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1.1 |
As an institution operated under regulations relevant to the Sixth Form College
sector, admissions to the College are arranged in accordance with the relevant
provisions of the l992 Further and Higher Education Act, subsequent ‘Machinery
of Government’ changes inlegislation and other procedures and policies laid down
by the Department for Children, Families and Schools. The College will admit
students in line with the College Mission Statement and the Admissions Policy. |
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1.2 |
The target number of students the College will admit will depend upon the nature
of the proposed student programmes, the target level of units of activity and
funded students allocated to the College by the relevant Government agencies
(currently Essex County Council the Essex/Thurrock/South – East of England
Regional Planning Group and the Young People’s Learning Agency) and the number
of students continuing on programmes within the College. This will include the
level of demand from those seeking re-admission who have a good educational case
for further study and the ability of the College to provide adequate
accommodation and resources. Regard will also be taken of subscription levels
for particular courses in relation to resources available. The College will also
offer a small programme of one-year A and AS Level courses designed for 18/19
year old students and will admit a small number of students for this programme
applying at age 17/18 and very occasionally at 19. |
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1.3 |
The College's Priority Admission Area is composed of the combined ‘catchment
areas’ of a number of designated secondary schools (as instigated by Essex
County Council in 1987 upon their reorganisation of secondary educational
arrangements in the Colchester area). These schools are: Alderman Blaxill, The
Gilberd, Philip Morant, St Helena, Colchester Academy, Stanway, Thomas, Lord
Audley and Manningtree High. Pupils whose home residential address lies within
this area and whose educational best interests indicate a need for a place at
the College for a programme of study for which they are appropriately qualified,
have a right of admission to an appropriate programme/course at the College.
This right is irrespective of which school they have attended for Year 11
education. St. Benedict’s R.C. College and Honywood School are College ‘Partner
Schools’ and pupils have an equal right of admission, but St.Benedict's and
Honywood catchment areas have no relevance to the College's Priority Admission
Area. |
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1.4 |
The College ‘Partner Schools’ are Alderman Blaxill, The Gilberd, St. Helena,
Colchester Academy, Stanway, Thomas, Lord Audley and Manningtree High, St.
Benedict’s, and Honywood. |
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2.1 |
The College will normally give priority to admitting suitably
qualified students who are 15/16 years of age at the time of application and
15/16/17 at the time of enrolment, who have completed GCSE or equivalent
qualifications. Details of entry requirements for particular programmes of study
and individual courses will be outlined in the annual College Prospectus
(available from October each year). As far as possible, the educational best
interest of the individual student will be paramount in questions of admission
to the College.
When, however, it is clear that demand for places will be greater than the
number the College intends or is able to admit, places will be allocated in the
following order of priority: |
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2.1 (a) |
Pupils who apply by 31 January and who attended the Year 11 of a
‘1987 designated’ ‘Partner School’ or whose home address lies within the
Priority Admission Area – as outlined in category 1.3 or 1.4 above. |
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2.1(b) |
(i) Pupils living outside of the Colchester Borough Boundary whose parental residence is closer to
Colchester than any alternative state sector provider of sixth form education
outside of Colchester. |
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2.1(b) |
(ii) Pupils living outside the priority admission area who attend 11-16 ‘Link
Schools’. Link schools’ are those that meet the following criteria:
- ‘Link Schools’ welcome progression opportunities being made
available for a number of their Year 11 students to study at the Sixth Form
College, Colchester and the school supports and establishes progression
arrangements e.g. provision for information materials to be distributed, talks,
organising interview programmes, providing student references, involvement in
curriculum links, liaison with College learning support staff.
- The schools are located within a 25 mile ‘Travel to Learn’
radius of the College and there have been traditions of a number of applicants
progressing to the College on an annual basis.
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The designated Link Schools are:
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East Bergholt High School
Hadleigh High School
Holbrook High School
Ramsey School (Halstead)
Tabor High School (Braintree)
Notley High School (Braintree)
Alec Hunter High School (Braintree)
Stoke College (Stoke by Clare)
Amberfield School (Ipswich)
St Mary’s School (Colchester)
Colchester High School
Harwich and Dovercourt School
Other schools meeting the above criteria will also be considered for inclusion.
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(iii) Pupils who have attended Year 11 in one of the 11-18 schools in Colchester
including those whose parental home address lies outside the College Priority
Admission Area. |
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2.1 (c) |
Other 15/16 year old applicants living outside the Priority Admission Area or
who do not otherwise fall into category 2.1 (a) or 2.1 (b). |
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(i) Those pupils for a particular programme of courses which is deemed
appropriate in terms of career aspiration and ability, but where some of the
desired courses are not available in the chosen combination at a more local
school or College and/or who wish to study a particular subject which is
under-subscribed from applicants in category 2.1 (a) or (b). |
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(ii) Where applicants in category 2.1(c)(i) cannot be distinguished in terms of
the strength of the case in 2.1(c)(i) the allocation of places will take into
account the assessment of suitability made by the interviewer and the length of
travel times and or distance between the parental residence and the College.
Within this context priority will be given to those students living within an 11
mile radius of the College and those who have a journey time of less than 45
minutes. |
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(iii) In some exceptional instances places may be allocated on very strong
‘personal’ or ‘social’ grounds, if it is felt likely to be in the applicant’s
educational best interest. This may include health and learning support issues
or priority being given to the children of College staff. |
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(iv)The College will allocate up to four places annually for applicants living
in non-European Area Countries although, in line with Government regulations,
this may often be on a fee paying basis. The level of fees is determined and
reviewed annually by the Governing Body. These admissions are now subject to
strict Border Agency points based immigration controls. Applicants are expected
to apply by 31 January for the year ahead and will be required to demonstrate
that their standard of written and spoken English language skills are
sufficiently good to enable them to engage successfully in the College academic
curriculum. |
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2.2 Students who are offered places at the College are informed that their offer is subject to: |
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- Our receipt of a supportive reference from the school.
- Attendance at the College one day Induction course (normally
in early July).
- Achievement of the GCSE entry criteria (listed in the
Prospectus) for their programme of study as a whole and for the individual
course elements.
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2.3 |
Parents of any applicant who is refused a place have a right to a
review of the decision made. Any parents wishing to have their case reviewed
should write to the College Principal and request a review, within two weeks of
notification that a place is not being offered. It is important that the
appellant states the section of the Admissions Policy which is being used as the
basis for a review of the decision. |
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2.4 |
Parents who wish to request a review of the Principal’s decision
should write accordingly to the Clerk to the Governors, within two weeks of
receiving notification of the outcome of the Principal’s decision. The case will
then be reviewed by an Appeals Committee of the College Governing Body and the
appellant should state the sector or the Admissions Policy which is being used
as the basis for an appeal on the decision. |