ADMISSIONS CONSULTATION FORTHE ROUNDHILL ACADEMY
The Roundhill Academy is seeking your views on the proposed changes below. Our consultation will run for 8 weeks from Monday 2nd December 2013 to Monday 27th January 2014. The determined admissions arrangements must be published on our website by 1st May 2014. We are not proposing to change our catchment area (see Appendix 1), simply to alter our Admission Number.
This policy will operate from September 2015. It will apply to all admissions for the school year 2015-2016 and for subsequent years until further notice.
Admissions Arrangements:
Proposal 1:
The Admission Number from September 2015 in all year groups will be 150 pupils.
This is a reduction in the Admission Number from 240 to 150 students. The reason for the reduction in the Admission Number is that The Roundhill Academy site, as it currently stands, accommodates 750 students. With the proposed age range change to an 11-16 school, The Roundhill Academy will be able to accommodate 150 students in all five year groups without the need to increase in size. Our current Year 8 has 156 students and our current Year 7 has 150 students. All families that have chosen to come to The Roundhill Academy over the last two years would still have been accepted.
Proposal 2:
To adopt the Local Authority Admissions Policy as shown below
Priority criteria for entry autumn 2015 admissions and mid-term applications during 2015 / 2016 academic year
If there are too many requests for The Roundhill Academy, priority will be given to children in the appropriate age-range, whose parents applied on time, in the following order (see note i below):
1st / Children who are in public care and those children who were previously looked after children. (See note ii).2nd / Pupils who live in the catchment area. (See note iii).
3rd / Pupils who will have an older brother or sister attending the same school at the same time. (See notes iv and v).
4th / Pupils who have a serious medical condition or exceptional social or domestic needs that make it essential they attend the school requested. (Professional documentation confirming the situation must be submitted with the application). (See note vi).
5th / Pupils who will have attended a feeder school for at least two years before the time of transfer. (See note vii).
6th / Pupils living nearest to the school measured in a straight line distance (home to school front gate). (See note viii).
Notes:
i. Combinations of the above criteria are used in priority order. Where the computerised system throws up an equality of distance for more than one child (who do not have the same home address) the final tie breaker will be by drawing lots.
ii. Children who are in the care of local authorities as defined by section 22 of the Children Act 1989. In relation to school admissions legislation a ‘looked after child’ is only considered as such if the local authority confirms the child will be in public care when the child is admitted to a school.
iii. The child’s place of residence is taken to be the parental home. In addition where a catchment area has more than one school:
–No one school will be overfilled while another school with the same catchment has places; and,
–If more applications than the number of places are received from within the catchment the oversubscription criteria will be applied for each school in accordance with the admissions policy,
-The primary schools that are within out catchment area are The Pochin Primary School, St Peter and St Paul C E Primary, The Merton Primary School, Church Hill C of E Junior School and Eastfield Primary School.
iv. The term “brother or sister” includes half brother or sister or legally adopted child being regarded as the brother or sister.
v. Regarding brothers or sisters who will be of sixth form age, these are counted as brother/sister connections for criteria 3 or 6 above.
vi. If criterion 4 is used, professional supporting documentation from the Lead Professional must be supplied and must be submitted with the application. The following list are the areas that are considered exceptional:
–Crown Servants (serving members of the armed forces).
–Children subject to Child Protection Plans.
–Hard to Place children – who fall under the Fair Access Protocol.
–Parents suffering domestic violence (This is dependent on documentary evidence by a lead professional).
–A child for whom transfer to the catchment area school would involve attending a different school until he/she is the right age for transfer. (This is dependent on the child having attended the present school for at least a year).
Each case will be assessed on its individual merits.
vii. For criterion 5 above, the child must have been enrolled at the feeder school on or before the start date of the Autumn Term two years before transfer.
viii. For Criterion 6 above, measurement of distance is in a straight line from the centre point of the property to the school’s main designated front gate, using a computerised mapping system (Geocoding). Where there is equal distance then lots will be drawn supervised by an independent officer.
Normal FTA / Transfer Applications
The Roundhill Academywill participate fully with the LA’s Co-ordinating Transfer Scheme. This means parents must apply through the LA online system or using the LA’s common application form. The application forms must be completed and submitted by the national closing date (31stOctober).
Late Applications
Any applications received after the closing date will be accepted but considered only after those received by the closing date. You are therefore encouraged to ensure that your application is submitted on time. All supplementary information i.e. medical letters, proof of change of address, etc. remains the parents’ responsibility to supply.
Oversubscription Criteria
If The Roundhill Academy has more applications than places available, Governors will draw up a ranked list based on the criteria listed above and inform the local authority accordingly. Children who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs that name The Roundhill Academy will be admitted even if the school is full.
Oversubscription (OSL ‘Waiting’) List
Parents whose children have been refused a place at The Roundhill Academy will automatically be added to The Roundhill Academy’s OSL (waiting) list. The OSL for admission will remain open until the end of the Autumn Term in the admission year.
The OSL is ranked using the oversubscription criteria listed above. The OSL may change, this means that a child’s OSL position during the year could go ‘up’ or ‘down’. The OSL makes no distinction between on time or late applications.
Appeals
If your child has been refused a place at The Roundhill Academy, you retain the statutory right to appeal. The Roundhill Academy has engaged the services of the LA to conduct all our appeals. Therefore, you can appeal using the LA’s ‘Notice of Appeal’. The LA will arrange the appeal on behalf of the governors to be heard by an independent panel, whose decision is binding on all parties.
Applications during the School Year
The Roundhill Academy has engaged the services of the LA to co-ordinate mid-term applications. This is because the LA’s online systems operate 24/7, and throughout school holidays. If The Roundhill Academy has a space, the LA will offer the place, if there are more applications than places the Governors will rank the applications and inform the LA, who in turn inform parents of outcomes.
Fraudulent Information
If the allocation of a place has been made on the basis of fraudulent or intentionally misleading information, the Governors reserve the right to withdraw the place.
Fair Access Protocol
The Roundhill Academy will participate in full with the LA’s Fair Access Protocolin order to make sure that the most vulnerable children are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. This includes admitting children above the published admission number of a school that is already full.
Objections
Objections to any aspect of the determined admissions arrangements may be made to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator ( but must be made before 30th June 2013.
Response Form – If you have any comments on any of the proposed change please indicate if you agree or disagree with the changes and state any reasons why.
Proposal 1:
The Admission Number from September 2015 in all year groups will be 150 pupils.
Agree Disagree
Proposal 2:
To adopt the Local Authority Admissions Policy
Agree Disagree
Other Comments:
Please return all responses by Friday 24th January 2014 to:
James Tickle
The Roundhill Academy
997 Melton Road
Thurmaston
Leicester
LE4 8GQ
Name: Sign:
Date:
Agency (i.e. school, parent etc…,)
Additional Requirements:
Guidance notes from Admissions Code 2012
Who must the school consult with:
1.42Consultation-Whenchanges are proposedtoadmission arrangements,alladmissionauthoritiesmustconsultby1Marchontheir admission arrangements(includinganysupplementaryinformationform) that willapplyfor admission applicationsthefollowingacademicyear.Wherethe admissionarrangements havenotchangedfrom theprevious year there is no requirementtoconsult,subjecttotherequirementthatadmission authorities must consultontheiradmission arrangements atleastonceevery 7years, evenifthere have been nochanges duringthatperiod.
1.43Consultationmust lastfor aminimumof8weeksandmust takeplace between1Novemberand1Marchinthedeterminationyear.
1.44Admissionauthorities must consult with:
a) parents ofchildrenbetween theages oftwo andeighteen;
b) otherpersonsintherelevant area whoin theopinion oftheadmission authorityhaveaninterest intheproposed admissions;
c) allother admissionauthorities withintherelevantarea(exceptthat primaryschools neednotconsultsecondaryschools);
d) whichever ofthegoverningbodyand thelocal authoritywho are not theadmissionauthority;
e) anyadjoiningneighbouringlocal authoritieswhere theadmission authorityis thelocalauthority; and
f)inthecase offaithschools,thebodyor personrepresentingthe religion or religiousdenomination.
1.45For the duration oftheconsultation period,the admissionauthority must publishacopyoftheir fullproposedadmissionarrangements(including theproposedPAN) ontheirwebsitetogether with details ofthepersonwithin theadmissionauthoritytowhomcommentsmaybesentand the areas on whichcommentsarenotsought.Admissionauthoritiesmust alsosenduponrequestacopyoftheproposedadmission arrangementstoanyofthe personsor bodieslisted aboveinvitingcomment.Failuretoconsulteffectively maybegroundsfor subsequentcomplaintsandappeals.
1.46Determination- All admissionauthoritiesmust determine admission arrangements by15Aprilevery year, eveniftheyhavenot changedfromprevious years andaconsultationhas notbeenrequired.
1.47Onceadmissionauthorities have determinedtheiradmission arrangements,they mustnotifytheappropriatebodies andmustpublisha copyofthedeterminedarrangementsontheirwebsitedisplayingthem for the wholeoffer year(the academic yearinwhichoffersfor places aremade). Admissionauthorities must sendacopyoftheirfull,determined arrangementstothelocal authorityas soonas possiblebefore1May. Admissionauthoritiesforfaithschoolsmust alsosendacopyoftheir arrangementstothe bodyor personrepresentingtheirreligion or religious denomination.
1.48Wherean admission authorityhasdeterminedaPAN thatishigher thanin previous years,theymust notifythelocal authoritythattheyhave doneso,andmakespecific referenceto thechangeontheirwebsite.
1.49Localauthoritiesmust,by1May, publish on theirwebsitethe proposedadmissionarrangementsfor anynewschool or Academy whichis intendedtoopenwithinthedeterminationyear,details ofwhere the determined arrangementsforallschools,includingAcademies,canbe viewed, andinformation onhowtorefer objections to the Schools Adjudicator39.
1.50Followingdeterminationof arrangements,anyobjectionstothose arrangementsmust bemadetotheSchoolsAdjudicator by30June. Admissionauthorities thatare notthelocal authoritymust provide all the informationthatthelocal authorityneeds tocompilethecompositeprospectus nolater than 8August, unlessagreedotherwise.
1.51Composite prospectuses-Localauthoritiesmust publishonline-
with hard copiesavailablefor thosewho do nothaveaccess totheinternet- a compositeprospectusfor parentsby12 Septemberinthe offer year, which contains theadmissions arrangementsandanysupplementaryinformation formsfor eachofthestate-fundedschools inthelocal authorityareatowhich parentscanapply(i.e. allschools including Academies).Theymust ensure thatthis informationiskeptuptodatethroughouttheperiodinwhichit is possiblefor parentstoapplyfor aplacefor theirchild,andthatitiswrittenina waythatmakes it clearandaccessible to all parents.
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