FE at Manor Green College - Application Information
Guidance Notes
Priority of Placements
The allocation of places for pupils is again monitored closely and can only be permitted if the circumstances and criteria are met. As a result of this the normal rule of thumb applies whereby a young person meeting the entry criteria and living in the catchment area will be offered a place before a young person who say meets the criteria but lives outside the catchment area.
Likewise, should places be available and a young person wishes to attend but lives in another catchment area, a place will be granted once all places are filled by those people who have met the aforementioned criteria and admission rules.
If you are in doubt as to whether your child meets the criteria before applying, then contact the sixth form college or the local education authority and ask them to advise you on what chance your child has and what steps to take to increase your child’s chances of success.
Exceptional Circumstances
As in all levels of education, certain exceptional circumstances have provisions made for them. Some local education authorities may exercise discretion in awarding places if the individual could benefit from the programme that is offered in a sixth form college but, because of his/her circumstances, has not met the entry criteria.
These circumstances incorporate young people who require special needs education or who have a physical disability, which can only be met by a particular school or college. Also asylum seekers and/or a young person who does not speak English as their first language could benefit from a place in sixth form.
Again it is important to understand that these are exceptional circumstances and as such placements in lieu of these are offered only at the local education authority and Sixth Form College’s discretion. It is not to be taken as read that a place will be offered on the basis of any of these circumstances.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
If the school is oversubscribed, after the admission of students with a Statement of Special Educational Needs, or Education Health and Care Plan, where the school is named in the statement or plan, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in order:
1. Looked after children
For admissions purposes a ‘looked after child’ is a child who is a) in the care of a local authority, or b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions as defined in Section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989. This covers accommodated children and those who are in care under a care order/interim order. This can include: living with family or friends, in foster care, a children’s home, residential school, special school or in supported lodgings.
This includes children who were previously looked after and immediately after being looked after became the subject of an adoption, residence or special guardianship order as set out below.
Other definitions:
Residence Order is an order setting out the arrangements made concerning the person with whom the child is to live under section 8 of the Children’s Act 1989
Special Guardianship Order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians) under Section 14A of the Children’s Act 1989
2. Children of staff at the school
Priority may be given to children of staff in either or both of the following circumstances:
a) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or
b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage
3. Children whose normal home address is within the catchment area of the school.
A map of the area is available from the Local Authority.
4. Children who have exceptional medical or social needs supported by written evidence from a doctor, social worker, education welfare officer or other appropriate person.
If you want MGC to consider your child under this rule you must include supporting evidence from an independent professional person, who is aware of the situation and supports your reasons for preferring a particular school for your child.
The supporting evidence must relate specifically to the application to Manor Green College and clearly demonstrate why it is the only school that can meet your child’s needs in a way that no other school can. It must also illustrate the difficulties that would be caused if your child had to attend an alternative school. The person who supplies the evidence might be a doctor, a SENDCO or other professional aware of your case. The Governing Body will decide which children will be considered under this rule before any allocations are made.
No applications can be considered under this rule unless written independent evidence is received
5. Those living outside the catchment area for the school.
In the event of over-subscription, once the admissions criteria have been applied, then any further places will be awarded.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
For further details of the application process, and application timetable, please contact the school. A Sixth Form Options’ Evening, “Next Steps”, is held each year in the late Autumn or early Spring term.
Desire to apply for a place at a sixth form college can be made at the young person’s Annual Review.
It is strongly recommended; to visit Further Education providers, including Manor Green College FE. Application forms for candidates will be given by the college office and returned on completion to the Head of Sixth Form.
Applicants for a place at Manor Green College, FE will be invited to meet with the Head of Sixth Form (FE).
Where a sixth form applicant has been refused a place at the school, parents and carers will be advised of their right of appeal against the decision of the Governing Body to an Independent Appeals Panel.
The right of appeal will apply equally to students currently attending the school and seeking entry to the sixth form and to external applicants. A waiting list for the sixth form will be maintained, in line with the school’s over-subscription criteria, until the end of September. Students are not admitted to sixth form courses after that date.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION, RACE RELATIONS
In dealing with applications for admissions governors will have full regard to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975; Race Relations Act 1976 and 2000; Human Rights Act 1998; Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005; and Equality Act 2010.
SCHOOL TRANSPORT
For students who are 16, 17 or 18 years of age before 1 September in any academic year the council operates a travel scheme (The 16+ Scheme). Further details of the scheme are available from the Passenger Transport Section at West Sussex County Council.
NAMED CONTACT
All initial enquiries regarding admission to the sixth form should be made to Mr G Court, Head of FE (Sixth Form) at Manor Green College – Tel No: 01293 520351.