Admissions Policy & Procedure 2025 / 26
places become available before the start of the academic year , applicants on the waiting list may be invited to continue the procedure as outlined in 2B ) and 2C ).
• All applications received by the relevant deadline will be dealt with entirely on their merits .
In addition , special consideration can be given to applicants of exceptional merit who are out of catchment area up to a maximum of 10 % of the intake ; Refer to 3i ) for more information .
2B ) Procedure following the School ’ s receipt of the application form
• All complete application forms received on time will be reviewed against the criteria in section 1B ( i ) and applications which do not fulfil these criteria may be unsuccessful at this stage .
• No applicant with an EHCP , who are LAC ( CLA ), previously LAC nor adopted children will be excluded from the process at this point . This is in recognition that young people in these situations might require additional support in order to present themselves most fully . Having reached the workshop / meeting , where appropriate support will be available , these candidates will be assessed against the published criteria in the same way as other candidates .
• Depending on which Strand has been applied for , students will be invited to participate in workshops , or auditions , usually followed by a structured discussion meeting . If applying for Interactive Digital Design or Visual Arts & Design courses , applicants will be invited to submit a portfolio and / or complete a pre-task after they have submitted their application , which will determine whether the applicant is invited to the next stage of the admissions process .
• The applicant will be informed of the format at least two weeks before the due date and whether they have to prepare anything or bring anything to the session .
• All applicants for a particular Strand / specialism will go through the same procedure ( e . g . Dance applicants will have a workshop , Visual Arts & Design applicants will submit a selection of work ).
• The session , no matter the format , is intended to be with , and for the benefit of , the applicant . Therefore , parents / carers are requested not to participate . However , parents / carers of KS4 applicants must attend the structured discussion which may follow in case practical issues of travel , accommodation and attendance need to be discussed . Parents / carers of Post 16 applicants are also welcome to attend this structured discussion .
• If an applicant is feeling unwell on the day of the audition / workshop / meeting and decides to attend they will ordinarily be unable to use this subsequently as grounds for a Phase 2 appeal ( see p . 42 ). We will always endeavour to reschedule the meeting if an applicant informs us that they are ill on the day , or just before . If an applicant comes to the meeting , they have decided they are well enough to do their best .
• The cycle of workshops / meetings will start in December 2024 and then continue up to the end of March 2025 , depending on the Strand . Additional dates may be added after this , depending upon application numbers .
KS4 workshops and meetings will take place over a fixed three-day period from Wednesday 26th February 2025 - Friday 28th February 2025 . Please bear this in mind when booking holidays . We will be unable to see KS4 applicants at any other time .
The date given for a workshop / meeting cannot be changed unless it is for a previously arranged hospital appointment or public exam ( not mock ). Please include any dates and supporting documentation concerning unavailability with your application form .
2C ) Procedure following workshop / meeting
After each workshop / meeting , decisions are made by a panel of staff , including those who have met the applicant , with a senior curriculum manager . The decision to offer a place is based on the criteria outlined previously ; evidence concerning these criteria will include reports and references from current schools . Where there are two stages to the process on the same day with some applicants not progressing to the second stage , unsuccessful applicants will be informed orally at the time , with an email of confirmation within 14 days . In some cases there is a gap of a few weeks between stages ; applicants will be informed whether they are to proceed to the second stage by email . All other students will be informed by email of the outcome as follows :
• an offer of a place , conditional on successful completion of the relevant key stage ( see 3 v ), OR
• an offer with special medical conditions attached ( see 3 v ), OR
• a place on the reserve list , OR
• a decision not to offer a place on the course applied for , with a recommendation that the candidate might wish to apply for an alternative course , OR
• a decision not to offer a place .
Brief feedback to assist in understanding the decision can be provided on written request after your application process has been completed . Requests for feedback must be received in writing within 14 days of the decision being communicated to the applicant . As the admissions process may still be ongoing ,
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