Admission Arrangements for 2013/2014
In common with other Tameside secondary schools, Audenshaw School has introduced a number of changes to its admission procedures to comply with the requirements of a the Admissions Code February 2012. Audenshaw School will operate an equal preference scheme.
Applying for a Place at Audenshaw School for September 2013
The application process is detailed in the Moving On document issued by Tameside LA which is available online at www.tameside.gov.uk/movingon.
All parents who live in Tameside should apply for a place at School online at www.tameside.gov.uk
If you live outside Tameside you should contact your own local authority.
The Process
• The Online Application Form will invite all parents to name 6 schools in order of preference. In allocating places, Audenshaw School will operate an equal preference scheme.
• The Online Application Form will give parents the opportunity to include information to support an application to Audenshaw School.
• There will be a common timetable for all including a single notification date. Late applications will be dealt with as late and ranked after all applications received by the deadline.
• Changes to preferences or ranking order will not be allowed after the closing date of 31 October 2012 except in exceptional circumstances for example, if the family has recently moved address. Evidence must be provided to support the request. No changes can be considered after 21 November 2012 when the allocations process has started.
• Applications from outside the Tameside area will be forwarded by the relevant LA to Tameside. Any application forms mistakenly received by Audenshaw School will be forwarded to the LA.
• Governors will apply the school’s oversubscription criteria irrespective of the preference order, and provide the Local Authority with a list of applicants ranked according to the criteria.
• Notification letters containing offers of a single school place will be sent out to parents on 1 March 2013. This is common with all other LAs nationally. These letters will also inform parents of their right of appeal, and who to contact, if an application to Audenshaw School has not been successful.
• Parents will not receive multiple offers.
• If the school is oversubscribed Tameside LA and Audenshaw School will maintain a waiting list, with Audenshaw School making all final decisions.
• The waiting list will operate until the end of the Autumn Term 2013. All pupils on the waiting list will be ranked according to the oversubscription criteria. Places will be offered, should any become available, to the highest ranked application received by the date the place becomes available. If new or late applications have a higher priority under the oversubscription criteria, they will be ranked higher than those who have been on the list for some time. A significant change of circumstances, such as a change of address, will be taken into account: evidence must be provided. Children who have been referred under the local authority’s Fair Access protocol or who are the subject of a direction by the local authority to admit will be given precedence over any other children on the waiting list.
Electronic Admissions by E-Mail
Parents must now apply on-line.
To access this facility log on to Tameside’s website (www.tameside.gov.uk). You will need to register before you can make an application. The LA will send you a confirmation reply.
Each child will be issued with a unique identification number (UID) which you enter on-line along with your child’s date of birth in order to bring up your child’s details and application form. No one else will be able to access your child’s information.
Preferences can then be entered in ranked (priority) order. These may be changed at any time before the closing date of 31 October 2012. Parents will receive confirmation of their child’s school allocation by e-mail on 1 March, 2013. Letters will additionally be sent by post.
Admissions Arrangements for Audenshaw School
Boys will be admitted at age 11 without reference to ability or aptitude. The published admission number for the school is 196.
Where applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following criteria (see also ‘Moving On’ booklet) will be applied, in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit.
Admissions September 2013
Published Admission Number: 196
Oversubscription Criteria
If the school receives more applications for places than there are places available, the criteria for over-subscription are applied to determine who should be allocated the places at the school. Children with statements of special educational needs, where Audenshaw School is the named school, will be allocated places before the oversubscription criteria are applied. The criteria for over-subscription for Audenshaw School are:
1. Children in Public Care (Looked After Children/Previously Looked After) as per the Admissions Code February 2012.
2. Children and families with exceptional medical or social needs
Written evidence must be provided from a doctor or other agency that he/she has exceptional needs which means that admission to a particular school is essential, reference will normally be made to the Community Health Physician, Social Services, or the Educational Psychologist, as appropriate. Members of the school’s Admission Committee will make a decision as to whether to admit a child under this criterion using the evidence provided. All information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.
3. Sibling: this will apply where there are brothers or sisters attending the school at the time of application for a place. Preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school.*
The sibling criteria are natural brothers; half brothers; step brothers; adopted brothers and brothers of fostered children, and in each case living at the same address. This allows for the admittance of children whose siblings will still be attending the preferred school.
4. Single sex education - The Common Application Form allows an expression of a general preference for single sex education. If the school is oversubscribed on this criterion preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school.*
5. All other applications on distance. Preference will be given to pupils living nearest to the school.*
*Where oversubscription occurs in applying criterion 3, 4 or 5, Distance will be measured as a straight line from the child’s home address, using the address point assigned by the National Land and Property Gazetteer, to the main gate to the school property. Measurements will be made using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software, which employs a Geographical Information System based on Ordnance Survey.
“In the event of distances being the same for 2 or more applications where this distance would be the last place/s to be allocated, a random lottery will be implemented between the applications where the distance is the same. The random lottery will be carried out in a public place and supervised by someone independent of the school. All the names will be entered into a hat and the required number of names will be drawn out.”
Sixth Form Entry
Admission to the co-educational sixth form will be from:
1. pupils in Year 11 at Audenshaw School
2. pupils from outside of Audenshaw School
Audenshaw school has 130 places in Year 12. It is expected that there will be 75 qualifying candidates wishing to transfer from year 11 therefore the admission number for pupils entering the sixth form from outside of Audenshaw will be 55.
Students on roll at Audenshaw School are required to apply for a place in the sixth form in the same way as students from other schools.
The entry requirements for admission to the sixth form shall be the same for students on roll in Year 11 at the school and external applicants.
Pupils will be admitted into the sixth form at the start of the Autumn Term in each school year although there may be some occasions when students transfer during an academic year.
Minimum entry requirements
All those seeking admission to the Sixth Form must achieve the following grades:-
1. Students will be expected to have achieved a minimum of 5+ A*-C in their GCSEs.
2. A minimum of a grade B in their chosen subjects.
Oversubscription criteria
Where the number of eligible applicants for a course of study exceeds the places available then admission will be determined in accordance with the following priority of admission criteria:
1. Children in Public Care (Looked After Children/Previously Looked After Children) as per the Admissions Code February 2012.
2. Students with Special Educational Needs who meet the minimum entry requirements.
3. The overall strength of the student’s academic profile based on estimated grades; the academic profile will be determined annually in the light of applications received.
4. The availability of space in the subjects applied for.
The number of students who have applied for each course will be taken into account, meaning that extra students can sometimes be accommodated over the admission number if the pupils chosen course is not full.
Applications
Students wishing to apply for a place in the Sixth Form should complete an application form (available from the school). These should be returned to the school no later than 14th December 2012.
Offers of places will be made on 28 March 2013.
Waiting List
In the event of the Sixth Form being oversubscribed, a waiting list will be held by the school. Places will be offered from this waiting list based on the oversubscription criteria above.
The waiting list will be operated by the school until 30 September 2013.
Appeals
Any pupil refused the offer of a place in the sixth form has the right of appeal to an independent appeals panel (see below).
False Information
Where the school has made the offer of a place in the sixth form on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application which has effectively denied a place in the sixth form to a pupil with a stronger claim, the offer of a place will be withdrawn.
Late Applications
Late applications will be considered up to the end of the third full week of the Autumn Term.
Appeals
Any parent whose son/daughter is not offered a place at the school’s sixth form has the right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. For pupils with Special Educational Needs, the appeal can be made to the SEN Tribunal (details are included in the child’s Statement of Educational Need).
Parents, therefore, who wish to appeal against any decision of the Admissions Committee in refusing admission to the school, should do so by completing a School Admission Appeal Form, setting out clearly why your child should go to Audenshaw. These are available, and should be returned to, the School Organisation Section at Tameside MBC, Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs. OL6 6DL.
The Appeals Panel will:
• be independent of the governing body;
• give the appellant at least fourteen day's notice of the time and place of the hearing;
• give the appellant, who may be accompanied by a friend or be represented, the opportunity to make oral representation;
• give the appellant at least seven day's notice of any written representations made to it by the governing body.
The appeal shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast, the chairman of the panel having a casting vote.
The decision of the Appeals Panel and the grounds on which it was made shall be communicated by the Clerk in writing to the appellant. That decision shall be binding on all parties