Admissions
Admissions Policy & Criteria for the Academic Year 2013 – 2014
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Gumley House is a Catholic School for girls, with some boys admitted to the Sixth Form. Religious education
and worship is at the heart of the school and its curriculum. The approved admission number for Year 7 is
210 pupils. In recent years the school has been heavily over-subscribed by baptised Catholics whose priest
has certified in writing that they have attended Holy Mass weekly. We therefore give priority to regularly
practising Catholics, by which the Governors mean that a priest has given written confirmation that, for the
two years before the application, the child and member(s) of her family have attended weekly Sunday (or
Saturday evening) Mass.
Catholic children in public care (within the meaning of s22 of the Children Act 1989) will have top priority for
places at the school. If more than 210 such practising Catholic prospective pupils apply, they will each be
placed in one of six geographical categories based on the Roman Catholic diocesan area in which they normally reside, i.e. for more than 50% of the week. A proportion of the places will be offered in each category as follows: |
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Hounslow Deanery 27%
Ealing Deanery 27%
Upper Thames Deanery 20 %
Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea Deaneries 12%
Southwark Diocese including Richmond, Mortlake, Putney, Barnes, Kingston and Roehampton 14%
Over-subscription criteria
If in any of the above geographical categories there are more applicants than places available, then offers will be made in the following order:
1. Prospective pupils with a sister in the school, or brother in the Sixth Form, at the date of admission.
(Sister or brother includes half sister or half brother, adopted sister or adopted brother, step sister or step brother or the child
of the parent’s/carer’s partner where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same
address as that sibling.)
2. Prospective pupils from families living nearer to the school.
Distance will be measured by computer software based on Ordnance Survey and postal address data. The software measures
using public roads. When using roads for measurement purposes, the computer measures along the middle of the road. It
starts from a point in the footprint of the property, which is supplied by postal address data, and continues by the shortest
available route to the nearest of the school gates in use to the child’s home. It does not use routes using common land, open
spaces, public parks, subways, or footpaths.
Blocks of flats are treated as one address. In blocks of flats, priority will be given to the lowest flat number.
3. In the event that two or more applicants live at the same distance from the school, or where two or more children from the
same family are competing for one remaining place, lots will be drawn to determine positioning.
Where it is possible to offer places to all baptised practising Catholic applicants in a Deanery, any remaining places will be
offered to baptised practising Catholic applicants from the remaining Deaneries in rotation so as to preserve the relative
proportions identified above.
If places still remain to be filled after offers are made to those who meet the criteria above, then further offers will be made in the
following order:
4. Other baptised Catholics whose priest confirms practice that is less frequent than weekly attendance at Holy Mass.
5. Other baptised Catholics. (‘Catholic’ means a member of a Church in full communion with the See of Rome; this includes the
Eastern Catholic Churches. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church or a certificate of
reception into full communion with the Catholic Church.)
6. Other children in public care.
7. Catechumens. (A Catechumen is a member of the catechumenate of the Catholic Church. This will normally be evidenced by
a certificate of reception into the Order of Catechumens.)
8. Other Christians: members of other Christian Churches and members of the Eastern Christian Churches whose practice is
supported by a religious leader. (‘Eastern Christian Churches’ includes Orthodox Churches and is normally evidenced by a
certificate of baptism or reception from the authorities of that Church.)
9. Other applicants.
Waiting list
A waiting list for each Deanery will be kept until the end of the autumn term in the year of admission.
Appeals
Parents have the right of appeal and should obtain Appeal Forms from the School.
Pupils with Special Educational Needs
The admission of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs is dealt with by a completely separate procedure. This
procedure is integral to the making and maintaining of statements by the pupil’s home Local Education Authority. Details of this
separate procedure are set out in the Special Needs Code of Practice.
procedure is integral to the making and maintaining of statements by the pupil’s home Local Education Authority. Details of this
separate procedure are set out in the Special Needs Code of Practice.
Vulnerable children
The school is committed to taking its fair share of vulnerable children who are hard to place in accordance with locally agreed
protocols. Accordingly, outside the normal round of admissions, the governing body is empowered to give absolute priority to
a child where admission is requested under any local protocol which carries the agreement of both the governing body and the
diocese for the current admission year. The governing body has this power even when admitting such a child would exceed the
normal admission number.
protocols. Accordingly, outside the normal round of admissions, the governing body is empowered to give absolute priority to
a child where admission is requested under any local protocol which carries the agreement of both the governing body and the
diocese for the current admission year. The governing body has this power even when admitting such a child would exceed the
normal admission number.
In-Year and Casual Admissions
Applications for In-Year admissions are made in the same way as those made during the normal admissions round. If a place is available and there is no waiting list, the school will inform the local authority and the offer of a place will be sent to the parents.
If more applications are received than there are places available, then applications will be ranked by the governing body in accordance with the over-subscription criteria, with the following modifications:
If a place cannot be offered at this time then you may ask us for the reasons and you will be informed of your right of appeal.
If more applications are received than there are places available, then applications will be ranked by the governing body in accordance with the over-subscription criteria, with the following modifications:
If a place cannot be offered at this time then you may ask us for the reasons and you will be informed of your right of appeal.
You will be offered the opportunity of being placed on a waiting list. This waiting list will be maintained by the governing body in the order of the oversubscription criteria and not in the order in which the applications are received. When a place becomes available the governing body will decide who is at the top of the list so that the LEA can inform the parent that the school is making an offer. Names are removed from the list at the end of each academic year.
Procedure for making an application to the school for entry in Year 7 in September 2013
The following forms need to be completed and returned by 31st October 2012 to the appropriate place:
1. Common Application Form
This should be obtained from your own local authority and returned to it
This should be obtained from your own local authority and returned to it
2. Supplementary Information Form
This can be obtained from the school office or downloaded from the school website and should be returned to Gumley House Convent School.
3. Priest’s Reference Form
This can be obtained from the school office or downloaded from the school website and should be returned to Gumley House Convent School.
Maps of the deaneries can be seen at the school.
Admissions at Year 12 and 13 (Sixth Form)
Up to 210 young men and women students, including young women already in the school, will be admitted to the Sixth Form each year. A minimum of 20 external students who fulfil the criteria will be admitted to study AS subjects in the Sixth Form. All Gumley applicants will be required as a general rule, to have achieved at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above in different subjects and including English & Maths, gaining a B grade in the subjects to be taken at AS level and complying with any particular conditions laid down in the prospectus. The offer of a Sixth Form place is conditional on the school being able to provide a course suited to the applicant’s age, ability, aptitude and educational needs.