Admissions policy
The procedure for applying to the school is set out in a document titled 'Information for families approaching the school'.
In this policy the word 'applicant' refers either to the applicant pupil or to their parents or guardian(s), depending upon context.
The school aspires to a non-selective admissions policy and does not discriminate between applicants on grounds of physical or intellectual ability, gender, religion, ethnic origin or for any other reason other than its capacity to meet the applicant's educational needs. The school wishes to treat all applicants fairly and openly, and to be timely and effective in its communication with them.
Applicants for admission to the school are assessed by application form, interview and, for classes 1 to 10, a trial period of three days in the class. The sole criteria for admission are as follows:
1.the availability of a place in the class appropriate to the applicant's age
2.the capacity of the school to meet the applicant's educational needs, taking into account its responsibility to the children already in the class and the distinctive nature of the curriculum
3.the willingness of the applicant's family or guardian(s) to contribute financially and with their skills and abilities to the running of the school, in proportion to their circumstances, skills and abilities.
1. The availability of places
Nursery and each of the three Kindergartens can accommodate approximately 18 children, depending upon the number of days that each child attends.
Classes 1 to 10 can accommodate at least 24 pupils.
These are the levels at which the classes are regarded as technically full. When the number in a class is below these levels, applicants who meet the other criteria for admission will normally be offered places in the order of completing their application, except that priority will be given (i) to the children of staff coming to work in the school and (ii) to to the siblings of existing pupils.
A completed application is one in which the required forms have been submitted and the interview and a classroom visit of three to five days (for classes 1 to 10) have taken place. Up to three applicants for each class may complete their application prior to a place becoming available and placed on a waiting list for such a place.
The school may decide to admit additional pupils above the level at which the class is technically full, provided that the educational needs of the pupils to be admitted, and those already in the class, can continue to be met. Decisions will be taken on an individual basis and may take into account the ease with which applicants are expected to adjust to the class and the curriculum. In some cases this may result in an applicant being offered a place before another, earlier applicant.
2. The capacity of the school to meet the applicant's educational needs
The school operates with financial resources significantly below the level available to most other schools in the UK, including those in the maintained sector. For this reason it is unable to provide the full range of facilities and support for pupils requiring learning support and/or having special educational needs. Each class is, however, able to accept some children with specific learning needs. Extra help for these children is available from the dedicated Learning Support Department. Children with a statement of special educational needs can sometimes be accepted, provided local authority provision is in place to support the statement.
When the school considers that an applicant may have special needs, these needs will be assessed with regard to (i) their own needs, (ii) the resources available in the Learning Support Department to meet those needs and (iii) the make-up and balance of the class they are approaching. This assessment will be made by the Learning Support Department after meeting the applicant and before a formal interview or trial in the class is offered.
If, following the assessment by the Learning Support Department or following an interview or trial in the class, the school considers that it cannot meet the applicant's educational needs, it will write to the applicant explaining the reasons for this conclusion.
In some cases, places may be offered subject to conditions requiring, for example, extra tuition or further assessment. Any such conditions will be clearly set out in the offer letter.
When the school considers that it can meet an applicant's educational needs in Early Years (nursery and Kindergarten) it does not automatically follow that it will be able to do so in Lower School (classes 1 to 8). The progression from Early Years to Lower School is therefore subject to an individual assessment of the school's capacity to meet the child's continuing educational needs.
Similarly, the progression from Lower School to Upper School (classes 9 and 10) is also subject to an individual assessment of the school's capacity to meet the child's continuing educational needs beyond class 8.
3. Contributions
The school requests financial contributions towards its operating costs. A schedule is published annually of the amounts requested, which are intended to be contributions to the cost of providing the entire education, not to reflect the cost of providing the education on an individual or class basis.
Applicants are required, as part of the application process, to agree to pay the requested amount or a lower amount agreed by the school as fairly reflecting the applicant's financial circumstances. The school's ideal is to be socially inclusive and to welcome families having a wide range of such circumstances. It aims also to be fair in the level of contributions it requests from individual families and will endeavour to ensure that similar requests are made to applicants of similar circumstances.
Applicants are expected to be aware of the school's need for non-financial support, as set out in the statement published in 'Information for families approaching the school'.
Any applicant to the school who is not offered a place for any reason has a right to appeal against the decision, following the framework set down in the school Complaints Policy.