Admissions Guidelines
Admissions Number
The agreed admission number for the Year 2012/13 is 210 students in Year 7.
The agreed admission number is 200 students for Year 12 minus those eligible students progressing from the Academy’s own Year 11.
Process of Application
Arrangements for applications for places at the Francis Combe Academy will be made in accordance with the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admissions arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by them.
Procedure and Dates for Applying for a Place for September 2012 (entry into year 7)
- ‘Moving on’ Booklets are distributed to all Year 6 students in early September, by the local authority.
- Applications can be made via the on-line admissions system,with the closing date for all applications being 31st October 2011.
- Offer letters are posted, first class on 1st March 2012 by the Local Authority.
For any queries over the application process please contact Herts Direct Customer Service Centre:
Tel: 01438 737500 or 01923 471500
Email: hertsdirect@hertsc.gov.uk
On Wednesday 12th October 2011 the Francis Combe Academy Open Evening will be held from 5pm – 8.15pm. In addition we invite prospective parents and students to tour the Academy during normal working hours from ac14th October 2011. For more information or to be booked onto a tour please contact Miss L. Bartlett at Francis Combe Academy on:
Tel: 01923 672964
Email: info@franciscombeacademy.org.uk
Consideration of Applications
The Academy Trust will consider all application for places at the Francis Combe Academy. Where fewer than the published admission number(s) for the relevant year groups are received, the Academy Trust will offer places at the Francis Combe Academy to all those who have applied.
Procedures Where the Francis Combe Academy is Oversubscribed
Admissions to Year 7
Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number, applications will be considered against the following criteria, in the order set out below:
- Students with statements of Special Educational Needs where Francis Combe Academy is named on the statement.
- Children in public care.
- Students with siblings currently attending the school and who will continue to do so on the date of admission.
- Proximity to the school. The distance from an applicant’s house to the school measured from the address point for the house (as supplied by the Post Office) to the nearest public entrance of the school by the “straight line” distance measurement. All distances are measured by Hertfordshire Country Council using a computerised mapping system. Full details of HCC’s measurement system are included in the “Moving On” booklet and the website: www.hertsdirect.org/admissions
Post-16 Admission Criteria
The Academy Trust will publish specific criteria in relation to minimum academic entrance requirements for admission to the Post-16 provision. These criteria are the same for internal and external transfers. Where the number of applications exceeds the number of Post-16 places available the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below:
- Students with statements of Special Educational Needs where the Francis Combe Academy is named on the statement.
- Children in public care.
- Students with siblings currently attending the school and who will continue to do so on the date of admission.
- Proximity to the school. The distance from an applicant’s house to the school measured from the address point for the house (as supplied by the Post Office) to the nearest public entrance of the school by the “straight line” distance measurement. All distances are measured by Hertfordshire Country Council using a computerised mapping system. Full details of HCC’s measurement system are included in the “Moving On” booklet and the website: www.hertsdirect.org/admissions
There will be a right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel for internal students refused transfer and external applicants refused admission.
Operation of Waiting Lists
Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admission scheme, the Academy will operate a waiting list for each year group. Where in any year the Francis Combe Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until the end of the academic year for the specific admissions round and for parents, beyond the normal point of admission, to go onto the waiting list for in-year places. This will be maintained by the Academy Trust 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 position of the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out above. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.
Arrangements for Admitting Students to Other Year Groups
Subject to any provisions in the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, the Academy Trust will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child unless one of the permitted reliefs apply. If more applications are received than there are place available, the oversubscription criteria set out above will apply. Parents whose application is turned down shall be entitled to appeal.
