Places on offer 2008-2009

Consideration of applications

Procedures where the Academy is oversubscribed

Arrangements for appeals panels

Admission Arrangements

Note: These admission arrangements are for Year 7, September 2008

Places on offer

1. The Saint Paul's Academy plan to admit 150 students in Year 7 for the year 2008/2009.

Consideration of applications

2. The Saint Paul's Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer applications are received than the agreed admissions number, the Academy will offer places to all those who have applied.

3. Not withstanding paragraph 2 above, the Saint Paul's Academy may refuse admission to particular applicants in cases where fewer than the Published Admission Number have applied. These are applicants who have been excluded from two or more other schools and the ability to refuse admissions runs for a period of two years from the last exclusion. One of the exclusions must have occurred after 1 September 1997. Exclusions, which took place before the child concerned reached compulsory school age, do not count for this purpose.

Procedures where the Academy is oversubscribed

4. Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admissions number, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below. After the admission of pupils with statements of Special Educational Needs where the Saint Paul's Academy is named on the statement, applicants will be considered as set out in clauses 5, and 6 below.

5. When the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admissions number, the oversubscription criteria set out in clause 6 will be applied.

6. There will be two categories of entrant to the Academy:

a) Catholic entrants

Up to 105 of the remaining places, subject to the number of Catholic Entrants admitted with statements of Special Educational Need, will be available Catholic Entrants, who will be considered according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

i. Children in public care who are baptised Catholics or looked after by Catholic families;

ii. Baptised Catholic children from families where at least one parent/guardian/carer or the child is a practising Catholic and, who at the time of their application, live in the following local parishes:

• Holy Cross, Plumstead Common
• Our Lady of Grace Charlton
• Our Lady Star of the Sea Greenwich
• Saint Benet's Abbey Wood
• Saint David's Abbey Wood
• Saint John Fisher, Kidbrooke
• Saint John Fisher, Thamesmead South
• Saint Joseph's, Greenwich
• Saint Joseph's, Shooters Hill
• Saint Patrick's, Plumstead
• Saint Paul's Thamesmead Central
• Saint Peter's, Woolwich
• Saint Stephen's, Welling
• Saint Thomas More, Bostall Park

iii. Baptised Catholic children from families where at least one parent/guardian/carer or the child is a practising Catholic and, who at the time of their application, live in parishes other than those named in (ii) above;

iv. Other baptised Catholic children;

v. Baptised Eastern Orthodox children;

vi. Children of other Christian denominations whose applications are supported by a Minister of Religion of a designated place of worship;

vii. Children of other faiths whose applications are supported by a statement from the religious leader of a designated place of worship.

Notes:

Under each of the above criteria, priority will be given in order to applicants who:

• Have siblings at the Academy at the proposed date of admission of the applicant;
• Have a professionally supported medical, social or special educational need for whom it is essential to be admitted to the Academy as determined under arrangements agreed from time to time and published by the Governing Body.

b) Community entrants

Up to 45 of the remaining places, subject to the number of Community Entrants admitted with statements of Special Educational Need will be available to Community Entrants, who will be considered according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

i. Children in public care;

ii. Children, who have a professionally supported medical, social or special educational need for whom it is essential to be admitted to the Academy as determined under arrangements agreed and published by the Governing Body;

iii. Children who are the siblings of, or who live at the same address as, pupils at the Academy at the date of admission of the applicant;

iv. Those who live closest to the main entrance of the site for the new Academy building as defined by the Governors from time to time, measured in a straight line.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause 5, the Secretary of State may direct the Academy to admit a named pupil on application from an LEA. The Secretary of State shall, in such circumstances, consult the Academy before making such a direction.

Arrangements for appeals panels

7. The arrangements for appeals will be in line with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals published by the Department for Education and Skills as it applies to Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools.

8. Parents will have the right of appeal to an independent Appeals Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the Saint Paul's Academy.