The City of London Academy

Thinking of joining us at the Academy?

City Academies are publicly funded independent schools. We are a centre of excellence and we provide high quality education for children from the City of London and Southwark. Much is demanded of Academy pupils and, indeed, parents through their support for their children. A high quality, wide ranging curriculum is offered both within the school day and after school. High standards of behaviour are expected to ensure that all pupils have every opportunity to succeed.

The specialisms of the Academy are Sport and Business & Enterprise, based on "City" subjects such as finance, economics, business and law. There is also an emphasis on the Arts and, of course, Sport plays a major role in the school.

The City of London Academy has an agreed admission number of 180 Year 7 students. We are unable to take students outside of the normal admissions procedure unless a vacancy becomes available.

Determined Admissions Arrangements Document (PDF)

Click here for more information regarding Sixth form admissions.

Admissions Policy

Admissions Procedure

Calendar for Applications - September 2010 Entry

21 September 2009	Open Evening 5:00 - 7:00 pm
24 September 2009	Open Evening 5:00 - 7:00 pm
23 October 2009	Closing date for applications to Southwark - See Admissions Procedure
20 November 2009	Local Authorities give details of applicants to the Academy
w/c 23 November 2009	Notification of test date
5 December 2009	Non-verbal reasoning test for children who did not the take the Southwark primary school banding test Business & Enterpise Aptitude test
31 December 2009	Academy give ranking of applications to local authorities - See admissions policy
January - February 2010	Pan-London Iteration process to resolve offers
February 2010	Southwark LBC publishes list of students allocated to the Academy
February 2010	Southwark ensures every child has a secondary school place
1 March 2010	Southwark informs all parents of the school place offered
12 March 2010	All offers made by Southwark must be accepted by parents and carers
19 March 2010	Closing date for appeals against LEA offers - See How to Appeal
May 2010	Appeals heard at the Academy by independent panel
June 2010	Appelants notified of results of appeal

Admissions Policy

The Academy has 180 places available. In 2008 the Academy received 1350 applications for 180 places. This means that we shall probably not be able to give all applicants a place and some people will be disappointed. If there are more applicants than places, specific criteria apply. The essential points are given below:

The Academy’s Admissions Policy is determined by the terms laid out in the Funding Agreement approved by the Secretary of State. It meets the requirements for the admissions arrangements to be clear, fair and objective.

The Academy will comply with all relevant provisions of the statutory codes of practice (the School Admissions Code of Practice and the School Admissions Appeals Code of Practice) as they apply at any given time to maintained schools and with the law on admissions as it applies to maintained schools. Reference in the codes to admission authorities shall be deemed to be references to the governing body of the Academy. In particular, the Academy will take part in the Admissions Forum set up by Southwark LA and have regard to its advice; and will participate in the Pan London Co-ordinated Admissions System operated by Southwark LA. Applicants will be required to complete the Common Application Form (CAF) to be returned to the local authority the applicant resides in.

The City of London Academy has an agreed admission number of 180 pupils in Year 7. The Academy will admit 180 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received.
The City of London Academy may set a higher admission number as its published admission number for any specific year. Pupils will not be admitted above the published admission number unless exceptional circumstances apply and such circumstances shall be reported to the Secretary of State.
The Academy will give priority to children who live within the two catchment areas shown as catchment areas one and two below.
The Academy is committed to achieving the admission of students from the full range of academic ability by the use of Banding.
The Academy has reserved the position of admitting up to 10% of pupils on the basis of assessed aptitude for its ‘Business & Enterprise’ specialism. This assessment will take the form of a test for aptitude for Information & Communication Technology (ICT) NB This is an interim assessment measure and the Academy has reserved the position for admitting on the basis of a test for aptitude for business and enterprise as and when an acceptable method of assessment is formulated and agreed with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Children with Special Needs Statements will be admitted - the Academy intends to make particular provision for the hearing impaired

Catchment Areas

Catchment Area 1

Area 1 consists of part or all of the following postcodes:

EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, E1. map_catchment_01

To be eligible you must be paying your Council Tax to the City of London.

Catchment Area 2

Area 2 consists of part or all of the following postcodes:

SE1, SE5, SE8, SE11, SE14, SE15 SE16, SE17, SE19, SE21, SE22, SE23, SE24, SE25

map_catchment_02

To be eligible you must be paying your Council Tax to the London Borough of Southwark.

Banding

Children applying to the Academy will be required to take a non-verbal reasoning (Banding) test. If your child does not take this test then we will not be able to allocate them to a band and they will be placed at the end of the waiting list. It is therefore imperative that your child attends for their non-verbal reasoning (Banding) test.

Applicants will be placed in one of five bands, based on their performance in the test
Approximately the same number of children will be admitted in each of the five bands so that each band represents approximately 20% of the applicants
The remaining 10% are selected on aptitude for the Academy's Business and Enterprise specialism
Children admitted with Special Needs Statements are included in the band all ocations.

Admissions Priorities

If more than 180 pupils apply, then places will be awarded according to the priorities set out in the Admission Procedures.

Admission Procedure

The City of London Academy (Southwark) has an agreed admission number of 180. Entrants must reach the age of 11 during the year 1 September - 31 August inclusive, immediately prior to entry to the Academy. 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. You can find more information on the Southwark website or from the City of London admissions page
If you already have a child at the Academy, you should complete the Sibling Application Form.
The Business and Enterprise Specialism test will determine 10% of the September intake. Please note: only complete and return the Business & Enterprise Test 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 has provision for pupils with hearing impairments and therefore the Academy would be particularly suited to children needing this facility.

The Local Authority shall not name the Academy in a statement of SEN without first consulting the Academy. Where a local education authority proposes to name the Academy in a statement of SEN made in accordance with section 324 of the Education Act 1996, the Academy shall consent to being named, except where admitting the child would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for other children; and where no reasonable steps may be made to secure compatibility.

In deciding where a child’s inclusion would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children, the Academy shall have regard to the relevant guidance issued by the Secretary of State to maintained schools

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

In the event of oversubscription, children will be admitted according to the following criteria:

Applicants with SEN Statements issued by the City of London or Southwark Education Authorities appropriately naming the City of London Academy (Southwark).
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.
Those pupils (maximum 18) selected on the basis of assessed aptitude for the Business and Enterprise specialism.
Siblings of pupils in attendance at the school. Siblings must share at least one legal parent.
Eligible applicants residing in Catchment Area One. This is currently estimated as a maximum of 30 applicants.
A Banding system will then be adopted for the remaining places and this will operate as follows:
1. Every applicant will be required to take a Banding test, which will place applicants in a rank order. For Southwark applicants this test will be taken at their primary school. There will be an opportunity to take a test at the Academy for children who have not taken the Southwark test.
2. All applicants will be placed in one of five 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 applicants. The places will be allocated so that an equivalent number of applicants is admitted from each band.
3. Eligible applicants residing in Catchment Area Two will be admitted, based on distance from the Academy. 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) will be admitted first.
If there are any places remaining, eligible applicants residing outside of the Catchment Areas will be admitted according to the following criteria listed in priority order:

Children attending the Sir John Cass’s VA Foundation Primary School in the City of London;
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, all other applicants 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 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.

How to Appeal

Selection of places for the City of London Academy is carried out by Southwark and the City of London. The Academy does not have information about why a child has not got a place, but all parents are allowed to appeal.
Your appeal will have a low chance of success unless:

You put the Academy as your first choice on your original application form.
You are permanently resident within the City of London; or you live in Southwark, within a kilometre of the Academy.

Even in cases where both of these criteria are met, success in an appeal is not guaranteed: places are offered at the academy under strict criteria (see Admissions Procedure).

If you wish to make an appeal, please complete the Appeals Application Form . Guidance notes are included with the form.

The Academy will consider all appeals.

For the appeals close date, see the Admissions Calendar . APPEALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

Applying for Year 8 - 11

The Academy maintains waiting lists for all years. When a vacancy arises it is filled as far as possible on the same criteria as for other admissions. The Academy will attempt to replace students with those of similar bands, and will give preference to students living close to the Academy.

If you wish to put your child's name on a waiting list for the Academy you must write to the Principal, Martyn Coles, stating your reasons for requesting a transfer. You must also include:

The most recent copy of the child's report from their current school.
A photocopy of the child's birth certificate or passport page showing date of birth.
Any documentation you wish to provide to support your request for a place at the Academy.

At the end of every Academic year the waiting list is cleared. If you wish your child to remain on the waiting list for a further year you should write a letter, enclosing the most recent copy of the child's report from their current school.

You must ensure that your child is receiving an adequate and legal education. If your child does not currently have a secondary school place, you must contact Southwark Education Department on: 020 7525 5050 to arrange their education.