Closing date for applications is 23 October 2009
Transferring to Secondary School in September 2010
Apply online at: www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions If you have queries about anything you read in this booklet please contact the Royal Borough:
Admissions Team, Family and Children’s Services, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Room 247/1, Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX
Telephone: 020 7361 2210 Fax: 020 7361 3525 Email: [email protected]
Remember that you can make your application online from 1 September 2009 at www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions
Changes are regularly updated on the Royal Borough’s website www.rbkc.gov.uk
The information in this booklet is correct at the time of publication. Changes are regularly updated on the Royal Borough's website. Please note that the schools' admission criteria for the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial RC School and Holland Park School were being reviewed at the time this booklet was printed and may be subject to amendment. Contents
6 Schools in the Royal Borough 9 Introduction 11 How the system works
CHOOSING YOUR SCHOOL 12 Children with statements of special educational needs 12 Information on schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 15 Transfer timetable 16 Secondary schools in the Royal Borough 18 How places were offered for September 2009 21 Visiting dates 23 Applying to secondary schools outside the Royal Borough 25 Help with travel
MAKING YOUR APPLICATION 27 Guidance on completing the application form 34 Returning your completed form 37 Applying online 38 How decisions are made 40 Notifying parents of the outcome 41 The right of appeal 42 Waiting lists for the Royal Borough’s schools 43 Making final arrangements for transfer
Contents 3 Closing date: 23 October 2009 4 FURTHER INFORMATION 45 Frequently asked questions 47 Other useful information 47 Choice Advice Service 47 Twins and triplets 48 Fair Access Protocol 48 In-Year Admissions Protocol 48 Education Welfare Service 49 Leave during term time 49 Education Psychology Service 50 English as an additional language 50 School meals 51 Travel to school information
SCHOOLS INFORMATION AND ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 52 Chelsea Academy 64 Holland Park School 76 Sion-Manning RC Girls School 90 St Thomas More Language College 98 The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School 121 School Examination Results
Contents 5 Closing date: 23 October 2009
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Schools in the Royal Borough 7 Closing date: 23 October 2009 8 Introduction
This booklet is published by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and explains the arrangements made by the borough for children born between 1 September 1998 and 31 August 1999 who will transfer to secondary school in September 2010. Local authorities across London work together to coordinate the admissions to all state maintained secondary schools. If you have an older child already in secondary school, you may therefore find that the system is unfamiliar to you. The principal features of the coordinated system are as follows.
Applications for September 2010 must be made by 23 OCTOBER 2009.
If you are a resident of the Royal Borough, you must use the Royal Borough’s application form in all circumstances. You must make your application on the Royal Borough’s application form even if you are not applying to any school in Kensington and Chelsea.
You must also use the Royal Borough’s application form if you are applying to a voluntary aided school (often called a “church school”) or an academy. You may well have to complete the school’s supplementary information form as well. If you do not, you may reduce your child’s chance of being accepted at one of those schools. Be sure to check this.
If you are a resident of another local authority you must make your application on that local authority’s form, regardless of the location of the school you are applying to. No application will be valid unless it is made on the application form of the local authority where you live.
The offer of one place will be made to your child by letter on 1 MARCH 2010. You should therefore receive notification on the following day. If it is not possible to offer a place at any school for which you expressed a preference you will be sent a list of the schools which have vacancies. You will be invited to apply to one of these schools through the Admissions Team of the Royal Borough.
If your application to any school is unsuccessful, you may appeal against that decision.
Introduction 9 Closing date: 23 October 2009 10 How the system works
Each year around 60,000 children living in London transfer to secondary school. A Pan-London coordinated admissions process was introduced in 2005 so that no child is offered more than one school place. All 33 London boroughs and some surrounding counties have signed up to the coordinated scheme.
All the councils taking part use a computerised system to pass on applicants details and to coordinate the offer of places. There is a set time during February where results are passed back and forth between councils until the highest possible offer is reached for each applicant. It is not always possible to meet the preferences made and further information can be found on page 38 if this happens.
The decision on whether a place can be offered is made by the admission authority for the school. The Governing Body is the admission authority for the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, St Thomas More Language College, Sion-Manning RC Girls Schools and Chelsea Academy. The Royal Borough is the admission authority for Holland Park School. Where a school receives more applications than places available (also referred to as over-subscribed) then the published admissions criteria will be used to decide the order in which applicants will be offered places.
When a child can be offered a place at more than one school, the local authority only keeps the highest ranked preference and any lower offers are released to be offered to other applicants. The system aims to offer only one school place to each child on 1 March 2010.
Choosing your school 11 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Children with statements
If your child has a signed statement of special education needs then most of the information in this booklet does not apply to you. You will be welcome to visit the schools shown in this booklet but different legal requirements and procedures apply to the transfer of pupils with statements so you should not complete the Royal Borough’s application form.
A letter will be sent to you early in September 2009 by the Special Needs Officer for your child, giving details of the arrangements for transfer. If you would like further information, please telephone your child’s Special Needs Officer on one of these numbers: 020 7598 4869/4872/4873. Information on schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The opening of Chelsea Academy in September 2009 will mark the start of a new era for parents in the Royal Borough. A Church of England secondary school is now available in Kensington and Chelsea. Parents can for the first time to apply for high quality community places at two schools – the Academy and Holland Park.
The demand for places at both schools is very high. The Pan-London scheme does not permit us to offer parents places at more than one school in March 2010. It is therefore most important that you express your preferences carefully when you come to complete your application form. You are able to apply to both Chelsea Academy and to Holland Park if you wish, and up to four other schools.
Choosing your school 12 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Your level of commitment to the Church of England (see page 60) will be the main factor in deciding whether your child is offered one of the Church of England (“foundation”) places at the Academy. All children who attend a Royal Borough Church of England primary school are considered for a foundation place. However, if you want your child to receive higher priority you must be able to meet the first part of their admission criteria (page 60).
For the other places at Chelsea Academy, and for most of the places at Holland Park, the main deciding factor will be whether you attend a Royal Borough primary school and how near you live to the Academy or Holland Park. Please refer to page 18 to see how places were offered for all the Royal Borough schools for September 2009. If you need to know what your distance is to either of the two schools, please call the Admissions Team on 020 7361 2210 and we will give you an approximate measurement for you to be able to make an informed decision.
It is highly unlikely that every child who applies will be offered a place at Chelsea Academy or Holland Park. It is therefore advisable for parents to express a third, fourth or lower preference on the application form as well. This is particularly important if you live some distance away from either school.
The Royal Borough’s three Roman Catholic schools have a reputation which extends beyond Kensington and Chelsea and recruits pupils from a wide area. Competition for places is strong so, if you are applying to one of those schools, it is wise to include at least one other preference on your application form. Further on in the booklet you will find the admissions policy for each school. You must read these to judge the likelihood of your child being offered a place. You will also find information on the number of applications each school received in September 2009. The higher the number the harder it will be to gain a place so therefore looking at the schools’ criteria becomes even more important. You will see how places were offered for these schools on page 18.
Choosing your school 13 Closing date: 23 October 2009 When considering your preferences, do not rely solely on what you may have heard about a school’s reputation. Visit as many schools as possible on their open days or evenings. Take your son or daughter with you and, if you can, visit the school when it is at work. These are some of the things to bear in mind when you make your visit.
• Look at the displays in the school reception area: are they interesting and stimulating? • Staff: are they welcoming, polite, interested and enthusiastic about their school? • The building: do not worry if it is an old building but do consider whether it offers a stimulating learning environment. • Is the school well resourced with computers, technology equipment, sports, drama and music facilities? • Does the school place importance on all kinds of achievement? What are the school’s expectations of pupils? Are they challenging enough? • Is there a sixth form? If not, what are the arrangements for pupils’ education post-16? • Is there an active parent/teacher association and are social events arranged for staff, pupils and parents? • Travel to school: You may be concerned that the journey to the school seems long. Remember your child is growing and while you do not want your child to have to spend too much time on a long or difficult journey to and from school, it is quite normal for most children who transfer to secondary school to have to make the journey on public transport. Pupils often enjoy the feeling of independence which this gives them. • Finally, do talk to your child about their impression of the school.
Choosing your school 14 Closing date: 23 October 2009 The transfer timetable
The timetable for transfer arrangements is the same across London and most of the country. It is set to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to look at schools before deciding on their preferences and allows enough time for your application to be dealt with and places offered fairly.
The booklet and application form will be available September 2009 at all Royal Borough primary schools, the Town Hall and the Isaac Newton Centre
Secondary transfer meeting will take place at primary schools for parents
The facility to make your application online will 1 September 2009 be available on the Royal Borough’s website: www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions
Open days and evenings will be held at Royal September – October 2009 Borough schools and schools in other boroughs
The closing date for applications. If you are 23 October 2009 applying online you will have up until 11.59pm on this date to submit your application
2 November 2009 Banding test for all Cardinal Vaughan applicants
28 November 2009 Holland Park banding test
2 December 2009 Holland Park banding test
1 March 2010 Outcome letters are sent to parents
Online applicants will receive an email 2 March 2010 with the outcome
Last date for parents to accept or decline 15 March 2010 the offer of a place
22 March 2010 Deadline for appeals
June/July 2010 Appeals heard for Royal Borough schools
Your child’s new secondary school will write to you with information about transfer arrangements
Choosing your school 15 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Secondary schools in the Royal Borough
Listed below are the five secondary schools based in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. You will find full details about each school and their admissions policy on the page number indicated.
Chelsea Academy (page 52)
A new Church of England Academy for boys and girls which offers places to applicants from the broader community. The Academy opens in September 2009 and will have a year 7 and 8 from September 2010.
Temporary site from September 2009: The Carlyle Building, Hortensia Road, SW10 0QS Permanent site from September 2010: Lots Road, SW10 0SH Telephone: 020 7376 3019 and 07525 967131 Email: [email protected] Website: www.chelsea-academy.org Admissions number for September 2010: 162
Holland Park School (page 64)
A long-established and highly popular non-denominational community school for boys and girls.
Airlie Gardens, Campden Hill Road, W8 7AF Telephone: 020 7727 5631 Email: [email protected] Admissions number for September 2010: 240
Choosing your school 16 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Sion-Manning RC Girls School (page 76)
A Roman Catholic voluntary aided school for girls.
St Charles Square, W10 6EL Telephone: 020 8969 7111 Fax: 020 8969 5119 Email: [email protected] Admissions number for September 2010: 120
St Thomas More Language College (page 90)
A Roman Catholic voluntary aided school for boys and girls.
Cadogan Street, SW3 2QS Telephone: 020 7589 9734 Fax: 020 7823 7868 Email: [email protected] Website: www.stm.rbkc.sch.uk Admissions number for September 2010: 120
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School (page 98)
A Roman Catholic voluntary aided school for boys.
Addison Road, London, W14 8BZ Telephone: 020 7603 8478 Fax: 020 7602 3124 Email: [email protected] Admissions number for 2010: 120
All five schools are likely to receive more applications than places to offer in September 2010. The schools’ descriptions explain how the offer of places will be made in those circumstances, using the schools’ over-subscription criteria. You will find a description of the ethos, organisation and curriculum of each of these schools later in this booklet on the page numbers indicated.
Choosing your school 17 Closing date: 23 October 2009 How places were offered for September 2009
Chelsea Academy Places available: 162 Number of applications received: 572 Places were offered as follows: 6 places offered to children with a statement of SEN 2 places offered to children in accordance with the medical and social criteria 77 places to Foundation Category – Places offered up to Category (c)* at offer date then all remaining applicants were eventually offered a place by the end of April. 77 places to Community Category – Places offered up to 1.707 miles in category (b)* Number of appeals heard: 9 Successful appeals: 1 *Please refer to the admissions criteria on page 59
Holland Park School Places available: 240 Number of applications received: 915
Places were offered as follows: 2 places offered to children with a statement of SEN 59 places offered in Band A: 7 siblings and places offered up to 2.1089 miles in category (ii) By the end of June all places in this Band were offered a place from the waiting list. 120 places offered in Band B: 50 siblings and places offered up to 1.4938 miles in category (ii) 59 places offered in Band C: 36 siblings and places offered up to 1.2586 miles in category (ii) Category (ii) were children who attended a Royal Borough Primary School Number of appeals heard: 27 Successful appeals: 0
Choosing your school 18 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Sion-Manning RC Girls School
Places available: 120 Number of applications received: 156 Places were offered as follows: All Catholic applicants were offered a place. 24 to other Christian Faiths 17 to Non Christian Faiths
There were no appeals lodged.
St Thomas More Language College RC Places available: 120 Number of applications received: 618 Places were offered as follows: Band 1: 30 places offered under Criterion 2* Band 2: 60 Places offered under Criterion 2* Band 3: 1 place offered under Criterion 1*; 28 under Criterion 2* and 1 place under Criterion 3*
(This included one child with SEN)
Appeals lodged: 56 Appeals heard: 44 Successful appeals: 3 *Please refer to the admissions criteria on page 95
Choosing your school 19 Closing date: 23 October 2009 The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
Places available: 120 Number of applications received: 718 (including boys with statements of SEN)
Places were offered as follows:
Ability Band One Two Three Places Available 30 60 30 Total offers made* 30 60 30
All successful applicants satisfied either criterion A or B(i-v) in the Admission Arrangements and gained the following number of points against criteria C-G
10-15 09-15 10-15
The tie-break, distance from home to school, was used to determine the allocation of places where there was an equal entitlement on the basis of points score. The use of the distance tie-break is shown below
Last offer made to an applicant 10 points 9 points 10 points with this number of points
Last offer made to an applicant living 7.83 miles 10.31 miles 3.16 miles at this distance from the School
Number of appeals lodged: 75 Successful appeals: 5
*Total offers includes boys with a statement of SEN and those Catholic boys who gained music places.
Choosing your school 20 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Visiting dates
Before being asked to name the secondary schools you prefer, you will be able to visit the schools to help you to make up your mind. You may visit as many schools as you wish. Visiting dates and times for schools in the Royal Borough are set out below.
Chelsea Academy
Open Evenings Wednesday 30th September 2009, 6.30pm and 7.45pm Thursday 1st October 2009, 6.30pm and 7.45pm
These evenings will be held in The Harris Suite at Chelsea Football Club, Fulham Road, SW6 1HS
Holland Park School
Open Evening Wed 23rd September 5.45pm
Open Mornings Tues 29th September 9.15am Wed 30th September 9.15am
Applicants will be allocated one of the following dates to sit the banding test at the school and should attend on the date allocated for their child;
Banding test Sat 28th November 8.45am and Sat 5th December 8.45am
Sion-Manning RC Girls School
Open Evenings Monday 28 September 6.00pm to 8.00pm Wednesday 30 September 4.00pm to 5.00pm
Choosing your school 21 Closing date: 23 October 2009 St Thomas More Language College
Open evenings Thursday 17th September 2009 Wednesday 23rd September 2009 from 4.15pm
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
Open evenings 17th and 29th September 2009 5.00pm and 6.30pm Closing date for applications 23 October 2009 at 5.00pm
Banding test 2nd November 2009 at 9.00am (ALL children to attend) Music listening test 2nd November 2009 at 11.30am (ALL music place children to attend)
Choosing your school 22 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Applying to secondary schools outside the Royal Borough
You may wish to seek a place for your child in a school outside the Royal Borough either as a first preference or as a possible alternative should your application to one of our own schools be unsuccessful. Many parents resident in the Royal Borough are accustomed to sending their children to schools in Hammersmith and Fulham, the City of Westminster, Brent or Wandsworth. Royal Borough parents have the right to apply to schools in those areas or anywhere else outside Kensington and Chelsea. However, if you decide to do that, you must be sure to make your application to these schools on the Royal Borough’s application form.
Information about schools in other neighbouring local authorities can be obtained by contacting the education departments of the local authority concerned using the details below.
Brent School Admissions Service Children and Families Department, Brent Council, Chesterfield House, 9 Park Lane, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 7RH Telephone: 020 8937 3110 Fax: 020 8937 3029 Email: [email protected]
Camden School Admissions Crowndale Centre, 218 Eversholt Street, London NW1 1BD Telephone: 020 7974 1625 Fax: 020 7974 4035 Email: [email protected]
Ealing School Admissions Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, W5 2HL Telephone: 020 8825 5522 Email: [email protected]
Choosing your school 23 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Hammersmith and Fulham School Admissions School Admissions Section, Children's Services Department, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU Telephone: 020 8753 2627/3643/3644 Fax: 020 8576 5501/5681 Email: [email protected]
Hounslow School Admissions Children’s Services and Lifelong Learning, Civic Centre, Lampton Road Hounslow, TW3 4DN Telephone: 020 8583 2721/2711 Fax: 020 8583 2613 Email: [email protected]
Richmond-upon-Thames School Admissions Team London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, Children's Services and Culture Directorate, Regal House (first floor), London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 3QB Telephone: 020 8891 7514 Fax: 020 8891 7714 Email: [email protected]
Wandsworth School Admissions Team The Children’s Services Department, 4th Floor Reception, Town Hall Extension, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU Telephone: 020 8871 8265/8318/6224 Fax: 020 8871 8308 Email: [email protected]
Westminster School Admissions Team 1st Floor, 215 Lisson Grove, London NW8 8LF Telephone: 020 7641 1816/1817 Fax: 020 7641 1830 Email: [email protected]
Choosing your school 24 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Help with travel
The Royal Borough may be willing to offer help with fares for children travelling to schools outside the Royal Borough if the nearest suitable school is more than three miles from their home. Remember that all young people under the age of 18 can travel free on London’s buses. Assistance will normally be available only if it will take your child more than an hour to complete their journey to school by bus.
If you are likely to want a pass for your child please check his or her eligibility with the Royal Borough’s Student Support Section on 020 7361 3009 before making your decision.
Choosing your school 25 Closing date: 23 October 2009 26 Guidance on completing the application form
The Royal Borough’s application form will be available from your child’s primary school, from Kensington Town Hall, and from the Isaac Newton Centre in early September.
If you attend a Royal Borough primary school but do not live in the borough, you will need to complete the application form provided by the Council Offices where you live.
The application form invites you to list up to six schools in order of your preference. You do not have to name six schools if you do not wish. It is your right to name only one school. However, parents are urged most strongly not to do that for the following reasons.
• Naming only the school which you most want for your child will not increase his or her chance of being offered a place. • Because of the demand for places at the most popular schools, your first preference may be unsuccessful. If you give no other preference your child may not get an offer at all on 1 March.
SECTION 1: DETAILS OF CHILD
Your child’s name
Please write your child’s name clearly and use the same name that you have registered with your child’s primary school.
Your child’s date of birth
You should only complete the application form if your child is currently in year 6 in primary school and their date of birth is between 1 September 1998 and 31 August 1999. If your child is in Year 6 and does not fall in this birth range, please speak to your primary school headteacher before completing the application form.
Making your application 27 Closing date: 23 October 2009 You child’s home address
The address you give must be your child’s permanent address on the closing date for applications. This address must not be a business address, childminder’s or relative’s address or any other address that is not the child’s permanent address. If you are separated from your child’s other parent and your child lives partly at your address and partly at their other parent’s address, you should state this and provide proof of residence at the address at which your child lives most of the time. If you have an equal shared-care arrangement with your child’s other parent, the address of the parent who is claiming child benefit for the child will be used for the purpose of the application.
You must keep us informed if you move address. If information is deliberately withheld, it may render your application invalid or lead to an offer of a place being withdrawn. Proof of a change of address will be requested and can only be changed up until 11 December 2009. A change of address after this date will not be used for admissions purposes until after places have been offered on 1 March 2010.
Proof of address – Council Tax number
You do not need to provide us with any proof of address documents at this stage. Proof of your home address will be validated using internal Council Tax records. If you know your Council Tax number, which you will find on your Bill or your Direct Debit statement, please enter this in the space provided on the form. If you do not know your number, we will still be able to check your records using your surname and address. If we are unable to validate your address, or are not satisfied that the address you provided is where you actually live, we do maintain the right to request proof of address. This may include: recent mortgage/rent statement; utility bills; child benefit/Inland Revenue documents; or any other documents that we may request in individual cases.
Making your application 28 Closing date: 23 October 2009 If you own more than one property you should state this on your form and provide proof of residence for the address at which your child lives most of the time. If you move into a property for a temporary period purely for the purpose of trying to be nearer to a school, we will use your normal, permanent residence for the purpose of administering the application.
Your child’s primary school
You must include the name of the primary school your child currently attends. There is a space provided for the headteacher of your primary school to sign and date, however this is not compulsory and you can send your application back without the headteacher’s signature. If you decide to do this it is important that you let your primary school know that you have completed and submitted the application form. If your child does not attend a primary school, because you have just moved into the borough or your child is being educated at home, please state this in the space provided.
SECTION 2: DETAILS OF PARENTS OR CARERS
Parent /Carer details
This section needs to be completed by the parent or carer of the child and you will need to indicate that you have parental responsibility.
Relationship to child
Please indicate your relationship to the child e.g. mother, father, grandmother, foster carer etc.
Making your application 29 Closing date: 23 October 2009 SECTION 3: CHILDREN IN PUBLIC CARE Children in Public care (looked after children) receive priority for admissions to school. If the child that you are applying for is in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by that authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989, you must provide a letter from the child’s social worker to confirm this status.
SECTION 4: SCHOOL PREFERENCES School preferences Please list up to six state-maintained schools (including grammar, church, foundation schools and Academies) in order of your preference. They can be in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea or other council areas. Please do not name independent or private fee paying schools on the form – applications to these schools must be made separately. Please write the name and address of the school in the space against each school preference. You will find the Royal Borough schools’ DCSF numbers in this booklet. The DCSF numbers of other boroughs schools can be found in their own booklets. You do not have to name six schools, but you are strongly advised to use as many preferences as possible and include at least one school where you have a good chance of being offered a place. You will need to read the admissions criteria for the schools to determine what chance you have of gaining a place. Applying for only one school will NOT improve your chances of being offered a place at that school.
Siblings (brothers or sisters) If your child will have a brother or sister attending any of your preferred schools at the time of admission in September 2010, you should complete the siblings details box alongside the preference. Please be aware that the definition of sibling can vary from council to council and from school to school so you are strongly advised to check with the council(s) or school(s) concerned for their definition of sibling. Relatives such as cousins, uncles and aunts are not considered as siblings, even if they are living at the same address.
Making your application 30 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Supplementary Information Form (SIF)
Many schools will require the completion of a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and require additional documents such as baptismal certificates and completed references from a minister. You will need to check the admissions criteria of the schools you want to apply to whether a SIF is required. In the Royal Borough you will need to complete a Supplementary Information Form for:
Chelsea Academy – if you are applying for a Foundation place
Holland Park School – if you would like your child to be considered for a Visual Arts place
Sion-Manning RC Girls School
St Thomas More Language College
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
The forms can be obtained either direct from the school, on their own website or at www.rbkc.gov.uk. The SIF and all additional documents required must be returned to the school.
It is important to remember that if you complete a SIF and do not name the school as one of your preferences on your borough’s application form, your child will not be considered for a place. If you name the school on your application form and do not complete a SIF, your child will be considered but unlikely to be offered a place as the school will not have any information to consider your application against their admissions criteria. It is therefore important for both forms to be completed.
Making your application 31 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Reasons for preference
The Royal Borough’s application form also invites you to give reasons for your preferences. You do not have to complete this part of the form if you choose not to. Most parents will see no need to. If however, there are professionally supported medical or social reasons why your child should attend the school you have named, a doctor’s letter or other appropriate documentation should be attached to the application form. The reasons must be stated at this stage in order that full consideration may be given before all places are allocated. If you produce evidence only at an appeal hearing it may be too late.
Your preference will be given every consideration, although there can be no guarantee that it will be met. It may have to be weighed against the preferences of the other parents who may also have good reasons for wanting the same school place for their child.
All applications received that have made a request for priority consideration and provided additional documents to support their case will be sent a letter confirming receipt of the documents. If you do not receive this letter, then your documents have not been received by us so your case cannot be considered. You must make it clear in the documentation you provide which school you are making a special case for, this would normally be your first preference school.
It is the parent/carers’ responsibility to provide documents to support medical or social reasons for priority admissions to a school. If documents are not provided with the application form, or sent separately before the closing date, the case will not be considered.
Making your application 32 Closing date: 23 October 2009 SECTION 5: DECLARATION AND SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR CARER
Declaration
You must sign your application form to certify that you have parental responsibility for the child you are applying for. If you provide any false or misleading information on the form or in supporting papers, or withhold relevant information, it may render your application invalid and lead to the withdrawal of an offer of a place.
Data Protection notice
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will handle information you have provided in line with provisions of the Data Protection Act and will be used to collect the information for school admission purposes. The information will be held in confidence with only the necessary people able to see or use it. Under the Data Protection Act you have the right to make a formal request in writing for access to personal data held about you or your child.
The council has a duty under the Children’s Act 2004 to work with partners to develop and improve services to children and young people in the area. Therefore the council may also use this information for other legitimate purposes such as the national ContactPoint scheme and may share information where necessary with other councils and external bodies responsible for administering services to children and young people. For the purpose of validating proof of address for Royal Borough resident applications, the Admissions Team will refer to data held by internal Council Tax records.
The council also has a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end it may use the information you have provided on this form for the prevention and detection of fraud.
For further Data Protection information contact Paul Stott (Information Protection Officer) on 020 7938 8287.
Making your application 33 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Returning your completed form
When you have completed the form you should return it to the address shown by 23 OCTOBER 2009. If you would like confirmation that we have received your application form, please indicate this when you submit your form and we will send you confirmation within 5 school days.
Applications received after that date but before 11 DECEMBER 2009 will be processed but will be considered after the applications submitted before the closing date.
Make sure you use the correct postage if you return your form and any additional information through the post. Incorrect postage may delay your application form reaching the Admissions Team by the closing date. Applications received after 11 December will not be considered until after the coordinated scheme ends on 1 MARCH 2010.
The Royal Borough reserves the right to accept a late application where it considers that there are exceptional reasons for the application not being submitted on time.
Remember that you can make your application online from 1 SEPTEMBER 2009 at www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions. Please see the next section for further information.
Making your application 34 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Making your application 35 Closing date: 23 October 2009 36 Applying online
You can make your application online from 1 September 2009 at www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions Parents and carers will still be able to apply on a paper application form in the traditional way. However there are advantages to applying online.
• It is quick and easy to do. • You can log back on to change or delete preferences up until 11.59pm on the closing date. • You will automatically receive an email confirming receipt of your submitted online application. • You will be notified of your result by email on 2 March rather than waiting for your post. • You are able to attach additional documents and do not need to send them separately. • You will be able to accept an offer of a school place online.
There are four easy steps that you will need to follow if you apply online: Step 1. Register to apply online OR login Step 2. Add a child Step 3. Apply for schools Step 4. Check and submit application
The application should not take any longer than 10-15 minutes to do. Please remember to make a note of your username and password. The same deadline of 23 OCTOBER 2009 applies to online as well as to paper applications. Voluntary aided (or “church”) schools which have their own supplementary form will require applicants to submit this on paper by the same date. Once you have submitted your application you will receive an application reference number that will look like this: 207-2010-09-E-007594. This number confirms that your application has been submitted.
If you decide to apply online you should not complete a paper application form.
Making your application 37 Closing date: 23 October 2009 How decisions are made
When we receive your form, we will process any applications you have made for the Royal Borough’s own schools and pass on your child’s details to the schools that are their own admissions authority and make their own decisions. If you have applied for a school or schools outside the Royal Borough we will pass the applications to the local authority which maintains those schools. All these operations will be carried out via a computerised operation called the Pan-London School Admission System.
If any school has more applicants than places available, the published admissions criteria will be used to decide the order in which applicants will be offered places. The admissions criteria for Chelsea Academy, Holland Park, Sion-Manning,St Thomas More Language College and the Cardinal Vaughan are shown in this booklet after each school’s description.
The same process is carried out across London and decisions are made by all admissions authorities by a common deadline and relayed back to the Royal Borough in early February. This coordinated process eliminates multiple offers and will result in your child being offered the highest potential school you named in your list of preferences. It's aim is that no child will end up with more than one offer of a school place on offer day.
It is therefore important that you name the schools in the order in which you prefer them. For example, if you live quite close to your three preferred schools, you may qualify for all three under the distance criterion. If this happens, we will offer you the school you named as your highest preference. See the following examples:
Preference School Criteria met? Outcome
Can be added to waiting 1st Cardinal Vaughan No list and appeal
2nd Holland Park Yes Place offered
3rd Chelsea Academy Yes Withdrawn as higher offer met
4th Burlington Danes No Withdrawn as higher offer met
5th Westminster Academy Yes Withdrawn as higher offer met
Making your application 38 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Preference School Criteria met? Outcome
1st Chelsea Academy Yes Place offered
2nd St Marylebone No Withdrawn as higher offer met
3rd Phoenix High Yes Withdrawn as higher offer met
4th Sion-Manning Yes Withdrawn as higher offer met
5th St Thomas More No Withdrawn as higher offer met
6th Holland Park Yes Withdrawn as higher offer met
Think carefully about your preferences.
You need to be realistic when making your preferences. This is because you may not receive an offer at any of your preferred schools if your child does not meet the criteria. That may happen if, for example, you live too far away from the schools or if you name a church school but do not attend the church connected to that school.
All offers to parents will be made on the same day: 1 March 2010. A notification letter will be sent out to you by first class post on that day and you should receive it in the post on 2 March 2010. If you applied online you will also receive your result by email on the morning of 2 March.
Making your application 39 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Notifying parents of the outcome
The notification letter will include a reply slip which you will be asked to return to us by 15 March 2010. The notification letter will tell you: • the name of the school, if any, which can offer your child a place. Please be aware that you will only be offered one place. This place will be at the highest-ranked of the schools on your list that could offer a place (in accordance with their published admission criteria); • that applications for schools listed lower than the school you are offered will be withdrawn; • how to accept the place you have been offered. You must return the reply slip promptly to the address on the letter no later than Monday 15 March 2010. You should not reject the place unless you have a place arranged elsewhere. If you have made other arrangements, please indicate in the space provided on the reply slip; • how to find out more about why your child was not offered a place at a particular school and their position on the waiting list (if applicable); • that the operation of waiting lists may vary and to contact the local authority or the school to find out if you need to request to go on their waiting list. You will need to request to go on the waiting list for Holland Park; • how to appeal if you have not been offered a place at any of the schools you applied for and the date by which you must do this; • if your child is not offered a place at any of the schools you named on your application form, you will be provided with a list of the schools which have vacancies and invited to apply to one of these through the Admissions Team of the Royal Borough; If you would like more detailed information in writing why your child was not offered one of your preferences, you will need to put your request in writing or by email to the Admissions Team, details can be found on page 2. The Admissions Team will respond within ten school days of receipt of your query. We will of course endeavour to explain the reason for refusal to a school over the phone. The Admissions Team is available from Monday to Friday between 9.00am – 5.00pm. If you would like to speak to a member of the Admissions Team in person, it is advisable that you make arrangements before you arrive at the Town Hall so a member of staff can be made available to see you.
Making your application 40 Closing date: 23 October 2009 The right of appeal
If your child is not offered a place at the school for which you expressed a preference you have the right to appeal. The appeals are heard by panels which are independent of the schools and of the local authority.
If you wish to appeal against a decision refusing your child a place at Holland Park School you should request an appeal form from the Royal Borough at the address shown at the front of this booklet. Your appeal should be sent to us within 21 days of the date of the letter advising you of the decision (21 days of the notification letter). The appeal panel will consider your appeal according to the terms of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the matters to be taken into account will include:
• any preference expressed by you in respect of your child;
• the arrangements for the admission of pupils published by the Royal Borough.
You may attend the hearing yourself and you may be accompanied by a friend (not an employee of the Royal Borough) or be represented. If you are unable to be present, your written appeal will be considered. Any appeals for Holland Park should be completed and the decisions known before the end of the summer term 2009.
Chelsea Academy, Sion-Manning, St Thomas More and the Cardinal Vaughan have their own appeals arrangements. Appeals should be made on the appropriate form (the notification letter will tell you how to obtain one). As with the community schools, most appeals for these voluntary-aided schools take place between May and July 2010.
The Advisory Centre for Education provides free, independent advice on the admissions process and a range of education issues, including bullying, exclusion, SEN and attendance. For advice, enquirers should text the phrase AskACE to 68808 and follow instructions, or telephone 0808 800 5793 Monday-Friday, 10am to 5pm.
Visit www.ace-ed.org.uk for more details.
Making your application 41 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Waiting lists for the Royal Borough’s schools
The coordinated scheme finishes after 1 March. Places may still become available at the Royal Borough’s schools after that date as there is often movement between March and September. This will also be the case for schools in other boroughs. For Chelsea Academy, Sion-Manning, St Thomas More and the Cardinal Vaughan, please refer to their admissions criteria for information on how the waiting list is operated.
You must request to go on the waiting list for Holland Park. This will be organised on the following basis:
• Priority for any places falling vacant will be given first to applicants who submitted their application by 23 October 2009, the date at which the coordinated scheme began. These pupils will have been banded (see page 42 of this booklet). If places become available at Holland Park within the appropriate band, places will be offered first to siblings, pupils that attend a Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea primary school and then by distance until all the banded pupils on the waiting list have been offered a place. • Applications made after 23 October 2009 will be considered after this and prioritised against the siblings, Royal Borough primary school and distance criteria. The allocation of pupils to bands will not continue after the coordinated transfer scheme is concluded on 1 March 2010. • After Year 7 has begun (after October half term) the allocated Band will no longer apply. Priority will be given to children who are in public care to a local authority (looked after children), to applicants who have a statement of special educational needs which names the school or who have an exceptional medical or social need to attend Holland Park which has been accepted by the Executive Director of Family and Children’s Services. Priority will next be given to applicants who have a sibling already at the school and then to applicants who live nearest the school. Chelsea Academy, Sion-Manning, St Thomas More and the Cardinal Vaughan will give priority to applicants according to the degree to which they meet the school’s published admissions criteria. These are set out in the school descriptions later in this booklet.
Making your application 42 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Making final arrangements for transfer
The headteacher of the secondary school at which your child has a place will invite you to visit the school before the end of the summer term 2010. You will have the opportunity to look around the school and to discuss questions such as school uniform, books, travel arrangements, midday meals and possible financial help. By the start of the summer holidays the arrangements for your child’s transfer to a new school should have been completed so that he or she can look forward to starting there in September.
Making your application 43 Closing date: 23 October 2009 44 Frequently asked questions
Does the law guarantee my child a place in the school of my choice?
No. The law says that parents may express a preference for any school. However, if more parents express a preference for a school than the number of places available, there has to be an order of priority to decide which children to admit. The law allows parents to appeal to an independent panel if their child is refused a place at a school of their preference.
Am I more likely to get the school that I named as my first preference?
Preferences for schools are considered together and equally against admissions criteria regardless of where you placed it on your application form. The rank or order of your preference will only be used if it is possible for your child to be potentially offered more than one of your preferred schools. If this is the case the place will be given for the one that you ranked highest. Any lower preferences that could have been offered will automatically be withdrawn as only one offer will be made for each child. It is therefore important that you put your most preferred school first on your form. 61% of Royal Borough applicants were offered their first preference school for September 2009.
Will a school know where I listed them on my application?
No. All applications are treated equally against the schools published admissions criteria. Schools are not provided with the preference order as it has no relevance to the decision making process.
Does my child have priority for a school place in the borough that I live in?
No. It is against the law for boroughs to give priority to its own residents. However, some schools, such as Chelsea Academy and Holland Park do give priority to children who attend a Royal Borough primary school.
Further Information 45 Closing date: 23 October 2009 I want to change my preferences, what do I do?
If you want to change your preferences before the closing date and you completed a paper application form, you will need to call the Admissions Team on 020 7361 2210 to request a ‘change of preference’ form. We will not make changes to your preferences over the phone. If you made your application online, you will be able to log back into your application up until the closing date to make changes. You must remember to re-submit your application. If you change preferences after the closing date, they will be treated as late and will not be considered until after all on-time applications have been considered.
I live in the Royal Borough but will be moving to another part of the country and want to apply for schools where I will be living, what do I do?
As long as you are living in the Royal Borough before the closing date, you can still complete our application form and name the schools in the area you are moving to. This information cannot be transferred via the Pan-London System, but we are able to pass your request to the Council you will be moving to by a secure transfer system. You must check the admissions criteria for the schools you apply for as your child may need to attend tests.
The distance that you have calculated from my home to the school is further away than the distance I have calculated on a measuring system I used on the internet, what do I do?
The Royal Borough’s geographical measuring system is used for calculating all applicants’ distances from home to school. Distances measured by other means e.g. private car, pedometer or the internet are likely to be calculated on a different basis and should not be relied upon as evidence that the Royal Borough’s distance calculation is incorrect. The Royal Borough’s measurement system is designed to be reliable and consistent and is used for all applications.
Further Information 46 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Other useful information
Choice Advice Service
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea provides an independent service for those that require additional support in applying for a secondary school place. The Choice Advice Service is about helping and supporting families, including mothers, fathers, adults with caring responsibility and children, to make the best and most realistic choice of secondary school.
Their aim is to help families optimise their school choices using all the information to hand and use of local knowledge of what individual schools have to offer, to ensure parents are more likely to get the best place for their child. Where appropriate, this will include information about schools which might be in different local authority areas with additional advice covering local authority school admission regimes and individual schools' admissions criteria. Choice Advisers will work with families to understand their child's educational needs and interests, providing and explaining key information in order to help them make an informed choice.
Choice Advisers will advise but will not decide for you. A central component of the work of the Choice Advisers is that the advice they give is independent, impartial and in the best interest of the child.
Please contact the Family Information Service on 020 7361 3302 or via email at [email protected] if you would like to discuss how the Choice Advice Service can help you.
Twins and triplets
If a tie-break involves twins or triplets, Holland Park School will offer places over their published number to accommodate the children. Further places will not be offered until the school admissions limit falls back to 240. This situation is highly unlikely and in most cases the school would have enough movement in numbers to accommodate children of multiple births without exceeding 240 in September 2010. For the policy on multiple births for Chelsea Academy, Sion-Manning, St Thomas More and the Cardinal Vaughan, please refer to the admissions arrangements later in the booklet.
Further Information 47 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Fair Access Protocol
The Royal Borough’s Fair Access Protocol provides that, in certain circumstances, the borough’s secondary schools may admit more than their published intake if it is necessary to make a place available to a child in care to a local authority (sometimes referred to as a “looked after child”).
In-Year Admissions Protocol
In accordance with the requirements of the new DCSF Admissions Code (which will be in force in the academic year 2010-11) all applications for admission to secondary schools which are made outside the normal admissions round will in future be co-ordinated by the Royal Borough’s Admissions Team. That will mean that all applications must be made directly to the Admissions Team and not to individual schools. The details of how these new arrangements will work in the Royal Borough will be agreed in advance of the academic year 2010-11 with the schools which are their own admission authority and whose right to apply their published admission arrangements and to rank applicants accordingly is not changed by the new Code. A scheme and protocol will be in place by 1 January 2010 and will be published on the Royal Borough’s website after this date.
Education Welfare Service
The Education Welfare Service aims to help schools improve pupils' attendance and reduce unnecessary absence and truancy. Education Welfare Officers work closely with schools, children and their parents, and with other statutory and voluntary agencies to promote, encourage and, where necessary, enforce regular school attendance by children of compulsory school age who are resident in the Royal Borough.
The Education Welfare Service can be contacted on 020 7598 4886.
Further Information 48 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Leave during term time
Parents do not have an automatic right to take their child out of school for a fixed period of absence, e.g. family holidays. Schools are not obliged to authorise holidays or absence during term-time. Schools discourage parents from taking family holidays in term-time. This is because schools recognise the adverse effects upon children caused by missing valuable schooling. Term-time holidays are very disruptive to the education of the children involved and can cause longer-term educational disadvantage.
Parents should avoid taking their children out of school for holidays or for other non-essential reasons.
If circumstances arise where parents feel that time away from school cannot be avoided, then permission must be sought in advance from the school for a child to be granted leave of absence during term-time. Parents should check with their child’s school about the school’s procedures for parental requests for a child to be given leave of absence.
The exact dates and the duration of the leave must be agreed including the date that the child will be expected to return to school. Parents need to be aware that if the child does not return on the agreed date, then the school may decide, having first consulted with the Education Welfare Service, to remove the child’s name from the school roll and the school place may be filled. If the parent subsequently returns with the child, the parent will have to apply for a school place for the child and there is no guarantee of a place at the same school.
Education Psychology Service
Every school has the support of an educational psychologist, a specialist in how children and young people develop and learn. Help may be asked for when pupils show difficulties over their behaviour, learning or progress generally in school. Educational psychologists will work with children only if the parents agree. Parents themselves may ask for their help through the school.
Further Information 49 Closing date: 23 October 2009 English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement in the Royal Borough's Schools
The pupil population in schools in the Royal Borough is culturally and linguistically diverse. The majority of our pupils (75%) in our schools come from ethnic minority heritage backgrounds, with over 100 different languages spoken. The main languages spoken are Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish but there are many more and some schools may identify specific groups of ethnic minority pupils who are under-achieving for support.
Other useful information about support for children from EAL and Ethnic Minority and Traveller backgrounds in the Royal Borough can be obtained from:
Language Development Service Isaac Newton Centre 108a Lancaster Road London W11 1QS 020 7598 4818
School Meals
School meals are available at a standard charge. If parents are in receipt of Income Support from the Department of Social Security, their children are entitled to free meals. The headteacher can arrange for suitable meals to be made available for children who need special diets for religious or health reasons. Application forms for free meals can be obtained from school.
Further Information 50 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Travel to school information
We encourage all parents to consider how their child will travel to school when deciding which school to enrol them in. Selecting a school that is easily accessible by foot or bicycle will help make the journey healthier and more enjoyable by increasing your child’s activity levels. All secondary schools in the Royal Borough have a school travel plan in place and encourage active travel to school.
The Royal Borough has a Sustainable Travel to School Strategy which sets out the Council’s objectives for the coming school year and details how it is catering for travel for young people. For a parent’s guide to school travel go to www.rbkc.gov.uk/schooltravel.
For further information please contact: [email protected] or 020 7361 3741.
Further Information 51 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Principal: Andy Yarrow
Temporary site from September 2009: The Carlyle Building, Hortensia Road, SW10 0QS
Permanent site from September 2010: Lots Road, SW10 0SH
DCSF no: 207 6905 Telephone: 07525 967131 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.chelsea-academy.org
Nearest Stations: Imperial Wharf mainline (provisional opening date: 2010)
Bus Routes: 11, 14, 19, 22, 49, 211, 319, 328, 345, 391, 414
Admissions limit for September 2010: 162
52 Chelsea Academy
Church of England Academy for boys and girls which also offers community places
Chelsea Academy is a completely new secondary school. It will have places for 162 Year 7 students in 2009 and additional year groups will be added each year until 2015. The permanent building in Lots Road will open in September 2010. Until then, for the first year only, students will be located on Hortensia Road in high quality temporary accommodation.
Academies are newly-established state schools which receive their funding directly from central government. Some replace existing schools, while others, like Chelsea Academy, are brand new. The Academy has two sponsors, the Church of England (the London Diocesan Board for Schools) and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The sponsors’ vision is for a school that serves its local community and has a distinctive Christian ethos. Chelsea Academy will combine traditional values and the highest standards with an innovative approach to learning and teaching.
Who can apply to Chelsea Academy?
Chelsea Academy is open to girls and boys of all backgrounds. We expect that most students will be living in the local area. Fifty percent of places will be ‘Foundation Places’ with priority given to those who attend Christian churches and Church of England primary schools. The other half will be ‘Community Places’ with priority given to applicants from the Royal Borough’s community primary schools, and allocated to those who live closest to the school. The Academy’s admissions policy is set out later on in this booklet.
All applicants for Chelsea Academy must complete their local authority’s common application form (the Royal Borough’s blue form if you live in Kensington and Chelsea). That will be all you need to do to be considered for one of the Community Places. Applicants for a Foundation Place must also complete Chelsea Academy’s Supplementary Information Form and send it to the school by 23 October 2009. Chelsea Academy’s Supplementary Information Form will be available with the school’s prospectus or can be downloaded from the school’s website at www.chelsea-academy.org.
Schools Information 53 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Ensuring students achieve their full potential
Chelsea Academy will operate a longer school day than most schools, with six hours of lessons on most days. Individual lessons will also be longer than normal, in order to give students time to explore subjects in greater depth and develop skills with greater proficiency. Teachers will encourage activities which involve debates, discussions, role-play, research, problem-solving, peer teaching and extended project work. This will equip students with verbal and written communication skills, and the confidence to use them, and the ability to work effectively both independently and with others.
Girls and boys often respond and learn in different ways, so on occasion, each can benefit from being in single sex classes for some subjects. As students progress through the Academy, they will find a mixture of single-sex and co-educational classes. For example, single sex teaching in subjects such as English, mathematics and science can help students to build their confidence and achieve more.
Setting appropriate targets and monitoring progress regularly will enhance students’ learning at the Academy. Each student will be part of a ‘coaching group’ of no more than 13 students. As the school grows, these groups will be made up of a mixture of ages – with older students coaching and mentoring younger students under the guidance of the member of staff who is the group’s Learning Coach. Here, students will learn to set themselves challenging goals and targets. Coaching groups will meet every day to monitor work, progress, achievements and conduct. Parents will be invited to attend their children’s Learning Reviews and will also be able to access their child's school record online in order to keep track of their progress and performance.
The Academy is recruiting high quality teaching staff who recognise students’ individual learning styles, needs and talents, and will develop programmes and lessons that both stretch and support students in their learning.
Schools Information 54 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Curriculum organisation
It is important for children to experience a smooth transition from primary to secondary education and to a new and exciting curriculum. In Year 7, students will have their own classroom base and will follow the National Curriculum taught by a small team of subject teachers. Not only does this approach ease transition, it enables teachers to get to know each child well, enabling them to match tasks and support to every individual's needs.
In Year 8, more specialist subject teaching will be introduced, alongside a particular emphasis on literacy, numeracy and scientific understanding. We expect most students to have taken their English, mathematics and science National Curriculum Assessments (SATs) by the end of the year – a year earlier than has traditionally been the case. We will provide extra booster lessons for students who need additional support to make sure that no student gets left behind. If necessary, the Academy will offer parents training so they can provide additional support for their children.
These first two years will provide the foundation for an earlier start to GCSE courses for those who are ready, enabling the most able students to complete their GCSEs and progress to A-levels a year early. This accelerated approach removes the obstacles that can hold back the most able and will also be a motivating force for all students who will benefit from the pace of learning. Chelsea Academy’s Sixth Form is due to open in 2011.
Academy facilities
Chelsea Academy's new building will be complete and ready for occupation by September 2010. Costing almost £40 million, the building will provide state-of-the-art classrooms and flexible learning spaces. It will be a stimulating business-like learning environment, with the very latest in specialist facilities for all aspects of the curriculum. Special facilities will include a sports science laboratory, a theatre, a Sports Hall with a climbing wall and an observatory.
Schools Information 55 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Designed by award-winning architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, it incorporates numerous innovative design features. The building will be extremely energy-efficient, with 10% of its energy coming from renewable sources generated on site.
Another exciting feature of the Academy will be the first-rate computer equipment and systems. This will include a powerful online learning facility so that students can access learning resources and assessments along with their own work, from any computer – either in school or beyond. This also means that parents will be able to view school information and their child’s performance data (such as progress levels and grades, assessment results, attendance records and teachers’ comments) online.
In the meantime, the first group of Year 7 students will start their Academy life in September 2009 in premises next to the Carlyle Building in Hortensia Road, Chelsea. While this site is temporary, it will be of good quality, students can benefit from the same standard of computer facilities that they will enjoy in the new building and will have the opportunity to contribute their design ideas to the planning for the permanent Academy building.
The Academy’s science specialism
All Academies have one or more subject specialisms, in this case the sciences. However, this does not mean students applying for a place have to already be good at science. Nor does it mean that the school timetable is heavily weighted towards science lessons. What it does mean is that the Academy will receive extra funding to support extra learning resources and activities relating to science, and we will be working with partners such as Imperial College and the Science Museum. Our aim is that these initiatives will foster greater enthusiasm and skill in the sciences among students.
Schools Information 56 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Other learning opportunities
All students will be offered the opportunity to get involved in activities that develop their wider educational skills and understanding. These will run alongside the core curriculum and could take place at any time – not just after school. They might be activities which extend children’s academic performance – such as additional languages, advanced skills lessons in science and maths – together with sport, the performing arts, business enterprise and community service.
All students will be encouraged to learn to play an instrument, sing or use technical skills to support musical performances. As the Academy grows, a full range of musical ensembles, including an orchestra and a range of bands and choirs will be developed. Alongside regular musical concerts, dance shows, drama performances and talent competitions, there will be a major school production every year for which students can audition.
Although situated on a compact site, the Academy will have excellent on-site sports facilities (including a full-size sports hall, an activities hall with climbing wall, and an outside football pitch and tennis court on the first floor deck).
The extensive ICT facilities will be available for students' use beyond the normal school day – and the learning resources will be available online and therefore accessible at any time from any location. Outside normal school hours a range of Academy facilities will be made available for parents and for the local community.
Chelsea Academy is firmly committed to involving students in the leadership and development of their school. As well as participating in the planning and delivery of lessons and assemblies, every student will be expected to contribute in other ways. Some will be prefects who help to support the smooth running of the Academy, while others will be peer mentors who advise and support younger students. There will be a School Council and a Student Leadership Group working with senior staff to improve all aspects of the Academy. Other students will be trained so they can contribute to improving what goes on in the classroom by carrying out learning observations and acting as Student Curriculum Advisers. Some students will even have an opportunity to play a part in appointing staff.
Schools Information 57 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Assemblies
Assemblies, in the form of Collective Worship, will play a key role in expressing the school’s Christian ethos, as well as exploring other world faiths and will take place regularly in order to develop a sense of community and vision for the Academy. They will reflect the theme for the week and will involve students and visiting speakers as well as the Academy’s staff.
Uniform
A smart and formal uniform has been designed of which the Academy’s students will be proud. Full details will be made available to parents at the Academy Open Evenings and on the website.
Schools Information 58 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admission Criteria 2010-11
1. Admission number Chelsea Academy has an agreed admission number of 162 pupils. Chelsea Academy will accordingly admit 162 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received.
2. Consideration of applications Chelsea Academy will consider all applications for places. If fewer than 162 applications are received, Chelsea Academy will offer places to all those who have applied.
3. Procedures where Chelsea Academy is oversubscribed Where the number of applications 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 statements of SEN, places will be allocated to applicants in the following priority order:
a) Young people who are in public care
b) Children who are the subject of an Education Supervision Order which names the school.
c) Young people whom the Governors and Principal accept have an exceptional medical, social or educational need for a place at Chelsea Academy. 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 a clear connection between the child’s need and Chelsea Academy, and an explanation of the difficulties which would be caused if the child were to attend another school.
Admission under a) to c) above will be considered irrespective of any religious affiliation.
Schools Information 59 Closing date: 23 October 2009 4. Balance of Foundation and Community Places 50% of the remaining places per year will be Foundation Places (Church) and 50% Community Places (Open), with any vacant places being taken up by oversubscription from the other category. Foundation Places are defined as places for those pupils who meet the foundation criteria established for their admission to Chelsea Academy. Community Places are defined as places for those pupils who meet the community criteria established for their admission to Chelsea Academy.
If from the remaining places fewer applications were received, all those applications would automatically gain admission. In the event that either or both of the categories of Foundation and Community Places are over-subscribed, then the remaining places will be allocated using the over-subscription criteria and procedures.
5. Foundation Places Foundation Places are available to applicants who meet the criteria for Foundation Places.
6. Foundation Applicants Applicants eligible for Foundation Places will be allocated places in the following order of preference:
a) Children whose parents regularly attend one of the Church of England churches in the Deaneries of Kensington and Chelsea and who attend a Church of England Primary School in the Deaneries.
b) Children whose parents regularly attend 1 other Christian Churches or chapels 2 and who attend a Church of England Primary School in the Deaneries.
Schools Information 60 Closing date: 23 October 2009 c) Children whose parents regularly attend one of the Church of England churches in the Deaneries of Kensington and Chelsea, or other Christian Churches or chapels in the Deanery area.
d) Other children who attend a Church of England Primary School in the Deaneries of Kensington and Chelsea.
If any of the above categories are over-subscribed, the available number of Foundation Places will be allocated by random selection. Those not offered Foundation Places will be considered against the criteria for Community Places and vice versa.
7. Community Places Community Places are available to all applicants.
8. Community Places: Over-Subscription Criteria Places will be offered in the following order of priority.
a) To applicants who on the closing date for applications attend a primary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea which is not a Church of England primary school.
b) To other applicants who attend a primary school in the Royal Borough.
c) To brothers and sisters of children on the roll of the Academy at the time of admission.
d) If there are more applicants than places available in any of the above categories, places will be offered to children who live nearest the school. Nearness to the school will in all cases be measured by an electronic routeing method. For this purpose, the measurement will be over the shortest reasonable walking route and accessibility by car or public transport will be disregarded.
Schools Information 61 Closing date: 23 October 2009 9. Waiting lists The Academy will operate a waiting list. Where Chelsea Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until a month after the beginning of the school year. This will be maintained by Chelsea Academy and it will be open to any parent to ask for his or her child’s name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.
Children’s positions on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in paragraphs 7 and 8 above. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.
1 “Regular attendance at church must have been for at least one year, on at least two occasions per month. A Vicar’s/Minister’s letter will be required. The only exception will be those families who have moved into the area within the previous year and can provide a Vicar’s/Minister’s letter to confirm that they attended a church regularly in the place where they used to live.
2 “Christian Churches or chapels” refers to those churches that are members of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or are members of the Evangelical Alliance or Afro-Caribbean Evangelical Alliance.
Schools Information 62 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Schools Information 63 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Head: Mr C Hall BA FRSA Associate Head: Mr D Chappell BA FRSA
DCSF no: 207 4320 Telephone: 020 7727 5631 Fax: 020 7908 1098 E-mail: [email protected] Address: Airlie Gardens, Campden Hill Road, W8 7AF
Nearest Stations: Notting Hill Gate, (Central, District and Circle); High Street, Kensington (District and Circle); Holland Park (Central)
Bus Routes: 9, 10, 12, 27, 28, 31, 49, 52, 70, 94, 452, C1.
Number on roll in 2008: 1354 (including 180 in the Sixth Form)
Admissions limit for September 2009: 240
64 Holland Park School
Community School for boys and girls
Some facts about the school
Holland Park is a vibrant central London Comprehensive School. In 2007 the school was designated a Humanities Specialist School with English as its leading subject. Holland Park School is oversubscribed in all years; was 8th out of 3,453 schools in 2007/8 for most improved sustained GCSE progress 2004-7 including A*-C in English and Mathematics; has value added in the top 25% of all schools nationally; holds the following awards: Specialist School Status, Artsmark, Sportsmark, Healthy Schools, FMSIS and IIP; was in the Mayor of London’s top London schools in 2006, 2007 and 2008; achieved the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Excellence in Leadership Award; is a partnership school with Cambridge University; in 2009 was listed in the top ten most successful Humanities Specialist Colleges.
The following are extracts from our Ofsted report, November 2007. The full report can be accessed via the school’s website.
“Holland Park is a good school with an exceptional learning culture among many other outstanding features.
The Leadership and management of the school are outstanding in their clear vision, drive and focus on making the school the best it can be. They have created an exceptional ethos where staff and students aim for excellence, learning is enjoyed and individuals are supported and valued. The seismic and sustained developments since the last inspection place the school in a strong position to continue its impressive development.
The number of students reaching national expectations in tests at the end of Year 9 and at GCSE has increased significantly, particularly in the last three years, and this has been sustained. Standards are above the national average at the end of Year 9 and improving. The number of students achieving five or more GCSE A* to C in, for example English and mathematics, is above the national average and also improving rapidly.
Schools Information 65 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Students’ excellent personal development and well-being can be seen in the respect they show for their wonderful learning environment and the harmonious relationships they have with each other and with the staff. Students are proud of their school; they feel valued and appreciate the superb opportunities it provides for them.
Good and improving teaching and learning is a key to the success of the school. Meticulous preparation for lessons, sound subject knowledge and consistent classroom management are strong features of the teaching.
Many parents wrote in praise of the school’s exceptional leadership and management and the inspectors agree. The Head’s leadership is charismatic, inspirational and transformational and is enhanced by the powerful and complementary skills of the Associate Head. An excellent leadership team and strong leaders at every level ably support them.”
Aims
The school aims to provide a safe, secure and well ordered environment in which all students can learn effectively to achieve their full potential. Life at Holland Park means commitment, passion, drive, attention to detail, academic rigour, aspirational targets and a fundamental understanding that beneath all of this beats the individual human heart.
Schools Information 66 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Organisation
Students are organised into one of our five ‘Houses’, each comprising 12 mixed age, mixed ability tutor groups. Students are organised in year for learning and by ability in all subjects. In Years 7 to 11 the courses are within the framework of the National Curriculum. All students complete homework regularly. They may use the well resourced and newly refurbished library to do this before and after school. Provision is made for English as an additional language and students with special educational needs either within classes or in small withdrawal groups. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum to all students.
There is a regular personal, social and health education lesson taught by tutors. The topics covered include health and sex education, study skills, ethics, citizenship, careers guidance and information technology. Careers guidance lessons are supplemented by talks and discussions with visitors and interviews with a Career Adviser from the local Connexions Service.
We run a two year Key Stage 3 curriculum, allowing students in Years 9, 10 and 11 to study and complete a wide range of accredited GCSE and BTEC courses. All students study the core curriculum and then have a range of choices which allow them flexibility to create an overall course tuned to their interests and potential.
Our facilities are excellent following an extensive refurbishment programme. We have well-equipped laboratories, design and technology workshops, music, drama and dance suites and art studios. A completely upgraded information technology (IT) network has been installed throughout the building with access in classrooms, the library and dedicated IT areas. The school enjoys a stunning location alongside Holland Park and is committed to making the learning environment interesting and contemporary.
Schools Information 67 Closing date: 23 October 2009 A New Holland Park
In June 2008, the Council’s Planning Committee approved the plans for the complete rebuild of Holland Park School. This will result in a state of the art building, highly equipped to deliver education in the 21st Century. Building works have been carefully planned and disruption to the existing school will be minimal. The planned date for the opening of the new building is September 2012.
Pastoral care and discipline
All students meet their tutor every day. Tutors oversee students’ welfare and well-being, progress and achievement, attendance and punctuality. We have a Behaviour Team that ensures the good discipline of students. We have a Code of Conduct which sets out our expectations of behaviour very clearly. We expect and maintain a positive, well-ordered and purposeful learning environment. This is confirmed in our Home-School Agreement; each parent and child signs this document prior to admission.
Students are awarded for effort and contributions to the school with ‘Vivo miles’; an electronic reward system that students access ‘online’. All students are encouraged to apply for the school’s Gold Vivo card. This initiative celebrates the achievement and contribution of students in all year groups to the school’s achievement profile, reputation and contribution to the community.
Schools Information 68 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Parental involvement
All parents will receive a “Parent Planner” at the start of September. This keeps parents informed of all events throughout the school year. All parents are invited to attend our Parent/Teacher Groups run by the Leadership Team. These are important opportunities for consultation. The school communicates regularly with parents through a variety of publications to keep them up to date such as ‘What’s Going on @ Holland Park’, our learning magazine.
All parents receive half-termly academic reports which include their child’s current working levels matched against predicted levels and grades. Parent Evenings allow for target setting and discussion of progress.
Uniform
All students are expected to wear Holland Park’s uniform. This consists of a dark grey suit for boys and girls, together with a blue shirt or blouse. Boys are required to wear a tie. Parents of new students will have the opportunity to purchase uniform as part of our welcome interviews in April 2010. Uniform is only available from the school and is of a high quality. Our Sixth Form students have a professional dress code similar to that of teachers and associate staff.
Assemblies
Assemblies contribute to the moral, spiritual, cultural and personal education of young people and are appropriately constructed for the urban, multi-cultural society represented in school. All manner of faiths and outlooks are covered. We regard assemblies seriously and have a planned annual programme. Music, video, quiet reflection and thought-provoking themes are central to each presentation.
Schools Information 69 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Extra-curricular activities
Extensive use is made of the facilities at the school for a wide range of clubs and activities to run during lunch break and after school. We are actively committed to sport; hold Sports Mark Gold and we have teams in football, athletics, gymnastics, basketball, swimming, cricket and rowing, representing the school at local, London and some at national level.
We enjoy high standards of performance in plays produced by the drama team, musical concerts, gymnastics and dance presentations. Students have the opportunity to join local groups performing at a range of public events.
There are wide ranging opportunities to join residential expeditions. Year 10 have two weeks Work Experience which takes advantage of our strong links with local businesses. Employers are encouraged to come into school to contribute to curriculum development and provide direct support for students and staff.
Commitment to equality
With students representing over 100 nationalities and speaking more than 70 languages, we share personal connections across the globe and celebrate together our cultural diversity.
Visitors are always welcome to come and see us to share the life, work and achievement of our school.
More information about Holland Park School, including the Prospectus can be obtained from the school on request or via our website: www.hollandparkschool.co.uk.
Schools Information 70 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admission Criteria 2010
Year 7
Applicants with a signed Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) which names Holland Park will be placed at the school via the SEN process as set out in Section 324 of the Education Act 1996.
Applicants are asked to read carefully all the information set out in the following paragraphs though not all of it may seem relevant to their application.
The admissions number for Holland Park is 240. Holland Park seeks to create and preserve a genuinely balanced intake which reflects its commitment to a comprehensive character. The school will therefore admit students to Year 7 in four bands of ability. Each band will comprise 25% of the intake, i.e., 60 places. Applicants will be allocated to bands after they have taken a standardised test.
Holland Park School has a particular expertise in the teaching of the visual arts and will offer six places within each band to applicants who can demonstrate an aptitude and capacity to succeed in the visual arts, especially art and design. Applicants for those places must complete a supplementary information form. There will be an assessment by the school of their potential. Applicants who are not offered a place on the grounds of aptitude will automatically be considered for a place within their ability band under the general admission criteria described below.
Holland Park School has for a number of years been heavily over- subscribed. If in 2010 there are again more applications to the school than there are places available, the Royal Borough will allocate places in accordance with the following order of priority.
1. Children in Public Care, also known as Looked After Children in care of the local authority. The child’s social worker must submit a letter to the Royal Borough confirming the legal status of the child and the local authority to whom the child is in care and quoting the child’s full name and current address.
Schools Information 71 Closing date: 23 October 2009 2. The Executive Director of Family and Children’s Services may, on an individual basis, give priority to applicants who can demonstrate that admission to Holland Park School is necessary on the grounds of professionally supported medical social needs. Parent/carers must supply details of any such special factors at the time of the original application together with recent supporting documentation. Such applications will not be considered without professional support, such as a letter or report from a doctor, consultant or social worker which must not be no more than six months old. All information submitted will be regarded as confidential.
Only a small number of the places available in each band will be taken up by the categories of applicant described in category (1) and (2). For the majority of applicants to Holland Park School the criteria set out next are the ones which are most likely to be relevant.
When the applicants referred to in the two preceding paragraphs have all been offered places, the remaining places in each of the four bands will be offered in the following order of priority.
3. (i). To brothers and sisters of children who will be on the roll of Holland Park School in September 2010. This includes halfbrothers or halfsisters, adopted brothers or sisters, stepbrothers or stepsisters or the children of the parent or carers partner provided that they live at the same address as the applicant.
(ii). To applicants who attend a primary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on the closing date for applications for places in the admissions year.
If, in any of the bands, there are more applicants than places available in either category 3(i) or 3(ii), places will be offered first to children who live nearest to the school. Nearness to the school will in all cases be measured by the shortest walking route along recognised footpaths from the centre point (address point) of the child’s home address (including flats) to the main entrance to the school in Airlie Gardens, Campden Hill Road, using the Royal Borough’s computerised measuring system with the closest child to the school receiving priority. Accessibility by car or public transport will be disregarded.
Schools Information 72 Closing date: 23 October 2009 If applicants share the same address (for example, live in the same block of flats or shared house) priority will be given to those closest to the ground floor and then by ascending flat number order.
Routes are measured to four decimal places. If in the unlikely event that two or more applicants live at exactly the same distance from the school, the offer of a place will be decided by random allocation.
If, in any of the bands, there are not enough children in categories (i) and (ii) to fill all the places in that band, the remaining places in the band will be offered to other applicants who live nearest the school in the manner described above regardless of which primary school they attend.
If an offer of a place is not accepted by an applicant the place will be offered to another applicant according to the same order of priority.
Year 7 Waiting list
After Year 7 has begun (after October half term) the allocated Bands will no longer apply. Those who have requested to go on the waiting list will be ordered as described above in 1, 2 and 3(i). After that priority will be given first to applicants who have a sibling already at the school and then to applicants who live nearest the school in the way described above.
Years 8 – 11
If there are more applications than there are places available in these years, priority will first be given in the way described above in 1, 2 and 3(i). After that priority will be given first to applicants who have a sibling already at the school and then to applicants who live nearest the school in the way described above.
Schools Information 73 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Lucien Strindberg, sixth form student, won 1st prize in the Royal 74 Borough Art Exhibition in the drawing and painting category. Year 12
Holland Park School has places for about 300 pupils in its sixth form. The school expects in 2009 to admit to Year 12 a maximum of 100 pupils from other schools, though this number may be exceeded if sufficient places remain once the demand for places from young people already at Holland Park School has in the view of the school been met. The availability of places in Year 12 for particular subjects will depend on the number of young people coming forward from Holland Park School: priority will be given to these.
The school will only consider applicants for courses which it has published as being available and will not make other courses available at the request of applicants. All places will be offered conditional on applicants meeting the school’s entry requirements for the courses.
In the event of there being more applicants from outside Holland Park School than there are places available, places will be offered according to the following criteria in the order shown.
• The applicant’s suitability for the course for which application is being made. • The applicants considered suitable who live nearest to the school. Nearness to the school will be measured in the same way as for Year 7 (see above).
Schools Information 75 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Head: Mrs C M Leach MA BA NPQH
DCSF no: 207 4801 Telephone: 020 8969 7111 Fax: 020 8969 5119 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sion-manning.com Address: St Charles Square, W10 6EL
Nearest Stations: Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith and City)
Bus Routes: 7, 23, 52, 70, 295
Number on roll in 2008: 580
Admissions limit for September 2009: 120
76 Sion-Manning RC Girls School
Roman Catholic school for girls (voluntary aided)
Aims
Sion-Manning is a Roman Catholic Girls School, a community founded on the values, beliefs and practice of the Catholic Church. We are ambitious and aspire to provide the following for every learner:
• an education which will enable her to develop to her fullest potential, spiritually, academically, morally and socially; • an orderly and disciplined atmosphere which supports the learning process and the pursuit of excellence; • the means to become a thinking, confident and creative adult to take an effective and positive place in the world
The quality of teaching and learning in this community has over time received national recognition and gained us these awards:
• Specialist status – Visual Arts • National Artsmark Gold Award • Information Technology Quality Mark awarded 2009 • The hub school for the Schools Sports Partnership for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea • The lead school for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for the extended schools programme • International School Status awarded by the British Council
The national Quality for Sportsmark is also currently being sought. We aim high, work hard and want everyone, girls, staff and parents to be proud of what has been achieved by working together.
Schools Information 77 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Our distinctive nature
We are proud to say we are an ‘Outstanding Catholic School’ forming a racially harmonious community which is rich in the diversity of language and culture.
As a Catholic community we come together for the celebration of the sacraments. Mass is celebrated at the beginning of the school year and throughout the rest of the year on feast days and special occasions. Prayer and worship is the touchstone of our lives and the liturgical and prayer life of the church is reflected in our celebration of the seasons, Ash Wednesday, Advent and Harvest Festival. We have an annual time for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament to pray for our community.
Our involvement in the formation of young people is both a privilege and responsibility. We support their development and journey through adolescence by having a chaplain and a team of senior girls who work with the chaplain. Time for prayer, worship and reflection nurture us in our formation as people of God and therefore every year the team has an annual retreat off site, weekly Eucharistic services and weekly assemblies with time for reflection and work on special interest projects such as raising funds for water aid for one of our partner schools in Africa, Kenya. These activities help to nurture the girls’ spiritual and personal development.
Schools Information 78 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Organisation and curriculum
We expect our students to make an unreserved commitment to their learning and to focus on progress and achievement.
Year 7 is organised in mixed ability tutor groups. There is grouping by ability for the teaching of RE, English, Maths, Science and Modern Foreign Languages after an initial period of induction. In the summer term before they join the school the new Year 7 intake sit tests which help the staff to judge their needs and to plan for their learning ahead of their arrival. The current Year 7 intake for 2009 is embarking on a two year Key Stage 3 course rather than the normal three years. The intention is to give greater opportunity at Key Stage 4 by creating a wide menu of learning pathways which we believe will enable the girls to maximise their potential in a diverse range of learning opportunities. For some girls who are high achievers there will be the opportunity in Year 11 to undertake AS Courses. As a twenty first century school it is about matching particular skills, talents and abilities with greater emphasis on personalised learning and individual pathways to achieve success.
Subjects studied
Key Stage 3
All learners follow a broad and balanced curriculum. As a Specialist School for Visual Arts we provide increased time and smaller teaching groups for these subjects. Amongst the subjects which girls can take in Year 7 are Religious Education, English, Maths, Science, Visual Arts, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Drama and Physical Education.
Other areas of learning include Citizenship and Preparation for Working Life which includes enterprise, business finance and other areas of special interest and learning.
Schools Information 79 Closing date: 23 October 2009 As part of the community programme the learners are taught about health, relationships, personal safety and developing their personal skills.
For some learners where it is appropriate there is the opportunity to gain GCSEs from Year 7. In Year 8 those individuals who show the right aptitude and commitment and with total parental support the chance to gain an online GCSE in GCSE Law or other appropriate subjects. This will require individuals to make a considerable commitment to dedicate their own time to the requirements of this study. They have a member of staff in school who is a qualified lawyer and takes on the role of a mentor and additional adviser.
Key Stage 4
All learners are taught RE, English, Maths, Science, Sport and PE as core subjects. They may also follow courses which lead to qualifications, including Citizenship and Preparation for Working Life. At the end of Year 10 learners all complete a two week work experience. This gives girls a context for their qualifications and helps them to learn new skills and to begin to understand the world of work.
Out of hours learning, including the extended school and Aim Higher programmes
Sion-Manning provides a range of activities beyond the school day. Some of these are specifically for our learners; others are also open to the community. Because Sion-Manning is a specialist status school for visual arts these naturally form a strong feature of this programme. Other elements include sport and dance, including street dancing and tap dancing. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of specialist professionals visiting from the world of music to teach those learners who have an interest in or a special aptitude for learning something new. A diverse range of activities is offered and includes voice, strings, brass as a taster and the very popular samba band.
Schools Information 80 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Public Examinations
Qualifications at KS4 include Advanced Supplementary (AS) GCSE and applied GCSEs as well as BTEC and, where it is appropriate and necessary, other vocational validation. Learners who have a particular strength in a subject have the opportunity to take the GCSE early and if appropriate look to achieving an AS or an additional GCSE. In addition there are half GCSEs in Literacy, Numeracy and ICT. This menu of learning is being further developed to include Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver awards, Leadership awards in sport, art and other areas, all of which count towards their points score at the end of KS4 and transition to Sixth form colleges of their choice. The final decision whether or not to enter a learner for a particular examination is made by the school, usually in discussion with both the parent and learner.
Pastoral support and care
Sion-Manning has a well-structured system of pastoral care. The school is divided into year groups which are managed by Lead Tutors. The year groups are sub-divided and each has their own individual tutor. This gives any girl facing problems an immediate point of contact. Strong relationships are built up between individual tutors, Lead Tutors and the girls. Overall supervision of this structure rests with an experienced Assistant Headteacher who in turn is supported by an Associate Assistant Headteacher. The school also benefits from inter-agency working by virtue of a group known as the SMIT Team. The members of this team are very experienced professional specialists in their own field dedicated to the welfare and care of each learner within this school community.
The school expects parents to be supportive of the work we do with their daughters. We have very high expectations of our learners and they are expected to ensure that their behaviour supports their learning. Without this, a learner’s progress will be hindered and her progress limited. Good order and discipline are of course integral to effective learning.
Schools Information 81 Closing date: 23 October 2009 We operate a strict code of conduct for learning and we believe that each individual has responsibility for her own actions and choices. As part of the welcome and induction pack, families are given a copy of the school’s policy and procedures on behaviour. The school has recently adopted a zero tolerance behaviour policy and this has been welcomed by our current girls and parents/carers as it helps ensure the achievement of high quality teaching and learning. Parents/carers and their daughters are asked to note that choices lead to consequences and that there may be circumstances when the school may consider that it has no option other than to exercise its right to exclude a pupil. September 2009 we are introducing a ‘Learners commitment’ and ‘Parents commitment’. The commitment describes in detail those things the individual will guarantee to give to the partnership of learning to ensure that success is guaranteed as far as possible. Parents and girls have high expectations of the school and this articulates what we expect from our learners and parents to make sure we are all totally committed to this shared journey.
Parents will be given more information about the school’s expectations on behaviour as part of the first mail-out which is sent to them soon after their daughter starts in Year 7 in September.
The school recognises that being a parent often brings challenges and stresses. Sion-Manning has a wealth of expertise at its disposal to support parents who may have to face difficult issues in their lives and who may wish to seek our help.
Schools Information 82 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Parental involvement
Research shows that parents can make a vital difference to a learner’s achievement. Five minutes a day talking to your daughter about her learning is said to make half a grade difference at GCSE. Sion-Manning provides a variety of opportunities for parents to meet with staff to discuss their daughter’s progress and achievement and to consider how these may be improved. Detailed tracking reports are sent to parents every term. These will identify a pupil’s starting point, set her targets, note her current achievement and project what that will be if she continues to work in the same way to the end of the key stage. At that time, there is usually a special tracking awards assembly. Parents are often invited to share in these celebrations.
Every learner has an individual planner which sets out essential information which parents should familiarise themselves with. Each week parents are expected to monitor their daughters’ homework and sign the planner to indicate they have seen it.
Please ensure we have your most up-to-date contact details, including email addresses, and can get in touch with you or another responsible adult in the event of an emergency or if your child is unwell during the school day.
Contact with us will become easier in the new academic year. We are introducing a parents portal on our virtual learning platform and you will be given the email addresses of team leaders to enable you to contact them. They may not be able to respond immediately due to timetable commitments however they will respond within a reasonable amount of time.
Schools Information 83 Closing date: 23 October 2009 School uniform
In September 2008 we introduced a new uniform which was selected by the senior Year 11 girls leadership team in 2007/2008. Considerable time was invested in ensuring that the uniform offers good value and is appropriate to its purpose.
The new uniform will comprise: • Black skirt – only one style is allowed • White shirt • Purple blazer • Purple cardigan • Black tights • Black sensible shoes
There is also a new PE and sports kit which is black and more serviceable than previous ones.
We would like to bring to parents’ attention that no religious headwear is allowed on school premises.
The Governing Body following consultation has reiterated its policy that when in school the wearing of a veil by some girls is not permitted thereby ensuring there is no outward sign differentiation even though a minority are of a different faith to the one the school was founded to serve i.e. Catholicism. All other aspects of a girl’s individual faith are respected.
Schools Information 84 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Homework support
There is homework support available for those learners who have special educational needs. Additional support is often provided after school by the teaching assistants. More details are available from the Lead tutor of Year 7.
We are very proud of our Learning Resource Centre which has a fantastic team of staff who willingly dedicate many hours each day to helping learners to achieve and improve. Many Lead tutors provide homework support after school particularly for Year 7, 8 and 9.
ICT
This has a major role in the school. Every year additional resources are purchased to ensure that our learners have the most up to date software and hardware available. Those learners who qualify are able to have a laptop on an extended home loan scheme. For further details contact Mr D Pedley.
Schools Information 85 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admission Criteria 2010-11
Sion-Manning RC Girls School is a Catholic School founded by the Church to provide education for Catholic girls from within the Central London area. Whenever there are more applications than places available, priority will always be given to Catholic applicants, who will be required to provide a reference from a Catholic Priest as to catholicity.
Sion Manning RC Girls School has been awarded, as from July 2002, Specialist School status in the Visual Arts and renewal has recently been confirmed for a further four years.
The Governing Body of the School has sole responsibility for admissions to the School and intends to admit 120 pupils to Year 7 in the school year commencing September 2010.
All applicants complete the School’s own Application Documentation which includes providing as and when appropriate evidence of catholicity by means of the Priest’s Reference Form (Section B) in addition to the home LEA’s Common Application Form.
The timetable for applications to the School will be in accordance with that published for the Pan-London Applications to Secondary Schools.
Oversubscription Criteria
In the event of the number of applicants exceeding the number of places available, places will be offered in the following order of priority
1. Catholic looked-after children who are public care authority. It will be the responsibility of the Local Authority to adduce evidence of Baptism in accordance with the rites of the Catholic Church
2. Catholic children baptised, into and practising their Faith, whose parents/guardians produce a completed Priest’s Reference Form (Section b)
3. Other Catholic children baptised into the faith. (Evidence of Baptism must be produced in support of the application within this criteria)
Schools Information 86 Closing date: 23 October 2009 4. Other looked-after children who are in the care of a Local Authority or provided with accommodation by that Authority.
5. Other baptised Christian children whose parents/guardians wish them to have a Catholic education
6. Any other applicants
Priests Reference
It is normal for the Priest’s Reference to be completed by the Parish Priest of the Parish which parents/guardians reside. It is acknowledged, however, that some applicants may not be known in what might be termed their home Parish and in such instance; such persons are free to nominate a Priest of their own choice to complete the Priest’s Reference.
Waiting Lists
Where an application for Year 7 is unsuccessful, parents/guardians may request the child’s name to be placed on a Waiting List.
Applicants will be drawn from the Waiting List in accordance with the School’s Oversubscription Criteria and not in the date a particular name was placed on the List. The Waiting List remains open at all times to fill any casual vacancies which may occur whether it is in Year 7 or any other year as time progresses. From time to time parents/guardians are asked if they wish their child to remain on the list. Casual admissions are also filled in accordance with the published oversubscription criteria
Schools Information 87 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admissions Appeals
Parents/guardians who are unsuccessful in their daughter’s/ward’s application to the school have the right of appeal to an Independent Admissions Appeal Panel in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Practice:- School Admission Appeal
Pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs
Girls who have a statement of Special Educational Needs signed by their Local Authority are admitted under completely separate procedures in accordance with the SEN Code of Practice.
Tie Break
Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any of the sub-categories listed above would still lead to oversubscription, the places up to the admission number will be offered to those living nearest to the school. Distance will be measured using the Royal Borough geographical mapping system using the safest reasonable shortest walking route from the centre point of the home address to the main gate of the school.
Definition of ‘Catholic’ for the Purposes of Admission Criteria
For the purposes of admission criteria, the term ‘Catholic’ is taken to denote a baptised person who is in full communion with the Catholic Church, that is to say, a member of any Catholic Church that is in full communion with the See of Rome. Membership of a Catholic Church is gained by baptism in that Church. It can also be gained by other baptised Christians who are subsequently received into the Catholic Church.
Schools Information 88 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Schools Information 89 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Head: Mr G Connolly, B.COMM., M.A., NPQH
DCSF no: 207 4681 Telephone: 020 7589 9734 Fax: 020 7823 7868 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.stm.rbkc.sch.uk Address: Cadogan Street, SW3 2QS
Nearest Stations: Sloane Square, South Kensington (District and Circle)
Bus Routes: 11, 19, 22, 137, 211, 265, 319, 360, C1 and C10
Number on roll in 2009: 620
Admissions limit for September 2009: 120
90 St Thomas More Language College
Roman Catholic School for boys and girls (voluntary aided) Aims
The College’s aims can be summed up in its Mission Statement. We are a community living and growing in the Catholic faith. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ are the foundation of all we undertake.
We expect all members of our community to: • be responsible citizens upholding Gospel values in our society; • contribute to providing the best possible education for all; • work together, valuing and nurturing all relationships; • maintain an environment that allows all individuals to flourish and enjoy education; • honour the aims and purposes of the College.
In this way we are Serving God and Striving for Excellence in everything we do.
Organisation and Curriculum
The pupils are divided into tutor groups and are taught in ‘sets’ or mixed ability groups according to subject. The National Curriculum is followed by all students. The College has a clearly defined Homework Policy which parents are required to support. Opportunity to complete homework is provided in the College Library and in the Study Club after school. Sex Education forms part of the Pastoral, Science and Religious Education Curriculum and follows the guidelines set by the Education Service of the Diocese of Westminster.
Careers education is provided through the Pastoral Curriculum in all year groups and two weeks Work Experience is arranged for all Year 10 pupils.
Schools Information 91 Closing date: 23 October 2009 A programme of Enrichment Activities for gifted pupils is arranged by the Gifted and Talented Coordinator, as part of the Excellence in Cities Initiative. Additional support is available to help pupils with special needs. Pupils are guided in planning their post 16 education and they are encouraged to continue with their studies in a Catholic Sixth Form e.g. St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College.
Subjects available
Key Stage 3
A National Curriculum and Core Subjects: Religious Education, Mathematics, Science, English, Modern Foreign Language and ICT.
B Foundation Subjects: Art, History, Geography, Music, Physical Education, Technology and an additional Modern Foreign Language.
C Pastoral Curriculum: Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education
Key Stage 4
A National Curriculum and Core Subjects (leading to GCSE or equivalent): Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Information and Communication Technology. All students follow a Physical Education programme and ICT is integrated across the curriculum.
B Option Subjects (leading to GCSE or equivalent): Two subjects from History, Geography, Art, German, Business Studies, Information and Communication Technology, Sports Science, Product Design, Early Years, Sport and Recreation, and Diploma in Building and Construction.
C Pastoral Curriculum: Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education.
Schools Information 92 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Pastoral Care and Discipline
The Pastoral care and discipline of the college is maintained through establishing a genuine partnership with parents. All parents are fully informed about the aims and the ethos of the college and are asked to sign a written agreement in which they agree to support fully the academic and pastoral procedures.
Pastoral care is organised through the year system. Each year group has an experienced teacher as Head of Year who works closely with the form tutors.
A framework of rules has been worked out to ensure that discipline and good order prevail so that an atmosphere of learning can be guaranteed. The college record diary is an important means of communication between parents and college.
Parental involvement
Year Heads organise parents’ evenings to discuss pupils’ progress with subject teachers and form tutors, and are available by appointment for individual interviews. There are annual and interim reports in all subjects. At the end of year 9 pupils are presented with a Key Stage 3 Record of Achievement Portfolio. In their final year all students receive a National Record of Achievement. Parents are encouraged to comment on their child’s work through the work reviews and by regular monitoring of the college diary.
Assemblies
A formal assembly is held once a week for each year group; for the rest of the week each form has its own Act of Worship. Every pupil is expected to take part in assemblies and acts of worship.
Schools Information 93 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Uniform
All pupils are expected to wear full uniform.
Extra-curricular activities
The college provides a full programme of activities to enrich the curriculum. These include sports clubs, language clubs, the Body Sculpture Show, a choir and a Key Stage 3 Drama Club.
A wide range of college trips are organised to the local museums, galleries and other places such as Kew Gardens.
School journeys abroad and language exchanges take place each year.
At the end of the summer term Key Stage 3 pupils take part in a Language College Enrichment Week where the normal college timetable is suspended.
Schools Information 94 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admission Criteria 2010-11
St Thomas More Language College is a Catholic school for the education of Catholic pupils which is provided in accordance with the statement made by the Bishops. ‘Catholic’ means a member of a Church in full communion with the See of Rome. This includes the Eastern Catholic Churches. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church or a certificate of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church. Responsibility for the admission of pupils rests with the Governors, who will consider applications to the school made on behalf of eligible pupils by parents and guardians who will be expected to support the ethos, aims and values of a Catholic School as set out in our Mission Statement. The Governors expect parents/guardians who make an application to the school to have attended one of the school’s Secondary Transfer Open Evenings, and priority will be given to applicants who are practising Catholics.
How Places will be Allocated
The Governors intend to admit the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) of 120 pupils in Year 7 each school year and, in doing so, will endeavour to preserve its comprehensive character by establishing a balanced intake across the ability range in the ratio 25:50:25. This will be achieved by the use of standardised verbal and non-verbal tests.
Oversubscription Criteria
1. Catholic looked-after children who are in the care of the Local Authority or provided with accommodation by that Authority.
2. Practising Catholic children from practising Catholic families who will have a brother or sister on the school roll at the time of admission and whose commitment to and practice of their faith is supported by a written reference from their parish priest of the parish in which the family regularly attend Sunday Mass.
(Note: Siblings include half and step brothers and sisters)
Schools Information 95 Closing date: 23 October 2009 3. Practising Catholic children from practising Catholic families whose commitment to and practice of their faith is supported by a written reference from the parish priest of the parish in which the family regularly attend Sunday Mass.
4. Children from Catholic families whose commitment to or practise of their faith is not supported by a priest’s reference.
5. Children who are in the care of a Local Authority or provided with accommodation by that Authority.
6. Catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church.
7. Children of other Christian denominations whose commitment to and practice of their faith, and that of their parents/guardians, is supported by a written reference from their priest or minister in the community they regularly worship.
8. Any other applicant.
Should there be an over subscription of children within those listed above, the Governors will allocate places to those children living nearest the school as measured by an electronic routeing method administered by Hopewiser Limited which measures distance ‘as the crow flies’ from each individual property. Should the distance be exactly the same applicants will be placed in order by means of a lottery which will take place in front of an independent witness.
Applications from twins or multiple births
These will be dealt with by random allocation using a lottery system as above.
Schools Information 96 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Pupils with a Statement of Educational Needs
The admission of pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs is dealt with by a completely separate procedure. Details of the procedure are set out in the DCSF Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The parents of children with statements of SEN have access to a separate appeal mechanism (the SEN Tribunal) and not to the independent Appeal Panel established by the College’s Governing Body.
Application Form
All applications of admission must be made on the Supplementary Information Form, available on the school’s website, and the Common Application Form of the home borough, which are available from your Local Authority.
Priest’s Reference
Parents will receive a copy of the Diocesan Priests’ Reference Form with the application pack.
Waiting Lists
Where an applicant is unsuccessful, parents/guardians may ask, in writing, for the child’s name to be placed on a waiting list.
When a vacancy arises the school will allocate the place according to the oversubscription criteria and according to the band in which the vacancy has arisen.
Admission Appeals
An independent admission appeals panel will be established to hear appeals concerning non admission to the school in accordance with the provisions of the ‘Admission Appeals Code’. Parents/Guardians will be sent information regarding their right to appeal.
Schools Information 97 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Head: Mr M A Gormally BA, ACP, FRSA
DCSF no: 207 5402 Telephone: 020 7603 8478 Fax: 020 7602 3124 E-mail: [email protected] Address: 89 Addison Road, London W14 8BZ
Nearest Stations: Holland Park (Central), Shepherd’s Bush (Central, Hammersmith and City,
Bus Routes: 12, 49, 94, 220, 295
Number on roll in 2009: 918 (including 316 in the Sixth Form)
98 The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
Catholic school for boys (voluntary aided) History of the School
The Vaughan’s role in Catholic education has been a special one from the outset. It is unique among Catholic schools in that it is a national memorial to the third Archbishop of Westminster, Herbert Vaughan.
The School’s character has been shaped by its rich history. In 1914 it started life as a private school. Becoming a grammar school in 1944, the Vaughan began to take pupils of all abilities in 1977; girls were first admitted to the Sixth Form in 1980. The School is now voluntary-aided and was awarded, in 2003, Specialist School Status in Mathematics and Computing. The Vaughan draws pupils chiefly, but not exclusively, from Inner London; they represent every social background and a rich diversity of cultures.
The School is proud of its history and its ethos: it has embraced change with courage, the change itself tempered by its traditions. It is likewise proud of its past pupils, many of whom have made or are making a distinguished contribution to Church and State.
The School’s Aims
Our most important aim is the Christian formation of our young people. In achieving that aim we are anxious to cater for pupils of all abilities and to maintain high academic standards. We are convinced that an academic ethos is of vital importance as an encouragement to learning. Thus we seek a fair and sensible balance in the use of resources for less able children, and the need not to neglect our gifted pupils. We see no reason why we cannot educate to his full capacity the gifted as well as every other child.
Schools Information 99 Closing date: 23 October 2009 In addition, we wish to help our pupils to pursue a career which is suitable for them and, at the same time, to educate them for life in contemporary society. We are also aware of our responsibility to educate our pupils to be good citizens, especially through the example we set them.
We have a well-established structure of pastoral care, but a caring atmosphere cannot be provided by structures alone. First, we must come across to our pupils as persons. Secondly, we must not appear remote. Thirdly, we must accept our pupils as they are. Obviously, we cannot and do not approve all that they do. On the contrary, we believe in strict, though not unduly repressive, discipline. But our disapproval should not convey rejection.
All these aims are incomplete without their underlying philosophy. Quite simply, the School aims, through the provision of a Catholic ethos, sound Catholic teaching’ incisive Careers formation and relevant personal and social education, to prepare its pupils to meet their responsibilities as Catholics in society.
Parents are warmly encouraged to involve themselves, not only in their sons’ and daughters’ learning, but also in the life of the School as a whole. One measure of our parents’ commitment is the generosity of their voluntary contributions to the School; such contributions helped to enable the School to purchase mini-buses and other resources, to refurbish the administration block and to build a magnificent Library and Arts and Technology Centre. The largesse of the parents provided the means for the construction of the Pellegrini Building, which was built to accommodate the increase in the number of pupils brought about by four forms of entry. Well-resourced, it boasts a ceramics studio as well as computer rooms, a CAD/CAM workshop, five classrooms and office facilities. Most recently, the active participation in fund-raising activities made possible the construction of our magnificent New Music Rooms.
Schools Information 100 Closing date: 23 October 2009 We are indeed lucky in the high degree of parental support we enjoy. It is extremely rare for a parent to fail to back the School in a matter of discipline, for example. In other areas, too, from the organising of the annual Fete to the serving of refreshments at Parents’ Evenings and similar occasions, our parents’ enthusiasm is indefatigable. It is their support which contributes to the School’s extremely high rates of attendance, almost negligible rates of truancy and notable success in public examinations; year after year, our results exceed national averages substantially. Above all, the ready cooperation of our parents is a key factor in the School’s success in seeking the formation of the whole man; his intellect, his heart, his will, his character and his soul.
The School and its Surroundings
The School occupies a pleasant site in a leafy neighbourhood near Holland Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The School is extremely well resourced. Its seven laboratories have been completely refurbished. It has a magnificent Library and Chapel, and well equipped common rooms for the Staff and Sixth Form pupils. The superb facilities are further enhanced by the magnificent New Music Rooms, the three-storey Arts and Technology Centre and a fine sports pavilion at the School’s playing fields in Twickenham. The Pellegrini Building and the Mezzanine Floor, which contains fully computerised study facilities for the Sixth Form, provide our pupils with a learning environment of the highest quality.
The School’s New Music Rooms contain no fewer than eighteen specialist rooms. The central space, the handsome Rehearsal Room, has a beautiful wooden floor and a shaped ceiling to achieve certain acoustic effects. Off this sits the Recording Studio, equipped with the most modern technology, as is the Music Computer room. There are two large classrooms for curriculum teaching and a Song School, modelled on its counterpart at Westminster Cathedral, where the School’s Choirs rehearse every day. There are nine practice rooms including a percussion room, two piano teaching rooms (equipped with high quality grand pianos) and a storage room (where each pupil has a personal locker for his or her instrument).
Schools Information 101 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Organisation and Curriculum
Religious Education is taught throughout the School. There are daily religious assemblies and boys in the Lower School attend a weekly Mass. Masses are arranged regularly for pupils in the Upper School.
The School’s policy is to stretch all its pupils. Thus a carefully prepared and well resourced programme of Special Needs support exists for our least able pupils. Care is also taken to cater for the needs of our ablest boys: starting in the First Form, the top two streams study Latin as well as the other subjects. In the Fourth and Fifth Forms, boys taking GCSE Latin are provided with the opportunity to study Ancient Greek.
In Forms 1-3, all pupils are streamed according to academic ability, with setting introduced early in most subjects. By Forms 4 and 5 setting exists in virtually all subjects. All boys and girls follow courses in Religious Education at all stages in their time in the School.
The Vaughan is a Specialist School in Mathematics and Computing. This designation brings with it real benefits not only for these two particular subjects, but also for the School as a whole. We look forward to building on our very successful public examination results by developing the use of new technologies in our teaching across the curriculum.
Pastoral Care, Discipline and Rules
The purpose of our pastoral care is to maintain an environment in which our pupils can coexist happily and work and learn effectively. Thus we insist on old-fashioned good manners from our pupils. We were much encouraged by the findings of the 2006 OFSTED report: The boys’ behaviour is extremely good and their positive attitudes ensure that they arrive at each lesson wanting to learn. They are not disappointed. Teachers plan effectively for different levels of ability in their classes. The setting and marking of work is regular and tells pupils how well they are doing and how they can improve. Homework is issued regularly and the results are used extremely well by teachers to ensure that targets set for pupils are accurate. The level of monitoring of pupils’ progress is exceptional.
Schools Information 102 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Discipline is strict, but fair, and has two purposes: to promote the habit of self-discipline and to encourage an atmosphere of serious work within the School.
The School views the regular performance of homework as being of the first importance, and staff and pupils are expected to adhere to the daily homework schedule. A Homework Centre, supervised by members of the staff, is available each evening.
Great emphasis, too, is placed on the correct wearing of the School Uniform – no variation in uniform is permitted – and on the avoidance of unconventional hair styles and, for boys in Form I – 5, any form of jewellery or personal adornment. In this context, as in others, the School attaches the greatest importance to ready cooperation from parents.
The Sixth Form
We offer a wide choice of academic and vocational subjects at A-level. All Sixth Form pupils take Religious Education. Physical Education and Games are available though not compulsory in the Sixth Form. A wide range of enrichment activities, be they sporting, musical or serving the community, is provided for all members of the Sixth Form as well as a Liberal Studies course: many distinguished speakers, from bishops to well-known figures in the fields of politics, the law, entertainment and the media have given many memorable sessions.
The great majority of our pupils proceed to universities, and the School has a long tradition of entering students for admission to Oxford and Cambridge.
Many members of the Upper Sixth are appointed Senior Prefects; we believe that this will help them to develop qualities of leadership and responsibility. Besides helping younger boys with special educational needs, they may be involved in the running of School clubs and Community service.
Schools Information 103 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Members of the Sixth Form have a responsibility of vital importance to discharge within the School. Like their parents and teachers, they teach by example; younger boys have the right to expect the very best example from these senior members of the School.
The high point of the Sixth Form’s social calendar is the end-of-year formal Dinner Dance, held at a top London hotel.
Extra-Curricular Activities
There is a varied range of activities in the School to cater for as many interests and talents as possible. The School fields seven very successful football teams which have won a variety of competitions and the same number of rugby teams which have enjoyed great success in the Middlesex Cup in particular. Cricket enjoys equal prominence and all five teams in that sport compete in the London Schools League. Our athletes have won a variety of events in the regional and national competitions, while netball is now a firmly established sport for girls in the Sixth Form. There is also a very strong tradition of rowing; two of our boys have gone on to become National and Olympic champions.
Music too, plays an important part in the life of the School, particularly since the Governors began, in 1995, to award up to 10% of its First Form places to pupils who demonstrate outstanding musical aptitude. Boys are encouraged to learn musical instruments including the piano, the organ (the School is fortunate to possess two magnificent three-manual Copeman-Hart organs in each of its Halls), strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. We have a wide variety of choirs and orchestras: the Schola Cantorum, the Sixth Form Choir, the School Choir, the School Orchestra, the Lower and Upper School Sinfoniettas, the Concert Band, the Junior String Ensemble, the Senior Strings and the Chamber Orchestra, all of which give regular concerts. Worthy of particular mention are the annual Easter performances of major choral works, while the School’s renowned Big Band regularly plays more popular numbers and has toured in France, Spain, the Netherlands and the USA.
Schools Information 104 Closing date: 23 October 2009 The School’s choirs have sung all around the world and regularly appear at London’s major churches and concert halls. Concert highlights include Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with Sir Thomas Allen at St John’s, Smith Square, a performance of Bach’s 51 John Passion given at Cadogan Hall and a performance of Handel’s Messiah.
The Schola Cantorum has travelled to the USA, where pupils sang at Washington National Cathedral and the National Catholic Shrine, as well as at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Previous trips have seen appearances at St Peter’s Basilica and at Notre Dame in Paris. The boys frequently work with professional groups and have appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of London. They are regular performers in the Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and have appeared in Puccini’s Turandot and Britten’s Owen Wingrave.
Dramatic productions, too, are staged at regular intervals. These enable many pupils to display their talents, both on stage and behind the scenes, and have earned particular praise for their professionalism. A series of Activities Days is set aside for at the end of the Trinity Term to enable pupils to take part in a variety of pursuits led by members of staff. In past years activities such as the following have been undertaken: Outdoor Venture Week, Fell-walking, Drama and Poetry Workshops, Music Week, Tennis Week, Castles and Cathedrals, Oriental Experience, Higher Education training and many others.
School journeys are an important feature of life at the Vaughan. There are yearly ski trips, Modern Language trips and French Exchanges; over the years, a great many boys have visited countries as far afield as the United States and Greece. Clubs and societies exist for chess, computers, philosophy and the like.
Schools Information 105 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admission Criteria 2010-2011
Admission Arrangements for 2010 Entry – First Form
The Governing Body is responsible for admissions and intends to admit up to 120 (i) boys annually to the First Form (Year 7) of this Catholic boys comprehensive school. The Governing Body uses fair banding in accordance with the DCSF’s School Admissions Code to ensure that the intake to the school is fully comprehensive. Boys whose parents have applied for a place at the school are required to take a verbal reasoning test (ii) to determine their ability band. Pupils will be admitted in three bands of ability:
Band 1 – 25% of the intake – 30 places; Band 2 – 50% of the intake – 60 places; Band 3 – 25% of the intake – 30 places.
Oversubscription Criteria
If the number of applications for Year 7 exceeds the admission number of 120, places will be offered in the following order of priority A – B within the three bands of ability.
A. Baptised Catholic (iii) boys in public care to a local authority (looked-after children as defined in section 22 of the Children Act 1989).
B. Baptised Catholic boys who meet ALL the following conditions:
I. The boy was baptised within a year of birth or at the time of his reception into the Catholic Church. II. One parent or carer is a baptised Catholic. III. The boy has made his First Confession and First Holy Communion before his ninth birthday. IV. The boy has attended Sunday Mass weekly for three years or more and he has one parent who has done the same. V. The boy has attended a Catholic school for the whole of his statutory education or his parent(s) or carer(s) have made formal provision for his Catholic education outside school.
Schools Information 106 Closing date: 23 October 2009 If there are more applications which meet criteria A – B than there are places available, the Governing Body will give first priority to 12 applicants who can demonstrate an aptitude for music (iv).
After that, any remaining places will be offered to the applicants within each band of ability who most fully meet the criteria set out at C – G below. Points will be awarded in the way described and the applicants with the most points will be offered a place.
C. The degree to which the child is involved in the parish or the life of the Catholic Church elsewhere.
Parents or carers must give no more than two examples of a regular unpaid commitment which is organised by the parish, by another church or church organisation on a structured basis. A maximum of 6 points will be awarded on the following basis:
1 point for each activity (maximum 2 points).
1 point for each activity which is current at the time the application is made (maximum 2 points).
1 point for each activity if the child has taken part at least monthly for more than a year (maximum 2 points).
Applicants are asked to consult note (v) for further information about this criterion.
D. The degree to which the boy’s parent(s) or carer(s) are involved in the parish or the life of the Catholic Church elsewhere.
Applicants must give no more than two examples of a regular unpaid commitment which is organised by the parish, by another church or church organisation on a structured basis. A maximum of 6 points will be awarded on the following basis.
1 point for each activity (maximum 2 points).
1 point for each activity which is current at the time the application is made (maximum 2 points).
Schools Information 107 Closing date: 23 October 2009 1 point for each activity in which the applicant has participated on at least a fortnightly basis for more than a one year or as part of a programme which is by its nature seasonal (maximum 2 points).
Applicants are asked to consult note (v) for further information about this criterion.
E. Boys who have an exceptional medical or pastoral need for a place at the School.
Applicants who wish to make a case on the basis of their son’s exceptional medical or pastoral circumstances must state why these can only be met at Cardinal Vaughan and must support their case with written evidence from a medical specialist, other properly qualified person or a priest as appropriate.
1 point will be awarded where the case is accepted by the Governing Body.
F. Boys who will have a brother or sister (vi) at the school at the time of admission to Year 7.
1 point will be awarded.
G. Boys who attend a Catholic primary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea at the time the application is made.
1 point will be awarded.
A maximum of 15 points will be awarded under criteria C – G. Where applications gain an equal number of points and an offer of places would lead to the School exceeding its admission number of 120, places up to that number will be offered to applicants living nearest the School. Distance will be measured on the shortest walking distance from the applicant’s home to the school’s main entrance using an electronic routeing system administered by the Royal Borough.
If, on the other hand, places remain after criteria C – G have been considered, those places will be offered in the following order of priority H – J.
Schools Information 108 Closing date: 23 October 2009 H. Other baptised Catholic boys who do not meet the criteria set out at A – G above.
I. Other boys in public care.
J. Other boys.
Application Form
All applications for admission must be made on the School’s application form and on the common application form of the home borough. The Governors accept no responsibility for applications which are lost or delayed in the post.
Priest’s Reference
The School will send a copy of the Religious Information Form to the priest nominated by the parent(s)/carer(s), Applicants must state the priest’s full name and contact details on this Form. The priest’s reference will be used to verify information provided by the applicant with regard to criterion B.
School Uniform
All pupils must wear a uniform as set out in the Governors’ School Uniform Policy. Assistance towards the costs of purchasing uniform is available where necessary. Such assistance is given in complete confidence. Further information about the criteria for assistance is available from the School on request.
Late Applications
Applications made after the closing date but at least seven days prior to the commencement of tests for banding purposes will only be considered if they are received late for a good reason. Reasons must be given in writing.
Schools Information 109 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Casual Admissions
All those applying for admission outside the normal admission round will be considered in accordance with the same criteria as those applying for entry at the usual time.
Applications from Twins or Multiple Births
Applications will be treated individually with preference being given to the elder or eldest in the event of all other factors being equal.
In-Year Fair Access Protocols
Outside the normal admissions round, the Governing Body are empowered to give absolute priority to a child where admission is requested under any local protocol which carries the agreement of both the Governing Body and the Diocese for the current admission year. The Governing Body has this power even when admitting such a child would exceed the normal admission number.
Applications to the Sixth Form
Please refer to the separate arrangements for admission to the Sixth Form.
Waiting Lists
Where an application is unsuccessful, parents/carers may ask for the boy’s name to be placed on a waiting list. For the First Form (Year 7), a waiting list for each band of ability will be established. Boys will be placed on the relevant band waiting list in an order determined by the oversubscription criteria as set out above. Places will be offered to boys on the waiting lists as vacancies arise in each band. If a place becomes vacant in a band and no boys in the band remain without a place, the place will be filled by boys falling in a neighbouring band;
Schools Information 110 Closing date: 23 October 2009 A boy’s position on the waiting list will change if parents or carers withdraw their son’s name from the list or if names are added at a later stage. If a vacancy should arise in the admission year group, the School will make an offer to the parent(s) or carer(s) of the boy whose name is at the top of the waiting list for that band.
A single waiting list will be established for each of the years 8-11. Bands will be disregarded at the end of Year 7. Places will be allocated in an order determined by the oversubscription criteria as set out above.
Admission Appeals
An independent admission appeals panel will be established to hear appeals concerning non-admission to the School in accordance with the provisions of the ‘School Admission Appeals Code’. Appeals will normally be held in May. The parents of children with statements of SEN have access to a separate appeal mechanism (the SEN Tribunal) and not to the independent Appeal Panel established by the School’s Governing Body.
Admission Arrangements 2010 – Sixth Form
Our principal role as a Roman Catholic school is to participate in the apostolic mission of the Church by providing a Catholic framework in which young people may grow in their understanding and practice of the Faith and in which they are prepared to undertake their responsibilities as Catholics in society. In the words of Cardinal Manning, we seek ‘the formation of the whole man, his intellect, his heart, his will, his character and his soul’.
The Sixth Form is open to existing pupils subject to the satisfaction of individual course requirements. The anticipated capacity of Year 12 is 170 pupils, which means that the Governing Body will admit approximately 50 external pupils, boys and girls, annually to the Sixth Form. The actual number of places available to external candidates will depend on the number of internal candidates continuing into the Sixth Form. Places will be offered conditionally as described in sections 1, 2 and 3 below.
Schools Information 111 Closing date: 23 October 2009 1. Minimum Entry Requirements
In order to be considered for a place in the Sixth Form, all candidates must meet the minimum entry requirements for the course of study they propose to follow. These are as follows.
AS Level subjects
• Six or more GCSEs; three must be A or A* grades and three must be B grades or above. • Generally Grade B or above in proposed subject choices. Candidates should consult the Sixth Form Prospectus for the requirements for particular AS levels.
Applied A Level Subjects
• Business – Six or more GCSEs, including English Language and Mathematics; three must be B grades or above and three must be C grades or above. • BTEC First in ICT • Four GCSEs grade D or above (including English Language and Mathematics)
Please refer to the Sixth Form prospectus to check the entry requirements for particular subjects.
A candidate’s ability to meet these minimum requirements does not in itself guarantee a place at the School. All external candidates are required to submit copies of the following documents with the application form:
• Samples of work relevant to their options • Predicted grades where these have not already been fully supplied • Key Stage 3 test results
Schools Information 112 Closing date: 23 October 2009 2. Oversubscription Criteria
If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available for a given course of study, the Governors will allocate places in priority order as follows:
1. Suitably qualified baptised Catholic candidates In public care to a local authority (looked after children as defined in Section 22 of the Children Act 1989).
2. Suitably qualified baptised Catholic candidates Candidates will be required to state their religion on the application form and to submit copies of baptismal certificates. If the number of candidates meeting criterion 2 exceeds the number of places available on a course, conditional offers will be made to those candidates with the best samples of work, the best predicted grades and the best Key Stage 3 test results. The quality of samples of work, predicted grades and Key Stage 3 test results will be assessed on a scale of 1-5 (1 = no suitability, 2 = low suitability, 3 = average suitability, 4 = good suitability, 5 = outstanding suitability) to indicate suitability for courses. Those with the highest assessment totals will be offered available places on courses.
3. Other suitably qualified candidates in public care to a local authority (looked after children as defined in Section 22 of the Children Act 1989).
4. Other suitably qualified candidates. If the number of candidates meeting criterion 4 exceeds the number of places available on a course, conditional offers will be made to those candidates with the best samples of work, the best predicted grades and the best Key Stage 3 test results. The quality of samples of work, predicted grades and Key Stage 3 test results will be assessed on a scale of 1-5 (1 = no suitability, 2 = low suitability, 3 = average suitability, 4 = good suitability, 5 = outstanding suitability) to indicate suitability for courses. Those with the highest assessment totals will be offered available places on courses.
Schools Information 113 Closing date: 23 October 2009 3 Tie Break
Where applications are ranked equally, places up to the admission number for the course of study will be offered to those living nearest the School. Candidates will be invited to state on the application form the permanent home address and postal code. Proximity to the School will be measured as the crow flies.
Timetable In the Michaelmas Term prior to transfer to the Sixth Form, parents/carers and prospective pupils are invited to attend Open Evenings at the School on 8th October or 13 October 2009 at 6.30pm. The closing date for applications for admission to the Sixth Form in September 2010 is Friday 6th November 2009 5.00pm. Course suitability discussions will take place during the Michaelmas or Lent terms.
Application Form Internal candidates will be required to submit an internal application form. External applications for admission must be made on the School’s application form. Candidates will be advised of the outcome of their applications by the end of February.
Documentary Evidence and False Statements The Governors reserve the right to demand the production of any documentary evidence, and themselves to seek documentary evidence, to prove any claim. The provision of false information will normally lead to the withdrawal of an offer; neither will an offer be made if copies of the documents requested are not provided by the date on which the Admissions Committee of the Governors makes its decisions. The Governors will not issue prompts or reminders to particular parents.
Schools Information 114 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Course Suitability Discussion
Those candidates whose applications (including the required enclosures) best indicate suitability for sixth form study, will be invited to attend a course suitability discussion at the School. This does not form part of the admissions process but is designed to provide advice concerning subject choices and to enable prospective pupils to determine how their needs and requirements can be best met at Cardinal Vaughan.
School Uniform
All pupils are required to wear a uniform as set out in the Governors’ School Uniform Policy. Assistance towards the costs of purchasing uniform is available to those who struggle to meet the cost of such items. Further information about the criteria for assistance is available from the School on request.
Late Applications
Applications made after the closing date but prior to the date when the Admissions Committee meet to consider applications will only be considered if they are received late for a good reason, for example, when a single parent has been ill for some time, or a family has just moved into the area, or a family is returning from abroad. Any such exceptional circumstances must be explained to the Governors in writing. Applicants should not omit to do so with their application. The Governors may at their discretion ask for confirmatory evidence.
Waiting Lists
Where an application is unsuccessful, candidates may ask for their name to be placed on the waiting list. Candidates will be placed on the waiting list in an order determined by the oversubscription criteria as set out above.
Schools Information 115 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Admission Appeals
An Independent Admissions Appeals Panel will be established to hear appeals concerning non-admission to the School in accordance with the provisions of the School Admission Appeals Code. Appeals will normally be held in June.
NOTES (i) ‘This number includes any boys with statements of special educational needs whose school placement is resolved prior to the Governors’ Admissions Committee making its offer decisions.
(ii) ‘The banding test is a reasoning test written by the National Foundation for Education Research. It is intended for 10-11 year old boys. It lasts just over an hour and contains 75 questions which test aspects of reasoning involving words and numbers. The results indicate the boy’s current level of ability to reason with words and numbers. The content is designed to be as independent as possible of any particular school curriculum. A short practice test is administered before the main test. Tests are supervised and marked by members of staff at the school. The raw scores which are standardised by age provide a national percentile rank for each candidate. These ranks determine the band a child is placed in.
(iii) ‘Catholic’ means a member of a Church in full communion with the See of Rome. This includes the Eastern Catholic Churches. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church or a certificate of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
(iv) ‘In accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and supporting regulations, the Governors will give priority for up to 10% of pupils who can demonstrate an aptitude in Music. In these circumstances, a child with aptitude is one identified as being able to benefit from teaching in Music or who demonstrates a particular capacity to succeed in Music. When considering whether a child has such an aptitude, the Governors will determine whether the child demonstrates a particular capacity to learn or develop skills in music and can benefit from the particular expertise and facilities at the school. Such children will be required to undertake a music listening test and, for those shortlisted, an audition to identify an aptitude in Music. The test and the audition will be objective and will test only for the subject aptitude concerned and not for ability or any other aptitude or for prior learning or experience in the subject.
Schools Information 116 Closing date: 23 October 2009 (v) ‘The word, ‘activity’, describes a regular unpaid commitment, which is organised by the parish, by another Church or Church organisation on a structured basis (e.g. for the boy – altar service, Church choir, Church beavers/cubs/scouts, Church sports team, other specific non-school based Church involvement and for the parent – parish organisations, marriage preparation, Extraordinary Ministry of Holy Communion, Church cleaning/maintenance, foundation governorship, membership of Catholic organisations, Reader, Church choir, and other specific non-school-based Church involvement). Applicants must accurately state the duration and frequency of the activity to gain points against this criterion. Governors will consider the first two activities stated on the Religious Information Form. If more than two are stated, these additional activities will be disregarded. For applications from those who state and provide verifiable evidence of exceptional circumstances which hinder involvement in the Parish or life of the Church, points will be given on the basis of past involvement as if it were current. In cases of no involvement because of chronic disability covering the whole of adult life, Governors will award points on the basis of the average number of points awarded for criterion D to all those who meet criterion B(i-v). The Governors reserve the right to allocate the full number of points to those applicants who are involved in the parish or the life of the church elsewhere but whose frequency of attendance is limited by the size of the parish. The Governors will rely on information contained within the priest’s reference.
(vi) ‘A ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ of whole or half blood, or any other child (including an adopted child) who permanently resides at the same address and for whom the parent also has parental responsibility.
Schools Information 117 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Sixth Form Notes
(i) ‘The Governors reserve the right to allocate places to fewer than 50 external pupils if there are insufficient applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements. In addition, the Governors will seek to avoid prejudicing the effective provision of education and resources by maintaining realistic pupil/teacher and pupil/resources ratios.
Samples of Work
(ii) ‘Candidates are required to submit two samples of work relevant to one or more of the subjects they wish to study. The mark given by the teacher is the main factor governing the allocation of points. The schema for the award of points is as follows:
Grade A or A* (or equivalent) for work that is relevant 5 points to the proposed course of study and of a high level Grade A (or equivalent) for work relevant to the 4 points proposed course of study and of an average level Grade B (or equivalent) for work relevant to the 3 points proposed course of study Grade C (or equivalent) for work relevant to the 2 points proposed course of study Grade D (or equivalent) or below grade for work 1 point relevant to the proposed course of study
Schools Information 118 Closing date: 23 October 2009 Predicted Grades The schema for the award of points for predicted grades is as follows:
The total number of points is For each occurrence then converted into a points of a grade score for the assessment sheet
A* 3 points 25 or more 5 points
A* 2 points 20 – 24 4 points
B* 1 point 15 – 19 3 points
11 – 14 2 points
10 and below 1 point
Key Stage 3 Results The schema for the award of points for Key Stage 3 results is as follows:
Levels
877 5 points
777 4 points
776 3 points
766 2 points
666 1 point
Schools Information 119 Closing date: 23 October 2009 120 School Examination Results
2005 2006 2007 2008 KS3 National National National National Borough Borough Borough Borough
English 81% 74% 87% 72% 90% 74% 91% 73%
Mathematics 76% 74% 84% 77% 82% 76% 85% 77%
Science 71% 70% 80% 72% 81% 73% 80% 71%
ICT 59% 69% 68% 71% 78% 74% 82% 78%
Value-added 99.5% 100% 100% 100% 99.9% 100% n/a n/a 2-3*
2005 2006 2007 2008 KS4 National National National National Borough Borough Borough Borough
5+ A*-C 62% 55% 63% 57% 69% 59% 72% 63%
5+ A*-C with 53% 42% 54% 44% 57% 45% 60% 47% English/maths
5+ A*-G 90% 90% 95% 90% 94% 91% 97% 91%
1+ A*-G 97% 97% 98% 98% 96% 99% 98% 99%
CVA from KS2* 981.7 1000.0 1008.5 1000.0 1004.5 1000.0 1000.7 1000.0
CVA from KS3* 995.1 1000.0 - - 1007.8 1000.0 n/a n/a
* VA in 2005
School Examination Results 121 Closing date: 23 October 2009 122 Closing date: 23 October 2009 If you have queries about anything you read in this booklet please contact the Royal Borough:
Admissions Team, Family and Children’s Services, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Room 247/1, Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX
Telephone: 020 7361 2210 Fax: 020 7361 3525 Email: [email protected]
Translations of the information in this booklet are available on request in the following languages:
Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Portuguese, Spanish and Tagalog.
If you require one of these translations please contact the Royal Borough at the address shown above.
Hadaad wax dhibaato kala kulanto fahmitaanka buugan, waxaan kuugu yeeri doona tarjume si laguu caawiyo. Fadlan la xiriir Admission Section ama weydii qof adiga kuu hadlaayo inuu soo waco. Telefon 020 7361 2210
Si Usted encuentra dificultád en entender este folleto, podemos organizar para que un interprete le ayude. Por favor pongase en contacto con la Admission Section o pida a alguien que haga una llamada por su cuenta. Telefono 020 7361 2210
Se tiver dificuldades em compreender esta brochure, nós pedemos arranjar um/a interprete para o/a ajudar. Por favor contacte “Admissions Section” ou peça a alguém para telfonar em seu nome. Telefone 020 7361 2210 www.rbkc.gov.uk