12 Plus
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Poole LA
Mr John Nash
Strategic Director (Children's Services), Borough of Poole Council, Civic Centre, Poole, Dorset BH15 2RU
Telephone: 01202 633633
Fax: 01202 633706
Email: j.nash@poole.gov.uk
Website: www.boroughofpoole.com
Poole Grammar Schools
The admission arrangements for Poole schools for the academic year 2010/11 have been finalised
Copies of the documents relating to school admission arrangements for 2010/11 can be accessed below and have been placed on deposit, for public inspection, at either of the following locations:
- Children & Young People's Integrated Services, The Dolphin Centre, Poole
- Poole Central Library, The Dolphin Centre, Poole
The documents that may be inspected are:
- The co-ordinated admissions schemes for primary and secondary schools
- The admission policies for the new Academy as well all Community, Foundation, Voluntary Aided and Voluntary Controlled Poole schools
- The Published Admission Numbers of all Community and Voluntary Controlled Poole schools
- The Supplementary Information Form (SIF) for all primary schools
Parents can inspect these documents until 31 July 2009 and may object by that date to any matter they consider does not comply with the law or the mandatory requirements of the School Admissions Code of Practice .
Documents available for viewing are:
Admission policy for Parkstone Grammar School
Admission policy for Poole Grammar School
The majority of pupils in Poole transfer to secondary school at the age of 12+, this includes both grammar schools. Pupils wishing to gain entry to either of the grammar schools are required to sit an entrance test. As both the schools have Foundation status, and are therefore admission authorities in their own right, the tests are arranged and administered by the schools themselves. The local authority does not involve itself in any part of the testing process. Parents should contact the schools directly regarding any entry testing information.
Parkstone Grammar School
ADMISSIONS POLICY FOR ENTRY in SEPTEMBER 2010
1. OPEN DAYS
We would be delighted to see parents and prospective students at our Open Evening on Thursday 1 October 2009; tours of the school are also available during the normal working day of the school. Please contact the school to make an appointment or if there are any queries the Admissions Team can help with.
2. ADMISSIONS AT 12
Only girls who attain the required standards in the prescribed arrangements for selection by reference to high ability will be eligible to be considered for admission to the school. These arrangements require that in order to be eligible for consideration for admission to the school, would-be students must pass an entrance examination.
3. TESTING APPLICANTS
The closing date for applications to be received by the Borough of Poole is midday 23 October 2009.
All the admission authorities within Poole operate an equal preference admissions system. This means that all first, second and third preference applications are considered equally by the different Admissions Authorities which will not know the ranking that the parents have given to the individual schools. The Local Authority will then offer the highest ranked preference possible.
The entrance test is taken on Saturday 21 November 2009. Further testing may be arranged at other times of the year for in-year applications. On the day of testing all students will take NFER Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning tests.
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Details of the tests will be sent to the students soon after the closing date for applications.
All applicants i.e. first, second and third preferences will be tested together. On the basis of their test results girls will either reach the required standard for consideration for admission or will fail to reach the required standard. The scores for the entrance tests are adjusted (or 'standardised') according to age. There is, therefore, no advantage in taking the test either early or late in the year.
The Governors' Admissions Panel will then consider which students have met our entrance requirements and this information will then be passed to the Local Authority which will then allocate places in accordance with the ranking order indicated by parents. Test results will be also be forwarded to Headteachers of Poole Middle Schools (with an age of transfer of 12+).
If an application is made it does not commit the applicant to accepting a place.
4. LATE APPLICATIONS FOR YEAR 8
A late application is one that is received after the published closing date (23 October 2009). Late applications will not be dealt with until after all applications submitted by the closing date have been considered and the admissions process completed.
5. PUBLISHED ADMISSION NUMBERS
The school's Published Admission Number for Year 8 for September 2010 is 168. Usually, up to fifty students can be admitted to Year 12 from other schools.
6. OVER-SUBSCRIPTION
Where the number of students who have met the required standard exceed the Published Admission Number, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below, to decide which students should be offered a place:
- Eligible girls who are classed as 'Children in Care'
- Eligible girls attending one of the following feeder schools:
- Baden-Powell and St Peter's CE VC Middle School
- Branksome Heath Middle School
- Broadstone Middle School
- Canford Heath Middle School
- Hamworthy Middle School
- Haymoor Middle School
- Hillbourne School and Nursery
- Longfleet CE VC Combined School
- Poole Learning Support Service
- Manorside Combined School
- Oakdale South Road Middle School
- St Aldhelm's Combined School
- St Joseph's Catholic VA Combined School
- St Mary's Catholic VA Combined School
- Talbot Combined School
- Turlin Moor Community School
- Eligible girls attending any other schools within and outside of the Borough of Poole in rank order of the entrance test scores, with those girls obtaining the highest scores given higher priority.
In the event that two or more applicants are of equal ranking for the last place, then priority will be given to the girl whose permanent address is nearest to Parkstone Grammar School. In line with the information provided in the Borough of Poole's Admissions booklet, the distance from home to school is measured by using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route using the centre line of public roads and footpaths (excluding paths identified for the sole use of bicycles i.e. cycleways) from a point outside the centre of the pupil's home address to a point opposite the nearest approved access point on school property that is for the use of pupils. The GIS maps used are provided by Ordnance Survey and represent the position as at the beginning of the annual admission cycle i.e. September in the year prior to admission. Any footpaths or roads added after this time will not be taken into consideration until the next academic year of application.
For applicants living on islands within Poole harbour the distance measurement will be a straight line from the centre point of the home property to either:
- the nearest public landing steps at Poole Quay, or
- a point on the mainland that the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the local authority that he/she can access
and from that point the distance will be measured using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route to the nearest point on the public highway and from there using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route using the centre line of public roads and footpaths (excluding paths identified for the sole use of bicycles i.e. cycleways) to a point opposite the nearest approved access point on school property that is for the use of pupils.
If an applicant advises the local authority that the child would or could use the Sandbanks Chain Ferry in the journey to school then the distance will be measured on that basis from the home address including the distance travelled by the ferry.
In the above circumstances, if the applicants live in the same block of flats the allocation will be made by way of drawing lots. Further details of this process can be found in the Borough of Poole's Admissions Booklet.
7. PUPILS WITH A STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs issued by a local authority naming Parkstone Grammar School will be admitted before preferences are considered for admission in September. Schools are legally obliged to admit such pupils.
8. HOME ADDRESS
The home address where a child lives is considered to be the address at which she is ordinarily resident during term time. Where a child spends time with parents who have shared parental responsibility at more than one address the local authority will consider the home address as being where the prime carer resides. The prime carer is the parent/carer in whose name Child Benefit payments are made.
9. APPLICATIONS FROM SEPARATED PARENTS/CARERS
Only one application can be considered for each student. Where parents/carers are separated it is essential that agreement is reached by both parties concerning the nominated preferred schools. If agreement cannot be reached the Governors will only consider the application from the parent/carer who is the prime carer of the child. The prime carer is the parent/carer in whose name Child Benefit payments are made.
10. APPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN OF MULTIPLE BIRTHS
If applications from children of a multiple births span the threshold for the published admission number, this will be treated as an exceptional circumstance and they will be admitted.
11. INDEPENDENT APPEALS
In the event that an offer of a place is not made, parents have the right of appeal to an Independent Panel and information will be given at that time on how parents can exercise this statutory right.
Poole Grammar School
Admissions Policy And Procedures For Entry In 2010
The policy below is correct as of 1st April 2009 but is potentially subject to revision in the light of changes in government policy.
The admissions policy of Poole Grammar School aims to reflect the underlying ethos of the school which is to provide a selective education for boys from the Borough of Poole and its environs.
Parents and prospective pupils are warmly invited to visit the Open Evening on 22 September 2009, from 6-8pm. It is also possible for parents and their sons to tour the school by appointment during any school day in term time. Parents are welcome to contact the School Office if they have any queries.
Admissions at 12+
Admission to all Poole schools will be in accordance with the agreed secondary scheme for coordinated admission arrangements 2010. Parents are able to state their school preference without it being taken into account by the schools they are applying to.
In the case of 12+ Poole Middle/Combined School pupils, application forms should be submitted via the boy's current school. In all other cases, including Broadstone Middle School, parents should complete an application form and send or take it to the School Admissions Team, Children & Young People's Integrated Services, Borough of Poole, The Dolphin Centre, Poole, BH15 1SA. by the published closing date. Forms can be obtained from Poole Grammar School or the School Admissions Team in Children & Young People's Integrated Services. Applications can also be made on-line at the Borough's website. DCSF regulations have set a national date for the issue of letters offering places which will be 1 March 2010.
Admission to Year 8
- The closing date for applications to be received by the Borough of Poole is mid-day Friday 23 October 2009.
- Admission to the school in Year 8 is conditional upon achieving the academic standard required in the school's entrance tests and on the availability of places.
- To provide appropriate information on which an assessment of a candidate's academic standard can be completed, a series of tests will be held for which boys will come to Poole Grammar School on Saturday 21 November 2009 from 9.15am - 2.30pm.
- The school's published admission number for Year 8 is 168 for September 2010.
- Boys will take tests in Non Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English and write an English essay.
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- On the basis of their results, boys will be placed in two groups, Group A (Meets the required standard),or Group B (Does not meet the required standard).
- The scores for the entrance tests are adjusted (or 'standardised') according to age.
- The Governors' admission panel will then consider which students have met our entrance requirements and this information will be passed to the Local Authority which will allocate places in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.
- Results will be posted to parents by Poole Local Authority on 1 March 2010.
- Parents should respond to the offer of a place by the deadline date specified in the offer letter.
- Test scores will be issued to parents of boys who are not offered a place on application. Parents of applicants who are not offered a place will be informed of their right of appeal.
- Parents have the right of appeal when results are known and will be given information on taking up their statutory right of appeal at that time.
- Academic assessments will not be repeated within 12 months of the last stage of the process e.g. the last panel or appeals meeting at which the candidate was assessed or reviewed. Any subsequent application will require written confirmation from the candidate's Headteacher that accelerated progress has been made.
Late Applications for Year 8
A late application is one that is received after the published closing date (mid-day 23 October 2009). Late applications will not be dealt with until after all applications submitted by the closing date have been considered.
Parents who move into Poole or whose sons have for other reasons missed the initial test dates should make their application via Children & Young People's Integrated Services as soon as possible. Parents who move into the area, but not into Poole, should contact their 'home' Local Authority e.g. Bournemouth or Dorset. Please note that such tests and any subsequent offers of places will only take place subject to spaces still being available after the initial series. It is thus important that parents observe the October closing date noted above.
Oversubscription Criteria
In the event of the school being oversubscribed priority will be given in the following order.
- Eligible boys who are classed as 'Children in Care'.
- Eligible boys attending one of the following feeder schools:
Baden-Powell and St Peter's CE VC Middle School
Branksome Heath Middle School
Broadstone Middle School
Canford Heath Middle School
Hamworthy Middle School
Haymoor Middle School
Hillbourne School and Nursery
Learning Support Service
Longfleet CE VC Combines School
Manorside Combined School
Oakdale South Road Middle School
St Aldhelm's CE VC Combined School
St Joseph's Catholic VA Combined School
St Mary's Catholic VA Combined School
Talbot Combined School
Turlin Moor Community School - Eligible boys attending any other schools within and outside of the Borough of Poole in rank order of the entrance test scores, with those boys obtaining the highest scores given higher priority.
- In the event of over subscription in any of the criteria (a) to (c), priority will be given up to the Published Admission Number to the boys whose domicile is nearest to Poole Grammar School. The distance will be measured using a Geographical Information System and the Governing Body has adopted the wording used by the local authority for specifying how the distance will be calculated. Please see Note 1 of this policy. If applicants live in a block of flats the allocation of places will be made by drawing lots. Applicants in this position will have their names drawn as lots to see who should be offered a place.
- 'Eligible' means achieving the academic standard required in the school's admission tests.
- In criterion (a) 'Children in Care' means any child who is in the care of a Local Authority in accordance with Section 20 of the Children Act 1989.
Published Admission Number
The published admission number for September 2010 is 168. The number of applications received by the closing date, October 2008 was 339.
Although priority is given to pupils from Poole feeder schools, pupils applied from a total of 40 schools at 12+ in 2008.
Boys with Statements of Special Educational Needs
Boys with a Statement of Special Educational Needs issued by a local authority naming Poole Grammar School as the school where the pupils should receive their education and who have achieved the academic standard required in the admissions tests will be admitted to the school before preferences are considered for admission in September.
Home Address
The home address where a child lives is considered as the address at which he is ordinarily resident during the school week. Where a child spends time with parents with shared parental responsibility at more than one address the local authority will consider the home address as being where the prime carer resides. The 'prime carer' shall be determined as the parent in whose name Child Benefit payments for the individual child are made.
Applications from Separated Parents
Only one application can be considered for each pupil. Where parents are separated it is essential that agreement is reached by both parties concerning the nominated preferred schools. If agreement cannot be reached the admission authority will only consider the application from the parent who is the prime carer for the child. The prime carer is the parent in whose name Child Benefit payments for the individual child are made.
In Year Fair Access Protocol
All the admissions authorities in Poole have established an In-year Fair Access Protocol. The purpose of the Protocol is to ensure an equitable distribution of in-year admission placements. Cases are considered by a Panel comprising Head teachers. Decisions of the panel may mean that individual schools may have to admit pupils which could result in the Published Admission Number being exceeded.
Waiting Lists
Waiting lists are maintained for all oversubscribed schools. Parents must request that their child's name is entered onto a waiting list for a school. When places become available places are allocated from the waiting list in priority order which is determined by the over-subscription criteria within this policy. The amount of time an applicant has spent on a waiting list is not taken into consideration when allocating places.
Admission Appeals
Any applicant who is refused admission to a secondary school, including the Sixth Form, has a right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. Details of the appeal process are given to applicants with their notification letter.
Note 1.
- The distance from home to school is measured by using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route using the centre line of public roads and footpaths (excluding paths identified for the sole use of bicycles i.e. cycle ways) from a point outside the centre of the pupil's home address (see Note 2 above) to a point opposite the nearest approved access point on school property that is for the use of pupils. The GIS maps used are provided by Ordnance Survey and represent the position as at the beginning of the annual admission cycle i.e. September in the year prior to admission, any footpaths or roads added after this time will not be taken into consideration until the next academic year of application.
- For applicants living on islands within Poole harbour the distance measurement will be a straight line from the centre point of the home property (see 'home address' above) to either: 1. the nearest public landing steps at Poole Quay, or 2. a point on the mainland that the applicant proves to the satisfaction of the local authority that he/she can access, and from that point the distance will be measured using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route to the nearest point on the public highway and from there using the shortest, safest, practicable walking route using the centre line of public roads and footpaths (excluding paths identified for the sole use of bicycles i.e. cycle ways) to a point opposite the nearest approved access point on school property that is for the use of pupils.
- If an applicant advises the local authority that the child would or could use the Sandbanks Chain Ferry in the journey to school then the distance will be measured on that basis from the home address (see 'home address' above) in line with (a) above, including the distance travelled by the ferry.
