Applications and Admissions

Admissions Criteria 2011

Introduction

Larne Grammar School (the School) is a co-educational, inter-denominational voluntary Grammar School with an Enrolment Number of 735 and an Admissions Number of 110.

In the event of the School being oversubscribed the Board of Governors has approved the criteria described below and has delegated all matters relating to the application of the criteria including Special Circumstances and Special Provisions to the Admissions Sub Committee.  Further reference, therefore, to the Board of Governors may imply the Admissions Sub Committee.

The Board of Governors will first consider for admission to Year 8, children who have taken the Association of Quality Education (AQE) Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) and been awarded an age standardised score by AQE, subject only to the consideration of those children claiming “Special Provisions”, as defined below.

Consideration will also be given to those children claiming “Special Circumstances”, as defined below, in respect of medical or other problems which may have affected performance in the CEA.

Larne Grammar School will not use as a criterion the position of preference given to the school on the Transfer Form; for example, a child who has chosen the School as a second preference school will be considered in the same way as all first preference applications.

Admissions Criteria to be Applied to all Applications

The Board of Governors has determined that all children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission to the School will be selected for admission before any child not so resident. 

Parents/Guardians should ensure that they record the Age Standardised Score awarded by AQE, together with the AQE Candidate Number, in Section C of the Transfer Form and attach the statement of result. Parents should note that they may be required to produce documents verifying information pertinent to the School’s Admissions criteria. 

If the number of applications is greater than the Admissions Number, the following criteria shall be applied in the order set down below.

1        Children who have taken the AQE CEA and been awarded a score by AQE (or awarded as a result of Special Circumstances or Special Provisions) will be considered before other children.

2       Places will be allocated to pupils on the basis of the rank order of their respective scores; those achieving higher scores will be allocated places before those who have achieved a lower score.  If a number of pupils are eligible for the 110^th place because they have equal scores, then all such pupils will be allocated places up to the School’s admission number, using the criteria listed in paragraph 4 below.      

3        If there are still places available after consideration of all the children who have taken the AQE CEA and been awarded a score by AQE, or awarded a score as a result of Special Circumstances or Special Provisions, the School will consider for admission any children who have not taken the AQE Common Entrance Assessment. Children from this pool will be allocated to the remaining places up to the School’s Admissions Number using the criteria listed in paragraph 4 below, if required.

4      Children will be allocated a place by applying progressively the following criteria in order (i) to (iv) until 110 places are filled:-

(i)        Children¹ who have a sibling currently attending the School.

(ii)       Children¹ who are the eldest²/only child in the family (details to be supplied by the Parent/Guardian).

(iii)      Oldest pupils first (established by date of birth as entered on a Birth Certificate or Adopted Children’s Register)

(iv)     Children will be selected for admission on the basis of alphabetical order (beginning with a) as used in the BT Telephone Directory for domestic users, ‘BT Order’, using surname, first forename and subsequent forenames in that order as it appears on the Birth Certificate or Adopted Children Register.

¹ Child of the family as defined by the Department of Education to include, for example, half-brothers and sisters, together with children who are adopted or fostered.

² Twins and other multiples who are eldest in the family are treated as joint eldest children.

Special Circumstances and Special Provisions

General

The purpose of a claim for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions is so that a child can be assigned a score equivalent to that which he or she would have obtained in the AQE CEA under normal conditions. Consideration of a claim for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions consists of two parts: the first requires the consideration of whether there is sufficient material to permit a child to be considered as having Special Circumstances or attracting Special Provisions, or both; if a child is permitted to be considered as having Special Circumstances or as attracting Special Provisions or both, the second part of the consideration requires an educational judgement to be made on the totality of the material presented to the School so that a score equivalent to that which the child would have been awarded in the AQE CEA under normal conditions can be awarded.

It is for parents to present all such material as they consider will assist the School in performing both parts of the consideration described above. All such material should be attached to the transfer form.  It should be noted by parents that both parts of the consideration referred to involve an exercise in judgement and not precise calculation.

Educational Evidence to be provided in support of a claim for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions

In reaching the educational judgement needed to award the score that the child would have been awarded in the AQE CEA under normal circumstances, the Admissions sub committee will consider any material presented (attached to the transfer form) in support of the application.  This material may include any or all of the following:

i)      The score awarded in the AQE CEA;

ii)     The results for the child of any standardised tests conducted in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 and the results in any end of year tests in English and Mathematics conducted in years 5 and 6;

iii)    Comparative information from the Primary School, including the results, without names, for other children in the child’s Year 7 class of any standardised tests conducted in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 and the results in any end of year tests in English and Mathematics conducted in Years 5 and 6 and, where available, the respective AQE CEA score awarded;

iv)   Any other relevant material.

You are free to provide any other educational evidence for consideration by the Admissions Sub Committee by attaching it to the Transfer Form and Form SC10. 

The Admissions Sub Committee will consider all evidence provided in exercising its judgment in order to award a mark to the applicant.  However the onus lies with the parents/guardians to provide such evidence and have it when necessary appropriately verified.     

It should be noted that in all cases independent evidence will carry greater weight than non independent evidence.

Special Circumstances

Larne Grammar School has academic performance as its first criterion, subject only to the consideration of medical or other problems which may have affected performance in the AQE CEA and which are supported by documentary evidence of a medical or other appropriate nature.  These ‘medical or other problems’ are commonly referred to as ‘special circumstances’. 

Please note: if a claim for the consideration of Special Circumstances is made in respect of matters for which Special Access arrangements were granted for a child, the School will take into account the fact that the child was granted Special Access arrangements for those matters. 

Parents/Guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Circumstances should complete Form SC 10, obtainable from the School or AQE, stating the precise reason why they believe the child qualifies for Special Circumstances.  This should be attached to the Transfer Form with appropriate documentary evidence.

The Admissions Sub Committee will consider the application for Special Circumstances.  Where Special Circumstances are granted, the panel will determine, on the basis of the information available, an appropriate score for the child.  Such children will then be considered with all other children who have received an AQE CEA score and the Admissions criteria applied.

Details of Medical or Other Problems

Where it is claimed that a child’s performance in the AQE CEA has been affected by a medical or other problem, it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to set out in the Form SC 10 precise details of the problem and append evidence to corroborate its existence. 

Where the problem is a medical one of short term duration which affected the child only at the time of the AQE CEA, parents/guardians should be aware that the school will give greater weight to evidence indicating that the child was examined by a medical practitioner in relation to the illness at the time of the assessments.

Where the problem is of a non-medical nature the parents/guardians should set out in the Form SC 10 precise details of the problem and append appropriate documentary evidence.

Special Provisions

Special Provisions will apply for:

(a)  children whose parents/guardians wish them to transfer from schools outside Northern Ireland;

(b)  children who have received more than half their primary education outside Northern Ireland;

(c)  children, entered for the AQE CEA, who because of unforeseen and serious medical or other problems which are supported by appropriate documentary evidence, were unable to participate in any of the assessments.

Note: It is expected that all those seeking admission should sit the AQE CEA, with the exception of those children who take up residence in Northern Ireland after the 17th September 2010.

Parents/Guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Provisions should complete Form SC 10, obtainable from the School or AQE, stating the precise reason why they believe the child is eligible for consideration under Special Provisions.  This should be attached to the Transfer Form with appropriate evidence.

The Admissions Sub Committee will consider the application for Special Provisions.  Where Special Provision is granted, the panel will determine, on the basis of the information available, an appropriate score for the child.  Such children will then be considered with all other children who have received an AQE CEA score and the Admissions criteria applied.

Special Educational Needs

The procedures for children in receipt of a Statement of Special Educational Needs will operate outside the normal enrolment procedures in order to ensure that such children are provided with the most appropriate school placement. Further advice may be obtained from NEELB/ESA, as appropriate.

Admissions to Year 8 following completion of the Transfer Procedure

Parents/Guardians who wish to have their child considered for admission in the event of a place arising after the beginning of the school year should write to the Principal stating this. An acknowledgement will be issued. If any place(s) become available after 1^st September 2011 and there are more children than places available, then decisions will be made on application of the Year 8 Admissions Criteria regarding those pupils seeking admission at the time the place(s) become available.

Should the Board of Governors determine that a child who has arrived in Northern Ireland after the Transfer Process has been concluded is suitable for admission, it will seek approval from the Department of Education to admit the child through the allocation of an additional place.

It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the Transfer Form is completed in full, including for example details of any family relationship with Larne Grammar School (including, for verification purposes, dates and maiden name if appropriate) and other relevant information.

If the Board of Governors becomes aware of

(a)        any material irregularity in the application made to the Association for Quality Education Limited in connection with the prescribed test, or

(b)        any falsification of any documents submitted to the Association for Quality Education Limited in connection with the prescribed test, or

(c)        any material breach of the conditions on the part of the child or his parents or guardians relating to the prescribed test

it reserves the right to reject the application to the School for that child.

THE VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION PROVIDED

Parents should note that the information contained within an application that qualifies the child for admission may be verified.

The Board of Governors, therefore, reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application form/Transfer Form. 

This information will be requested from successful children on or shortly after 30 May 2011 when they have been notified of their allocation of a place at the School.

Parents should also note the provision of false information or incorrect information or the failure to provide verifying documents according to the required deadline may result in either the withdrawal of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place.