Admissions Policy

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.  

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 Admissions 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

1. Catholic “looked after” children

2. Baptised Catholic children from practising Catholic families whose applications are supported by the Parish Priest

3. Other baptised Catholic children from Catholic families who can show no evidence of current religious practice

4. Other “looked after” children

5. Baptised children of Eastern/Orthodox Churches where the application is supported by their priest

6. 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

7. 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

8. Any other children

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 (Victoria Park Road site) 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 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 most appropriately met at this school, the Governing Body will require written evidence from an appropriate professional e.g. doctor, priest at the time of application.

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, 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.

Procedure

Applicants wishing to be considered under priorities 2, 5, 6 & 7 should complete the Priest’s Reference Form available from the school's website http://www.cardinalpole.co.uk/parents_information/index.asp 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 certificates. 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 must 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 in relation to priorities 2, 5, 6 and 7 and 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

Priest’s reference and supplementary information
The School will provide each applicant with a Priest’s Reference Form that must be completed and returned to the School by the date specified on the form

Priest's Reference Form
Supplementary Information Form

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.