Admissions

Woodchurch High School

Policy Document

Approved by the Full Governing Body November 2010 - (Revised April 2011)

Approximate number of pupils on roll: 1,385

Admission number: 279

Preferences for 2010: 1st - 249, 2nd - 29, 3rd - 6, 4th - 2

Distance from home to school for the last pupil who was offered a place in 2010: 3.167 miles.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Our School

Woodchurch High School is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive, serving the communities of Woodchurch, Prenton, Oxton, Greasby, Beechwood, Moreton and surrounding areas.

Woodchurch High School is a Foundation School with a Charitable Trust. Our trust partners are the Diocese of Chester (Church of England), Liverpool Hope University, the University of Chester and KIER. The Church of England is a ‘majority’ partner, hence school is styled ‘Woodchurch High School, A School with a Church of England Trust’.

In working alongside such local, highly-respected partners we are seeking to share best practice, broaden opportunity for both our pupils and the staff we employ and provide a high quality education for all. Being a Trust School also fosters a great sense of ownership amongst our school community.

In addition, Woodchurch High School is also a Specialist Engineering College and Training School. The school has received national recognition for the work carried out in these areas and others besides.

We remain part of Wirral’s family of schools and are funded and inspected in the same way as every other secondary school, and are also part of the wider ‘church family’ of schools, consisting of over 4,000 primary schools, 200 secondary schools and 13 universities.

Admission Criteria for Year 7

As a Foundation School the Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and is responsible for the decisions on admission to the school. Our admissions procedure is co-ordinated by the Local Authority in accordance with the Wirral Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme. All deadlines within the scheme should be adhered to by applicants. We do not have any requirements for an aptitude test by prospective pupils. Neither is admission to school based on a ‘voluntary’ contribution.

Prospective parents/carers are strongly advised to read the following Local Authority publications that detail the timetable for admissions to secondary schools for each subsequent September, as well as set out additional information pertaining to admissions:

Secondary Education in Wirral
Admissions Policies for all Secondary Schools

These publiciations can be found on the following website

www.wirral.gov.uk/schooladmissions

Applications will be dealt with in order according to the following criteria:

a) Children who are in care of or looked after by a local authority, usually Wirral, although not exclusively so.

b) Children who have an exceptional and valid medical reason for a specific placement. You must give details on the preference form and this may be checked by a medical officer of the health authority. A letter in support from a senior health care professional will be required as evidence when you submit your preference form. This letter is usually written following a professional medical examination of the child concerned by a health care professional, and not based simply upon an interview with parents/carers. You need to make it clear why only this school is appropriate for your child’s medical needs.

c) Pupils who have a brother or sister (including half-brothers and sisters or step brothers and step sisters living in the same household. Sibling also includes adoptive siblings and children under the same guardianship of the same parents, living at the same address) on roll at the school and of statutory school age when the child joins the school in the subsequent September.

d) We will then take account of where your child lives. The Local Authority use a mapping system, based on Ordnance Survey maps, to measure the distance from your home to the school gate nearest to your child’s home using the shortest road route, unless it is possible to use a footpath which we consider a safe walking route. It is the Local Authority who calculates this distance, not the school.

NB, In the case of twins, triplets etc; all the multiples will be admitted to the school, even if this means that the Published Admissions number is exceeded.

Applicants from Non-Wirral Residents

Applications for Woodchurch High School should be made on the preference form issued by their Local Authority. Parents/carers will be informed by the Local Authority where they reside of the outcome of their application and not by Wirral Local Authority.

Withdrawal of offers

Any offer of a place may be withdrawn if it is discovered that misleading information has been provided in order to secure an offer.

Late Applications

These will be dealt with in accordance with the initial admissions criteria and arrangements applied by Wirral LA.

Admissions during the Academic Year

In year requests will be considered by the Governing Body but will initially be co-ordinated by the Local Authority. Any decisions with respect to admissions are made with reference to the same criteria as for the Year 7 placements.

Appeals

If an application for admission to the school has been turned down, parents can appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel set up by the Governing Body. An appeal must be sent in writing to the Clerk to the Governors within twenty-one days of the refusal. Parents must give their reason for appealing in writing and the decision of the Panel is binding on the Governors. Appeals that are received within the twenty-one days after refusal has been notified (i.e., those relating to decisions sent on the national offer date) are heard by the 6th July or the next working day, if 6th July falls on a weekend.

Appeals for late applications are heard within thirty school days (not including Staff Development Days, Bank Holidyas etc) of the appeal being lodged.

Waiting List

A waiting list for children who have not been offered a place will be kept and will be ranked according to the Admission Criteria. Parents will be informed of their child’s position on the waiting list which will not be operated for longer than the end of the Autumn term.

Admission Criteria for other Year Groups

Other in year requests will be considered by the Governing Body but will initially be co-ordinated by the Local Authority. Any decisions with respect to admissions are made with reference to the same criteria as for the Year 7 placements. The Appeals process is the same as outlined above.