Our Admissions Criteria

Admissions Criteria, September 2010

The Governing Body has responsibility for admissions at the School and in the School year beginning September 2010 will admit 180 students to Year 7.

Governors will give top priority to children looked after by a Local Authority. Children with a statement of special educational need naming The Bishop Wand School are automatically given a place at the School.

The Bishop Wand Church of England School operates an equal preference system. In the event of over subscription the governors will apply the following criteria in numerical order.

Criterion 1
Exceptional circumstances

Children looked after by a Local Authority.

Criterion 2
Children of practising members of The Church of England

‘Practising' to be evidenced by a least 1 parent/guardian, who is baptised and who is receiving communion at least monthly or being a worshipping member of The Church of England community at least monthly for a continuous period of 12 months prior to application as agreed by the incumbent.

Criterion 3
The applicant has brothers or sisters who are still on roll at the School at the time of attendance

Criterion 4
Children of practising members of other Christian churches*

‘Practising' to be evidenced by a least 1 parent/guardian, who is baptised where appropriate, and who is receiving communion at least monthly or being a worshipping member of the Christian community at least monthly for a continuous period of 12 months prior to application as agreed by the church leader.

Criterion 5
Children of practising members of other World faiths**

‘Practising' to be evidenced by at least 1 parent/guardian being a worshipping member of the faith community at least monthly for a continuous period of 12 months prior to application as agreed by the faith leader.

Criterion 6
Children of a parent/guardian or parents/guardians who can demonstrate a clear preference for an education based on Christian beliefs and values.

To be scored using the following criteria;

1. Does the child currently attend a Church of England primary school?
2. Is the child baptised/dedicated?
3. Are parents/guardians associated with any part of the Church Fellowship***
4. Is the child a worshipping member of the church and has continuously attended at least monthly over a period of 12 months prior to application and as agreed by the incumbent.

Criterion 7
Any other applicant

Admissions Process
In determining admission to the School the Governing Body will use the following process:

• In the first instance criterion 2 to 7 will be applied to all applicants living in the catchment area as defined below. No admission quota will be used in determining admissions in criterion 2 to 7.
• Once all applicants living in the catchment area have been considered the same criterion will be applied to those applicants living outside of the catchment area. No admission quota will be used in determining admissions in criterion 2 to 7. Siblings as determined by criterion 3 will be admitted to the School regardless of whether living within the catchment area or outside of it.
• In the event of there being a greater number of applicants than places those living nearest to the School will be given priority. The distance measured in a straight line from the front gates of the School to the centre point of the applicant's permanent address, as set by the Ordnance Survey, will be applied with those living closest to the School taking priority in the applicable category.
• In the event of equal points score in criterion 2 to 7 above with equal distance from School, lots will be drawn to determine positioning.

The catchment area is defined as the Borough of Spelthorne, the London Borough of Richmond (north of the Thames) and the Feltham, Hanworth and Bedfont parishes in the London Borough of Hounslow.

* Christian Churches mean Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Evangelical Alliance or the equivalent ecumenical partnership in the Spelthorne, Hampton or Hounslow
Deaneries

** World Faiths mean Bahai, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism

*** Church Fellowship includes scouts/guides, fund raising committees, Mothers Union, other adult Church groups, Church leaders, study groups.

Waiting List
A waiting list of unsuccessful applicants will be compiled and ranked according to the published criteria. This waiting list will be dissolved on 31st July following the September entry to which this list applies.

Late Applications
For secondary School transfer from primary school into Year 7, applications received after the published closing date will be deemed as late applications and will only be considered after all those applications received by the published closing date.

Right of Appeal
If the applicant does not receive the offer of a place at the School there is a right of appeal to the Independent Appeal Committee details of which can be obtained from the School or the Surrey County Council Appeals Service.

Admission into Sixth Form
There will be 150 places available for allocation across Years 12 and 13 and priority will be given to those applicants already attending The Bishop Wand Church of England School provided that they have the necessary academic standard relative to the courses applied for.

Applicants who are not already at the School will be expected to meet the Criteria for Year 7 entry in addition to the academic requirements.