Secondary School Admissions September 2015 For children born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 Important dates to remember September/October 2014 School open evenings 31 October 2014* Closing date for applications 20152 March 2015 Offer day 16 March 2015 Acceptance deadline 30 March 2015 Appeals deadline Correct at time of publication, and subject to change. www.hillingdon.gov.uk/schooladmissions Foreword Dear parent/carer residents with all of the other 32 London Starting secondary school is a big milestone boroughs, as part of the pan-London co- for you and your child. In Hillingdon, we are ordinated admissions system. The team works committed to ensuring every child has a high hard to ensure that, as far as possible, you are quality school place as close to home as offered your highest-preference secondary possible. If your child is due to start secondary school in London. school in September 2015, I hope that this I encourage you to attend a selection of open brochure will help you make an informed evenings so that you can tour the facilities and choice when deciding which school is right for meet teachers and current pupils. That way, your child. you can be reassured you are selecting a school With the nationwide expansion of the academies that is right for your child, where they will thrive programme and the introduction of studio and meet their full potential. Each school also schools and university technical colleges, parents publishes a prospectus (obtainable from the have more choice than ever before about where school), which gives information about the to educate their children. In Hillingdon, a school, including its results. Many schools also number of our secondary schools specialise in have websites, and the results of inspections subject areas such as music and performing can be found on the Ofsted website. arts, sports, languages, science and technology. Here in Hillingdon, we are firmly putting our Our School Placement and Admissions team families first to ensure every child in the co-ordinates applications for Hillingdon borough receives the best possible education. Our children and young people deserve nothing less. Hillingdon Council is committed to supporting the best possible education for our young residents and we have some outstanding schools for you to choose from. We are working with schools to maintain and improve the high standards we expect. We want the process of making an application for a school place to be straightforward and recommend you do this online, where possible. To ensure you have the best possible chance of securing a place in one of your preferred schools, it is very important that you make your application by 31 October 2014. I wish you and your child every success in education in Hillingdon. Cllr David Simmonds Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services 2 Secondary School Admissions September 2015 Closing date for applications: 31 October 2014 Contents Open evening dates ............................................................................................ 4 Choosing the right school for your child ........................................................... 5 How to apply ....................................................................................................... 7 Creating and submitting an application form online ........................................ 8 The application ................................................................................................... 9 Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan) ............................................. 9 Siblings ....................................................................................................... 9 Looked after children/previously looked after children ............................ 9 Medical condition ....................................................................................... 9 Proof of address ....................................................................................... 10 Supplementary information forms .......................................................... 10 How places are offered .................................................................................... 12 Offer day ........................................................................................................... 13 Waiting lists .............................................................................................. 13 Appeals..................................................................................................... 14 Preference changes ................................................................................. 14 Additional information and FAQs ..................................................................... 15 Assistance for children who live in Hillingdon ................................................ 18 Map of schools in Hillingdon ........................................................................... 20 Hillingdon schools individual admissions criteria .......................................... 21 Statistical information ..................................................................................... 44 Schools contact information ............................................................................ 45 Useful contact information ................................................................ back cover Closing date for applications: 31 October 2014 September 2015 Secondary School Admissions 3 Open evening dates Each secondary school has an open evening during the Autumn Term for parents and pupils to visit the school. These evenings usually include a talk by the headteacher and a tour of the school. Often it will be possible to see current pupils at work and meet staff. We suggest you visit the secondary schools on their open evenings if you can. A school prospectus will also be available. Programme of open evenings for secondary transfer Autumn 2014 Date School Time Wednesday 17 September Bishopshalt School 6.30pm Thursday 18 September The Douay Martyrs 6.30pm Monday 22 September Stockley Academy 6.00pm Tuesday 23 September Rosedale College 6.30pm Tuesday 23 September Northwood School 6.00pm Wednesday 24 September Queensmead School 6.00pm Wednesday 24 September Abbotsfield School (Boys) 6.30pm Thursday 25 September Haydon School 6.00pm Thursday 25 September Swakeleys School for Girls 6.30pm Monday 29 September Uxbridge High School 6.00pm Tuesday 30 September Harlington School 6.00pm Tuesday 30 September Vyners School 6.00pm Wednesday 1 October Barnhill Community High School 6.00pm Thursday 2 October Ruislip High School 5.00pm Thursday 2 October Hewens College 6.30pm Tuesday 7 October Guru Nanak Sikh Academy 5.00pm Tuesday 7 October The Harefield Academy 6.30pm Thursday 9 October Bishop Ramsey CofE School 6.00pm These times were correct at time of publication. If you are unable to attend an open evening, please contact the school for alternative arrangements. To find out the dates of the open evenings for schools outside of Hillingdon, you must contact the Local Authority (LA) in which the schools are located or alternatively contact the schools direct (see back cover for neighbouring LA contact numbers). 4 Secondary School Admissions September 2015 Closing date for applications: 31 October 2014 Choosing the right school for your child Things to do before making Include your local community, foundation or your decision academy school in your preferences, even if you list the school as your lowest preference. • Attend the schools’ open evenings. It is Failure to apply now may mean the school is important to visit as many schools as possible. full after offer day. For schools outside Hillingdon, please contact the borough in which the school resides. Do not make decisions based on other people’s Open evening dates are on page 4. opinions or experiences. Your situation is different and things change every year. • Look at each school’s oversubscription criteria (pages 21–43). If your child meets some or most of the school’s criteria they Types of secondary schools have a much greater chance of being in Hillingdon offered a place. Foundation schools • Does your child need to take a test? If Schools run by their own governing body, you are applying for a school that has a which employs staff, organises admissions banding criteria or an out-of-borough and usually owns the land and buildings. grammar school, your child will be required to take a test. Please contact the Academies school for further details. Schools run by their own governing body, • Look at each school’s exam results; these which employs staff, organises admissions are published in their prospectus. and usually owns the land and buildings. • Check the school’s recent OFSTED Inspection Free schools Report online at www.ofsted.gov.uk. Schools that are all-ability state-funded • Many schools have their own website; schools set up in response to parental schools’ web addresses are listed on demand. The schools are run by their own pages 45–47 of this brochure. governing body, which employs staff and Top tips when choosing your preferences usually owns the land and buildings. Hillingdon Council co-ordinates the admissions Make sure you are realistic when deciding to all these different types of school to make your preferences; your child may end up sure that each child only gets one place. without a preference school offer if you do not In addition, one new studio college will meet a high enough criteria for the