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Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:04 pm
by kamenrider
Hi...

I'm new to the forums and would like confirmation of the acceptance criteria of St.Clements Dane School (and possibly others). The acceptance criteria reads:
How places are allocated
When the applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following oversubscription criteria will be applied, in the order set out below.
1. The Governors will fulfil their legal obligation to allocate a place to a child in Public Care or a child who was in care, but ceased to be so because they were adopted. For further details please read Section 1 of the Admissions Policy.
2. Children whose brother or sister is in attendance at the school at the time of application. For further details please read Section 2 of the Admissions Policy.
3. Children of staff who are permanently employed by the Governors of St Clement Danes School. For further details please read Section 3 of the Admissions Policy.
4. Up to 10% of places will be for students demonstrating musical aptitude as determined by test during the autumn term.
5. Up to 10% of places will be for students demonstrating academic ability. This will be determined by test during the autumn term and places will be awarded in merit order.
The new School Admissions Code, which came into force on 1 February 2012, requires all schools that use aptitude and academic tests as part of their admission arrangements, to inform parents of the outcome of these tests before the secondary transfer application deadline. This is to ensure parents are able to make an informed choice of school.
6. Distance places will be allocated on the basis of proximity to the school, with priority given to WD3 postcodes only. The distance from the school to an applicant’s home address is calculated using a straight line distance measurement provided by NLPG. For further details please read Section 5 of the Admissions Policy.
7. Any remaining places will be allocated on the basis of proximity to the school, outside the WD3 postcode area. The distance from the school to an applicant’s home address is calculated using a straight line distance measurement provided NLPG. For further details please read Section 5 of the Admissions Policy.
For simplification, assuming the school accepts 100 students.

Lets say 50 applicants met criteria 1, 30 met criteria 2 and 20 met criteria 3. Does that mean there's no spaces left for any of the applicants in criteria's 4 and below?

or

Is it a case that of the 100, there's a fixed number of applicants for each criteria:

eg 10 for criteria 1, 5 for criteria 2 etc...

Many thanks.

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:13 pm
by WP
kamenrider wrote:For simplification, assuming the school accepts 100 students.

Lets say 50 applicants met criteria 1, 30 met criteria 2 and 20 met criteria 3. Does that mean there's no spaces left for any of the applicants in criteria's 4 and below?
Yes it does, but that scenario is extremely unlikely. What usually happens is they have a handful of LAC and children of staff, and a fair number of siblings, but with plenty of places left to allocate 10% each for academic and music, with the rest of the places going on distance within WD3. You can see the proportions for the last two years in the school's entry in the ''Moving On'' directory:

http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/edl ... vebooklet/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They usually run out of places before they get to the last criterion.

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:42 pm
by PD mum
From CD website:
On 3rd March 2014 places were allocated in the following way:
Criterion
Children with Statements 1
Criterion 1 – Looked After Children 4
Criterion 2 – Siblings 95
Criterion 3 –Children of Staff 0
Criterion 4 – Musical Aptitude 21
Criterion 5 – Academic Ability 21
Criterion 6 – Distance WD3 Priority 66
Criterion 7 – Distance Outside WD3 0
No of Places Allocated
______
208

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:11 am
by Daogroupie
I am surprised that they had no children of staff?

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:59 am
by southbucks3
I am fairly stunned that nearly half of the intake had siblings at the school, that is surely abnormal?

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 6:44 am
by Kingfisher
Daogroupie wrote:I am surprised that they had no children of staff?
I am not. Most likely there were no children of teachers who were in the correct year for entry. In my experience there are only a handful of teachers' children in any school, if that. Secondary school age DC don't like attending the same establishment as mum and dad. It is a bit embarrassing, especially if they don't do their homework.

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:11 am
by Daogroupie
There are loads of staff children in our school. Both of my dd's have two in their class and there are lots more. I think it is a real endorsement of the school. I always find it strange when teachers teach in one school but send their dc's to one they think is "better." Southbucks, half the places going to siblings is normal in a school that has the policy. There were 109 siblings who got a place at my dd's school last year. PAN is supposed to be 200 but they went to 211 to fit in all the siblings. This year they have gone over PAN to 227 and that will be mostly siblings. DG

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:24 pm
by kamenrider
Great. thanks for the clarification. We should really have a second child then....bit too late I suppose.lol.

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:24 pm
by Kingfisher
Daogroupie wrote:There are loads of staff children in our school. Both of my dd's have two in their class and there are lots more. I think it is a real endorsement of the school. I always find it strange when teachers teach in one school but send their dc's to one they think is "better" DG

Hello Daogroupie. It is funny how schools can be different. The parents at your school are clearly very happy. I am surprised how many there are, though. Not where I work - only 2 people send their DC there. My DD is at another school as well, but to be honest, she needs a bit of independence from me.

Re: Trying to understand the acceptance criteria

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:30 pm
by copella
Not all school staff send their DC to other schools because they think they are better as king fisher has pointed out. Of course some do but I know staff who want their children to have a private life where they can relax without their parents perhaps knowing everything about what they do and vice versa.