The Admission Of Pupils To The Bridge Academy

I: ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS 2010/11

Admission arrangements approved by the Secretary of State

4)The admission arrangements for The Bridge Academy, Hackney for the year 2010/11 and, subject to any changes approved by the Secretary of State, for subsequent years are:

• a)The Bridge Academy, Hackney has an agreed admission number of 180 students. The Academy Company will accordingly admit to the school at least 180 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received;
• b)The Academy Company may set a higher admission number as its Published Admission Number for any specific year.  Before setting an admission number higher than its agreed admission number, the Academy Company will consult those listed at paragraph 17 below.  Students will not be admitted above the Published Admission Number unless exceptional circumstances apply and such circumstances shall be reported to the Secretary of State;

Process of application

5)Applications for places at the Academy will be made in accordance with The Learning Trust’s co-ordinated admission arrangements (in so far as not inconsistent with the admission arrangements as set out in this Annex 2) and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by The LA. The Academy Company will use the following timetable for applications each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year) or such other timetable as it may agree with the Learning Trust’s Admissions Forum:

• a)September The Academy Company will publish in its prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including subscription criteria, the following September (i.e. in September 2009 for admission in September 2010).  This will include details of open evenings and other opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the Academy.  The Academy Company will also provide information to the Learning Trust for inclusion in the composite prospectus, as may reasonably be required by the Learning Trust.
• b)September - The Academy Company will provide reasonable opportunities for parents to visit the Academy;
• c)October - closing date for completion and return of Common Application Form;
• d)November to January - applications considered as part of the Learning Trust’s Co-ordinated admissions arrangements
• e)March - offers of places notified in writing to parents by The Learning Trust.

Consideration of applications

6)  All children applying to the Academy will be required to take a verbal and non-verbal reasoning test.

• Applicants will be placed in one of five bands, based on their performance in the test
• As far as possible the same number of children will be admitted in each of the five  bands
• Children admitted with Statements of Special Educational Needs will be included in the band allocations.  If they are unable to take the tests their allocation to a band will be based on primary school teacher assessments
• Children admitted who are looked after are also included in the band allocations based on their last school’s assessment, if they are not able to take the test
• Apart from students with statements of SEN and looked after children, children who do not sit the test will be considered after those who sit the test.

7) The Academy Company will consider all applications for places received by it.  Where fewer than 180 applications are received, the Academy Company will offer places to all those who have applied. 

Procedures where The Bridge Academy, Hackney is oversubscribed

8) Where the number of applicants for admissions is greater than the published admissions number, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below. After the admission of students with statements of special educational needs to the appropriate bands where the Bridge Academy, Hackney is named on the statement, the criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below

• i)Students in public care;
• ii)Students whose siblings currently attend the Academy and will continue to do so on the date of admission;
• iii)Students living nearest to the main entrance of the Academy   as measured in a straight line using a GIS computerised measuring mapping system.

Note 1

A child in public care (looked after child), is a child who is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority.

 

Note 2

                         

Siblings must live permanently at the same address as the child for whom the application is being made.  This includes half brothers and sisters, step brothers and sisters and foster brother and sisters who live permanently as a family unit at the same address.  This criterion does not apply to brothers and sisters in year 13 of the sixth form at the time of the application.

 

Note 3

In applying 8 (iii) above, the address is identified by using the property geographical references as determined by the borough Council in which the child lives. In the case of a number of addresses in a block with the same geographical references or one of more applicants living  the same distance, lots will be drawn to decide which applicant is offered a place

    

        

Note 4

In the event of parental responsibility for a student being equally shared, the home address will be considered to be that of the parent/guardian/carer who receives the relevant Child Benefit Allowance.

 

Operation of waiting lists

9)  The Learning Trust is responsible for the reallocation of places that become available between the offer day of 1 March and 1 September of the admission year. This will be based on the Academy Company's ranking of students on the basis of the published oversubscription criteria. Thereafter, the Academy Company will maintain a waiting list until 31st December of the admission year and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on this list. 

10)  A student’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in paragraph 8 of this Annex.  Where places become vacant they will be allocated to students on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Arrangements for appeals panels

11) Parents will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the Academy Company. The Appeal Panel will be independent of the Academy.   The arrangements for Appeals will be in line with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals published by the Department for Children, Skills and Families as it applies to Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools.  The determination of the appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals and is binding on all parties.  The Academy Company shall prepare guidance for parents about how the appeals process will work and provide parents with a named contact who can answer any enquiries which parents may have about the process.

Arrangements for admission to post 16 provision

12)The main entry to the 6th form will take place from September 2012.  The AcademyCompany expects that the great majority of its post 16 students will comprise students transferring from Year 11 of the Academy.  Information about new admissions of students into Year 12 will be published for prospective students and their parents at the appropriate time.

13) There will be a right of appeal to the Independent Appeals Panel for unsuccessful applicants.

Arrangements for admitting students to other year groups, including to replace any pupils who have left The Bridge Academy, Hackney

14) Subject to any provisions in The Learning Trust’s co-ordinated admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, the Academy Company must consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the student.  If more applications are received than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria will apply without reference to banding.  Parents whose application is turned down are entitled to appeal. 

Arrangements for admission of students as The Bridge Academy builds to its full capacity

15) The Bridge Academy, Hackney opened on 1 September 2007 with a Published Admission Number relating solely to students in Year 7 of 180.  This number will also apply to each year 7 group hereafter.

II: ANNUAL PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

Consultation

16) The Academy Company will consult the following by 1 March each year on its proposed admission arrangements:

• a)The Learning Trust;
• The Admissions Forum set up by The Learning Trust;
• b)Any other admission authorities for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation set by the LA.
• c)Neighbouring Admission Authorities
• d)Any other governing body for primary and secondary schools (as far as not falling within paragraph (b)) located within the relevant area for consultation.

Determination and publication of admission arrangements

17) Following consultation, The Academy Company will consider comments made by those consulted.  The Academy Company will then determine its admission arrangements by 15 April of the relevant year and notify those consulted what has been determined.

Publication of admission arrangements

18)   The Academy Company will publish its admission arrangements each year, once these have been determined, by:

• a)copies being sent to primary and secondary schools in  Hackney LEA;
• b)copies being sent to the offices of The Learning Trust;
• c)copies being made available without charge on request from the Academy Company;
• d)copies being sent to public libraries in the London Borough of Hackney for the purposes of being made available  at such libraries for reference by parents and other persons.

19) The published arrangements will set out:

• a) the name and address of the Academy, the Academy Company and contact details;

• b) a summary of the admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria;

• c) a statement of any religious affiliation;

• d) numbers of places and applications for those places in the previous year; and

• e) arrangements for hearing appeals.

Representations about admission arrangements

20) Where any of those bodies that were consulted, or that should have been consulted, make representations to the Academy Company about its admission arrangements, the Academy Company will consider such representations before determining the admission arrangements.  Where the Academy Company has determined its admission arrangements and notified all those bodies whom it has consulted and any of those bodies object to the Academy Company's admission arrangements they can make representations to the Secretary of State.  The Secretary of State will consider the representation and in so doing will consult Academy Company.  Where he judges it appropriate, the Secretary of State may direct the Academy Company to amend its admission arrangements.

21) Those consulted may request the Academy Company to increase its proposed Published Admissions Number for any year.  Where such a request is made, but agreement cannot be reached those consulted may ask the Secretary of State to direct the Academy Company to increase its proposed Published Admissions Number.  The Secretary of State will consult Academy Company and will then determine the Published Admission Number.

22)   In addition to the provisions at paragraphs 20 and 21 above, the Secretary of State may direct changes to the Academy Company's proposed admission arrangements and, in addition to the provisions above, the Secretary of State may direct changes to the proposed Published Admissions Number.

Proposed changes to admission arrangements by The Bridge Academy, Hackney after arrangements have been published

23)   Once the admission arrangements have been determined for a particular year and published, the Academy Company will propose changes only if there is a major change of circumstances.  In such cases, the Academy Company must notify those consulted under paragraph 16 above of the proposed variation and must then apply to the Secretary of State setting out:

• a)the proposed changes;
• b)reasons for wishing to make such changes;
• c)any comments or objections from those entitled to object.

Need to secure Secretary of State’s approval for changes to admission arrangements

24)   The Secretary of State will consider applications from  the Academy Company to change its admission arrangements only when  the Academy, Company has consulted on the proposed changes as outlined at 16 -17 above.

25) Where the Academy Company has consulted on proposed changes it must secure the agreement of the Secretary of State before any such changes can be implemented.  The Academy Company must seek the Secretary of State’s approval in writing, setting out the reasons for the proposed changes and passing to him any comments or objections from other admission authorities/other persons.

26) The Secretary of State can approve, modify or reject proposals from the Academy Company to change its admission arrangements.

27)   Records of applications and admissions shall be kept by the Academy Company for a minimum period of ten years and shall be open for inspection by the Secretary of State.