Prestbury St Marys CofE junior School

ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

Prestbury St Mary’s Junior School is a Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School with a strong Christian ethos. In addition to providing a broad and balanced curriculum, we also seek to encourage Christian standards and values through the quality of experiences that we provide for all our pupils.

Admissions are the responsibility of the school Governors. The Governors have agreed to admit 30 children into each of the two Year 3 classes.
The admission number for Prestbury St Mary’s Junior School is 60.
Pupils will normally be admitted in the school year in which they reach their eighth birthday.

This policy and criteria should be read in conjunction with the Guide for Parents and Carers sent to you by the Local Authority. If you have not received a pack containing the Guide by the end of October 2009, please contact the Access to Education Team (0-16), Shire Hall, Gloucester. GL1 2TP., and arrange for one to be sent to you.
Online applications can be made at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Where application for admission exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below to decide which children will be offered places at the school.

Children in public care (looked after children).

Children already attending St Mary’s Infant School.

Children with a brother or sister who will still be attending school at St. Mary’s C of E Infant or Prestbury St Mary’s C of E Junior schools at the time of admission. (The other child must be continuing to attend either school when the sibling is admitted.)
NB. We follow the Local Authority definition of a sibling as “a brother or sister, half-brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent’s/carer’s partner, and in every case, the child must be living in the same family unit at the same address.”

.Children of whom at least one parent is on the church electoral roll of either St. Mary’s or St Nicolas’ churches, Prestbury. This should be supported by a letter from their minister confirming the parents’ Christian commitment and regular attendance at church.

Children of parents who live in the ecclesiastical parish of Prestbury (a map of the parish is available in the school office) and who have a parental Christian commitment with one of the churches belonging to Churches Together in England and attend church on a regular basis. This should be supported by a letter from their minister confirming the parents’ Christian commitment and regular attendance at church.

Children for whom only Prestbury St Mary’s C of E Junior School is appropriate due to an exceptional medical condition. Applications under this criterion will only be considered if they are supported by a written statement from a doctor. This must demonstrate that there is a very specific connection between the medical need and the facilities or resources at Prestbury St Mary’s C of E Junior. The final decision to accept a child under this category will be made by the Governing Body through consultation with relevant professionals where necessary.

Children of parents who live in the ecclesiastical parish of Prestbury with the strongest geographical claim, measured in a straight line from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats), to the central point of the school, using the Local Authority’s computerized measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

Children of parents who live outside the ecclesiastical parish of Prestbury and who have a Christian commitment with one of the churches belonging to Churches Together in England, supported by a letter from their minister confirming the parents’ Christian commitment and regular attendance at church. If there are more children under this criterion than places available, they will be allocated to those who have the strongest geographical claim as measured in a straight line from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats), to the central point of the school, using the Local Authority’s computerized measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

Children who live outside the ecclesiastical parish of Prestbury and have the strongest geographical claim as measured in a straight line from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats), to the central point of the school, using the Local Authority’s computerized measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

In the event of oversubscription in any of the above criteria, places will be allocated to children who have the strongest geographical claim, measured in a straight line from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats), to the central point of the school, using the Local Authority’s computerized measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority.

In the event that two or more children have the same distance measurement, a process of random allocation will be followed by the Governing body.

Regular attendance at church is defined as ie. At least one parent/carer has attended an act of Sunday worship at least once a month on average during 1 year prior to consideration of the application.

Children with Special Educational Needs
The school is required to admit a child with a statement of Special Educational Needs that names the school, even if the school is full.

Waiting Lists
If demand exceeds places available, the Governors will keep a waiting list of the names of applicants ranked into ascending order, based on the criteria above.
The waiting list will be held for at least the first two terms until the end of December.

Fair Access Protocols
The school has signed up to the In-Year Fair Access Protocols held by the Local Authority. Should a vulnerable child within these Protocols require a place at the school, they will take precedence over any child on the waiting list (Para 3.21 of the new code).

In-Year Admissions
Any applications made for a school outside the normal year of entry to the school must be made directly to the Local Authority. In accordance with their statutory duty, the Local Authority will be responsible for offering school places to children on behalf of the Governing Body within their In-Year Co-ordinated Admission Scheme for the school year 2010 – 2011. This scheme will be consulted upon by the Local Authority in January 2010.

Appeals
Parents/Carers have a right to appeal against refusal by the Governing Body to admit their child to the school. Any parents/carers wishing to exercise this right must put their appeal, in writing, to the school.
Independent Appeals will then be arranged by the Governing Body assisted by the Local Authority and conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice on Admission Appeals.

Transport
School transport is not available.