Consultation on admissions Arrangements for 2014-2015
The Governing Body is proposing changes to the admission arrangements for children joining the school in 2014-15. The proposed arrangements are displayed on this website via the link below. Under the schools admissions code all relevant parents and other groups with an interest in the local area have a right to take part in this consultation process. If you wish to respond to the consultation, please send comments to Ms J Ashton.
The Governing Body will consider all responses received in determining their final admission arrangements. In accordance with the school admissions code the final admission arrangements will be determined by 15 April and published on the School website.
Proposed Admissions Policy 2014 
ADMISSIONS POLICY 2012-2013
Cardinal Pole Catholic School is a co-educational school, which seeks applications from children who are able to benefit from and contribute to the religious atmosphere of the school.
As a Catholic school, we aim to provide a Catholic education for all our pupils. At a Catholic school, Catholic doctrine and practice permeate every aspect of the school’s activity. It is essential that the Catholic character of the schools education is fully supported by all families in the school. All applicants are therefore expected to give their full, unreserved and positive support for the aims and ethos of the school
All children applying for a place will take the Cognitive Ability Tests (CAT3) designed by GL Assessments for the purpose of banding. The test is not an entrance examination that pupils pass or fail. It is a way of ensuring that the school admits children of all abilities. Children will be placed in one of four bands based on their score in the tests. The school may seek other evidence of the child’s academic ability if (for acceptable reasons) the child is not able to take the test.
The Published Admission Number of the school is 180 pupils
Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs who do not take the test will be assigned to the appropriate band on the basis of the primary Headteacher’s or other professional‘s assessment. Parents of statemented children do not apply through this process and they should contact the Learning Trust’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) Department
If in any band there are more applications than places available; or when the number of applicants exceeds the admission number, offers of places are made using the following criteria in order of priority
Applications from pupils will be placed in four ability bands of equal size, i.e. four bands of 25% of applicants each. If in any band there are more applicants than places available; or when the number of applicants exceeds the admission number, offers of places are made using the following criteria in order of priority:
Oversubscription Criteria
- Catholic “looked after” children or Catholic children who have been adopted (or made subject to residence orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after being looked after
- Baptised Catholic children from practising Catholic families whose applications are supported by the Parish Priest
- Other baptised Catholic children from Catholic families who can show no evidence of current religious practice
- Other “looked after” children who have been adopted (or made subject to residence orders or special guardianship orders) immediately after being looked after
- Baptised children of Eastern/Orthodox Churches or Catechumens where the application is supported by their priest
- Baptised children from Christian families who seek a Catholic education for their child and where the application is supported by a reference from a religious leader
- Children from non-Christian families who seek a Catholic education for their child and where the application is supported by a reference from a religious leader
- Any other children
The governors will give top priority in any category children whose exceptional medical, social or pastoral needs justify a place at the school. To demonstrate exceptional social or medical need, which can be only be met at this school, the Governing Body will require compelling written evidence from an appropriate professional e.g. doctor, priest at the time of application.
Other Priorities
In the event of there being insufficient vacancies to admit all applicants in any of the categories detailed above, priority will be given to children living nearest to the main entrance of the school measured in a straight line. For the purpose of calculating distances, home addresses are identified by using the geographical references as determined by the information provided by the borough council in which the applicant lives. In the case of a number of addresses in a block with the same geographical reference, further steps will be taken to identify those that are nearest to the school.
The school maintains a waiting list, ranked according to the published criteria, and places will be offered as and when vacancies occur. Each January applicants are contacted to confirm that they wish to remain on the waiting list.
In the case of twins / triplets and other multiple births applying for only one remaining place, places will be offered by random allocation, i.e. lottery, in the presence of an independent witness.
Applications lodged outside the normal admission arrangements will be considered in accordance with the above criteria without reference to banding. Such applicants must provide the school with a copy of the original birth certificate once an offer of a school place has been made.
Information in regard to the Appeals Procedure will be sent out to those who are unsuccessful in obtaining a place from The Learning Trust.
Procedure
Applicants wishing to be considered under priorities 2, 5, 6 & 7 should complete the Priest’s Reference Form available from the school and on the Westminster Diocese website http://www.rcdow.org.uk/fileupload/upload/90027F9A1172006101351.pdf. The form must be completed and returned to the School by the date specified on the form.
Applicants applying under the above priorities must also provide the School with a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate. If the certificate is not available, applicants should indicate in writing the reasons for this being the case.
The Common Application Form (CAF) is obtainable from The Learning Trust and is available on line. The must be completed and submitted to The Learning Trust by the closing date. The Supplementary Information Form (SIF) is available from the school or The Learning Trust and should be completed and returned to the school with the Priest’s Reference Form by the closing date. The SIF and Priest’s Reference Form can be obtained from the school by collecting them in person or by telephoning the school office on 0208 985 5150 extn 204 to request that they be sent by post. If the documents are not received by the closing date then the Governors may be unable to consider the application fully in relation to priorities 2, 5, 6 and 7 and it is therefore less likely to be successful.
The school is committed to taking its fair share of children who are vulnerable and/or hard to place, as set out in locally agreed protocols. Accordingly, outside the normal admissions round the governing body is empowered to give absolute priority to a child where admission is requested under any local protocol that has been agreed by both the Diocese and the governing body for the current school year. The governing body has this power even when admitting the child would mean exceeding the published admission number.
Applications for In-Year admissions are made in the same way as those made during the normal admissions round. If a place is available and there is no waiting list then the governors will inform the local authority and an offer will be made to the applicant. If more applications are received than there are places available then applications will be ranked by the governing body in accordance with the oversubscription criteria, with the following modifications: Catholic children without an offer of a school place elsewhere are given priority immediately after Catholic ‘looked-after’ children; similarly, other children without an offer of a school place are given priority immediately after other ‘looked-after’ children]. If a place cannot be offered at this time then you may ask us for the reasons and you will be informed of your right of appeal. You will be offered the opportunity of being placed on a waiting list. This waiting list will be maintained by the governing body in the order of the oversubscription criteria [as modified above] and not in the order in which the applications are received. Names are removed from the list at the end of each academic year. When a place becomes available the governing body will decide who is at the top of the list so that the LEA can inform the parent that the school is making an offer.
Interpretation of terms used in the Admissions Policy and Oversubscription Criteria
Applicants |
The parents and/or legal guardians submitting an application for a place on behalf of a child. |
Practising Catholics |
'Practising Catholic' means a Catholic child from a practising Catholic family where this practise is verified by a reference from a Catholic priest in the standard format laid down by the diocese. |
Catholic |
A person who is a member of a Church in full communion with the See of Rome, including Eastern Catholic Churches. For the purposes of this Policy it also includes a “looked after” child who is in the process of adoption by a “Catholic family”. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church. |
Looked after children |
Children in the care of the Local Authority or provided with accomodation by them e.g. children with foster parents (see section 22 of The Children's Act 1989) or children who have been adopted (or made subject to residence orders or special guradianship orders) immediately after being being looked after |
Family |
Those individuals who live at the residential address of the parents and/or legal guardians who are submitting an application for a place on behalf of a child. Where the admission arrangements refer to “practicing Catholic families”, it is sufficient for just one parent to attend. |
Christian |
A member of one of the Churches that is a member of “Churches Together in Britain and Ireland” |
Residential Address |
Where the child lives for 50% or more of the school week |
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Applicants must provide the School with the originals of the child’s birth and baptismal certificates. If neither one nor both of these certificates exist applicants should indicate in writing the reasons for this being the case.