GORDON’S SCHOOL
WOKING
ADMISSIONS POLICY 2015-16
Gordon’s is a boarding school committed to providing an education which combines the best aspects
of boarding school life with the benefits of strong links with the local community.
1. PUBLISHED ADMISSION NUMBERS FOR YEAR 7
FULL AND WEEKLY BOARDERS
DAY BOARDERS
32
76
Currently there are usually over 300 applications each year for the 76 day boarder places in Year
7.
2. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

All Academies operate individual admissions policies within a national framework.
Consequently parents should read the Gordon’s Admissions Policy within the context of the
current Surrey Local Authority booklet “Secondary School Admissions”.

All applicants are required to complete their Local Authority (LA) Application Form which
must be returned to the address on the form by the closing date of 31st October 2014. Places
will be offered on 2nd March 2015. Please note a Local Authority form must be completed
in all cases, in addition to the Gordon’s Supplementary Information Form. For example –
if you live in Surrey apply through Surrey. If you live in another county which is part of the coordination process nationally you should use our DfE number 936 5403 to apply for Gordon’s.
If you live in an area of the UK outside the national co-ordination process or live abroad you will
still need to apply – see www.surreycc.gov.uk for further detailed advice. For example if you
are in the UK Armed Forces serving abroad you can contact Surrey for a special UK postcode
to enable you to apply online and give details of your address abroad as an additional note.

All applicants are required to complete the Gordon’s Supplementary Information Form
which must be returned to the school by the closing date of 31st October 2014.

Parents and their children are encouraged to attend one of the parent tours for an in depth tour
of Gordon’s. This will enable them to see teachers teaching, children learning and to talk with
both pupils and staff.

In common with all other Surrey schools, Gordon’s operates an equal preference system. This
means that we consider all ranked preferences equally against our admissions criteria.
Governors reserve the right to withdraw an offer of a place if information contained on the
Common Application Form or Supplementary Information Form is found to be incorrect or
intentionally misleading.
3. OVER SUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA – DAY BOARDERS
Where applications exceed the number of places available the following criteria will be applied in
the order set out below:
a. Looked after children and previously looked after children will be considered to be:
 children who are registered as being in the care of a Local Authority in accordance with
Section 22 of the Children Act 1989(a), e.g. fostered or living in a children’s home, at
the time an application for a school is made; and

children who have left care through adoption (in accordance with Section 46 of the
Adoption and Children Act 2002), a residence order (in accordance with Section 8 of
the Children Act 1989) or special guardianship order (in accordance with Section 14A of
the Children Act 1989).
Official confirmation of the child’s status will be required from the LA at the time of application
in all cases.
b. Children who have an older sibling on roll at Gordon’s on 31st October 2014.
A sibling is defined as a child who has a brother or sister or a half brother or sister,
adopted or fostered brother or sister or step brother or sister living as part of the same
family unit at the same address, Monday to Friday.
c. For new families joining from September 2015, children who have an older sibling on roll at
Gordon’s on 31st October in the calendar year preceding the date of admission or at the
time of admission, who live within a 1000m radius of the school main entrance.
d. Children on the basis of the shortest radial distance from the home address to the school
within a radius of 1000m. Distance from the school is measured from the pupil’s home
address to the school main entrance.
e. Children who have an older sibling on roll at Gordon’s on 31st October in the calendar year
preceding the date of admission or at the time of admission, who live outside a 1000m
radius of the school main entrance.
f. Children on the basis of the shortest radial distance from the home address to the school
outside a radius of 1000m. Distance from the school is measured from the pupil’s home
address to the school main entrance.
4. OVER SUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA – FULL AND WEEKLY BOARDERS
Where applications exceed the number of places available the following criteria will be applied in
the order set out below:
a. Looked after children and previously looked after children will be considered to be:
 children who are registered as being in the care of a Local Authority in accordance with
Section 22 of the Children Act 1989(a), e.g. fostered or living in a children’s home, at
the time an application for a school is made; and

children who have left care through adoption (in accordance with Section 46 of the
Adoption and Children Act 2002), a residence order (in accordance with Section 8 of
the Children Act 1989) or special guardianship order (in accordance with Section 14A of
the Children Act 1989).
Official confirmation of the child’s status will be required from the LA at the time of application
in all cases.
b. Children of Members of the UK Armed Forces who qualify for Ministry of Defence financial
assistance with the cost of boarding school fees. Within this category priority will be given
to children who have an older sibling at Gordon’s on roll at Gordon’s on 31st October in the
calendar year preceding the date of admission or at the time of admission. For all other
applicants in this category lots will be drawn to determine which children shall have priority.
c. Children with a boarding need not included in b. above. This may include children at risk or
with an unstable home environment and children of service personnel who have died whilst
serving or have been discharged as a result of attributable injury, children of key workers
working abroad and Crown Servants working abroad (e.g. the children of charity workers,
people working for voluntary service organisations, the diplomatic service or the European
Union, teachers, law enforcement officers and medical staff) whose work dictates that they
spend much of the year overseas. Within this category priority will be given to children who
have an older sibling at Gordon’s on roll at Gordon’s on 31st October in the calendar year
preceding the date of admission or at the time of admission. For all other applicants in this
category lots will be drawn to determine which children shall have priority.
d. Children who have an older sibling on roll at Gordon’s on 31st October in the calendar year
preceding the date of admission or at the time of admission.
If the older sibling(s) transfer from residential to day boarding the day boarder sibling
oversubscription criteria as laid out at 3 (b), 3 (c) and 3 (e) will apply.
e. All other applicants for places as boarders.
5. SIBLINGS
If you wish your application to be considered under the sibling priority, you must indicate that your
child has a brother or sister already at Gordon’s when you submit your application/preference form
and provide relevant details.
6. STATEMENTS OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEED
The admission of a student with a Statement of Special Educational Need will be administered
through Surrey Local Authority in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1966
Section 324(5)(b) and Schedule 27 3 (3) and 3 (4) and the SEN Code of Practice (8:80-86 and
8:125-134).
7. HOME ADDRESS
The address on the form must be your child’s permanent place of residence. It should not be a
business, relative or carer/childminder’s address. We will not generally accept a temporary
address if the main carer of the child still possesses a property that has previously been used as a
home address, nor will we accept a temporary address if we believe it has been used solely or
mainly to obtain a school place when an alternative address is still available to that child.
If the parents do not live together, it should be the parent with whom the child spends the majority
of the time. This will normally be the main address held by the primary school. An application can
only be made from a single address, and only a single application can be made for each child.
You are required to provide confirmation of your council tax account number with your application.
If you do not have a council tax account number you must provide alternative evidence of your
address. If you are renting a property, you should provide a copy of your signed tenancy
agreement, together with a copy of a recent utility bill.
Any offer of a place based on where your child lives is conditional on your child being resident at
this address at the closing date for applications.
The School will investigate any applications:

Where there are any doubts about the information provided

Where information has been provided from a member of the public to suggest a
fraudulent application has been made


Where records show a change of address within the previous 12 months
Where the council tax account number is in a different name to the applicant
8. DISTANCE
Distance is measured from the nearest point of the student’s home to the school to the school
main entrance. Where two or more children share priority for a place e.g. where two children live
equidistant from the school, and only one place remains, lots will be drawn to determine which
child should be given priority.
9. WAITING LISTS
Unsuccessful applicants can ask in writing for their child’s name to be placed on the school’s
waiting lists. These lists will continue until the end of Year 7 i.e. end of summer term 2016. The
waiting lists will be maintained in the order of the over subscription criteria in paragraphs 3 & 4
above.
10. LATE APPLICATIONS
Late applicants will only be considered after the applicants who met the deadline have been
offered places.
Richard Whittington
Chairman of Governors