Our Admissions Policy

THE SCHOOL’S ADMISSIONS POLICY (DRAFT)
Walton Girls’ High School is an 11 – 16 Foundation School. The Published Admissions Number (PAN) is 134.

This policy (currently in draft format) has been drawn up by the Governing Body. Before finally determining the Policy, the Governing Body has consulted with the local authority.

All decisions about Admissions, including this Policy are determined by the Governing Body. All allocations of places are determined by a Committee of the Governing Body with delegated powers.

Walton Girls’ High School complies with the requirements as set out in “Going to School in Lincolnshire”on how to apply for a place, the timetable for admissions, dates for late appeals, late applications, applications outside the normal round and right of appeal to an independent panel. The governors acknowledge their statutory duties regarding the admission of students with special educational needs where the school has been named as the most appropriate educational setting for the girl.

Over-Subscription
Where the number of applications for admissions exceeds the number of places available, preference will be given according to the following criteria applied in the order set out below:

1. The governors acknowledge their statutory duties regarding the admission of “looked after children” where the school has been named as the most appropriate educational setting for the girl.
   
   
2. The school is one preferred by the parents.
   
   
3. There is a sister (Note 1) who will be attending the school when the girl is due to start.
   
   
4. The Governors of Walton Girls’ High School will select up to 10% of the intake to Year 7 on the basis of aptitude for Performing Arts (Music, Drama, and Dance) because of the School’s status as a Specialist Performing Arts School. The arrangements to be applied with effect from September 2008 will be as follows:
   
   
   • It is the responsibility of parents to inform the school that they wish their daughter to be considered under the aptitude criterion at least two full weeks before the submission date for the Common Application Form. The results of aptitude testing will be released to parents before the submission date for the Common Application Form.
     
     
   • The PAN is 134; therefore 14 places will be admitted through this criterion.
     
     
   • The distribution of places between the Performing Arts will be Music 5, Drama 4, and Dance 5. If places for one subject cannot be filled with candidates of suitable aptitude those places will be re-allocated equally to the other two subjects. Places unfilled under the 10% criterion will not be held open, but will be filled on the basis of distance from school.
     
     
   • Aptitude will be demonstrated by a practical assessment in the relevant subject(s). Someone of suitable professional qualifications and experience will evaluate the assessment. All assessments for each subject will be evaluated according to the same criteria and the assessment will be so designed as to give candidates of differing levels of prior experience and achievement as far as possible an equal possibility of demonstrating potential.
     
     
   • The assessment may be carried out within the setting of the extra-curricular activities organised by the school. If a girl does not attend such an activity, suitable arrangements will be made to enable all candidates to be assessed equally. If more applicants qualify on aptitude than the number of aptitude places available, places will be allocated according to level of potential aptitude.
     
     
5. Access to the school
   The distance (Note 2) from the child’s home to the school.

Note 1:
Sister, for the purpose of this Admissions Policy is defined as follows:
(a) a full sister, whether or not resident in the same household.
(b) another child normally resident for the majority of term time in the same household, to whom an adult in the household has parental responsibility as defined in the Children Act 1989.

Note 2:
Distance from home to school:
Measured by Microsoft MapPoint software between the post office address point of the home and the post office address point of the school.

Appeals Against Admission Refusals
Parents have the right to appeal against a refusal by the governors to admit their daughter. The appeal will be heard by an independent panel. Full details of the appeals procedure are available from the school.

For September 2006 the school received 190 first preference applications by the closing date.

164 places were offered; 30 pupils accepted places at alternative schools bringing the number offered and accepted to 134. The last place offered was a distance of 10.08 kilometres. Of the 25 appeals which were subsequently made, 9 were upheld.