for Admission in September 2015 For children born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 Apply online by 31 October

2 Contents Contents Welcome 01 Applying online 02 Key dates 2014/15 03 Location of Merton secondary schools 04 Completing the Common Application Form 06 Guide to applying for a secondary school place 08 Admissions criteria for Merton s academies 11 Admissions criteria for Merton s community and voluntary controlled schools 14 Admissions criteria for Merton s Voluntary Aided schools 16 Harris Academy Merton 18 Harris Academy Morden 20 Raynes Park High School 22 Ricards Lodge High School 24 Rutlish School 26 St Mark s Church of England Academy 28 Ursuline High School Wimbledon 30 Wimbledon College 32 Post-16 options in Merton 34 Post-16 open events Schools in neighbouring boroughs 36 Frequently asked questions 40 List of educational terms 43 Open event dates Back page Merton School Admissions Confirm receipt of your September 2015 Secondary School Application Form Affix stamp Merton School Admissions Stamp Name Address Telephone If you require confirmation that your application has been received, please cut out and return this slip for confirmation of receipt. We will not return this slip if you do not put a stamp on it.

3 Welcome Welcome Dear Parents and Carers Choosing a secondary school is one of the most important decisions that you and your child will make together. We understand that this can be an anxious time for parents/carers and children alike and hope that this brochure is a useful tool to guide you through the secondary admissions process. Merton secondary schools have a lot to offer. In addition to our impressive academic performance at both GCSE and A level, and our continuous progress, we are proud of the unique and vibrant nature of each of our schools and their Sixth Forms. Whilst they all remain committed to achieving academic excellence and ensuring every student leaves at 18 with the qualifications, skills and confidence to succeed, each Merton secondary school has a distinct vision and character. This brochure aims to provide an insight into the individual flavour of each of our schools, as well as key information about the admissions process and how to secure your child a place at our popular schools. For a better understanding of what our schools have to offer, we encourage you to visit during the open event season. Details of the open evenings and mornings available at each of the Merton schools can be found on the back page of this brochure. As Director of Children, Schools and Families, I am incredibly proud of Merton s schools, all that they have to offer and our governors, staff, students and parents, who all contribute to our success and continued development. I am confident you will be impressed by the richness, diversity and quality of our educational offer and that your child will excel at a Merton secondary school. We look forward to welcoming you. Yvette Stanley Director of Children, Schools and Families London Borough of Merton As Cabinet Member and a school governor for over 15 years, I am privileged to have witnessed first-hand the extensive academic, sporting and creative opportunities offered across Merton. The past few years have seen significant advances in our schools with the best ever GCSE results last summer and continuing improvement. Our schools offer tremendous opportunities to all our young people, Merton Council strives for excellence and we are committed to ensuring that our schools maintain exceptionally high standards. All Merton Secondary schools now offer all our students outstanding Sixth Form opportunities, encouraging many to aspire to higher education. We look forward to welcoming you and your family to secondary education in Merton and hope that your child will enjoy their experience and prosper by attending one of our schools. Martin Whelton Cabinet Member for Education London Borough of Merton This brochure aims to: provide parents and carers of children living in Merton with the information they need to apply for a secondary school place in this or any other local authority area for September provide information about each of the eight Merton secondary schools. The content of this brochure is correct at the time of going to press, August Please keep this brochure until you have received and accepted an offer of a secondary school place for your child. If you have any questions regarding school admissions, please contact: School Admissions Team Children, Schools and Families London Borough of Merton Civic Centre London Road Morden SM4 5DX admissions@merton.gov.uk Telephone: Website: 1

4 Applying online Applying online Parents of children living in the London Borough of Merton can apply online for a secondary place at: Last year, 80% of Merton residents applied online. This has several advantages: your forms will not get lost in the post the data validation system prevents you from giving incorrect school names or numbers you will receive an instant confirmation of your submitted application quick and simple, and no paper involved save on paper and postage costs safe and secure password operated system you can change or amend your application right up to the closing date no risk of data input errors once the online form has been completed you will receive earlier notification of the result of your application. The online application form is straightforward and asks for the same information as the paper Common Application Form. If you have any doubts about the information you should enter, please see pages 6 7 of this brochure for details. Once you have registered to apply online, please keep a note of your user name, password and reference number below. You will then be able to return to your application to make amendments until the statutory closing date of Friday 31 October 2014, and to view the outcome on the evening of Monday 2 March If you apply online, please do not also submit a paper Common Application Form. Submitting more than one application could, at the very least, delay your application. For online admissions USER NAME/ PASSWORD: REFERENCE NUMBER: 2

5 Key dates 2014/15 Key dates September to October 2014 Merton secondary school open days and open evenings. Information about each school will be available at these events. Friday 24 October 2014 Closing date for the supplementary forms for Ursuline High School Wimbledon. Recommended date for parents to submit applications. Friday 31 October 2014 Statutory closing date for receipt of applications, Common Application Forms and the supplementary form for Wimbledon College. After this date your application will be considered as late. Friday 21 November 2014 to Monday 12 January 2015 Admissions authorities rank applications according to admissions criteria. Friday 12 December 2014 Date by which applications from people moving into the borough or evidence of changing address after Friday 31 October 2014 must be received. Please see page 9 for details. Monday 2 March 2015 National Offer Day. We will post letters to tell you the result of your application. Online applicants will be able to view their results online this evening. Monday 16 March 2015 May to June 2015 June/July 2015 Date by which you must accept or decline your offer of a school place. Admissions appeals. All students transferring to Merton secondary schools spend a day at their new school. 3

6 School locations Location of Merton secondary schools 4

7 1 Harris Academy Morden 2 St Mark s Church of England Academy 3 Raynes Park High School 4 Ricards Lodge High School 5 Rutlish School 6 Harris Academy Merton 7 Ursuline High School Wimbledon 8 Wimbledon College School locations Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. London Borough of Merton

8 Completing the application Completing the Common Application Form We recommend that you apply online (see page 2) via the Merton website at: If you and your child reside permanently in Merton, and you cannot apply online, you should use the paper Common Application Form supplied with this brochure. Each local authority issues its own Common Application Form and, if you do not live in Merton, you must obtain one from the borough in which you live, regardless of which schools you wish to name as preferences. If you apply online, your application will automatically be directed to the correct borough. You may only complete one application. If you apply online, please do not also complete the paper form. If more than one application is completed for a child, the one with the latest date on it will be accepted and the earlier one will be withdrawn. If you apply online, there are guidance notes to help you and the form will validate as you complete it to ensure mistakes are not made. If you need to complete the paper form, the following notes will help you. It is essential that the application is completed fully and accurately. The paper form is divided into six sections; please ensure that you complete them all. Section 1 Your child We need your child s full name, date of birth and gender. The child s address should be that of his or her permanent residence at the closing date for applications. You may not give the address of a relative or carer unless they have legal custody of the child. If parents are separated and share custody of the child, the address you give should be that of the parent with whom the child spends most of the school week, which will normally be the address of the parent to whom Child Benefit is payable, however, all available evidence will be considered. If the parent making the application lives at a different address from the child, a letter of explanation should be attached. Please give the name and address of your child s current primary school. You can check the DfE number with the school. Section 2 Parent or carer s details We also need your name and address. We will check your address against Council records and may request supporting evidence if this differs from the name on the application form. If you move house, you should notify the School Admissions Team immediately and provide proof of the new address. It is not permitted for a family to use a temporarily rented address to secure a place of their preference. The local authority will investigate any cases: where there are any doubts where information has been received from a school or member of the public to suggest a fraudulent application has been made where records show a recent change of address. The local authority reserves the right to seek evidence from parents, Council records, primary schools or any other source deemed appropriate. We may also make a home visit and refer cases to the borough s investigation officers where benefits are being paid. An application that uses false information may be subject to legal proceedings. If an application is found to be fraudulent after a place has been offered, the place will normally be withdrawn. Section 3 Looked After Children / children in public care You need to state whether or not the child is, or has previously been, in the care of a local authority. A child currently Looked After or in public care is defined as being in the care of the local authority, for example, in foster care or a children s home. A previously Looked After Child is a child who was adopted, or subject to a residence order, or special guardianship order, immediately following having been Looked After. Please note that children adopted from overseas are not classified as children in public care. If the child meets the criteria to be classified as a Looked After Child or a child in public care, you must enclose either a letter from the relevant local authority confirming the legal status of the child, a copy of the care order, or a copy of the special guardianship order. Section 4 Special educational needs If your child already has a statement of special 6

9 educational needs (SEN), you do not need to complete this form as you will follow a different admissions process with your SEN caseworker. Otherwise, please tick the appropriate box or statutory plan. If your child is undergoing the statementing process but it is not yet complete, please tick NO and complete the form as normal but attach a letter telling us that this is the case. We will then liaise with the SEN Team before the offers are made. Please do not delay making your application because you are waiting for the outcome of any assessment of special educational needs as this may restrict the options available to you. Section 5 School preferences You may name up to six schools on the form. The schools do not have to be in Merton, they can be in any borough. Please give the name and the DfE number, which is available in this brochure for most local schools. Schools in adjacent boroughs may have similar names so it is important that we know which one you prefer. Forms where the DfE number has not been provided may be returned for completion. Limiting the number of schools you name will not improve your chance of securing a place at your first preference school, but please do not name schools unless you are happy for your child to attend. Naming the same school more than once will not increase your chances of being offered a place as each application will only be considered once for each school. Merton schools do not give priority to staff, however, some schools in other boroughs may do so. You are advised to check the admission arrangements of the schools you are applying for. If your child may qualify on this basis, you will need to indicate this on your application. Please think carefully about your preference order. If you receive an offer at a preference school, it may not be possible to offer a place at a lower preference school later on if you change your mind. Private (fee paying) schools are not part of the scheme and should not be included on your application. You may state a reason for your preference if you wish. If you are attaching supporting documents, you should state this in the reason box. Please name any sibling(s). You should check the admissions criteria for the school concerned as sibling rules may not be the same for each school, and not all schools give sibling priority. Section 6 Declaration and signature Please read the declaration carefully and sign the form. We cannot process forms that are not signed. Supplementary forms Both Ursuline High School and Wimbledon College require a supplementary form to assess faith elements of the admissions criteria which must be returned to the school by Friday 24 October 2014 for Ursuline High School and by Friday 31 October 2014 for Wimbledon College. If you do not submit a supplementary form, your application will only be considered after applicants who have submitted this form and meet the faith criteria. These schools are normally oversubscribed with Catholic applicants and there is no percentage of places reserved for non-catholic children. St Mark s Church of England Academy requires a supplementary form for Foundation and Governors places and this must be returned to the school by Friday 31 October If you do not submit a supplementary form, your child will only be considered for Open places. All applicants to Harris Academy Merton and Harris Academy Morden sit a Non-Verbal Reasoning test and a supplementary form is only required if an applicant has any special educational or medical needs that the Academy should be made aware of before the test day. Where do I send my completed form? If you are completing a paper form rather than applying online, and your child attends a Merton primary school, please return the form to the school by Friday 24 October Forms for children who attend any other schools should be either hand delivered or posted to School Admissions Team, London Borough of Merton, Civic Centre, Morden, SM4 5DX. Forms must be received by Friday 31 October No responsibility can be taken for forms lost in the post. Wherever possible we recommend completing your application using the online system to avoid any potential postal problems. If you post an application form, please obtain proof of postage as any forms that go missing in the postal system will be the responsibility of the applicant. If you send a paper form in an A4 envelope, please note that postage will be in excess of a single first class stamp. If insufficient postage is paid, the form may not reach our office and your application will be jeopardised. We recommend using the reply slip on the inside front page of this brochure so that we can acknowledge receipt of your application form. Please ensure that you include your address and a stamp on the reply slip. Online applicants will automatically receive a reference number to confirm that their application has been received, and we recommend this as the safest method for making applications. Completing the application 7

10 Guide to applying Guide to applying for a secondary school place Which schools should I apply for? Before deciding which schools to apply for, gather as much information about the schools as possible using a variety of sources. We suggest that you: visit the schools (see the back page for details of open events) obtain school prospectuses look at school websites read the descriptions of Merton schools in this brochure. Please do not base your decisions solely on exam results or what other people say about a school. We recommend that all families make up their own minds and that your child is involved in the application process. Visit school open events with your child and remember that different children thrive in different environments, not just those that the parents feel are appropriate. Also take into account how easy it will be for your child to get to the school on time from your home address. It is also important that you consider the admissions criteria for each school; how places are allocated and who gets priority when a school is oversubscribed. Different schools have different admissions policies, and these may affect the chances of your child being offered a place. If you are considering applying for a selective school in one of our neighbouring boroughs, speak to your child s primary school headteacher to find out the likelihood of your child passing the entrance test. Please note that selective schools conduct their testing before the closing date for applications so you should know whether your child meets the entry standard before you apply. Merton schools do not have selection tests as Merton has a fully comprehensive system. However, Harris Academy Merton and Harris Academy Morden operate a banding system to ensure a comprehensive intake and all applicants for these Academies will be required to sit a test (see page 11 for details). Your child will only be required to sit the one test even if you apply for both Harris Academies. How do I apply? Decide which schools you and your child would like and in which order of preference. Apply online at You will receive an automated reference number to show that your application has been submitted. If you do not have access to a computer, complete the paper Common Application Form and follow the instructions under the section headed Where do I send my completed form? on page 7. You may also need to complete supplementary forms for some schools that require additional information. Refer to information on page 7 or consult the prospectus for each school. Each applicant in London is limited to a maximum of six preferences on their Common Application Form. It is recommended that you name at least one school for which your application is likely to be successful, for example, your local school. If you have any questions regarding your application or your order of preference, please contact the School Admissions Team at admissions@merton.gov.uk How are places allocated? Merton Local Authority will always try to offer a place at the school you have named as the highest preference. Our admissions process operates an equal preference scheme, which means that each admissions authority will consider applications without referring to the order of preference on your application. If your child is unsuccessful at your first preference school, they will not get overlooked by schools lower down your order of preference. The admissions authority, which can be the local authority or the school itself, will decide whether a place can be offered. Where a school is oversubscribed, the admissions criteria are used to rank applications. This is the order in which children will be offered places. If you are thinking about applying for any schools outside Merton, please also get a copy of the relevant local authority brochure (see pages for details). 8

11 If a child is only eligible for one school out of all the listed preferences by this ranking process, this will be the offer made. Where a child is ranked highly enough to receive an offer from two or more of their preferred schools, the offer will be made for the highest preference school. Any lower preferences will be automatically withdrawn. Where you have applied to schools in more than one London borough, these boroughs exchange details electronically and the process is repeated. Again, the highest potential offer is retained and the others discarded. This process continues until each child has no more than one offer. If your child is not eligible for any of the schools you applied for, and you are a Merton resident, Merton Local Authority will offer you a place at an appropriate Merton school with a vacancy. When will I know? All local authorities will send out offer letters to their own residents on Monday 2 March These letters are posted on that day. Online applicants will be able to view the outcome of their application on the evening of Monday 2 March The letter will give instructions on how to accept or decline any place you have been offered. What if my application is late or I change my preferences? If your application is made after the closing date of Friday 31 October 2014 or you change your existing preferences after this date, your application will be treated as late. A late application will not be considered until after all those that were received on time and may jeopardise the possibility of your child being offered a place at one of your preferred schools. If the application is late or preferences are changed for good reason, such as a change of address, these will be considered as on time providing the change has taken place and the evidence of this is received before Friday 12 December Any applications or changes from this date will not be considered until after Monday 2 March To help us decide whether cases are late for good reason, parents must submit written evidence giving details of their case. A copy of their new Council Tax bill together with a solicitor s letter regarding contract completion or a copy of their new tenancy agreement, must accompany changes of address. If you are unsure whether your circumstances would be regarded as good reason, please contact the School Admissions Team at admissions@merton.gov.uk for advice. Please note that forms that go missing in the postal system can only be reconsidered if there is proof of postage. Lost forms, where there is no proof of postage, are the responsibility of the applicant. For this reason we advise applying online wherever possible. What is a waiting list? Where a school is oversubscribed and has more applicants than places available, offers are made according to the admissions criteria. Those who cannot be offered a place will be added to a waiting list, providing they are not offered one of their higher preference schools. Waiting lists are kept in the same order as the admissions criteria of the school. All applicants will automatically be held on waiting lists for higher preference schools than the one offered. If the schools are outside Merton, we will pass the child s information to the relevant borough(s) to add to their waiting lists, providing the child is eligible (e.g. a child cannot be added to the waiting list for a selective school if they did not pass the entrance test). If you want to know if your child is on a waiting list for a school in another borough, you should contact the school s admissions authority (either the relevant local authority or the school itself). Waiting lists for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools are maintained by the local authority; Voluntary Aided schools and Academies maintain their own. Waiting lists will remain open until the end of the 2015 autumn term. If you wish to remain on the list after this date, you must write to the admissions authority (the local authority or the school itself). Waiting lists can change: for example, if a child moves into the area after the initial allocations have been made their name will be added to the waiting list in accordance with the admissions criteria. If they live closer to the chosen school than you do, their name may go above your child s on the waiting list. Once your child s name reaches the top of the waiting list, you will be offered a place if a vacancy occurs. Completing the application 9

12 Guide to applying Can I appeal if I don t get the place I want? All parents have the right of appeal against a decision not to offer a place for their child, providing an application has been made. For Community and Voluntary Controlled schools, appeals should be lodged with the Local Authority. For Voluntary Aided schools or Academies, they should be lodged directly with the governing body of the particular school. Information about how to appeal will be sent to all applicants who are not offered their first preference school. This will accompany the letter sent on Monday 2 March Appeals are likely to be heard during May and June. Only a few appeals are upheld; last year no Merton Community School appeals were upheld and on average only one in ten secondary school appeals are successful. Those that are upheld tend to have significant supporting professional evidence showing why only that particular school is suitable for the child. If you do have supporting evidence, please supply this with the original application as it may help avoid the need for an appeal hearing. What if my child has a statement of special educational needs? If your child has a statement of special educational needs, you will need to call the SEN Team on as the application process is different from that described in this brochure. See page 40 for some other frequently asked questions. 10

13 Admissions criteria for Merton s Academies These admissions criteria apply to Harris Academy Merton and Harris Academy Morden. Admissions criteria Each Academy has an agreed admissions number of 180 students. Each Academy will accordingly admit at least 180 students in the relevant age group, each year, if sufficient applications are received. Each Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 180 applications are received, that Academy will offer places to all those who have applied. Where an Academy is oversubscribed, the allocation of places will take place within a framework of fair banding whereby all applicants are placed in nine ability bands, based on Nationally Standardised Results (NSR), depending on the score an applicant achieves in a Non-Verbal Reasoning test (ranked from the lowest to the highest band). The number of places offered from each band is based on the NSR suggested intake. This process is to ensure a comprehensive intake into each Academy. If an applicant does not sit the test, they will be considered after those who have, and will be considered on a straight line distance basis only. Given the level of oversubscription that each Academy has, it is most likely not to be in a position to offer places to children who do not sit the test. Harris Academy Morden Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admissions number after allocation of children with statements of special educational needs, applications will be considered against the criteria, and in the order set out below: 1. Looked After Children and children who were Looked After, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order). 2. Students for whom it is essential that they be admitted to the Academy because of significant medical needs evidenced by written medical evidence. Each Academy will make a judgement based on the evidence provided as to whether it is the only school able to meet the child s needs. Fifty percent of the remaining places in each band will be offered to students living within a two mile radial distance of the Academy on the basis of proximity. Distance to be measured using the straight line distance (defined by the Academy) between the main entrance to an applicant s home and the main entrance to the Academy site. Where a student lives for part of each week at different addresses, the home address shall be that address where the student spends the majority of the week. The remaining 50% of the places in each band will be offered to applicants living within a four mile radial distance on the basis of proximity. If at the end of this process there are unallocated places in any band these will be filled by unallocated applicants from the next nearest band alternatively above or below using the same allocation criteria set out above. If the number of applications from within four miles is exhausted then applicants outside the four mile zone will be considered using the same criteria as above. Harris Academy Merton Where the Academy is oversubscribed, after allocation of applicants with a statement of special educational needs, applicants who live within a four miles straight line distance from the Academy are ranked within each band in the following order: 1. Looked After Children and children who were Looked After, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order). 2. Applicants for whom it is essential that they be admitted to the Academy because of significant medical needs evidenced by written medical evidence. The Academy will make a judgment based on the evidence provided as to whether it is the only school able to meet the applicant s needs. 3. Applicants who have an older sibling in Years 7 to 12 attending the Academy at the time of application. A sibling is defined as a child who lives as a brother or sister in the same house including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings and step brothers or sisters. 4. All other applicants i.e. applicants who do not meet the above criteria. Within each of these criteria applicants will be ranked according to the home to Academy distance. If at the end of this process there are unallocated places in any band, these will be filled by unallocated applicants, alternating between the band above and below, using the same allocation criteria set out above. If the number of applications from within four miles is exhausted then applicants outside of the four mile zone will be considered using the same criteria as above. These oversubscription criteria have been extracted from the admissions policy of each Academy. Please contact the Academies directly to obtain their full policy. 11

14 Admissions criteria St Mark s Church of England Academy The governing body is responsible for the admission of students to St Mark s Church of England Academy and admits 180 students to Year 7 each September. This admissions number applies to the year 2015/16. Out of the 180 places, the governing body intends to allocate 40 Foundation places (for practising Christians); 20 Governors places (for other faith communities) and 120 Open places for the local community (i.e. for those who live closest to the Academy). Foundation places The governing body has designated 40 places to be offered to students whose families are faithful and regular worshippers in an Anglican or Christian Church. Written evidence of applicants commitment to their place of worship (in the form of a clergy reference) will be required at the time of application. If there are more than 40 applicants, places will be allocated according to the following criteria. These are stated in order of priority: (1) Looked After Children or previously Looked After Children; (2) children with known medical or social or pastoral needs who have an exceptional need for a place at this particular Academy; (3) children whose families are faithful and regular worshippers in an Anglican church in the deaneries of Merton, Lambeth South, Croydon North or Sutton and who live within the deaneries; (4) children who will have a brother or sister at the Academy at the time of admission; (5) the nearness of the home to the Academy, measured as a straight line measurement from the applicant s home address to the Academy s entrance gate. In the event that two or more applicants have equal right to a place under any of the above criteria, the governing body will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of priority, to these applicants. If applicants live equally distant from the Academy the governing body will draw lots to decide between applicants. If there are fewer than 40 qualified applicants for Foundation places, any unfilled places will become additional Open places. All applicants for Foundation places will also be considered for Open places, and if they are successful in gaining a Foundation place, their name will be removed from the list of Open candidates. Governors places The governing body has designated 20 places each year as Governors places, to be offered to students whose families are members of another faith community and who live within the deaneries of Merton, Lambeth South, Croydon North or Sutton. Written evidence of applicants commitment to their place of worship (in the form of a faith leader s reference) will be required at the time of application. If there are more than 20 applicants, places will be allocated according to the following criteria. These are stated in order of priority: (1) Looked After Children or previously Looked After Children; (2) children with known medical or social or pastoral needs who have an exceptional need for a place at this particular Academy; (3) children who will have a brother or sister at the Academy at the time of admission; (4) the nearness of the home to the Academy, measured as a straight line measurement from the applicant s home address to the Academy s entrance gate. In the event that two or more applicants have equal right to a place under any of the above criteria, the governing body will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of priority, to these applicants. If applicants live equally distant from the Academy the governing body will draw lots to decide between applicants. If there are fewer than 20 qualified applicants for Governors places, any unfilled places will become additional Open places. All applicants for Governors places will also be considered for Open places, and if they are successful in gaining a Governors place, their name will be removed from the list of Open candidates. 12

15 Open places The governing body has designated 120 places each year as Open places, to be offered to students who do not qualify for a Foundation or Governors place, but whose parents have chosen the Academy for the type of education it provides. Parents applying for an Open place do so knowing that the Academy aims to provide an education based on Christian principles and, therefore, the governing body hopes that all students will take part in Christian worship at the Academy and will attend religious education lessons. If there are more than 120 applicants, places will be allocated according to the following criteria. These are stated in order of priority: (1) Looked After Children or previously Looked After Children; (2) children with known medical or social or pastoral needs who have an exceptional need for a place in this particular Academy; (3) children who will have a brother or sister at the Academy at the time of admission; (4) the nearness of the home to the Academy, measured as a straight line measurement from the applicant s home address to the Academy s entrance gate. In the event that two or more applicants have equal right to a place under any of the above criteria, the governing body will apply the subsequent criteria, in order of priority, to these applicants. If applicants live equally distant from the Academy the governing body will draw lots to decide between applicants. Notes Faithful and regular worshipper is defined as worshipping twice a month for two years prior to application. Brother or sister is defined as blood relatives, step siblings, and fostered and adopted children living at the same address. Any application based on medical or social or pastoral needs must be supported by (an) appropriate professional reference(s), e.g. specialist health professional, social worker, educational psychologist, and priest or faith leader. Applicants should be able to demonstrate why St Mark s Church of England Academy is the most suitable school and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school. The straight line distance to the Academy s entrance gate will be calculated through the Local Authority s computer system. All applications will be considered on an equal preference basis. Waiting lists will be held for each of the three admission categories (Foundation, Governors and Open places). Where in any year St Mark s Church of England Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available for any of these particular categories, a waiting list will operate. This will be maintained by St Mark s Church of England 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. Children s position on the waiting list(s) will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out above. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. These oversubscription criteria have been extracted from the Academy s admissions policy. Please contact the Academy directly to obtain the full policy. Admissions criteria 13

16 Admissions criteria Admissions criteria for Merton s Community and Voluntary Controlled schools These admissions criteria apply to Raynes Park High School, Ricards Lodge High School and Rutlish School. If a Community or Voluntary Controlled school has more places available than applicants, then all children who applied will be offered places there. If there are more applicants than places, all applications are ranked according to the admissions criteria. The criteria for the allocation of Year 7 places in oversubscribed schools are as follows, and are applied in the order shown: First criterion Looked After Children or children in public care (i.e. children currently or previously Looked After by a Local Authority). Further details on making an application for a child in public care are included on page 6 of this booklet. If you make an application under this criterion, it must be supported by the necessary documentation. Second criterion Children with an exceptional and professionally supported medical or social need for a place in a particular school. You must submit evidence from a professional person with the application form (or, if applying online, this can be scanned with the application or sent separately) otherwise it will not be possible to take the particular need into account. The School Admissions Team will consider if the evidence shows a need for the child to attend a particular school, which could not reasonably be supported in another school. Please note that the Admissions Team will not seek evidence on behalf of an applicant, and that it is the responsibility of an applicant to ensure that all evidence is made available with the application. In the case of a medical need the Local Authority will consider if it is essential, on medical grounds, for the child to attend the school of the parents preference. If you require a place at a particular school on the basis of a medical need, please contact the School Admissions Team at admissions@merton.gov.uk for an additional form to be completed by a relevant medical professional. Please note we cannot accept letters from yourself or from other members of your family, nor from your health visitor. We do not consider childminding or parents working arrangements as evidence of social need. Third criterion Children who have a brother or sister (sibling) at the school and who will be attending at the time of their admission. A qualifying sibling is a brother or sister (a half or step brother or sister or an adopted brother or sister) who is part of the same family unit living at the same address. This does not include a sibling in Year 11 or Sixth Form at the time the application is made. Fourth criterion Children of permanent staff employed in the main school, in either or both of the following circumstances: a) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage Fifth criterion All other students in order of nearness to the school. We measure the straight line distance between the child s home address and the main reception entrance of the school concerned. The distance between these points will be calculated using a computerised mapping system. The address should be that of the child s permanent residence. You may not give the address of a relative or carer unless they have legal custody of the child. If parents are separated and share custody of the child, the address given should be that of the parent with whom the child spends most of the school week, which will normally be the address of the parent to whom Child Benefit is payable, however all available evidence will be considered. If the parent making the application lives at a different address from the child, a letter of explanation should be attached An application can only be made from a single address, and only a single application can be made for each child. It is not permitted for a family to use a temporarily rented address to secure a place of their preference. In disputed cases, the School Admissions Team will make a judgement based on the evidence available to them. 14

17 Any offer is conditional upon the child living at the appropriate address on the relevant date. Parents have a responsibility to notify the local authority of any change of address. Please note: Applicants in short term rented accommodation may be asked to provide evidence of their current and former housing arrangements. Where an applicant has ownership of a property, that should be used for the purposes of school admission, the applicant must provide evidence and reasons for the use of any other address. Any applicant who moves from a rented or temporary address in advance of their child taking up their school place may have their place withdrawn if it is found the family have returned to an address already in their ownership. The authority will investigate whether the place should be withdrawn if the pupil is not resident at the application address at the time of the September entry point. The authority will always investigate a case where the application address has previously been used to gain a school place fraudulently. Where it is found an address has been used for the purposes of admission where the child is not ordinarily resident, the application and any place offered will be withdrawn. An offer found to have been gained fraudulently will be withdrawn. This may also be the case where the child has started the school. In some cases, places may not be withdrawn once a child has been attending the school for a term or more. In these circumstances future sibling applications will not be given sibling priority for places and will be considered under the next appropriate criterion. It should be noted that the computerised system, which uses Ordnance Survey Maps, measures from a start point plotted within the centre of the property at which the applicant lives to the main school reception entrance and calculates this measurement. Where more than one applicant has the same straight line distance measurement and distance is the determining factor, rank order will be determined by random allocation. Applicants wishing to query a distance from home to school should contact the School Admissions Team at admissions@merton.gov.uk. In cases where a distance calculation is disputed, applicants should write to the School Admissions Manager, London Borough of Merton, 10th Floor, Civic Centre, London Road, Morden SM4 5DX. All disputes will be investigated. Where it is agreed that the basis of the calculation was incorrect the measurement will be recalculated. The calculation will be re-run for both the applicant in question and any other applicant shown to be affected by the issue. Applications relating to twins, triplets or other multiple births Where a parent applies for entry into the same year group for more than one child and the final offered place falls between these children, the school will consider if they have capacity to offer to the additional child(ren). If it is not possible to offer a place to all of them, rank order will be determined by random allocation. The names of the children who were unsuccessful will be added to the waiting list in accordance with the published admissions criteria, in the same way as for other children. The parent can then determine whether to accept or reject those places on an individual basis. Admissions criteria 15

18 Admissions criteria Admissions criteria for Merton s Voluntary Aided schools Ursuline High School Wimbledon. There are 210 places in Year 7. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places the governors will apply the following criteria of selection in the order stated: 1. Looked After and previously Looked After Baptised Catholic(i) girls in the care of Catholic families 2. Girls who are Baptised and Practising Catholics(i) Definition of Practising Catholic a. The applicant is baptised b. For at least the last three years the applicant has regularly attended mass on Sunday / Saturday Evening [as a minimum, three out of four] and regularly on Holy Days of Obligation [as a minimum three out of four] except in times of sickness or for other urgent reasons Girls will be ranked according to Mass attendance as follows: A Weekly attendance for at least 3 years B Fortnightly attendance for at least 3 years C Monthly attendance for at least 3 years D Weekly attendance between 1-3 years E Fortnightly attendance between 1-3 years F Monthly attendance between 1-3 years G Weekly attendance for less than 1 year H Fortnightly attendance for less than 1 year I Monthly attendance for less than 1 year J Less than monthly attendance Girls who never attend Mass or who are not known to their priest will not be considered under Category 2, but in Category 5 all other applicants. 3. Other Looked After and previously Looked After girls 4. Girls who are Practising Christians and those of Other Faiths 5. All other applicants [i.e. applicants who do not meet the criteria above] Within each category and sub-category priority will be given to girls in the following order: 1. Girls who have a sister at the Ursuline or a brother at Wimbledon College(ii) 2. Girls who have a strong social or compassionate need which makes the school particularly suitable 3. Girls who live nearest to the Ursuline. Distance will be measured in a straight line from the girl s home to the school(iii) In relation to oversubscription criterion 2 Governors will assess strong and relevant evidence in the form of a letter which must be provided by the present school and an appropriate authority (e.g. qualified medical practitioner, education welfare officer, social worker, priest). This must be submitted with the supplementary form otherwise it will not be possible to take the particular need into account. In relation to criterion 4 Parents must submit a reference on headed paper from the family s minister or religious Faith Leader stating their daughter is a practising member of the relevant faith. Notes (i) Catholics include Latin Rite Catholics (Roman Catholics) and Oriental Rite Catholics in communion with the See of Rome: the Maronite and Italo-Albanian Catholic Churches; the Chaldean and Syro-Malabar Catholic Churches; the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian and Syro-Malankara Catholic Churches; the Melkite, Ukranian, Ruthenian and Romanian Catholic Churches; the Greek Catholic Church, the Byzantine Catholics in former Yugoslavia, the Bulgarian, Slovak and Hungarian Catholic Churches and the Eastern Catholic Communities (Russian, Belarussian, Georgian and Albanian) without hierarchies. Baptised children of parents who are members of the Ordinariate established under The Aposotolic Constitutions Anlicanorum Coetivus of November (ii) Brothers and sisters include blood siblings, and also siblings by marriage (step brothers and sisters). The sibling must be in the school at the time of the applicant s admission and live at the same address as the applicant. (iii) The distance is measured by the London Borough of Merton on behalf of Ursuline High School using a GIS system, from the girls homes to the main gates in Crescent Road. The deadline for the Year 7 Supplementary Information Form is Friday 24 October These oversubscription criteria have been extracted from the school s admissions policy. Please contact the school directly to obtain the full policy. 16

19 These schools require a supplementary form to assess faith elements of the admissions criteria. If applicants do not submit a supplementary form, they will only be considered under the last criterion for the school. These schools are normally oversubscribed with Catholic applicants. Wimbledon College Wimbledon College will admit 199 boys into Year 7(1) in September If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places, the governors will admit boys in the following order: 1. Catholic boys who are Looked After Children or were previously Looked After Children 2. Catholic boys, who have special circumstances which, in the judgement of the governors on the evidence submitted to them, make Wimbledon College particularly suitable for the boy 3. Catholic boys who attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day 4. Catholic boys who attend Mass less frequently than every Sunday and Holy Day 5. Catholic boys who do not attend Mass 6. Other boys who are Looked After Children or previously Looked After Children 7. Other boys Tiebreaker criteria If the number of applicants in any one category exceeds the number of places available, priority will be given first to boys who will have a brother(2) at Wimbledon College in September 2015 and then in order of distance(3) from the boy s home to Wimbledon College. Where distance is the determining factor, and there are boys who live equidistant from the school an independent body will be engaged to draw lots to determine the rank order. Parental preference Wimbledon College will consider every application for a place in accordance with the admissions criteria described above. Admissions decisions are made by the Governing Body. Catholic identity and religious practice Catholic means being a baptised member of the Latin Rite (Roman Catholic) Church or of an Oriental Rite Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See(4). Catholic practice means attending liturgy(5) on each Sunday(6) and Holy Day. Parents wishing to be considered under the criteria of Catholic identity and practice need to complete the Wimbledon College Supplementary Information Form in addition to the Common Application Form for their Local Authority. The Supplementary Information Form enables the school to confirm religious practice by seeking a reference from a priest of the place where the boy regularly worships. If there is a valid reason why a boy has not attended Mass each Sunday and Holy Day, the parent may explain the circumstances on the Supplementary Information Form and this will be considered by the governors. A baptismal certificate is also required. Special circumstances Special circumstances include educational, medical, social and compassionate reasons why the application of one boy should be given precedence over others. Other circumstances which may merit special consideration include the children of Crown servants, diplomats or armed forces personnel, those returning or moving to the UK from overseas, refugees and asylum seekers, and other social or family circumstances by which the child is adversely affected. Each application made under the special circumstances category must include at least one letter from a relevant professional (such as a social worker, doctor, priest, primary school headteacher or educational psychologist) which sets out evidence in support of the application. The application will need to demonstrate why a place specifically at Wimbledon College is in the child s best interests. The governors will weigh each application on its individual merits, considering all and only the evidence submitted to them, also taking into consideration the ability of the school to meet individual needs and the overall balance of the school population. On the basis of the case presented to them, the governors will decide whether or not an application is eligible for admission under special circumstances. Notes 1) This number will include all boys, whether Catholic or not, who have Statements of Special Educational Needs and are thereby admitted by law. 2) Brothers include blood siblings, adopted children and siblings by marriage (step brothers) who reside at the same address. (3) Distance will be measured by the Local Authority in a straight line from the boy s home to the front gate of the school. (4) The Oriental Rite Catholic Churches in communion with the Holy See are the Maronite and Italo-Albanian Catholic Churches; the Chaldean and Syro-Malabar Catholic Churches; the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian and Syro-Malankara Catholic Churches; the Melkite, Ukranian, Ruthenian and Romanian Catholic Churches; the Greek Catholic Church, the Byzantine Catholics in former Yugoslavia, the Bulgarian, Slovak and Hungarian Catholic Churches and the Eastern Catholic Communities (Russian, Belarusian, Georgian and Albanian) without hierarchies. (5) The Catholic Church regards the liturgy as the summit and the source of all worship and Christian life (canon 897) and requires Catholics to take an active part in the celebration of the Mass (canon 898). For this reason, on Sundays and other Holy Days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist at Mass (canon 1247) unless it is impossible to do so for some grave reason. (canon 1248) (6) Mass attendance on Sundays and Holy Days includes the vigil Mass on the evening before the Sunday or Holy Days. These oversubscription criteria have been extracted from the school s admissions policy. Please contact the school directly to obtain the full policy. Admissions criteria 17

20 Harris Academy Merton Principal: Mr L Gilbert Wide Way, Mitcham CR4 1BP Telephone: info@harrismerton.org.uk Website: DfE number: on time preferences were received last year. Please contact the Academy for details of how places were offered. Places in September places for boys and girls Open evening Wednesday 17 September pm (no admission after 7.30pm) Open morning Wednesday 15 October am Testing for new entrants Friday 12 December Vision Harris Academy Merton provides an inspiring, personalised learning experience in a stimulating environment, enabling all students to make outstanding progress. The Academy s promotion of ambition and excellent behaviour helps all students develop the attributes that bring lifelong success in today s global society. We believe that parental involvement is vital to students academic attainment and personal development. We expect parents and carers to support us in ensuring that their children attend regularly and arrive punctually, in full uniform, fully equipped and ready to learn. Parents and carers make an invaluable contribution by ensuring that homework is completed and helping us to know when students need extra support or more challenges. Admissions Procedure Students who apply for a place at the Academy are required to sit the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Non-Verbal Reasoning test. The test ensures that the Academy admits a representative intake of students across all ability bands. In the event of oversubscription, places will be offered in each band, ensuring an even distribution of ability. Priority in each band will be given to students with special needs and Looked After Children, with the remaining places offered on the basis of proximity to the Academy. Please see page 11 for further information. Curriculum All students are allocated to a tutor group in one of the four faculties that make up the Academy s pastoral structure. The faculty system is effective in providing students with a sense of belonging, while promoting healthy competition. I like going to HAM because everyone is so kind and when you go into a lesson all of the teachers are helpful. At Harris Academy Merton you will always find someone just like you. Year 7 student Committed subject specialists deliver the curriculum, with strong support from teaching assistants and innovative technology, within the Academy s excellent facilities. Class sizes are sufficiently small to provide for individual attention but large enough for students to interact with each other and with the teaching staff. There is a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy, ensuring that all students acquire the basic skills that underpin academic performance. The Key Stage 3 curriculum follows the full range of National Curriculum subjects. The Key Stage 4 curriculum has developed as students achievements have improved, allowing us to provide an increasing variety of academic courses, helping students to succeed in the subjects that are their strengths. 18