Admissions Procedure

The Academy operates an Equal Opportunities Policy.

1. How to Apply

All applicants are required to complete The Common Application Form by the stated deadline. Your Local Authority provides this form, it is not available from the Academy.

The Business and Enterprise Specialism test will determine 10% of the September 2007 intake. Please note: only complete and return the Business & Enterprise application form if you want your child to take the Business and Enterprise Specialism Test (this is in addition to the Non-verbal Reasoning test taken by all applicants).

The Academy will consider all applications for places.

2. Children With Special Educational Needs

The Academy will admit children with Statements of Special Educational Needs where the City of London Academy is appropriately named in the SEN Statement.

The Academy is intended to make particular provision for pupils with hearing impairment and therefore the Academy will be particularly suited to children needing this facility.

3. Who May Be Excluded From Applying?

The Academy may refuse admission to applicants who have been excluded from two or more other Schools. The ability to refuse admissions runs for a period of two years from the last exclusion.

4. Allocation of Places

Where fewer than 180 applications are received, The Academy will offer places to all those who applied.

5. In the Event of over-subscription, the Following Arrangements Will Apply:

1. Applicants with SEN Statements issued by the City of London or Southwark Education Authorities appropriately naming the City of London Academy (Southwark) will be admitted.
2. A Fair Banding system will then be adopted for the remaining places and this will operate as follows:
   1. Each applicant will be required to take a non-verbal reasoning test, which will place applicants in a rank order.
   2. Those pupils (maximum 18) selected on the basis of assessed aptitude for the Business and Enterprise specialism will be excluded from the rank order list and admitted.
   3. The remaining applicants will then be placed in one of 5 bands based on their performance in the test. As far as is possible, each band will contain the same number of applicants so that it represents 20% of the remaining applicants. The remaining places will be allocated so that an equivalent number of applicants is admitted from each band.
3. Applicants will be admitted according to the criteria listed below in the order listed:
   1. Eligible applicants residing in Catchment Area One shown on the attached map. This is currently estimated as a maximum of 30 applicants.
   2. Eligible applicants residing in Catchment Area Two shown on the attached map and, where there are more such applicants than places, according to the following criteria listed in priority order:
      1. Siblings of pupils in attendance at the school
      2. children whom the Academy, advised by the Health Authority and/or Social Services Department, accepts have professionally supported special medical or social needs that the Academy is best suited to meet.
      3. Children who live nearest to the Academy (measured by the shortest safe walking distance from their normal family home to the junction of Lynton Road with St James’s Road).
4. Eligible applicants residing outside of the Catchment Areas shown on the attached maps and, where there are more such applicants than available places, according to the following criteria listed in priority order
   1. Children attending the Sir John Cass’s VA Foundation Primary School in the City of London
   2. Siblings of pupils in attendance at the school
   3. Children with special medical or social needs, which the school is best placed to meet (backed up by professional advice on why the school is necessary)
   4. Children who live nearest to the Academy (measured by the shortest safe walking distance from their normal family home to the junction of Lynton Road with St James’s Road).

Notwithstanding the provisions above, the Secretary of State may direct the Academy to admit a named pupil to the Academy on application from an LEA.

6. Operation of Waiting Lists

After 180 applicants have been offered a place for admission, others will be offered a place on a waiting list for the relevant band.

Places for admission which are declined or otherwise become vacant will be offered, as far as possible, to those on the short waiting list who are in the same band as that vacated, priority being determined by 2 (ii) (a)-(c) or 3 (i)-(iv) as appropriate.

7. Arrangements for Appeals

There will be an independent Appeals Panel appointed in accordance with the provisions of the statutory Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals. If your child has not been offered a place, you will have the right of appeal to the panel.