Applying


Admissions POLICY for year 7
Admission to year 7 will be determined according to the detailed criteria below. 180 places are available each year and will be awarded to students across the full range of ability.

All students who apply for a place at the Academy will be required to sit a non verbal reasoning test administered by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). It is important for students and parents to realise that the test cannot be passed or failed. It is a tool that the Academy uses to ensure it admits a representative intake of students across all ability bands. Samples and practice papers for this type of test are available at High Street stationers.

The tests are marked and candidates ranked in order of the highest and lowest scores by an independent body. These rankings are then used to create 9 bands of ability. Bands are not predetermined they are dependent on the applications received and the results obtained by applicants. These bands will be norm referenced to the national distribution of ability. This process is to ensure a comprehensive intake into the Academy.
 
If the Academy receives 180 applications or less all applicants will be offered a place. If the Academy is oversubscribed it will offer places in each band giving preference based on the following criteria:

Places in each band will first be offered to students with special needs and children in care. The remaining places within in each band will then be offered on the basis of proximity.

The first 50% of remaining places will be offered to children living within the 0-2 mile radial distance of the Academy. If for example the Academy has 5 places to offer in band 2 for students living in 0-2 miles proximity but has 7 applications from students within this proximity, the places will be given to the 5 students living closest to the Academy. The remaining 50% of places will then be given to students living within the 2-4 mile radial distance of the Academy and again if the Academy is over subscribed those living closer to the 2 mile distance will be given preference.


Charging & Remissions Policy
The Academy will make no charge to parents or students for any activity, inside or outside the Academy, which is relevant to the education we provide. The limits of the Academy’s budget, however, may oblige us to make charges for certain activities as prudent administration of our funds requires. It is our aim to ensure that our policy is fair to all and complies with the Academy’s main aims and objectives.

No individual student will be prevented by financial hardship from participating in an event, which is considered to be essential to his/her programme of study. The Academy will consider remission of payment for all or part of the charges providing that the parents or guardians of the students have a DWP Grant as the only form of income. Individual applications must be made for each individual event for which remission of all or a part of the charges is required.  When seeking voluntary contributions from parents or students for a particular activity, the Academy will always indicate whether the activity will be prevented from going ahead in the absence of sufficient funds.