Admissions Policy 2009 -2010

BISHOP LOVEDAY CHURCH OF ENGLAND AIDED SCHOOL

ADMISSIONS POLICY FOR SEPTEMBER 2009– 2010

The Governing Body of the school has adopted the Coordinated Admission Scheme for Oxfordshire. Details of the school’s admission arrangements are in the Oxfordshire booklet ‘Starting School’, available from the school. This also explains how parents can express a preference for a school and give reasons for that preference, and includes an application form.

Applications for entry to Bishop Loveday CE School in September 2009 must be received by the school by 14th November 2008 and be on the LA’s Common Admissions Preference Form (CAPF) (primary) application form. Our school’s additional supplementary sheet must be completed by all families wishing to give details of their worship for consideration under the worship admissions criteria. This should also be returned to the school. These sheets will enable the school’s admissions committee to make a decision on which children are to be offered a place. Offers of a place will be made on 2nd March 2009. Parents (see Note 1) will be given 21 days in which to accept an offer. Applications received after the deadline for receipt will only be considered after all those received by the deadline. This means that, if no places are left after considering all the applications received by the deadline, even if you fulfil a higher criterion than that under which places have been offered to other applicants, you will be unsuccessful.

At Bishop Loveday CE School, pupils are normally admitted at the beginning of the academic year (1st September) in which they reach their fifth birthday, without reference to ability or aptitude. Entry in September 2009 is therefore open to all children born between 1st September 2004 and 31st August 2005. The number of intended admissions for the year commencing 1st September 2009 is 60. Parents may request that a child’s entry is deferred to later in the school year 2009/2010, where the child is not of compulsory school age (the term after the child’s fifth birthday). Under such circumstances, the school will hold the place for that child, although, in the majority of cases, the school finds that children benefit from starting at the beginning of the school year, rather than starting part way through it.

For ‘in-year’ admissions, pupils will be admitted provided there are places available in the relevant year group. In September 2009 each year group in F1 and Years 1-4 have 60 places and Years 5-6 have 56 places. If there are more applications than places available, the list of criteria for over-subscription will be used. Parents must complete the CAF (Primary-in-Year) application form and submit this to the LA

Children with a Statement of Special Need naming Bishop Loveday CE School have the highest priority for available spaces. The second highest priority is for children who are looked after by Oxfordshire County Council. Once places have been offered to these children, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below:

i. A child with a normal home address (see Note 2) in the Ecclesiastical Parish of St John the Baptist, Bodicote. (A map is attached).

ii. A child living permanently in the same household as another child already in attendance at Bishop Loveday CE School at the time of entry to the school.

iii. A parent being on the electoral roll at St John the Baptist, Bodicote.

iv. A parent being a regular practising (see Note 3) member of a Christian place of worship (see Note 4). This will have to be supported in writing by the minister concerned using the school’s supplementary information sheet and parents are asked to send the supplementary information sheet to the school one month prior to the admission meeting.

v. Those who live nearest to the school following the nearest designated route, measured from the pedestrian gate leading onto the large playground at the front of the school adjacent to White Post Road, using the County Council’s Geographic Information System.

In the event of oversubscription in criteria i – iv, places would be offered to those who live nearest to the school following the nearest designated route, measured from the pedestrian gate leading onto the large playground at the front of the school adjacent to White Post Road, using the County Council’s Geographic Information System.

Applications for early admission, i.e. for admission prior to a child’s fourth birthday, will not be considered.

In cases where there is one place available, and the next child on the list is a twin, triplet, etc., we would offer only one child a place. This would be to the child who has the first given name alphabetically. You could also ask for your children to be offered places together at another school that has space for all the siblings concerned.

The Governors of the School have adopted a fair access protocol. Further details may be obtained upon application to the school.

For entry to F1 in 2007-2008, 60 places were accepted. These were according to the following criteria:

i. 17
ii. 16
iii. 5
iv. 6
v. 16

There was one appeal against non-admission.

There are established arrangements for appeals against non-admission. Details are available from the school. It should be noted that, in the event of an unsuccessful appeal against non-admission to the school, the school does not consider any further application in the same school year (1 September – 31 August), unless there is a material change in the circumstances. The school maintains a continued interest list for those children who are not offered a place, the order of priority on the continued interest list is the same as the list of criteria for over-subscription. No account is taken of length of time on a continued interest list. Being placed on the continued interest list offers no guarantee of a place becoming available. Children remain on the continued interest list until the end of the F1 year.

For further information, in the first instance, please contact the Clerk to the Governors at the school. Contact details are as follows:

The Clerk to the Governors
Bishop Loveday CE Primary School
White Post Road
Bodicote
Banbury
Oxon
OX15 4BN
01295 263157
Fax 01295 275907
Email office.3351@bishop-loveday.oxon.sch.uk

Note 1: by parent, we mean both natural parents, any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child; or any person, who, although not a natural parent, has care of the child. If you are in any doubt, please contact the school for advice.

Note 2: by normal home address, we mean your child’s home address. This is your child’s permanent address at the time you make your application for a place. It is where you and your child live. We regard a child’s home address to be where he or she spends the majority of the school week (Monday to Friday, including nights). We may ask to see official documentation, such as a child benefit book or medical card if there are reasons why a child does not live at his or her parent’s address. For example, if he or she is resident with a grandparent, you need to tell us this on the application form. If you do not declare any arrangements like this or use a relative’s address for your application, we may consider that you have made a false declaration and withdraw the offer of a place. Childcare arrangements are not sufficient reason for listing another address. The school reserves the right to check the validity of any address given, by asking for evidence such as inclusion on the Electoral Roll, or a recent utilities bill confirming your name and address.

Note 3: by regular worship we mean attending 6 or more times a year in the 12 months preceding the deadline for applications or date of application.

Note 4: by Christian place of worship we mean any church belonging to ‘Churches Together in Britain and Ireland’.

Note 5: information regarding home to school transport can be found in the ‘Starting School’ booklet for September 2009.

This policy complies with all relevant legislation, including infant class sizes and equal opportunities.
This policy was approved by the governors of the school on 13th February 2008.

TO BE COMPLETED BY THE MINISTER AT YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP

CONFIDENTIAL

Application to attend BISHOP LOVEDAY CE (A) SCHOOL

Name of child:................................................ Date of birth:..............................................

Name of parent/carer:..................................................................................................................

Is the parent/carer on the electoral roll of St John the Baptist, Bodicote? Yes/No
If not, which Church is attended:..................................................................................................
How long has the parent or carer been associated with this church?.....................................
Has the parent/carer attended Church 6 or more times in the 12 months prior to application? Yes/No

Signed ………………………...................... Name ……………………............................ (block capitals)

Date ……………………… Position …………………..............

Please return this form to Bishop Loveday CE Primary School, White Post Road, Bodicote, Banbury, Oxon, OX15 4BN by 30th November if applying for a place in the Foundation Stage (Early Years) for the following September, or one month prior to the admissions meeting if applying for a place in Years 1 – 6.

FAIR ACCESS PROTOCOL

Children at significant risk of underachievement (In-Year (Casual) Admissions, Years F1 to 6 inclusive)

The Code of Practice on Admissions recommends the adoption of strategies that allow all schools to admit a more even share of children with difficulties. In accordance with this guidance, one additional place in each year group from Years 3 – 6 inclusive* may be made available to children in groups judged to be at significant risk of underachievement. These groups are:

Children ‘Looked After’ by Oxfordshire County Council
Children permanently excluded from another Oxfordshire County Council school, or at significant risk of permanent exclusion, or a child for whom a fresh start is agreed
Traveller children
Child refugees/asylum seekers

Where necessary these children will be admitted above the admission number that applied to the year group at entry to the Foundation Stage.

*Class size legislation applicable to years Foundation Stage – Year 2 inclusive cannot be breached unless the vulnerable children fall into one of the exceptional cases outlined in the Code of Practice.