LOCAL AUTHORITY ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR
THE HOLLINS TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE 2009/2010
Our admission number is 152 and in 2008 we admitted 155 students into Year 7. Our school roll in January 2008 was 760.
The criteria which are to be used to allocate places when our school is oversubscribed are described below.
Parents are given the opportunity to express three preferences for a secondary school. Published criteria are used to decide which children should be offered the available places.
For all community and voluntary controlled secondary schools, an equal preference scheme operates whereby the three parental preferences are given equal status. Each preference will be considered equally against the admissions criteria.
When a school is oversubscribed on parental preference, the following priorities apply in order:
- Children in Public Care (Looked After Children), who are in public care at the time when preferences are expressed and are still expected to be in public care when admitted to the school, then
- Children for whom the County Council accepts there are exceptionally strong medical, social or welfare reasons for admission to the school. (See note (i) below)
- Children living within the school's geographical priority area who will have a sibling in attendance at the school at the time of transfer. (See note (ii) below)
- Children living within the school's geographical priority area.
- Children living outside of the school's geographical priority area who will have a sibling in attendance at the school at the time of transfer. (See note (iii) below)
- Children living outside of the school's geographical priority area.
Notes
- This may include some non-statemented children who have special educational needs. Children who have a statement of special educational need which names a particular school have priority for admission and are considered under a separate admission procedure. Written evidence from an appropriate professional is usually required before the County Council considers medical, social or welfare reasons for admission. This should accompany the application form. Only exceptional reasons relating to the suitability of the preferred school are normally accepted in this category.
- Siblings include step-children, half brothers and sisters and adopted and foster children who are living with the same family at the same address. (The priority does not apply to siblings whose brothers and sisters transferred into a sixth form at 16+)
- For admissions for September 2009, children living outside the school’s geographical priority area who have a sibling who will be in years 8-11 at the school at the time of transfer, will continue to be admitted under criterion (c). This new criterion will be phased in for admissions from September 2010 onwards.
- If there are more children in any of the categories (a) to (f) than there are places remaining, then those pupils who live nearest to the school by a straight line (radial) measure, will have priority.The distance is measured using a geographical information system and the measurement is taken from the centre point of the property to the centre point of the school.
- A waiting list is kept for each oversubscribed school. The waiting list is kept in priority order using the school’s oversubscription criteria.
- Children will not normally be able to start at a new community and controlled school other than at the beginning of a term unless they have moved into the area, or there are exceptional circumstances.
- Applications for a school place which are received after the closing date will not necessarily be dealt with at the same time as those received on time. The reason(s) for a late application will be required and where these are not considered exceptional, the form may be dealt with after all others received on time have had the relevant admission criteria applied to them.
- Our school priority area is currently defined as those living in Accrington (South) including Baxenden and Huncoat.
We are currently involved in a consultation exercise with the local authority with a view to extending our priority area into the Rising Bridge area.
Parents of pupils who wish to transfer their children to The Hollins after 1 September in Year 7 should contact the school requesting a place. If the there is no place is available for your child appeal forms are available from the Area Education Office though this process may take many weeks and is often not successful unless there are strong grounds based on the above admissions criteria.
|