Philip Morant School: Policy for Admissions in September 2010

The published number for admissions to Year 7 for the academic year commencing 1 September 2009 is 280 students. This number includes at least 10 places allocated on the basis of assessed aptitude for Technology.

1. Admission will be by application through the co-ordinated Secondary Admission Scheme arranged by the Planning and Admission Service, Essex County Council Learning Services, PO Box 4621, CHELMSFORD, CM1 1GS. Please note that the last date by which the Planning and Admission Service must receive your application is Monday 26^th October 2009 [date to be confirmed].
2. The Planning and Admission Service has the responsibility for publishing the general procedures to be followed by the school each year.
3. The National Offer Date is 1 March 2010 [date to be confirmed]. Offers of places will be sent out to parents/guardians of applicants by first class mail on that date.
4. Applicants seeking admission under criteria 5 and 8 of this Policy (aptitude for Technology) must also complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) obtainable from the school.  The Supplementary Information Form should be returned directly to The Registrar, Philip Morant School, Rembrandt Way, COLCHESTER, CO3 4QS.
5. Parents/guardians of applicants wishing to appeal against the school’s decision must do so to the Clerk of the Independent Appeal Panel c/o Philip Morant School, Rembrandt Way, Colchester CO3 4QS within 14 days of the date of the letter notifying them that their application was not successful.

Further details of the admission appeals process are explained in the Department for Education and Skills’ current School Admission Appeals Code of Practice.

Criteria for Admission

The following criteria will apply, in the order set out below, to determine which student to admit:

1. Looked after children, in accordance with paragraph 3.14 of the Department for Education and Skills’ School Admissions Code of Practice (DfES/0031/2003), which may be viewed at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/sacode/). (A ‘looked after’ child is a child who is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority under Section 22 of the 1989 Children Act)
2. Students residing within Philip Morant School’s priority admission area and who attend one of the following Schools.

Gosbecks Primary School, Owen Ward Close, Colchester

Hamilton Primary School, Constantine Road, Colchester

Home Farm Primary School, Shelley Road, Colchester

          Lexden Primary School, Trafalgar Road, Colchester

          Prettygate Junior School, Plume Avenue, Colchester

The definitive map of the School’s priority admission area is available for inspection in the Registrar’s office.

3. Students residing within Philip Morant School’s priority admission area.

4.    [Students residing outside Philip Morant School’s priority area but who live within the priority admission area of Hamilton Primary or Gosbecks Primary and who attend the school of the admission area that they live in.]

The total number of students admitted to Year 7 under criteria 1 to 4 shall not exceed 270.

5.    As a Technology College, 10 places will be allocated on the basis of assessed aptitude for technology (under Section 102 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998). Applicants seeking admission under this criterion should complete the Supplementary Information Form obtainable from the [Admissions Manager] at The Philip Morant School.

6.    Students residing outside Philip Morant School’s priority admission area who attend one of the five schools listed in criterion 2.

7.    Students who have a sibling attending Philip Morant School at the time of application in any year group except Year 13. [‡ See Secondary Education in Essex booklet for full definition – attached for consultation.]

8.    As a Technology College, an additional number of places not exceeding 18 will be allocated on the basis of assessed aptitude for technology (under Section 102 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998). Applicants seeking admission under this criterion should complete the Supplementary Information Form obtainable from the Registrar at Philip Morant School.

9.    Students residing outside Philip Morant School’s priority admission area.

Notes.

1.    Parents/legal guardians making applications are strongly advised to include a second preference school in their application to the Essex County Council Learning Services.

2.    If any of the above criteria are oversubscribed (apart from Criteria 5 and 8 - aptitude for technology) priority will be given within each oversubscription criterion to those students living nearer to the School, measured by straight-line distance from home to School; those residing nearer to the School being given higher priority. Distance from home to School will only be applied in respect of Criteria 5 and 8 (aptitude for technology) when the effect of more than one applicant achieving the same score in the technology test would be to admit more than the stated number of students under each of these criteria.  The LA’s Geographical Information System will be used to calculate straight-line distance from home to School.

The Admissions Manager will add the names of applicants whose applications are received after 1 September 2010 to a waiting list, should insufficient places be available. In the event that places become available, students will be admitted according to the same criteria listed above for Year 7 and in the same order.

1.    An application for admission to these year groups will normally be refused if the intended year group of the applicant has already reached the published admission number.

2.    Applicants should apply directly to the Registrar at the School.

The Admissions Manager will add the names of applicants to a waiting list should insufficient places be available. In the event that places become available, students will be admitted according to the same criteria listed above for Year 7 and in the same order.

Students are admitted to the School’s Resource Base for the Hearing Impaired in addition to the published admission number intending to admit in each year group. The maximum number intended to admit to the Resource Base for the Hearing Impaired is 15 students in total.

Applicants will be referred by SENaPS and should apply to the [Admissions Manager] at the School.

Students in Year 11 at Philip Morant School and College will receive the College Prospectus in the Autumn term.  A student seeking admission to the College should complete a Course Options form and return it to the College Office. To assist our planning, it would be helpful if students could return the form by [27 February 2010].

1. All applications for admission to the Philip Morant College from students not currently studying at the Philip Morant School should be submitted to: Head of College, Philip Morant College, Rembrandt Way, Colchester CO3 4QS.
2. The published number of students admitted to the Philip Morant College in Year 12 from students not currently studying at the Philip Morant School is 50, and 15 in Year 13.
3. Offers of admission will be made on the basis of the availability of the course required by the applicant; him/her satisfying the entry requirements of a proposed course of study (These requirements are detailed in the Philip Morant College Prospectus.); and on overall academic suitability based on references received from the applicant’s previous school, which will include information on anticipated performance at GCSE.
4. The following criteria will apply in the event of oversubscription:

a.    Looked after children, in accordance with paragraph 3.14 of the Department for Education and Skills’ School Admissions Code of Practice (DfES/0031/2003), which may be viewed at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/sacode/). (A ‘looked after’ child is a child who is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority under Section 22 of the 1989 Children Act)

b.    Students residing within Philip Morant School’s priority admission area.

c.    Students who have a sibling attending Philip Morant School and College at the time of application.

d.    Students residing outside Philip Morant School’s priority admission area.

5. The College will confirm acceptance of students on to its courses following the receipt of examination results and immediately prior to entry in September.

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PLEASE NOTE

THIS SCHOOL IS INCLUDED IN THE COLCHESTER-WIDE CONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION AND, THEREFORE, THE ABOVE ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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Siblings

For all community and VC schools, and for some foundation and VA schools (indicated by ‡ in the school's admission policy) the following definition applies:

For applications made in the normal admissions round a relevant sibling is a child who has a brother, sister, adopted brother or sister or stepbrother or stepsister living in the same family unit in the same family household and address who attends the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year. Biological siblings who attend the preferred school in any year group excluding the final year will also be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. Children residing in the same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings. For mid-year applications a sibling is a child who has a brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister living in the same family unit in the same family household and address as a child who attends or has been offered a place at the preferred school at the time of application and determination and with a reasonable expectation that the sibling will be attending at the time of admission. Biological siblings who attend the preferred school will be treated as siblings irrespective of their place of residence. For 11–18 schools, a sibling link to a child in Year 11 or Year 12 at the time of application and determination will be taken to exist where there is a reasonable expectation that the child will be returning to the school for a post 16 course of study. Foundation and voluntary aided schools and Academies may have different definitions of a sibling. Please contact the school to check.