A1:  Students:  Admissions Policy

 

Rationale

The Governors of Macclesfield High School are required by law to agree and publish their admission criteria.

Purposes

The Admissions Policy is to enable the Governing Body to have criteria to determine admission in the event of applications exceeding the Governors’ published admission number.

The Policy

From September 2011, if the number of all applications to attend the School exceeds its published admission number of 180, that is, the number of places available, priority for admission will be given according to the following criteria:

1) ‘Cared for Children’ (as defined in section 22 of the Children Act 1989) who are in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, the local authority.

2) Pupils for whom there are particular medical or social reasons, which, in the Governors view, justifies admission to a particular school.  Supporting evidence from a registered professional, such as a medical practitioner, psychologist or social worker, must be provided which sets out the particular reasons why the school in question is the most suitable school and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school. The Governors, if it is considered appropriate, will seek the views of the School Doctor or Educational Psychologist in the event of parents requesting admission on medical or psychological grounds.  This criterion cannot be considered if the required documents have not been received.  Few applications fall within this category.

3) Children resident within the designated catchment zone of the school, served by Broken Cross Primary School, Gawsworth Primary School, St John’s CE Primary School, Parkroyal Primary School, Whirley Primary School, Ash Grove Primary School, Ivy Bank Primary School, Wincle Primary School, Hollinhey Primary School and Puss Bank Primary School (part).

4) Siblings – pupils with elder brothers or sisters including half-brothers and sisters and unrelated children living together as part of one household already attending the school and expected to continue at the school in the following school year. In relation to children of multiple births, exceptionally it may be necessary to offer places over the published admission number. This is to ensure that, as far as possible, siblings (i.e. twins, triplets or children from other multiple births) can attend the same school.

5) Children not resident within the school’s designated catchment zone (as listed in 3 above) but attending a school designated as a partner/feeder school (as in 3 above) for admissions purposes as out-of-catchment  pupils.  A map detailing the boundaries of the catchment area is available from the school.

6) Children living nearest to the school measured using an Ordnance survey address-point system which measures straight line distance in miles from the place of residence to the school.

Proof of address and residency may be required, and the School retains the right to withdraw any place offered on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application.

When a child lives at more than one address (e.g. spends part of each week at different addresses) full details of the arrangements must be included on the application form (or by means of an accompanying note) to enable the Governing  Body to decide which address (or, exceptionally, addresses) to use for admission purposes.

Section 324 of the Education Act 1996 requires the governing bodies of all maintained schools to admit a child with a Statement of Special Educational Needs that names their school.

 

Approved by the Full Governing Body 19th October 2009 and determined April 2010