Moving school in 2014

Transcription

1 Moving school in 2014 Information for parents and carers of children applying to transfer to middle, secondary, or high schools for September 2014 Find out more and apply online before the closing date of midday (12 noon), 31 October 2013 at

2 Contents Page Introduction Introduction 3 Important dates to remember 4 At transfer age how do I decide which schools to apply to? 5 How do I apply for a school place? 7 New for 2014: Admission to proposed 14+ provision 7 How do you process my application? 11 Offers day and beyond 13 Applying outside the normal transfer times, also known as in year admissions 15 Additional information 17 Explanation of terms 18 Directory of Newcastle middle and secondary schools 20 Directory of proposed new schools 22 Admissions policies for Newcastle schools 2014: 23 Local authority admission policy 23 Excelsior Academy admission policy 28 Admission policies for Gosforth Academy and Junior High Academy 32 Allocation of school places 2013 for schools and academies following 35 the LA admission policy, including Kenton Academy Non-faith schools and academies appeals Admission policies for faith schools and academies 37 Table showing allocation of places and appeals 2013 at faith schools 44 and academies Admission policies for free schools 45 Admission policies for studio schools 48 Application form for school transfers If you provide a mobile number on your school application, we will text you with information and updates regarding the progress of your application. The information in this booklet is correct at the time of going to print. This booklet is aimed at parents and carers of Newcastle children whose children will transfer from first, primary or middle school in September If your child lives outside Newcastle, please contact your own local authority (the authority you pay your council tax to) for details on how to apply. If you are a Newcastle resident you can make an online application at or by using the paper application form which can be found at the back of this booklet. It is your responsibility to apply to the correct local authority. The booklet explains: How to decide which schools to apply for. How to make your application. How places are offered if there are more applications than places available. What will happen if it is not possible to offer your child a place at your preferred school(s). It also includes details of how to apply for a place in secondary school in year, for example, if you are moving to Newcastle. Moving school can be an important step for your child and we realise it can be a difficult time for you. Newcastle City Council co-ordinates admissions to all Newcastle maintained schools and academies and we aim to make the system as simple as possible. State schools All children aged 5 to 16 are entitled to a free place at a state school. There are different types of state school. The main difference between them is the level of freedom the school has to make its own decisions, for example over its curriculum or admissions policy. Maintained schools A maintained school is funded by the government through the local authority and does not charge fees. Maintained schools include schools which are community, voluntary controlled or voluntary aided (faith) and are types of state schools. Community and voluntary controlled schools The local authority (Newcastle City Council) is the admissions authority for these schools and is responsible for setting the admission arrangements and allocating places in accordance with the published admission arrangements. Voluntary aided (faith) schools The school s governing body is the admission authority for these schools and is responsible for setting the admission arrangements and allocating places in accordance with the published admission arrangements. Academies, free schools and studio schools Academies (including free schools and studio schools) are also state schools which do not charge fees, but they receive their funding direct from central government. If a school becomes an academy during the 2013/14 academic year its determined admission arrangements for 2014 will not change. You must apply by midday (12 noon) on 31 October If you apply after the closing date you are unlikely to be offered a place at your preferred school. Help and advice If you would like further information and advice before, during or after the offers process, view our website at This will always contain the most up to date information. You can also contact us. Phone: (ask for school admissions) [email protected] 2 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

3 Important dates to remember: what happens when? Date Event 1 September 2013 Apply online from this date. 31 October 2013 Closing date for applications. You must apply by this date (midday, 12 noon) either online or by returning the paper application form. Any evidence to support your application must be submitted by this date. 1 January 2014 This is the latest date for you to notify us of exceptional circumstances for example a change of address. 28 February 2014 If you applied online you can log into your application today to view and respond to your offer. Notification letters will be posted second class today to parents/carers who applied on paper. 2 March 2014 Waiting lists will be created. Everyone who applied on time and was not offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the waiting list for all higher ranked schools. 14 March 2014 Last date for accepting the place offered. Online applications should accept the place online; other applicants must return the response form. If you do not respond we may assume the place is not required and reallocate the place to another child. 24 March 2014 This is the day that any places that have become available since offer day will be reallocated to families on waiting lists who applied on time. If you are successful, we will contact you with your new offer. 4 April 2014 Deadline for late applications or late changes to be submitted in order to be included in the second waiting list process. 4 April 2014 Deadline to respond to offers made from first waiting list process run. 17 April 2014 The second (and final) waiting list process will run and successful applicants will be notified of results. Positions on waiting lists will change when information is merged and before offers are run. Late applications and late changes will be made offers at this stage. 22 April 2014 From this date, places will be reallocated as they become available according to waiting lists. 25 April 2014 Deadline for appeals to be submitted to be heard in the first round of appeal hearings. 2 May 2014 Deadline to respond to offers from the second waiting list run. May - July 2014 Appeals will be heard during this period. 1 January 2015 All waiting lists are cleared. At transfer age how do I decide which schools to apply to? Newcastle has both a two-tier and threetier school system. These school systems have a different transfer age as shown below. In the Gosforth, Great Park and Dinnington areas of Newcastle, children are educated in first schools (age 4 to 9) and transfer to middle school at the end of Year 4 (age 9 to 13). From middle school, children normally transfer to the Gosforth Academy at the end of Year 8 (age 13). Note that Studio West is proposed to open in 2014 also admitting children at the end of Year 8. In the rest of Newcastle, children are educated in a primary school from age 4 to 11 before transferring to secondary school at the end of Year 6. Each primary and first school that operates under the local authority admission policy has a designated feeder link school to which their pupils usually transfer. See the directory of schools for more information about all Newcastle schools. If your child is currently in year 4 in a first school you should apply for a place in year 5 in a middle school. If your child is currently in year 6 in a primary school you should apply for a place in year 7 in a secondary school. If your child is currently in year 8 in a middle school you should apply for a place in year 9. Can I apply for my child to change between the two-tier and three-tier school systems? Yes. However applications can only be considered for vacancies that may be available in the year group concerned. Please consider the impact of your child joining a school where most of the pupils have been part of the school community from the usual age of transfer. Does every parent and carer have to apply? Yes. All parents and carers need to apply for their child to transfer schools (unless your child has a statement of special educational needs (SEN) naming a particular school see below) even if you have an older child at the school or are attending a school on a linked site. You will not be considered for a place unless you apply. If you do not apply, you will be offered a place at the nearest available school with places for which your child is eligible. This will happen after all of the on time applications have been allocated. This could be some distance from your home. Does attendance at a feeder school give my child the right to a place in the receiving school? Each primary and first school that operates under the Local Authority admission policy, and some faith schools, have a designated feeder link school to which their pupils usually transfer. If your child attends a feeder school they are not guaranteed a place in the receiving school if there are more applications than places available. But attendance at a feeder school is one of the criteria we apply under the local authority s admission policy when allocating places at transfer age. What if my child has Special Educational Needs? If your child has a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) naming a particular school you do not need to apply for a school place. If your child does not have a statement, then you must apply for a school transfer place. The majority of children with special educational needs are able to have their needs met at any 4 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

4 mainstream school. If you have any specific concerns, please discuss these with the schools you are considering. Can I apply for a faith school? Yes. Faith schools have a religious basis and serve their local community. Anyone can apply for a place at a faith school but priority for admission is usually given to children of their faith. The admission arrangements for faith schools are different to those for community schools. The governing body of each faith school decides the policy for allocating places at their school. Details of the admission policy for each faith school are on the individual school s pages of the website and are also included in this book. You are advised to carefully read the admission arrangements before you apply. The local authority co-ordinates the admissions process for faith schools and will forward the applications on to the school governing body. If there are more applications than places available, the school governors will apply their admission arrangements and allocate places accordingly up to the specified admission number. Faith schools may have different oversubscription criteria from each other and may use different definitions. These are described in their admission policies. If you are applying for a school place for faith reasons, the school may ask you to provide evidence of faith. This can be a certificate of baptism, letter of support from a minister or faith leader, letter from a mosque or suitable equivalent. Schools will contact you directly for this information. It is therefore important that the information on your application form (such as address and telephone number) is correct and up to date. You will need to submit any evidence in the timescale requested by the school or else the governing body may not consider it when allocating places. Newcastle residents can apply for places at Newcastle faith schools online at or complete a paper application form. You can apply for both faith schools and community schools on the same form. Can I apply for an independent school? Not through the local authority process. Independent schools are funded through fees paid by parents. They set their own curriculum and admission policies. If you want to apply to an independent school you should contact the school direct. Please be aware that if you do not apply for a state funded school by the closing date, and your child is not offered a place at an independent school, you may not get a place at your preferred state school. If you apply for a state school and an independent school and are offered a place at both, please tell us which school place you are accepting. To help you to decide which schools to apply to, you can: Find schools in your area by looking in the directory section of this book or by using our online school finder at Visit the schools you are interested in by making an appointment. Carefully read the admission policies for the schools that you are interested in. Note that faith schools and academies may have different admission policies. If the school you are interested in is popular, the admissions policy can give you a realistic idea of the chances of getting a place there. Consider the information on offers made to parents and carers in previous years as this may help you see how likely it is that your child will be offered a place at the school. Read the school brochure and look at the school website, if there is one. Check which schools children normally transfer to from each first, middle and primary school. Consider how your child will get to school. Only a very small number of children are likely to be eligible for free school transport. Talk to your child and to friends and neighbours with school age children. How do I find out about post 16 options? All Newcastle secondary schools and academies provide courses of study for post 16 students as well as the proposed studio school. Entry requirements usually depend on the course of study that a How do I apply for a school place? The local authority (Newcastle City Council) is required by law to coordinate the admission process for all transfer places for children living in Newcastle for all schools and academies. The co-ordinated arrangements make sure that every child is only offered one school place, by the home authority they live in. If you live in Newcastle, applications for school places must be submitted to the city council. You need to apply to us even if you want to apply for a school place outside of Newcastle. We will share your information with other admission authorities and they will inform us if a place can be offered. We will contact you on the outcome. Apply for places online at The closing date for applications is midday (12 noon) on 31 October If you live in another local authority, you must apply to them even if you want a place in a Newcastle school. It is the responsibility of the parent or carer to apply to the correct local authority. We can only process applications for children who live in Newcastle. student wishes to follow. You may qualify for help with study costs through the Newcastle Schools Bursary Scheme. More details can be found at schoolbursaries@newcastle. gov.uk For information on entry requirements and courses available you need to contact individual schools. Further education colleges like Newcastle College can offer similar courses to school sixth forms. For more information on post 16 options, see How many schools can I list? You can list up to four schools on your application. Listing more than one school does not affect your chances of being offered your first preference. Each school listed counts as a separate application so this increases your chances of getting a school you prefer. Do I have to list more than one school? No. However, if you only name one school on your application and we are unable to offer your child a place there you will be offered an alternative school with spaces. Be aware that this might not be near to your home. We would strongly advise you to use all your preferences so that you are considered for other schools if your first preference school is not successful. In which order should I list the schools? Please list your schools in order of preference with the school you most want first. The local authority is required by law to operate an equal preference system for admission to schools. This means that all school preferences are assessed equally (as separate applications in their 6 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

5 own right) and in accordance with the oversubscription criteria regardless of the order they appear on the application form. If a place is available at more than one of your preferred schools, we will offer a place at the one that was listed highest on your application. It is important to understand that: There is no benefit in listing the same school more than once because we can only process one application for each school from each child. Listing four schools of the same type (for example, faith schools) does not mean that your application for any of these schools will be looked at more favourably. Places are allocated by an electronic database based on the information provided by the parent or carer. Staff do not influence results. Demand for places at particular schools varies from year to year. It is not possible to give firm indications of your chances of being offered a place. If your neighbour s children were given a place last year this does not mean you will definitely get a place this year. Do I apply separately if I want my child to attend an academy, free school or studio school? No. The council will be co-ordinating transfer admissions for all state funded schools in the city including academies, free schools and studio schools. Details of the admission policy for each academy are on the individual schools pages of the website and are also included in this book. You are advised to carefully read the admission criteria before you apply. Do I have to apply for a school in my area? No. If you live in Newcastle, you can apply on our application form for a school in any local authority. You are advised to read each school s admission criteria carefully as different schools in other local authorities may have different arrangements. Do I need to provide any proof to support my application? If you are required to provide evidence to support your application, it will say so in the admissions policy for that school. If you are applying to a school for faith reasons they may ask you for proof of faith. If your child was looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order before 31 October 2013 you must provide evidence of the order if you wish to be considered for a school place under the relevant part of the admissions policy for the school. You may be asked to provide proof of your address. You will need to submit any evidence in the timescale requested or it may not be considered when allocating places. What if my child needs to go to a named school for medical reasons? If you are applying for medical reasons (for example, where the child or one or both parents has a disability that means that they can only go to one school), you must provide a letter from an appropriate health professional explaining why the named school is the only school that the child can attend. You will need to submit any evidence by 31 October 2013 or it may not be considered when allocating places. Please note only a small percentage of students are admitted on these grounds. Can I tell you my reason for wanting a particular school? Yes if you want to but we can only look at information directly related to your application where it means that you qualify under an admission rule. Any other information will not be taken into account. The school is easy to get to, the school is near my place of work, cousins attend that school, I ve visited the school and really like it, all my child s friends go there are all examples of information that will not have any bearing on your application. Which address should I use for my child s application? By law you must use the permanent address at which your child is living with a parent or the person with parental responsibility. The address of a childminder or relatives must not be used. We may ask you to provide proof of address. If your child lives at more than one address Monday to Friday (for example due to a separation) the address used should be where your child lives most of the time. Only one address can be used. If your child lives at two addresses, the address of the parent/carer that claims the child benefit or child tax credit will be considered to be the child s main residence. What happens if I move house? It is very important that the address you give on your child s application is your child s permanent address at the time of application. If you are moving house you must use the address where your child is living when you make your application. If you move after submitting your application you must write to us with proof of your new address which can be: A letter from your solicitor confirming your completion date will be prior to 1 January 2014 (or builder if your house is a new build), or A signed rental agreement showing the start of your tenancy. You must also provide proof that you and your child are resident at the new address. Your completion date or tenancy start date must be no later than 1 January 2014 for your new address to be used for offer purposes. To use your new address for the offer of places we must have received the evidence by this date. If you move or send evidence after 1 January 2014 it will not be possible to process your child s application using your new address because the offer process will have started. Please make sure we have up to date contact details before offer day. We are a service family being posted to Newcastle. How do we apply for a school place? You should apply for a school in the usual way. Every effort will be made to try and ensure that service families are offered a place in their nearest suitable school. What do I need to apply online? You need access to the internet and an account. The local authority offers free internet access at all libraries and customer service centres. We encourage you to apply online because: Applying online is quick and easy to do. You will get confirmation that your application has been received. There is no risk that your application will get lost in the post. The system has security procedures that prevent anyone seeing information they are not entitled to. You can check or change the details on your application up until the closing date (midday, 31 October 2013). Remember to resubmit your application if you do this. Every time you change your online application, you will receive an confirmation. The system is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week up until the closing date of midday (12 noon) on 31 October You can log in to your application on 8 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

6 offer day to see which school your child has been offered. You can accept the place offered online. Apply for transfer places online at Where can I get help to fill in my application? You can get help filling in your application from one of the city s Customer Service Centres or alternatively from a school. If I apply online should I submit a paper form as well? No. You should submit one application. Do not submit both a paper application and an online application. Duplicate information can slow the process down. A paper application form can be found at the back of this booklet if you are unable to apply online. How will I know if you have received my application? Applications made online will be acknowledged by return . Online application is a secure process with no risk that the application will get lost in the post. If you submit a paper application form and you wish to receive confirmation of receipt please include a stamped addressed envelope with your application otherwise a receipt will not be provided. It is your responsibility to ensure that your application is submitted on time and you are advised to keep proof of postage. Can I change my preferences after submitting my application? If you apply online you can change your school preferences any time online up to the closing date of midday (12 noon) on 31 October Remember to resubmit your form every time you change it. You will get a confirmation each time you do this. If you submitted a paper application, you will need to inform us in writing about any changes to your preferences before the closing date of midday (12 noon) on 31 October Please include your child s full name and date of birth in any correspondence. If you want to change your preferences after the closing date of 31 October 2013, your original application will be cancelled and replaced with your new application. The new application will be classed as late and will not be processed in the first round of offers. Will it make a difference if my application is submitted late? Yes. If you apply after the deadline of midday (12 noon) on 31 October 2013, your application will not be considered until after all the applications that were submitted on time have been processed. You are less likely to get a place at one of your preferred schools and you will not receive any school offer until 17 April Evidence must be received by 31 October After this date we are unable to make an exception because the offers process will be underway. What happens if someone uses a fraudulent address or gives other false information on their application? Every year we have cases where parents give false information about their home address to get a place at a particular school. We do all we can to make sure that this does not happen because it can prevent genuine applicants from getting a place at a school. You must make sure that everything you tell us is true and accurate. If there is proof that you have given us false or misleading information the offer of a school place may be withdrawn. If we discover that a school place was obtained fraudulently and it is not removed, for example because the child has been attending the school for some time, we will cancel the sibling link for any other children in that family. If you have any concerns or information about the use of fraudulent addresses, please contact us in confidence. New for 2014: Admission to proposed 14+ provision At the time of writing, two new schools are proposed to open in Newcastle in September 2014 with Year 10 intakes. The local authority is co-ordinating their admissions for 2014 and the guidance and timescales for making an application in this booklet also apply if you want to apply for admission into Year 10 at Discovery or Studio West. The deadline for applications is 31 October 2013 and offers will be made on 28 February Summary information on both schools can be found on our directory pages and online. We advise you contact the schools directly to find out about the curriculum and learning experience they can offer your child. Both schools are still subject to approval from the Department for Education. Should the schools not open as planned, or should your child not be successful at being offered a place, we will not offer an alternative school. Your child will be expected to remain in their current school. If you need an immediate place in Year 10 in a Newcastle school because you have moved to the city, please do not apply as part of the transfer group. If you need a school place in the next 4-6 weeks, please apply as an in-year application. See our in-year application guidance. How do you process my application? Each school you list on your form is considered as a separate application. This is a legal requirement and is called equal preference. Our computer system is set up to apply the arrangements for schools that use the local authority admission policy. We will be told if another admission authority (such as an academy, faith school, free school or studio school or another local authority) can offer your child a place. We will co-ordinate the information for each school you have listed on your form and ensure that each child is only offered one place. If just one school you have applied for can offer you a place, then that is where we will offer your child a place. If your child is eligible for more than one school place we will offer you a place at the school you listed highest. We repeat these steps until every child has been offered a place. Is a first come, first served system used to allocate places? No. All applications received by the closing date of midday, on 31 October 2013 will be considered together in the first round of offers. How are places allocated? If there are enough places then they will be offered to all applicants. If the school is over-subscribed, places are allocated according to the admission arrangements for that school. 10 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

7 Each school has a specified number of places they can offer to children starting the school. This is called the admission number and is calculated using a formula from the government to ensure the school is not overcrowded. The admission number for each school is shown in the school information. What happens if you cannot offer any school listed on my application? If we cannot offer your child a place at any of your preferred schools and you are a Newcastle resident, you will usually be offered a place at the nearest community or voluntary controlled school to your home address with places still available. Places may also be allocated at faith schools, academies, free schools or studio schools if the governing body agrees. If you have applied for a Year 10 place at Discovery or Studio West, we will not offer an alternative school. See information on page 11. What happens in a tie-break situation if there are two equal rights but only one available place? In the event that two children have an equal right to one available place, the place will be offered to the older child. The remaining child will be offered an alternative school. Home to School Travel If you are considering applying for a faith school and help with travel to school is important to you, please note that the Council s policy for home to school travel has changed. Entitlement to free travel to faith schools will reduce from September 2014 and most children will not receive financial support. See our website for details. Offer day and beyond Offers and acceptances for online applications If you apply online, you can log into your application on offer day, 28 February 2014, to find out the school we have offered your child. You must accept or decline the school place online by following the instructions. Do not phone us as offer information will not be given out by phone. Offers and acceptances for paper applications If you applied on paper you will be sent a letter telling you the name of the school we have offered your child. This will be posted by second class post on 28 February It will include a response form that you must return to us to confirm whether you wish to accept or decline the school place. Letters will be sent to the address on your original application. If you have moved address since applying please ensure you have arrangements in place to have your post redirected. We have a waiting list process that reallocates places that have been declined by parents, for example because the family has moved out of area. Children will automatically be placed on the waiting list for any higher preference schools listed on their application, for example, if you are offered your third ranked preference you will be placed on a waiting list for the schools you ranked first and second. Waiting lists are ranked according to the admission arrangements for that school. Newcastle parents can have a maximum of four waiting list preferences, including schools within and outside Newcastle. The number will depend on which ranked preference you were offered. The first waiting list process run will take place during the week beginning 17 March If you are successful in gaining a place we will contact you with your new offer on 24 March Please do not call us because offer information will not be given by telephone. You should reply by 14 March 2014 to accept or refuse the place offered. If you do not respond by this date we may assume the place is not required and reallocate it to another child. What can I do if my child is not offered a place at my preferred school? If you are not offered your preferred school, you are advised to accept the school place you have been offered to ensure your child has a school place for September Accepting the place offered will not affect your chance of getting a place at a school you prefer more, either through the waiting list process or through an appeal. What can you do if you are unhappy with the school place that you have been offered? Only applications received on time will be included in the first run. Late applications and changes will be included in the second waiting list process run and applicants will be notified on 17 April Can I change my preferred schools after offer day? Yes. If you wish to amend your preferences, for example to apply for a school that was not included on your initial application form, you must make a new application using our late change form. You should not apply to the individual school directly. Amended preferences will overwrite your initial application. If you wish to retain any of your initial preferences they must be included in any amended application. 12 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

8 Any new preferences for faith schools, academies, free schools or studio schools will be forwarded to the relevant school for consideration in accordance with that school s published admission arrangements. If they are able to offer you a place, we will write offering you the place on their behalf. You will not be able to place your child on a waiting list for a faith school, academy, free school or studio school that you did not initially rank unless you make a new application. You can have a maximum of four preference schools on a waiting list, including community, voluntary controlled, faith schools, academies, free schools or studio schools either within or outside Newcastle. If you wish to change your preferred schools and make a late application you must do so before 4 April Your child will then be included on the second run of the waiting list process which will take place on 17 April We will contact applicants with any new offers. After this date school places will be allocated as and when vacancies occur. Waiting lists will be ranked in admission rule order. Waiting list order will change as new and late applications are received and each is merged into the waiting list in accordance with that school s oversubscription criteria. Your child may therefore go up or down the waiting list for any school. Can the offer of a place be withdrawn? We reserve the right to withdraw an offer of a place in certain circumstances. You should be aware that by submitting your application you are stating that the information given is true and accurate. Examples of when a place could be withdrawn include: Where you have given fraudulent or intentionally misleading information such as a false address. Where you have not responded to an offer within the stated timescale. Where the offer has been made in error by the local authority for a faith school, academy, free school or studio school. If an offer is withdrawn as a result of misleading information, your application will be reprocessed. You have a right of appeal if a place is refused. Appeals If you are not offered a place for your child at your preferred school you have the right to appeal against the decision to an Independent Appeals Panel. If you want to appeal for more than one school you will need to appeal separately for each one. You can only appeal if you have applied to and been refused admission to the school. You will not improve your chances of winning an appeal for your preferred school by refusing the allocated school place. Submitting an appeal does not affect your position on the waiting list. Appeals forms should be returned by 25 April 2014 to enable these to be heard before the end of the school year. Parents are advised to consider their case carefully and seek independent advice from the Appeals Service on phone or [email protected] In 2013, only eight parents who appealed for a school administered by the city council were successful in their appeal. Applying outside the normal transfer times - in year admissions An in year admission is when a child already attends a school but wishes to transfer to another school outside of the usual transfer time for example outside of the move from primary to secondary school. This is usually because the child is moving to a different address but can be for other reasons as well. These transfers usually take place during the academic year which is why they are referred to as in year admissions. Please note that places are offered in the expectation that they will be taken up within 10 school days. We are unable to offer places in advance. How do I apply? Newcastle City Council will coordinate in year applications for school places for the academic year September 2013 to July 2014 for children of families living in Newcastle. However, due to a change in law, this is under review and may be modified. All parents living in Newcastle who wish to make an in year application must apply to us using our in year application form and not by applying direct to schools. If you currently live outside Newcastle, you should apply through the local authority where your child lives (the authority you pay your council tax to). If your child is in a Newcastle school you can get an in year admissions form at your current school or download one at If you have just moved into Newcastle you can contact us on phone or admissions. [email protected] What address should I use? The address you give must be your child s current permanent address at the time you fill in the application form. If you are moving house, we will not use your new address to process your application until the completion date or start of the tenancy agreement. We understand that families of UK Service personnel and other Crown servants are subject to frequent movement within the UK and from abroad. If an application for an in year place is accompanied by an official letter declaring a relocation date we will arrange for confirmation of a school place in advance of the relocation. If you are applying from abroad we will take into account when the child is expected to be resident in the UK when considering the application. Your Newcastle address will not be used for application purposes until your child is resident at the address. You should send confirmation of the child s arrival date in the UK, for example, a copy of travel ticket. Which schools can I apply for? Newcastle schools are very popular. Many will already be full and may only have occasional vacancies when a child leaves the school. As vacancies are filled weekly, any information you receive about vacancies at a school is only valid at the time the information is given. A vacancy may be filled by the time your application is processed, or there may be a child higher up on the waiting list for the school. Contact us on phone or admissions.information@ newcastle.gov.uk for information on schools with places. You can apply for two schools on your application form, including community, faith schools, academies, free schools, studio schools and schools within and outside Newcastle. 14 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

9 Read the admissions policy for both schools you are considering for your child. The admissions policy will give you a realistic idea of the chances of getting a place. It will also say if supporting evidence is required. How will my application be processed? Each of the schools listed on your form is treated as a separate application. If schools receive more applications than they have places available, the school s admission arrangements will be used to decide which child will be offered a place. All applications will be considered in accordance with the admission arrangements and, if appropriate, the Newcastle Fair Access Protocol. We are required by law to operate a Fair Access Protocol to ensure that potentially vulnerable children are effectively provided for in admission arrangements and that all schools admit a fair proportion of these pupils. A professional panel determines the most suitable placements for these pupils. If you are applying for a place at a faith school, academy, free school or studio school your application will be sent on to the governing body and they will inform us if they can offer you a place. Applications for schools outside of Newcastle will be sent on to the local authority concerned and they will inform us if they can offer you a place. We will try to let you know the result of your application within 10 working days of your application being received, although during busy times and school holidays this may be longer. Your application may also be delayed if you do not include all of the required documentation. The application form asks for information from your child s current school. If this is not completed, it may result in a delay in processing your application. Applications may also be delayed if we are unable to confirm, with individual schools or other local authorities, accurate information about school vacancies. We will send you an offer letter which will include a response form which you must return to us within 10 school days. If you do not return the form, the place may be withdrawn. In many cases schools will also contact families direct when an offer has been made. What happens if I cannot be offered a place at a school I want? Your child will be placed on a waiting list for any schools we are unable to offer you that were ranked higher than the school place that was offered to you. For example, if we can offer a place at your second ranked school, we would put your child s name on the waiting list for your first ranked school. Your child will then be considered for any future places that become available at schools you are on the waiting list at, in accordance with the published admission arrangements. Waiting lists are kept for one term and then cleared. You will need to reapply if you want to go back on a waiting list. You can also submit an appeal for the schools listed on your in year admission application form. You may only appeal for a place at a school once every academic year unless there has been a significant change in circumstances, for example if you have moved address. What happens if my child does not take up the place at the school you have offered? If the school informs us that your child has not started at the school we have offered, we will write to you to ask what other arrangements you are making to educate your child. If you do not reply to that letter the following may happen: Step 1 The place will be withdrawn and we will offer you a place at the nearest school to your home that still has a place available, if appropriate. Step 2 We may start legal proceedings if your child is not attending school, to ensure that he or she receives a full education. Making an application if you have not moved house Changing school can affect your child in many ways and a decision to change schools should not be taken without careful thought. If you are thinking about a change of school, please consider the following before making a decision: Each school teaches the National Curriculum in different ways and at different times of the academic year. Think about how your child will cope with learning new rules and doing things in different ways. They may have done the work before, missed important earlier work, or find the work new or strange. This is particularly important in year 10 and 11 when pupils are undertaking GCSE courses and different schools have different exam structures. Be aware that schools may not be able to match coursework or GCSE modules and your child may therefore not be able to complete their GSCE options. Children need to feel happy at school and relationships with friends and with teachers are an important part of this. Additional information Help with school expenses for families on low income If your family is on a low income we may be able to provide financial assistance while your children are learning. You can apply for free school meals and help with travel costs. To check if you are eligible, see Making a complaint If you have a complaint about the service provided, please contact us on (ask for school admissions) in the first instance to discuss the problem. Usually most cases Will your child be able to settle in quickly so that their learning does not suffer? Will it be a problem for you to have your children attending different schools? There is no automatic right for your other children to transfer to the new school either now or in the future. Will you be able to transport your children to different schools? You might need to buy a completely new uniform, including PE kit, if your child changes school. How would your child get to a new school? What will be the cost involved? A change will usually be regarded as parental choice. In most circumstances you are unlikely to qualify for travel assistance. Many things that worry parents or carers and children can be resolved without the need to move schools. Often moving schools does not resolve these concerns and could even have a bad effect on your child s education. If your child is unhappy at school you should speak to the Headteacher first. Problems can often be resolved quickly. If you need further help, please contact us on phone or [email protected] can be resolved in this way. If you are still unhappy, you can write to the Admissions and Information Service Manager, who will investigate your concerns. We aim to respond to enquiries and complaints as soon as possible. If you contact us by phone, we aim to answer your enquiry within three working days. If you contact us by letter or , we aim to respond within ten working days. Whilst we aim to respond as quickly as we can, it may not always be possible to do so, particularly at peak times. 16 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

10 Data protection and security In addition to processing your application for a school place, under the data protection legislation we may use your application information for the following purposes: To co-operate with our partners in health and youth justice to improve the well being of children in the Newcastle area as required by the Children Act Information sharing between partner organisations is sometimes necessary to help provide better services. To provide statistical data to other organisations for the purpose of statistical analysis, statistical surveys or research purposes only. Explanation of terms The terms and abbreviations used in this booklet can be unfamiliar. These explanations should help but if you require further information please phone Academies Academies are state schools which receive their funding direct from central government. The governing body is responsible for determining the admission arrangements and for allocating school places. Admission authority This is the body responsible for setting and applying a school s admission arrangements. For our community schools and voluntary controlled schools, this is Newcastle local authority. For faith schools, trust schools, academies, free schools and studio schools this is the school governing body. Admission arrangements The procedures, practices and oversubscription criteria used to decide how school places are allocated. Admission (oversubscription) criteria These are the arrangements that decide To model the effectiveness of admission arrangements. To contact you about admissions and related issues. In accordance with the Admissions Code, we are required to publish statistical data about the number of applications for places at each school, the number which were successful and the criteria under which they were accepted. All admissions application data is stored, maintained and transferred by secure methods in accordance with the Data Protection Act. The online school admission system is regularly independently tested to guard against unauthorised entry. which children will be given priority where there are more applications than places. Common application form The form parents complete and submit to local authorities listing their preferred choices of schools when applying for a school place. Feeder link Most of our primary and first schools that operate the local authority admission policy, and some faith schools, have a feeder link school to which the pupils usually transfer. Attendance at a feeder link school is one of the criteria in the local authority s admission policy. Feeder links for schools that do not currently have one identified are in the process of being considered and will be open to consultation by the end of Autumn First schools These schools are for pupils aged 4 to 9 years). They are part of a three tier system of schools in the Gosforth area of Newcastle. Free schools These are types of state funded academies, independent of local authorities. Free schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum. Governing bodies These are bodies with responsibility for the performance, framework and standards under which schools are expected to operate. Home local authority The home local authority is the local authority where the child lives permanently (the authority you pay your council tax to). Middle schools These schools are for pupils aged between 9 and 13 years. They are part of a three tier system of schools in the Gosforth area of Newcastle. Oversubscription This means that there have been more applications than there are available places at the school. Parent/carer This is the people who have parental responsibility for a child who fall under the definition of parent as set out in Section 576 of the Education Act Parental responsibility The mother of a child usually has parental responsibility. The father also has parental responsibility if named on the birth certificate or by agreement with the mother or by court order. Parents do not lose parental responsibility if they divorce. Parents who share responsibility for the care of their child are expected to agree school preferences between themselves. In the event of a dispute, the local authority will accept the preferences of the parent to whom the child benefit is paid. Preference The school you would prefer your child to attend. Primary schools These schools are for ages 4 to 11 years. Published Admission Number (PAN) The number of school places available in the normal year of entry State schools All children in England between the ages of 5 and 16 are entitled to a free place at a state school. State schools follow a National Curriculum and are regularly inspected by Ofsted. There are different types of state schools community, foundation, faith, voluntary controlled, trust schools, free schools, studio schools and academies. Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) A legal document issued by the local authority for children with special needs. This outlines how the child will be supported and can include a named school that is suitable for providing education for that child. Studio Schools Studio schools offer academic and vocational qualifications, but teach them in a practical and project-based way. Study is combined with work placements at local and national employers who are involved in the school. The governing body is responsible for determining the admission arrangements and for allocating school places. A Trust school is a state school supported by a charitable trust. Under-subscription This means that there have been fewer applications than the number of places available. Faith academies and voluntary aided schools are run by the governing body who are responsible for deciding the admission arrangements and allocating school places. A Voluntary Controlled school is run by the Local Authority in partnership with another organisation. The Local Authority are the admission authority and responsible for deciding the admission arrangements and allocating school places. 18 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

11 School Directory - Newcastle middle schools and academies School Directory - Newcastle secondary schools and academies DfE No. Name of school and headteacher Contact details Age range Published admission number Feeder link school DfE No. Name of school and headteacher Contact details Age range Published admission number 4190 Gosforth Central Middle School Mrs L Anderson Great North Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1UN [email protected] Gosforth Academy 4485 Kenton School Principal: Mr D Pearmain Head of School: Ms S Holmes-Carne Drayton Road, Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3RU admin@ kenton.newcastle.sch.uk School Directory - Newcastle secondary schools and academies DfE No Gosforth East Middle School Mr T Stout Gosforth Junior High Academy Principal Mr H Robinson Name of school and headteacher Benfield School Mr N Walker Excelsior Academy Executive Principal Mrs P Marshall Harewood Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5JT [email protected] Regent Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1EE [email protected] Contact details Benfield Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 4NU admin@ benfield.newcastle.sch.uk Denton Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 6AF [email protected] Age range Gosforth Academy Gosforth Academy Published admission number Sacred Heart High School Ms A Bath St Cuthbert s Catholic High School Mrs C Davison St Mary s RC School Mr J Foster Walbottle Campus Mr P Sampson Walker Technology College Mr M Collier Fenham Hall Drive, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9YH [email protected] (Catholic - for girls) Gretna Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 7PX [email protected] (Catholic - for boys) Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7PE admin@ st-marys.newcastle.sch.uk (Catholic - mixed) Hexham Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 9TP [email protected] Waverdale Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 4LA [email protected] Gosforth Academy Principal Mr H Robinson Knightsbridge, Great North Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2JH [email protected] Heaton Manor School Ms L Ackland Jesmond Park West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DP [email protected] Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

12 School Directory - Proposed new schools Admission policies for Newcastle schools for 2014 Name of school Type of school Contact details Age range Published admission number Local Authority admission policy for Newcastle community schools and Kenton School Discovery School Principal: Dr W Allen Studio West Principal: Ms V Wigham Free School Studio School Duke Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4HB [email protected] c/o Kenton School, Drayton Road- Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3RU Both new schools are proposing to open in September 2014 following approval from the Department of Education. Discovery School It is proposed that the Discovery School will admit pupils into years 10 and 12 from students living in Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Northumberland and County Durham with a published admission number of 180 per year group therefore creating a new transition year for year 10 pupils. The school s governing body will be the admission authority and is responsible for setting the admission arrangements and allocating places in accordance with the published admission arrangements. The local authority (Newcastle City Council) will co-ordinate admissions for pupils moving into year 10 in September 2014 and therefore the deadline for applying for a school place in this year group will be midday (12 noon), 31 October For information on applying for a year 12 place please refer to the school s admissions policy. Should approval for Discovery not go ahead as planned, pupils will not be offered alternative schools as they will retain places in their existing schools. Studio West 180 It is proposed that Studio West will admit pupils into years 9, 10 and 12 with a published admission number of 40 per year group. The school s governing body will be the admission authority and is responsible for setting the admission arrangements and allocating places in accordance with the published admission arrangements. The local authority (Newcastle City Council) will co-ordinate admissions for pupils moving into year 9 or year 10 in September 2014 and therefore the deadline for applying for a school place in these year groups will be midday (12 noon), 31 October For information on applying for a year 12 place please refer to the school s admissions policy. Arrangements are in place should approval for Studio West not go ahead as planned. Should the school not open in September 2014 children applying for a place in year 9 will be offered a place in year 9 at an alternative school. Pupils applying for year 10 will retain places in their existing schools. 40 Parents can nominate four school preferences. All preferences will be treated equally. Every child who wants a place at a school will be offered one unless there are more applications for the school than there are places available. Where there are more applications for admission than places available, the following oversubscription criteria in the order shown will be used to determine which pupils will be allocated places. Children with a Statements of Special Educational Needs where the school is named in the statement will be admitted to that school. Places will be offered to applicants ranked highest using the criteria set out below: 1. Looked After Children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see definitions). Evidence of the appropriate order must be submitted before the closing date. 2. Children attending a designated feeder school. Each first, primary and middle school has a named feeder link school to which the pupils usually transfer. 3. Children not attending a designated feeder school who have a brother or sister (a sibling) who will be attending the school at the time of admission. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent or carer s partner where the children live at the same address. The sibling link does not apply to pupils in a Sixth Form. 4. Children with a specific medical reason to go to the school, (for example, where a child or one or both parents has a disability that means that they can only go to one school). Supporting evidence from a doctor or other professional involved with the child must be provided. The evidence must relate specifically to the school for which the application is being made and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child s needs. It should explain the difficulties that would arise if the child has to attend an alternative school. This evidence must be submitted with the application or before the closing date. If the required evidence is not provided, the local authority will be unable to consider giving the child higher priority. 5. Children living nearest to the school. Measurement is the straight line distance from a single fixed central point at the school to a point in the centre of the home address of the child, using the Local Land and Property Gazetteer or a suitable alternative geographical information system. In the event that more than one child has an equal right to an available place the place will be offered to the older child. Where there are more children in a feeder school (criteria two) than there 22 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

13 are places available, places will be offered first to those pupils with a sibling link in the designated school. Distance from home to school will be the deciding factor for the remaining feeder link children. Measurement is the straight line distance from a single fixed central point at the school to a point in the centre of the home address of the child, using the Local Land and Property Gazetteer or a suitable alternative geographical information system. A place will be offered at the highest ranked preferred school for which the child is eligible. If a place cannot be offered at a nominated school, a place will be offered at the nearest school with places for which the child is eligible. If an application is not received, a place will be offered at the nearest school with places for which the child is eligible. Preferences can not be changed after the closing date for applications unless there are very exceptional circumstances and the allocation process has not begun. Parents will have two weeks to return an acceptance form. If an acceptance is not received it may be assumed that a place is no longer required. Late applications - Applications received after the specified closing date will be classed as late and processed after all of the applications received on time. If there are very exceptional circumstances as to why the application is late, appropriate evidence is supplied and the allocation process has not begun, a late application may be processed on time as an exception. Parental responsibility - Parents who share responsibility for the care of their child are expected to reach agreement to a school placement between them. In the event of a dispute the school will accept the application from the parent who receives, or is eligible for, the payment of the child benefit. Waiting lists - Children will be kept on a waiting list for any school ranked higher on their application than the school they have been offered and will be allocated a place if one becomes available. The waiting list will be ranked in order of priority using the oversubscription criteria. Waiting lists will be held until the end of the autumn term. Right of appeal - Parents or carers who are not offered a place for their child at the school have a statutory right of appeal to an independent appeals panel. Please contact the Local Authority for information. Information is also available on the Newcastle City Council website. Definitions A Looked After Child is a child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission. An Adoption Order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act A Residence Order is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act A Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child s special guardian or guardians. Feeder links for schools in the three tier system School Feeder link school Gosforth East Middle School Broadway East First School Dinnington First School Gosforth Park First School Gosforth Central Middle School Archbishop Runcie First School Grange First School South Gosforth First School Gosforth Junior High Academy Archibald First School Brunton First School Regent Farm First School Gosforth Academy Gosforth Central Middle School Gosforth East Middle School Gosforth Junior High Academy 24 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

14 Feeder links for schools in the two tier system Feeder links for schools in the two tier system School Feeder link school School Feeder link school Benfield School Byker Primary School Heaton Manor School Benton Park Primary School Walkergate Primary School Chillingham Road Primary School Christ Church C of E Primary School Excelsior Academy Atkinson Road Primary Academy Cragside Primary School Bridgewater Primary School Hotspur Primary School Broadwood Primary School Ravenswood Primary School Canning Street Primary School West Jesmond Primary School Excelsior Academy (4-18 through school) Hawthorn Primary School Walbottle Campus Knoplaw Primary School Moorside Primary School Lemington Riverside Primary School St. Johns Primary School Milecastle Primary School St. Paul s C of E Primary School Newburn Manor Primary School Westgate Hill Primary School Throckley Primary School Wingrove Primary School Walbottle Village Primary School Waverley Primary School Kenton School Hilton Primary School West Denton Primary School Kenton Bar Primary School Westerhope Primary School Kingston Park Primary School Mountfield Primary School Walker Technology College Central Walker CofE Primary School North Fawdon Primary School Tyneview Primary School Stocksfield Primary School Welbeck Primary School Thomas Walling Primary School West Walker Primary School Wyndham Primary School 26 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

15 Admissions Policy for Pupils to Excelsior Academy (4-18) in September This policy document is intended to provide an easily understandable process for parents and carers as well as being accessible, open and fair. 2. The Trust 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), including Section 149 Equalities Act, 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 Trust Board. Excelsior Academy will work in accordance with the Monitoring Panel. The Trust will continue to participate in the coordinated admission arrangements operated by Newcastle-upon-Tyne Local Authority (LA). 3. Notwithstanding these arrangements, the Secretary of State may direct Excelsior Academy to admit a named pupil to the School on application from a LA. Before doing so the Secretary of State will consult with Excelsior Academy. Arrangements for admission to the Primary Phase 4. The admission arrangements for the primary phase age range (4-11 year olds) of Excelsior Academy subject to any changes approved by the Secretary of State are: Excelsior Academy has an agreed admission number upon opening of 30 in Reception in 2013 and 30 in Year 1 in In subsequent years as this phase grows year on year the admission number will be 30 pupils per Year Group. By 2018 the admission number in each Year Group will be 30. The Planned Admission Number (PAN) for the primary phase has been chosen to be consistent with the demographic trends locally and so as not to destabilise the current admission in other local primary schools. Pupils in the primary phase will automatically join Year 7 of Excelsior Academy and there will be no need to apply for a place for these pupils. The Development of the Primary Phase is subject to approval by the Secretary of State (SoS), the Academy will be notified of the decision in July or August If you have any objections please refer to the Local Authority website for details on how to refer objections to the Schools Adjudicator. Arrangements for admission to the Secondary Phase 5. The admission arrangements for the secondary phase age range (11-16 year olds) of Excelsior Academy subject to any changes approved by the Secretary of State are: The School has an agreed admission number of 240 pupils. Excelsior Academy will accordingly admit at least 240 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received. General Arrangements for admissions to the Academy 6. The general admission arrangements for the primary and secondary phases of Excelsior Academy subject to any changes approved by the Secretary of State are: Pupils will not be admitted above the Published Admission Number (PAN) unless exceptional circumstances apply. Where there are more applications for admission than places available, the following oversubscription rules will be used to determine which children will be allocated places, after children with Statements of Special Educational needs, where the statement names a specific school and places will be offered to applicants ranked highest:- a) Looked After Children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see definitions). Evidence of the appropriate order must be submitted before the closing date. Definitions A Looked After Child is a child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission. An Adoption Order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act A Residence Order is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act A Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child s special guardian or guardians. b) Where the child attends a designated Feeder Primary School (see Appendix A). c) Where there will be an older brother or sister (a sibling) in attendance at the school at the date of admission. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent or carer s partner where the children live at the same address. d) Children with a specific medical reason needing to go to the school. For example, where the child or one or both parents has a disability, which means that they can only go to one school. Supporting evidence from a doctor, psychologist or other professional involved with the child must be provided. The evidence must relate specifically to the school for which the application is being made and must clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet the child s needs and explain the difficulties that would arise if the child has to attend an alternative school. This evidence must be submitted before the closing date. If the required evidence is not provided, the Admissions Authority will be unable to consider giving the child higher priority. e) The measure of the straight line distance from a single fixed central point at the school to a point in the centre of the home address of the child, using the Local Land and Property Gazetteer or a suitable alternative geographical information system. This is an objective measurement, which does not take into account factors such as the safety of routes or the needs for some families to take other children to a different school or schools. Available places will be allocated to those applicants living the nearest. Arrangements for admission to Post 16 provision 7. a) Priority will be given in the sixth form to Looked after Children or children who have been previously looked after (see definitions in (6(a) above) and who meet the entry requirements. 28 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

16 b) The maximum number of post 16 places is 300. Excelsior Academy expects that over time pupils progressing from within the Academy will take up these places. The 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. However should there be vacancies, the admission limit for the number of pupils transferring to the Academy from other institutions will be There will be a right of appeal to the Independent Appeals Panel for unsuccessful applicants. Process of Application 9. Applications for places at the Academy will be made in accordance with the LA s co- ordinated admission arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form (CAF) provided and administered by Newcastle LA. Excelsior Academy will use the following timetable for applications each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year). a) September Excelsior Academy will publish in its prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including oversubscription criteria, for the following September (e.g. in September 2013 for admission in September 2014). This will include details of open evenings and other opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the Academy. b) September/October 2013 (for 2014) - Excelsior Academy will provide opportunities for parents to visit the Academy. c) The Closing date for Year 7 transfers is 31st October d) The Closing date for Reception Applications is 15th January 2014 e) 1st March 2014 offers made to parents for Year 7 transfers. f) 15th April 2014 will be the offer day for Reception applications Consideration of applications 10. Excelsior Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer applications are received than is stated in the admission numbers set out in sections 4, 5 and 7 of this policy, Excelsior will offer places to all those who have applied. It will not be possible to change preferences after the closing date for applications. Late applications will be processed after all those received on time. Children will be kept on a waiting list for any school ranked higher on their application than the school they have been offered and will be allocated a place if one becomes available. Parents will have two weeks to return an acceptance form. If an acceptance form is not received it will be assumed that a place is no longer required. 11. Operation of waiting lists 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 Excelsior Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until the end of the autumn term (31st December). This will be maintained by Excelsior Academy and it will 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 will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in paragraph 6 of this policy. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. 12. Arrangements for appeals panels Parents will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision with regards to Excelsior 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 and Skills as it applies to Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools. The determination of the appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals and it is binding on all parties. The Academy should prepare guidance for parents about how the appeals process will work and provide parents with a named contact who can answer any enquiries parents may have about the process. 13. Annual Procedures for Determining Admission Arrangements Consultation Excelsior Academy shall consult every 7 years on its proposed admission arrangements, unless there are changes to the Admission arrangements, in which case a consultation will take place. Excelsior Academy will consult in accordance with the statutory procedure. 14. Determination and publication of admission arrangements Following any consultation, Excelsior Academy will consider comments made by those consulted. Excelsior Academy will then determine its admission arrangements by 15 April of the relevant year and, if necessary due to there having been a consultation, will notify those consulted on what has been determined. Appendix A Atkinson Road Primary School Bridgewater Primary School Broadwater Primary School Canning Street Primary School Hawthorn Primary School Moorside Primary School St. John s Primary School Westgate Hill Primary School Wingrove Primary School St. Paul s C of E Primary School 30 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

17 Admissions Policy for the Gosforth Academy (Year 9) The Gosforth Academy has a co-educational comprehensive intake. We have a PAN of 360 for Year 9 admissions. If there are more places at the Academy than applicants, every child who wants a place will be offered a place. The Admissions Authority for the Gosforth Federated Academies is the Governing Body, which is responsible for determining and applying this policy. This Admission Policy has been formally adopted by the Governing Body. Applications for school places are coordinated by the local authority in accordance with the published time scales in the co-ordinated admission scheme. Parents wishing to apply for a place at the Academy should complete the common application form provided by the local authority and return it by the required date. If admission is not granted, the local authority will offer the student a place at another school. The student s details will be kept on a waiting list for Gosforth Academy which will be maintained for the full academic year. If a place becomes available, the oversubscription policy will be applied and parents contacted with view to admission of the student. Late applications will be considered only after all those received by the closing date have been processed. Parents who are unsuccessful in obtaining a place have a statutory right of appeal. Parents should contact the Academy for an Appeal Form. The completed form and accompanying statement setting out grounds for appeal should be returned to the Academy and marked For the attention of The Chair of Governors. If a student has a statement of special educational needs naming the Academy, a place will be offered. The Oversubscription Criteria for Gosforth Academy (Year 9 intake) 1. Looked After Children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see definitions). Evidence of the appropriate order must be submitted before the closing date. 2. Where the pupil attends one of our three designated feeder schools. a. Gosforth Junior High Academy b. Gosforth Central Middle School c. Gosforth East Middle School. 3. Students with siblings who will be attending the Academy or Junior High Academy at the time of admission. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister or child of a parent or carer s partner where the children live at the same address. 4. Students with a specific medical reason to go to the Academy. An example would be a student who suffers visual impairment Gosforth Academy is the regional VI ARC. Supporting evidence from a doctor or other medically aligned professional involved with the child must be provided. This supporting evidence should set out the particular reasons why the Academy is most suitable and the difficulties that would ensure if the student had to attend another institution. 5. Students living nearest to the Academy. We measure a direct line from a single fixed point in the centre of your address to a point in the centre of the Academy and is done using an electronic mapping system. Definitions A Looked After Child is a child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission. An Adoption Order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act A Residence Order is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act A Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child s special guardian or guardians. General Information Principal: Address: Mr H Robinson, Gosforth Academy Knightsbridge, Great North Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upontyne NE3 2JH Tel Number: Type: [email protected] Academy Age Range: PAN: 360 Expected number on roll including Post 16: 1730 Please see Newcastle City Council website for timetable of dates:- Admissions Policy for the Gosforth Junior High Academy (Year 5) The Gosforth Junior High Academy has a co-educational comprehensive intake. We have a PAN of 120 for Year 5 admissions. If there are more places at the Academy than applicants, every child who wants a place will be offered a place. The Admissions Authority for the Gosforth Federated Academies is the Governing Body, which is responsible for determining and applying this policy. This Admission Policy has been formally adopted by the Governing Body. Applications for school places are coordinated by the local authority in accordance with the published time scales in the co-ordinated admission scheme. Parents wishing to apply for a place at the Academy should complete the common application form provided by the local authority and return it by the required date. If admission is not granted, the local authority will offer the student a place at another school. The student s details will be kept on a waiting list for Gosforth Academy which will be maintained for the full academic year. If a place becomes available, the oversubscription policy will be applied and parents contacted with view to admission of the student. Late applications will be considered only after all those received by the closing date have beenprocessed. Parents who are unsuccessful in obtaining a place have a statutory right of appeal. Parents should contact the Academy for an Appeal Form. The completed form and accompanying statement setting out grounds for appeal should be returned to the Academy and marked For the attentionof The Chair of Governors. 32 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

18 If a student has a statement of special educational needs naming the Academy, a place will be offered. The Oversubscription Criteria for Gosforth Junior High Academy (Year 5 intake) 1. Looked After Children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see definitions). Evidence of the appropriate order must be submitted before the closing date. 2. Where the pupil attends one of our three designated feeder schools. a. Archibald First School b. Regent Farm First School c. Brunton First School 3. Students with siblings who will be attending the Academy at the time of admission. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister or child of a parent or carer s partner where the children live at the sameaddress 4. Students with a specific medical reason to go to the Academy. An example would be a student who suffers visual impairment - Gosforth Junior High Academy is the regional VI ARC. Supporting evidence from a doctor or other medically aligned professional involved with the child must be provided. This supporting evidence should set out the particular reasons why the Academy is most suitable and the difficulties that would ensure if the student had to attend another institution. 5. Students living nearest to the Academy. We measure a direct line from a single fixed point in the centre of your address to a point in the centre of the Academy and is done using an electronic mapping system. Definitions A Looked After Child is a child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission. An Adoption Order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act A Residence Order is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act A Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child s special guardian or guardians. General Information Principal: Address: Mr H Robinson, Gosforth Junior High Academy, Regent Avenue, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1EE Tel Number: Type: [email protected] Academy Age Range: 9-13 PAN: 120 Expected number on roll: 480 Please see Newcastle City Council website for timetable of dates:- secondary-and-highschool Middle, secondary, trust school and academy admissions September 2013 Please note: the furthest distance from school to home address shows the cut off point for children admitted under the distance rule for September Please consider this information when completing your application form. School name Admission Number of Places Number allocated Furthest Number applications offered according to each criteria distance from 1 March in the admission policy school to 2013 home address SEN Care Feeder Sibling Medical Distance admitted Named Rule 1 Rule 2 Rule 3 Rule 4 Rule 5 in 2013 School Benfield miles School Excelsior miles Academy Gosforth miles Central Middle School Gosforth miles East Middle School Gosforth miles Academy Gosforth miles Junior High Academy Heaton miles Manor School Kenton miles School Walbottle miles Campus Walker miles Technology College 34 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

19 Transfer appeals for middle and secondary schools and academies for September 2013 admission, heard 1 September 2012 to 17 July 2013 Admission policies for Newcastle faith academies and voluntary aided schools Name of School Appeals Heard Upheld Benfield School 0 0 Excelsior Academy 0 0 Gosforth Central Middle School 2 1 Gosforth East Middle School 0 0 Gosforth Academy 0 0 Gosforth Junior High Academy 0 0 Heaton Manor School 0 0 Kenton School 5 5 Walbottle Campus 0 0 Walker Technology College 0 0 Home to School Travel If you are considering applying for a faith school and help with travel to school is important to you, please note that the Council s policy for home to school travel has changed. Entitlement to free travel to faith schools will reduce from September 2014 and most children will not receive financial support. See our website for details. Sacred Heart Catholic High School Policy for Admissions Introduction The Admissions Authority for Sacred Heart Catholic High School is the Governing Body, which is responsible for determining and applying this policy. This Admissions Policy has been formally adopted by the Governing Body. Sacred Heart is a voluntary aided Catholic High School which provides secondary education for girls aged from 11 to 19 years. The Admission Number is 225 students for each of Years 7 to 11. Oversubscription Criteria The school will admit students in the order of priority listed below. The notes referred to can be found after the policy and gives further information which must be read carefully. First priority within each category will be given to children with a sibling in Years 7-11 at Sacred Heart. See Note 1 A. Looked-after-children (children in the care of a Local Authority and previously Looked-after-children) who are Catholics. Read Note 2. B. Catholics who attend a Catholic Partner primary school. Read Notes 3a and 3b. C. Catholics who attend another Catholic primary school. Read Notes 3a and 3b. D. Catholics who attend a non Catholic school. Read Notes 3a and 3b. E. Looked-after-children or previously Looked-after-children who are not Catholics. Read Note 2. F. Up to 10% of the annual intake of children who demonstrate an aptitude for Performing Arts. An objective method of determining aptitude and not of general ability will be used. Read Note 4. G. Children who are baptised or dedicated members of other Christian churches, recognised by Churches Together in England, who attend a Catholic primary school. A letter of support must be provided. Read Note 5 H. Children of other churches, recognised by Churches Together in England, not in a Catholic primary school. A letter of support must be provided. Read Note 5. I. Children who are being educated in a Catholic primary school. J. Children who are not being educated in a Catholic primary school. Additional notes/definitions 1. Sibling: sister, half sister, adopted sister, or child of the parent/carer s partner where the child for whom 36 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

20 the school place is being sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling who is already at Sacred Heart. 2. Children in the Care of a Local Authority (LAC): children who are looked after by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children s Act 1989(b) at the time application is made for admission to the school and who, the Local Authority can confirm, will still be looked after at the date of admission. 3a Catholic: children baptised as Catholics or formally received into the Catholic Church. Evidence of this must be provided for children seeking admission under criteria A-E. A baptismal certificate or letter from a priest confirming reception into the Catholic Church must be sent to the school. 3b Partner Catholic Primary Schools: Sacred Heart, Fenham St Bede s, Denton Burn English Martyrs, Fenham St George s, Bells Close St Oswald s, Gosforth St Charles, Gosforth St John Vianney, West Denton St Cuthbert s, Kenton Our Lady and St Anne s St Cuthbert s, Walbottle St Michael s, Elswick St Mark s, Westerhope St Joseph s, Benwell. 4. As a Specialist School we are allowed by law to select up to 10% of the intake based on our specialism. Judgment on aptitude will be made from any evidence provided by the parents, and from the student taking part in workshops in Performing Arts set by the school, designed to establish aptitude. This will lead to the creation of a rank order. There will be a maximum of 22 places available under this criterion depending on how many places are available after the other criteria A-E have been applied. The assessor will have skills in the Performing Arts, be independent of the school, and will have no family connection with any applicant. The assessor s judgment on aptitude on the day is final. Any evidence that the parents wish to submit must be sent to the school. 5. Churches Together in England See Recognised Christian churches are: Church of England Baptist Union Church of Scotland in England Methodist Church Church of God Prophecy Congregational Federation Coptic Orthodox British Antiochian Orthodox Council of African & Caribbean Churches Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches Icthus Christian Fellowship Joint Council for Anglo Caribbean Churches Lutheran Council of Great Britain United Reform Church Wesleyan Holiness Church Evidence must be sent to the school in the form of a baptismal certificate or letter of support from a minister of faith, or suitable equivalent, confirming church membership. 6. Children with Special Educational Needs Children with a formal Statement of Special Educational Needs which names Sacred Heart will be given a place. 7. Definition of a Looked After Child A looked after child who is (a) in the care of a Local Authority or (b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989; An adoption order under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002; A residence order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act 1989; A special guardianship order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child s special guardian or guardians. 8. Oversubscription Criteria Where there are insufficient places to meet all applications, distance from home address to school will be the deciding factor. This will be measured using the Newcastle Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) as a tiebreaker. 9. Family Address The home address must be that of the parent/guardian and must be put on the Application Form. The address of family members or others who may share in the care of the child must not be used. 10. How and when to apply Applications must be made using the Local Authority Common Application Form. These are available from primary schools or the Civic Centre and they must be returned to the Local Authority by the closing date set out on the form. Parents applying to Sacred Heart must send the extra information required, to the school marked for the attention of the Admissions Officer, within two weeks of the closing date for applications. Late applications will be considered only after all those received by the closing date have been processed. 11. Waiting list If admission is not granted, the Local Authority will offer the child a place in another school. The child will be kept on a waiting list for Sacred Heart which will be maintained for the full academic year. If a place becomes available, the policy will be applied and parents will be informed. 12. Right of Appeal Parents who are unsuccessful in obtaining a place have a statutory right of appeal. Parents should contact the Admissions Manager at the school for an Appeal Form. The completed form and an accompanying statement setting out the ground, for the Appeal should be returned to the Admissions Manager and marked For the attention of the Admissions Manager. Year 12 entry to Sixth Form Girls applying from outside the school will have to meet the same requirement as girls continuing through the school to this stage, namely the necessary grades in GCSE or equivalent to study for chosen A level subjects or vocational options. In the case of over-subscription, the same criteria would apply as for the main school. Where there are any concerns about admission to the Sixth Form, a trial period may be arranged, at the school s discretion, on entry to Year 12. Targets will be negotiated and agreed with the student and then put in writing to student and parents at the start of the trial and again at the review of progress after half a term. Where serious concerns still exist, a student may be asked to leave. Entry to a third year in Sixth Form will similarly depend on the criteria above. St. Cuthbert s Catholic High School, Newcastle Admissions policy The Governing Body of St Cuthbert s Catholic High School, Newcastle is the Admissions Authority for this school. The Governing Body intends to admit up to 190 pupils to Year 7 in September Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

21 This number will apply to Years 7 to 11. Separate arrangements are made for admission to Year 12 (sixth form) and are available from the school. English Martyrs Primary, Fenham; Our Lady and St Anne s, Newcastle; Sacred Heart Primary, Fenham; St Bede s, Denton Burn; St Charles Primary, Gosforth; St Cuthbert s Primary, Kenton; St Cuthbert s Primary, Walbottle; St George s Primary, Bells Close; St John Vianney Primary, West Denton; St Joseph s Primary, Benwell; St Mark s Primary, Westerhope; St Michael s Primary, Elswick and St Oswald s Primary, Gosforth are referred to as Catholic Primary Partner Schools. Where there are insufficient places available to meet all parental preferences, priority will be given to applications in the following order: 1. Looked-after and previously lookedafter children (children in the care of the Local Authority) who are Catholics). 2. Catholic children. 3. Looked-after and previously lookedafter children who are not Catholics. 4. Children who are baptised or dedicated members of other Christian churches, recognised by Churches Together in England. 5. Children of other faiths. 6. Other children. Within each of the above categories (1-6), children will be admitted in the following order: i ii Children in a Partner Primary School. Children in another Catholic Primary School. iii Children in a non-catholic school. Within each of the sub-categories above (i-iii), priority will be given to children with a brother at St Cuthbert s at the time of admission. Additional Notes The Admissions Policy Criteria will be applied on an Equal Preference basis. Catholic children are children who have been baptised as Catholics or have been formally received into the Catholic Church. All applicants seeking admission under this criterion must provide evidence that the child has been baptised as a Catholic or has been received into the Catholic Church. If applicants are seeking admission under any of the faith criteria (4-5 above), must provide a letter of support from their minister or faith leader or suitable equivalent. For Christian applicants a baptismal certificate must be provided. Special Medical or Social Needs Children who have a Statement of Special Educational Need which names our school will be admitted to the school. We will consider individual applications involving medical or social needs. This kind of application must be supported in writing by relevant professional agencies i.e. a doctor or social worker. This supporting evidence should set out the particular reasons why the school is most suitable and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school. If your child has Special Educational Needs but does not have a statement of need then your application will be considered on the basis of the school s admission policy. In exceptional circumstances we will determine if it is appropriate to allocate your child a place. Tie-breakers Where there are insufficient places to meet all applications, distance from home address to school will be the deciding factor. This will be measured using the Newcastle Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) as a tiebreaker. Definition of a brother A brother sharing the same parents; Half-brother, where two children share one common parent; Step-brother, where two children are related by a parent s marriage; Adopted or fostered children. Churches Together in England Member Churches See for further details on membership. Home Address It is the parental address which will be used in applying the admission criteria. This means that, when stating your choice of school, you should give the parental/guardian address at the time of application. The address of childminders or other family members who may share in the care of your child should not be quoted as the home address. Application Formal written applications for admission must be made on the form provided by the Local Authority and returned to them by the stated date. Places will then be allocated by strict application of the above criteria, with no reference to the date of application. Parents will be notified as to whether or not their child has been allocated a place on 1st March Right of Appeal Parents who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal. Further details of the appeal process are available by writing to the Chair of Governors at the school address. Waiting Lists If your child has been refused admission, a waiting list is available where priority will be given according to the above criteria based on the information provided at the time of application. This waiting list will remain open until the end of the autumn term. St. Mary s Catholic Comprehensive School Admissions policy The Governors intend to admit up to 196 pupils into year 7 in September Children must be eleven years of age as at 31st August 2014 Children who have a statement of Special Educational Needs which names our school will be admitted to the school. The school will normally admit pupils in the following categories in order of priority: (First priority in each category will be given to siblings, that is, children who will have an older sibling in the school in 2014) (See note 3). 1. Looked after Catholic children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see additional notes - 2). 2. Catholics living in the promoter parishes or attending the partner primary schools. (See additional notes 1) 3. Catholics living in other parishes or attending other schools. 4. Looked after children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by a local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order (see additional notes 2). 5. Children in the partner primary schools not covered by 2 or Children who have a sibling in the school not covered by 1 to 5. (See additional notes 3) 7. Children who are baptised or 40 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

22 dedicated members of other Christian Churches as recognised by Churches Together. (See additional notes 4) 8. Children of other Faith traditions. 9. Other Children. The promoter parishes are Holy Name Jesmond Sacred Heart Gosforth St Aidan s Benton St Anthony of Padua Walker St Charles Gosforth St Dominic s Shieldfield St Francis of Assisi Walkergate St Lawrence s Byker St Mary s Forest Hall Ss Peter and Paul Longbenton St Teresa s Heaton St Vincent s Walker The partner primary schools are those which serve the promoter parishes, namely: St Alban s Walker St Catherine s Shieldfield St Charles Gosforth St Lawrence s Byker St Mary s Forest Hall St Oswald s Gosforth St Stephen s Longbenton St Teresa s Heaton St Vincent s Walker Applications will be co-ordinated by the Local Authority according to their published time-table. Parents or carers wishing to apply for a place for their child must complete the application form provided by the Local Authority and return it to the Local Authority by the stated date. If applicants are seeking admission in category 1, 2 or 3 above, they may be asked to provide evidence that the child is a baptised Roman Catholic or has been formally received into the Roman Catholic Church. If applicants are seeking admission in category 7 and 8 above, they may be asked for evidence that the child is baptised or a letter of support from their minister or Faith leader, or suitable equivalent. Additional Notes 1. Definition of Catholic Children who have been baptised as Catholics or have been formally received into the Catholic Church. All applicants seeking admission under criteria 1, 2 or 3 will be asked to provide evidence that the child has been baptised as a Catholic or has been received into the Catholic Church. A baptismal certificate or a letter from their priest confirming their baptism or reception into the Catholic Church will suffice. 2. Definition of Looked After Children A looked after child is a child who is in the care of a local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time the application for admission to school is made and whom the local authority has confirmed will still be looked after at the date of admission. An adoption order is an order made under section 46 of the Adoption and Children Act A residence order is an order outlining the arrangements as to the person with whom the child will live under section 8 of the Children Act A special guardianship order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child s special guardian or guardians (Section 14A Children Act 1989). 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. 4. Churches Together in England (See for further details on membership) Tie breaker Where a parent has been notified that a place is not available for a child, every effort will be made to help the parent to find a place in a suitable alternative school. Parents who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal. Further details of the appeals process are available by writing to the Chair of Governors at the school address. Right of appeal Where a parent has been notified that a place is not available for a child, every effort will be made to help the parent to find a place in a suitable alternative school. Parents who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal. Further details of the appeals process are available by writing to the Chair of Governors at the school address. Home address It is the parental address which will be used in applying the admission criteria. This means that, when stating your choice of school, you should give the parental/guardian address at the time of application. The address of childminders or other family members who may share in the care of your child should not be quoted as the home address. Waiting lists If your child has been refused admission, you can request that your child s name be placed on the school s waiting list. If places become available, we will consider all relevant applications based on the waiting list which will be maintained until 31st December, All admissions are determined by the Governing Body. The Governing Body supports the LA s coordinated approach to admissions and will adopt the equal preference principle. Appeals against any decision of the Governing Body should be submitted to: The Secretary of the Appeals Board C/o St. Mary s Catholic Comprehensive School Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE7 7PE The written appeal must set out the grounds on which the appeal is made. 42 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

23 Secondary faith academies and voluntary aided schools admissions September allocation of places and appeals heard between September 2012 to 17 July 2013 Admission Number Places Number Upheld Name of School number applications offered of appeals 1 March 2013 appeals Sacred Heart Catholic High School* St. Cuthbert s Catholic High School* St. Mary s Catholic School Admission policies for Newcastle free schools Discovery School Address: Discovery School, Duke Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4HB (land bounded by George Street, Lord Street and Dukes Street) 1. This document sets out the admission arrangements for Discovery School in accordance with Annex B to the Funding Agreement between Discovery School and the Secretary of State. Admission Number(s) 2. The admission arrangements for the year 2014/2015 and, subject to any changes approved or required by the Secretary of State, for subsequent years are: a. Discovery School has an agreed admission number of pupils of 180 into Year 10 and 180 into Year 12. In 2014/2015 it is intended that there will be 360 pupils in the School gradually increasing to a maximum of 720 learners as new learners are admitted in 2015/2016. Discovery School will accordingly admit at least 180 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received, and no more than 180 pupils; Consideration of applications 3. Discovery School will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than the published admissions number for any relevant age group are received, Discovery School will offer places to all those who have applied. Procedures where the Discovery School is oversubscribed (14-16 provision) 4. Procedures where the Discovery School is oversubscribed (14-16 provision) a. Looked after children and children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or are subject to a residence order or a special guardianship order). b. Children who have siblings at the School. (Siblings extends to step brothers and sisters, foster siblings and adopted siblings) c. Children of a member of staff at Discovery School if: i. 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 ii. The member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage 5. Remaining places will be randomly allocated to applicants from all the catchment areas listed under Point 6. The random allocation process will be supervised by someone independent of Discovery School. The system of random allocation will be clearly described to parents to ensure transparency. Every young person will be allocated a number and the successful candidates will be determined by computer generated random number until the full School roll is reached. 6. Places will be randomly allocated from all the Local Authorities listed below: Newcastle Gateshead North Tyneside 44 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

24 Northumberland South Tyneside Sunderland County Durham Operation of Waiting Lists 7. Where in any year Discovery School receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until the end of December [the end of the Autumn term]. This will be maintained by Discovery School 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. 8. Children s position on the waiting list 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. Arrangements for admission to post 16 provision. 9. Discovery School operates a sixth form with a total of 360 students. 10. In 2014/2015 there will be 180 places available for Year The School will admit external candidates to its sixth form where undersubscribed by pupils progressing from its own Year 11. In all circumstances both internal and external candidates will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for the school. 12. The School will publish its academic progression criteria (based on prior attainment) in its prospectus and on its web-site. Normally, both internal and external students wishing to enter Year 12 will be expected to have met the minimum academic entry requirements for the year. These are that students will have 5 A*-G GCSEs (including English and Maths) or equivalent grades. 13. In addition to Year 12 minimum academic entry requirements students will need to satisfy minimum entrance requirements to the courses for which they are applying. Each year the academy will publish minimum grades for each course. As a minimum, these will be as follows: (a) Level 3: 5A* - C GCSE or equivalent grades including English and Maths (b) Level 2: 5A* - E GCSE or equivalent grades including English and Maths (c) Level 1: 5A* - G GCSE or equivalent grades including English and Maths 14. In the event of a course being oversubscribed students will be offered an alternative course. Students should refer to the Choices Information Booklet for the minimum grades for each subject. Appeals 15. There will be a right of appeal to an independent Appeals Panel for internal pupils refused transfer and external applicants refused admission. In Year Admissions - Arrangements for admitting pupils to other year groups, including replacing pupils who have left the Discovery School. 16. With regards to the admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, Discovery School will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available admit the child unless one of the permitted reliefs apply. If more applications are received than there are places available, the previously outlined subscription criteria shall apply. Parents whose application is turned down are entitled to appeal. Applying for a place at Discovery School for September Year 10 admissions 17. Applications for places at Discovery School in September 2014 will be made in accordance with the Local Authority s co-ordinated admission arrangements, and will be made on the Common Application Form provided by the Home Local Authority where the child resides. 18. Discovery School will use the following timetable for Year 10 applications for the admissions year 2014: a. The Discovery Learning Trust will publish in the Discovery School prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including oversubscription criteria, for the following September (e.g. in Autumn 2014 for admission in September 2015). b. September 2013/March 2014 The Discovery Learning Trust will provide opportunities for parents to visit the School. c. October/November Applications for a transfer place to Discovery School are to be returned to the Home Local Authority, where the child resides. d. During February 2014 all applicants will be ranked in the order they meet the admissions criteria for Discovery School. e. Offers of places will be made on the National Offer Day (3rd March for 2014). Year 12 Admissions 19. Applications for places at Discovery School in September 2014 will be made directly to the Principal and will be made on the application form provided and administered by Discovery School. 20. Discovery School will use the following timetable for Year 12 applications for the admissions year 2014: a. The Discovery Learning Trust will publish in the Discovery School prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including oversubscription criteria, for the following September (e.g. in Autumn 2014 for admission in September 2015). b. March 2014/August The Discovery Learning Trust will provide opportunities for parents to visit the School. c. 17th January 2014 Application Form for Year 12 places to be completed and returned to The Discovery Learning Trust to administer. d. During February/March 2014 initial interviews and offers will be made. e. Final course decisions will be made in August The maximum number of young people in each year will be Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

25 Admission policies for Newcastle studio schools Studio West Applying for a place at Studio West for September 2014 Admissions Policy and Arrangements What Kind of School is Studio West? Studio West will equip students joining at Year 9, 10 or 12 with the business and enterprise skills for the challenges of the 21st century. Students will work on reallife projects created in collaboration with the companies in the Enterprise Centre on the campus and with businesses across the region. Every student will have a learning coach and timetables much more like a work environment. Students will work like engineers, scientists and artists through solving problems. Studio West will provide an academically excellent curriculum based around a general core of GCSEs including English, Mathematics and Science at KS4 and in the Sixth Form will work towards A levels, BTECs, Work Placements and Project Based Learning. We expect and aim to ensure that all students will progress to university, an apprenticeship or a job. Studio West will be a small school, with about 60 students in each year, who will be very well known and supported by staff, but we will be able to offer provide high quality teaching in a wide range of subjects because of our links with Kenton School. How Do I Apply for a Place at Studio West? Applications for Y9 or Y10 (Key Stage 4) for September 2014 All applications for a place at Studio West (for Y9 or Y10) should be made through the local authority application process using the common application form provided on their website or the equivalent in your own local authority (if you live outside Newcastle); this ensures that all applicants can select their alternative options at the same time. Parents wishing to apply for a place at Studio West should complete and return the form by the required date (31st October 2013). Applications for Y12 (Sixth Form) for September 2014 Students and their families should make Y12 Sixth Form applications directly to Studio West as soon as possible or by 31 January Any applications received after that date will be considered, but after those that were in on time. Successful applicants (and unsuccessful if any) will be contacted in writing by the end of February Students or their families who wish to apply or to discuss making an application Studio West can do so in any of the following ways: Either: Telephone for a personal discussion with the Principal; Or: Visit the Studio West website at or Kenton School website (sponsor of Studio West) at where you can download a prospectus, download the application form and read further details and/or request an appointment to discuss the matter with the Principal; Or: Visit Kenton School reception and pick up a Prospectus and/or make an application using one of our computers and/or make an appointment to discuss the matter with the Principal; Or: Write to: Ms Val Wigham Principal Studio West c/o Kenton School Drayton RoadNewcastle upon Tyne NE3 3RU How Many Places are there at Studio West? Published Admission Number (PAN) In September 2014 the points of entry to Studio West will be Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12. For that year the number is 40 places for students in Year 9, 40 places for students in Year 10 and 40 places for students in Year 12. The Studio School will reach full capacity (310 students) in As a transitional measure the PAN at Years 9 & 12 will be lower in the first year as shown in the table below. In 2014 and 2015, Studio West will admit external students only into the Sixth Form (Y12). In 2016 and 2017, Year 12 will comprise both internal students transferring from Year 11 and external applicants. Assuming that 75% of Studio West s own Y11 students progress into the Sixth form, the PAN is the number of places reserved for external applicants. The table below shows the numbers expected in Studio West by year group from 2014 to 2017, when the school is planned to reach full capacity. The numbers in bold underlined are the PANs: Year Year Year Year (PAN 35) 65 (PAN 35) Year Total Will My Son or Daughter Get a Place at Studio West? Y9 & Y10 Where fewer applications than the published admission number(s) are received, Studio West will offer places to all those who have applied. Y12 Both internal and external pupils wishing to enter year 12 will be accepted onto specific courses of study which may have minimum entry requirements published in the Prospectus. If applicants fail to meet these minimum course requirements they will be given the option of pursuing alternative courses for which they do meet the minimum requirements. The minimum course entry requirement to follow a Level 3 programme is 5A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths. Where students have these qulifications except English or Maths (or both) they may begin the programme but must also take Level 2 courses in these qualifications. If there are fewer applications than the published admission number, Studio West will offer places to all those who apply. If there are more external applicants that satisfy the entry requirements than the number of Y12 places available, the oversubscription criteria will apply. Special Educational Needs (SEN) Where All students who have a statement of Special Educational Needs, which names Studio West on the statement, will have automatic entitlement to a place at the Studio School and will be admitted before all other applicants. Oversubscription Criteria for Studio West Where there are more applications for admission than places available, the following oversubscription criteria in the order shown will be used to determine which students will be allocated places. Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs, where the school is named in the statement, will be admitted to that school. Places will be offered to applicants ranked highest using the criteria set out below: 48 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

26 1. Looked After Children in the care of a local authority or children that were looked after by the local authority and immediately after that became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order. 2. Children who have a brother or sister (a sibling) who will be attending the school at the time of admission. Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent or carer s partner where the children live at the same address. 3. Children living nearest to the school. Measurement is the straight line distance from the front reception entrance of the school to a point in the centre of the home address of the child s main residence at the closing date for applications. Tie Break In the event that more than one child has an equal right to an available place, the school will use random allocation as a tie-break. Parental Responsibility Parents who share responsibility for the care of their child are expected to reach agreement to a school placement between them. In the event of a dispute the school will accept the application from the parent who receives, or is eligible for, the payment of the child benefit. Late Applications Applications received after the closing date of the admissions window (31 October for year 10 and 31 January for year 12) may only be considered after those applicants who have applied on time and if places Enterprise & Innovation Campus have not been allocated. A late application will not affect the right of appeal or the right to be placed on the waiting list. Following the admissions closing date any late applicants will be allocated a place in the order in which the applications are received, if the School has places available. Waiting Lists Where in any year Studio West receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until 31 December of the same year. The waiting list will be maintained by Studio West 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 above. When a place becomes available, the name at the top of the list will be automatically contacted. Appeals If your child is not offered a place at Studio West you have the right to appeal. You must write to the School stating that you wish to appeal and the forms will be sent to you directly. To request an appeals form, you should write to: Studio West c/o Kenton School Drayton Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3RU Studio West appeals process is compliant with the School Admission Appeals Code. Studio West will arrange for an Independent Appeals Panel to consider the reasons for refusal and your reasons for wanting to attend Studio West. The panel will consist of three people (two will have education experience and one will be an independent person with no education experience). The panel will consider the case put forward. It must consider the admission arrangements for Studio West and the reasons why you want to attend this particular school. The panel must exercise its discretion by balancing the weight of arguments. Studio West will provide Parents/Carers with the right to attend the Appeals Panel meeting in person, notification of the appeal date will be sent at least fourteen days prior to the hearing. The decision of the Independent Appeals Panel is binding on the both Studio West and the student/parents. Withdrawal of an offer of a place Studio West may withdraw an offer of a place where a parent fails to respond to an offer within a reasonable timescale (normally fourteen days from receipt of the offer) or the place was offered on the basis of a fraudulent or misleading application. 50 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

27 Application form for transfer to Year 5, 7, 9 or 10 in September 2014 Closing date: midday (12 noon), 31 October 2013 The best way to apply for a school place is online at Our online form is easy to use, safe and secure. We can give you information and advice about schools and the admission arrangements (phone ) and the Customer Service Centres and schools can help you complete the form if needed. If you live in Newcastle, use this form to apply for a transfer place in any state school including faith schools, academies, free schools and studio schools and schools in other authorities. If you do not live in Newcastle, you must apply to the local authority that you live in (the authority you pay your council tax to). We can only process applications for children who live in Newcastle. Before listing your preferred schools, it is important that you read each schools admission policy. Consider the information on school place offers made in This should give you a realistic idea of your child s chances of getting a place. We advise you to visit the schools, consider travel arrangements and childcare. Remember that attendance at a feeder linked school does not guarantee a place in a secondary school. You can select up to four school preferences. Listing more than one preference does not affect your chances of getting the first one. We would advise you to use all your preferences on the form. Don t waste the opportunity to be considered for other schools. List the school you most want first. We are unable to provide a receipt for paper applications unless you include a stamped addressed envelope and you are strongly advised to obtain proof of posting. We will acknowledge online applications by return . Do not submit a paper application if you have applied online. Before you submit your application, please make sure that You have read and understood the admission policies for the schools you are applying for. You have completed all the boxes on the form that are relevant to your application. The information you have provided is accurate. If you have ticked any of the boxes to explain your reasons for applying for a school, you have arranged to provide the appropriate supporting evidence within the timescales requested. Please use black ink and write in block capitals. Include your child s full name and date of birth in any correspondence. Newcastle City Council does not accept any responsibility for the loss of documents sent by post. We will only return documents if you enclose a stamped addressed envelope. 52 Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

28 Start of application: Please enter your child s details Please list your school preferences in ranked order with your most preferred school first. Tick the boxes to tell us the reasons why you have listed each school. If you tick any boxes, you must submit supporting evidence. Surname First name Date of birth / / (day/month/year) Gender Boy Girl Current address What is your child s current school? Postcode Is your child in Local Authority Care (looked after)? Yes No If yes, which local authority looks after your child? Has your child been previously looked after and then been adopted or made subject of a residence or guardianship order? Yes No (If yes and you wish this to be considered, you must provide supporting evidence with your application). Does your child have a Statement of Special Educational Need? Yes No Are you a Service family (for example, a forces family) relocating to Newcastle Yes No (If yes, proof of relocation or a unit postal address will need to be submitted with your application). My first preference school is: Medical reason Yes No Faith reason Yes No Please indicate which faith: Catholic Church of England Other (please indicate which faith) A brother or sister (sibling) will be at the school in September 2014 Yes No Is a parent employed at this school? Yes No (You must provide proof directly to the school) Sibling s date of birth / / (Pick the child closest in age) Sibling s surname You must provide evidence from a medical professional that this is the only school your child can attend. If you are applying to a school for faith reasons the school will contact you for evidence of your faith. First name If you wish to provide any other supporting information please give details below: Please enter your details Title (for example, Mr, Mrs, Miss) Surname Current address (if different from child) First name Postcode My second preference school is: Medical reason Yes No Faith reason Yes No Please indicate which faith: Catholic Church of England Other (please indicate which faith) You must provide evidence from a medical professional that this is the only school your child can attend. If you are applying to a school for faith reasons the school will contact you for evidence of your faith. Home phone Mobile phone* Business phone A brother or sister (sibling) will be at the school in September 2014 Yes No Is a parent employed at this school? Yes No (You must provide proof directly to the school) address (optional) What is your relationship to the child? (for example, mother) Do you have parental responsibility for this child? Yes No Sibling s date of birth / / (Pick the child closest in age) Sibling s surname First name If you wish to provide any other supporting information please give details below: * Please note that we may use your mobile number to text you information and 54 updates Apply online regarding at your application. by midday (12 noon) Continued 31 October on next 2013 page Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

29 My third preference school is: Medical reason Yes No Faith reason Yes No Please indicate which faith: You must provide evidence from a medical professional that this is the only school your child can attend. If you are applying to a school for faith reasons the school will contact you for evidence of your faith. Catholic Church of England Other (please indicate which faith) A brother or sister (sibling) will be at the school in September 2014 Yes No Is a parent employed at this school? Yes No (You must provide proof directly to the school) Sibling s date of birth / / (Pick the child closest in age) Sibling s surname First name If you wish to provide any other supporting information please give details below: My fourth preference school is: Medical reason Yes No Faith reason Yes No Please indicate which faith: You must provide evidence from a medical professional that this is the only school your child can attend. If you are applying to a school for faith reasons the school will contact you for evidence of your faith. Catholic Church of England Other (please indicate which faith) A brother or sister (sibling) will be at the school in September 2014 Yes No Is a parent employed at this school? Yes No (You must provide proof directly to the school) Sibling s date of birth / / (Pick the child closest in age) Sibling s surname First name If you wish to provide any other supporting information please give details below: I confirm that the information on this form is true and accurate. Parent or carer signature Date / / Return this application form and any supporting evidence by midday, 31 October 2013 to: Admissions and Information Service, Newcastle City Council, Room 225, 56 Apply Civic online Centre, at Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QH. by midday (12 noon) 31 October Apply online at by midday (12 noon) 31 October

30 You can also contact us for help and support with the admissions process, for a paper information pack and application form, and for assistance if this information is needed in another format or language. [email protected] Write: Admissions and Information Service Newcastle City Council Room 225, Civic Centre Newcastle NE1 8QH Phone: (ask for school admissions ) (Please note that our phone lines can be extremely busy. We will return all calls as quickly as possible so please do not leave multiple messages. Thank you for your patience.)