Admissions

Where the number of applicants for admission is greater than the published admissions number, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below.

After the admission of children with an EHCP where The Urswick School is named on the EHCP (see note 1), places will be allocated to applicants in the following priority order:

A          Foundation (Church) places. (90 places)

For a place in this category, the applicant must regularly attend a Church of England church or other Christian churches or chapels (see note2), or other Christian denominations as defined by ‘Churches together in Britain and Ireland’ or members of the Evangelical Alliance or Afro-Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (see note 2).

To apply for a place in this category, a Supplementary Information form should be completed, so that the governors may consider the application fully, and returned to the school before 31 October, NOT the local authority. If a Supplementary Information form is not returned, the applicant cannot be considered for a Foundation Place. 

1. Looked after children and former looked after children who have been adopted (or made subject to residence orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after, also Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children;
2. Children subject to a Child Protection Plan;
3. Children who are the subject of an Education Supervision Order which names The Urswick School;
4. Children whom the Governors and Headteacher accept have an exceptional medical or social need for a place at The Urswick School. Applications will only be considered under this category if they are supported by a written statement from a medical consultant, senior social worker or other appropriate professional. In each case there must be clear connection between the child’s needs and The Urswick School, and an explanation of the difficulties which would be caused if the child were to attend another school.  Parents are requested to note that very few applicants are awarded this priority.
5. Siblings of pupils in years 7 – 11 who will be on roll at the time of admission or previously. A ‘sibling’ refers to a brother or sister, half-brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step-brother or sister or the child of the parent/ carer‘s partner living at the same address.
6. Children living nearest to the main entrance of the school measured in a straight line. For tie breaker see below.

If there are more applicants for places in Category A (Foundation), the remaining applicants without a Category A place will also be considered for a Category B place (Open and Community)

B          Open or Community places. (90 places)

Places in this category are given to all other world faiths and those of no faith. 

Applications for ‘other world faiths’ (non-Christian) should return a Supplementary Information Form signed by a Faith Leader, so that governors may consider the application full, and in order to be considered under sub section 6. This should be returned to the school by 31 October.

1. Looked after children and former looked after children who have been adopted (or made subject to residence orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after, also Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children;
2. Children subject to a Child Protection Plan;
3. Children who are the subject of an Education Supervision Order which names The Urswick School;
4. Children whom the Governors and Headteacher accept have an exceptional medical or social need for a place at The Urswick School. Applications will only be considered under this category if they are supported by a written statement from a medical consultant, senior social worker or other appropriate professional. In each case there must be clear connection between the child’s needs and The Urswick School, and an explanation of the difficulties which would be caused if the child were to attend another school.  Parents are requested to note that very few applicants are awarded this priority.
5. Siblings of pupils in years 7 – 11 who were not offered a place under the sibling category in category A, Foundation places, who will be on roll at the time of admission or previously. A ‘sibling’ refers to a brother or sister, half-brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step-brother or sister or the child of the parent/ carer‘s partner living at the same address.
6. Children from other world faiths who have completed a signed Supplementary Information Form by their religious leader.
7. All other children living nearest to the main entrance of the school measured in a straight line.

Tie Breaker

The tie breaker for any category ‘cut off’ will be distance from the school gate to the home address as identified using geographical references determined by the information provided by the borough council in which they live. In the event of parental responsibility for a child being equally shared between separated parents living at different addresses, the home address will be considered to be that of the parent/carer who receives the relevant Child Benefit Allowance. In the case of more than one child having the same distance a decision will be made by drawing lots. 

Under subscription of Category A places.

If there is an undersubscription in Category A (Foundation Places), additional places will be offered under Category B (Open or Community places)

Notes

1. EHCP – Education Health Care Plan. Admissions for children with an EHCP are not dealt with under this admissions criteria.
2. Regular attendance’ at church will mean attendance for at least a year and for at least once per month. This must be ratified using the Supplementary Information Form signed by a vicar, minister, pastor or religious leader. The only exception will be those families who have moved into the area within the previous year and can provide a signature from a vicar, minister, pastor or religious leader to confirm that they attended a church regularly in their previous place of residence.
3. Regular attendance’ will mean attendance for at least a year and for at least once per month. This must be ratified using the Supplementary Information Form signed by a religious leader. The only exception will be those families who have moved into the area within the previous year and can provide a signature from a religious leader to confirm that they attended a place of worship regularly in their previous place of residence.