Crofton School Admission Policy and Procedures for September 2008

There is a printable PDF of this policy below the Printable Information header on the left.

Admission Policy and Numbers

Students will be admitted at age eleven without reference to general ability or aptitude.  The admission limit is 216 and governors will offer places up to this maximum.

For September 2007, there were 235 first preference applications for 216 Year 7 places.

Crofton operates an equal preference system and governors will firstly consider those applications received by the deadline that name this school.

If the last pupil to be offered a place within the school’s published admission number (PAN) is a multiple birth or same cohort sibling, any further sibling will be admitted, if the parents so wish, even though this may raise the intake number above the school’s PAN.  The PAN will remain unchanged so that no pupil will be admitted until a place becomes available within the PAN.

In line with government statutory guidance, the LAs policy on Hard to Place Pupils may occasionally require the school to admit pupils above the agreed admission number.

Oversubscription

Where applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, with first preference applications submitted by the published deadline taking initial priority:

• Children who are looked after by the local authority. 
• Children whose parents or guardians reside within the catchment area of Crofton School and who have a brother or sister (including step-brothers and step-sisters living in the same family unit) already on the roll of the school who will continue to attend the school for the following year.
• Children who have a physical medical condition, which makes it essential that they attend the preferred school rather than any other.
• Children whose parents or guardians reside within the catchment area of Crofton School and who are currently on roll at Crofton Anne Dale or Crofton Hammond Junior Schools.
• Children whose parents or guardians reside within the catchment area of Crofton School who live closest to the school, measured along the shortest straight line from the home to the school.
• Children whose parents or guardians reside outside the catchment area of Crofton School and who have a brother or sister (including step-brothers and step-sisters living in the same family unit) already on the roll of the school who will continue to attend the school for the following year.
• Children whose parents or guardians reside outside the catchment area of Crofton School and who are currently on roll at one of our linked primary schools, Crofton Anne Dale or Crofton Hammond Junior Schools.
• Children whose parents or guardians reside outside the catchment area of Crofton School but who live closest to the school's catchment area boundary, measured along the shortest straight line from the home to the boundary.

Notes

The catchment area of Crofton School is defined on a map lodged with the Local Authority, a copy of which is kept in the School Office.

Applications under criterion 3 must be accompanied by appropriate medical evidence, supported by a doctor's letter, as to why the physical facilities at Crofton School are of greater medical benefit than those available elsewhere.

If the school becomes oversubscribed from within any of the above categories the relevant distance criterion (Criterion 5 for within catchment or Criterion 8 for outside catchment), will be used to prioritise applications.

When the admissions limit is reached, prospective students will be placed on a waiting list, at the request of the parents by completion of the appropriate form.  If places become available, they will be allocated strictly in accordance with the published admission criteria.  At the end of the summer term, the waiting list will be reviewed and parents will be asked if they wish their child’s name to be placed on the waiting list for the following school year.  Placing a child’s name on a waiting list does not affect the statutory right of appeal.

Crofton School recognises its responsibility towards children with special educational needs and all applications on behalf of such children will be treated in accordance with our published admission criteria.

Admission Arrangements

Having read the prospectus parents are invited to visit the school to meet the Head Teacher and to view the school in action. They should telephone the school to make an appointment.

If parents decide to apply for a place at Crofton School they must fill in the Hampshire Common Admission Form and return it to their primary school as soon as possible. When places are confirmed we look forward to parents signing and returning the 'Home-School Contract', setting out what parents can expect from the School, and in return, what the school expects from parents.

In the event of an unsuccessful application parents will be apprised of their right of appeal to an independent panel but will also be given the opportunity to ask for a procedural review to ensure that the policy has been applied correctly. The outcome of this review will be verified by the Chairman of Governors, or a governor nominated by him; this governor will not be a member of the Admissions Committee. Details of these procedures are available on request from the school and will automatically be sent to any unsuccessful applicant.

The school hopes these arrangements are reasonably clear and straightforward. If, however, parents have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact the school and ask for the admissions officer, Mrs Julie Moxey, in the first instance.

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