St Alban’s Catholic High School
Addendum to the
Admission Policy and Arrangements
for 2015-2016
Approved by Full Governing Body on: 25th March 2015
Admission arrangements
There have been 3 sets of changes which affect the school prospectus and
Admissions Policy for 2015-16. These are:
1. The School Admissions Code has been revised and the revisions came into
force on 19th December 2014
2. Suffolk Local Authority will no longer be co-ordinating ‘in year’ applications to
schools.
3. The Fair Access Protocol has been revised.
These will affect the Admissions Policy of St Alban’s Catholic High School in the
following ways.
Applying for a place for your child:
Admission arrangements for the normal year of entry (i.e. September Year 7 intake) are coordinated across the Local Authority including Voluntary Aided Schools and Academies (like
St Alban's) throughout Suffolk. The Local Authority produces two booklets for parents
'Admissions to Schools in Suffolk' and the ‘Directory of Schools in Suffolk’ which provides
details of all Suffolk schools.
Admissions for any year other than the coming Year 7 in September (i.e. an ‘in year
application’) are managed directly by the school you wish to apply to.
All applications should be made using the appropriate form i.e. the ‘normal year of entry form’
(CAF1) for September entry to Year 7 which is sent to the Local Authority (Suffolk) or the
‘own admission authority application form’ (ADM1) which is sent to the School. In addition a
supplementary information form (SIF) should be completed, if applying under faith criteria or
as an employee of St Alban’s, and sent to the Admissions Officer, St. Alban’s Catholic High
School, Digby Road, Ipswich IP4 3NJ – preferably by email or fax. The own admission
authority application form and the supplementary information form are available from
the Local Authority, the school or can be down-loaded from the school website – the email
address and fax number are available from the school website and at the end of this
document.
Parents may apply for admission to a year different to the normal year for the age of the child
– either a higher or lower year. We, as the admission authority, will consider the basis of the
request and the circumstances that apply and decide in such cases what we consider to be
in the child’s best interests. We will bear in mind the age group that the child has been
educated in up to the time of the application.
Allocation process – Main School.
I. Principles of allocation and prioritisation
A child who has a Statement of Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care plan (EHC
plan) specifying this school is automatically allocated a place.
St Alban’s Catholic High School Admissions Policy – Addendum 2015-16
Places are then allocated according to the criteria set out in the existing Admissions Policy
except that the Fair Access Protocol no-longer has provision for ‘social and medical need’
hence this category has been removed from our Policy
II.
‘Looked after child’ (new definition)
A 'looked after child' is a 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.
A ‘previously looked after child’ is a child who was looked after, but ceased to be so because
he or she was adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship
order). Previously looked after children include children who were adopted under the
Adoption Act 1976 (section 12 adoption orders) and children who were adopted under the
Adoption and Childrens Act 2002 (section 46 adoption orders). Child arrangements orders
are defined in section 8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by section 12 of the Children
and Families Act 2014. Child arrangements orders replace residence orders and any
residence order in force prior to 22 April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order.
A ‘looked after’ child or ‘previously looked after’ child who is a Roman Catholic has priority
above all Catholic applicants and the remainder of the Admissions Criteria. A ‘looked after’
child or ‘previously looked after child’ who is not a Catholic has priority over all other
Admissions Criteria except Catholic.
III.
Allocation of ranking group to application
Following from the changes above the table is now:
Ranking
Group
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Description
Children who have a Statement of Educational Needs or Education,
Health and Care Plan (EHC plan) specifying the school
Application of Admissions Criteria
‘Looked after’ or previously ‘looked after’ baptised Catholic children;
Not used
Baptised Catholic children who have a sibling attending St. Alban’s;
Baptised Catholic children who currently attend a Feeder school;
Other Baptised Catholic children.
‘Looked after’ or previously ‘looked after’ children who are not
baptised Catholic children.
Not used
Children who have a parent or guardian employed at St Alban’s and
the member of staff has either been employed for two years or was
recruited to fill a vacant post for which there was a demonstrable skill
shortage.
.
Baptised children who are members of an Eastern Christian Church
and attend church regularly and have a sibling at St Alban’s;
Baptised children who are members of an Eastern Christian Church
St Alban’s Catholic High School Admissions Policy – Addendum 2015-16
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
and attend church regularly and who currently attend a Feeder
school;
Other Baptised children who are members of an Eastern Christian
Church and attend church regularly;
Children who are members of another Christian denomination and
attend church regularly and have a sibling at St Alban’s;
Children who are members of another Christian denomination and
attend church regularly and currently attend a Feeder school who
do not have a sibling attending St Alban’s;
Other children who are members of another Christian denomination
and attend church regularly.
Other children who have a sibling at St Alban’s;
Other children who currently attend a Feeder school and who do
not have a sibling at St Alban’s;
Other children not included above.
‘In-year’ applications
Applications for admission during the year should be made to the Admissions Officer, St.
Alban’s Catholic High School using the own admissions authority application form
(ADM1) together with a supplementary information form (SIF).These forms should be sent
to the Admissions Officer, St. Alban’s Catholic High School, Digby Road, Ipswich IP4 3NJ –
preferably by email or fax to admission.stalban@btinternet.com or fax at 0800 066 4424. The
Supplementary Information Form is available from the Local Authority, the school or can be
down-loaded from the school website. We strongly advise that ‘proof of posting’ is obtained
for documents sent by post and that a ‘read receipt’ is requested for documents sent by
email.
Queries
Please address any queries regarding this Admission Policy to the Admissions Officer, St.
Alban’s Catholic High School, Digby Road, Ipswich IP4 3NJ – preferably by email at
admission.stalban@btinternet.com or fax at 0800 066 4424.
Signed by P McGrath, Chair of Governors:
Date:
St Alban’s Catholic High School Admissions Policy – Addendum 2015-16