ADMISSIONS

Monitoring Programme
Reviewed by SLT / June 2016
Ratified by Governors / June 11th 2015
Effective from / June 12th 2015
Review scheduled for / June 2017
Responsible person / Assistant Headteacher (P, G&W)

Prospective parents seeking admission information should contact the Dorset Local Authority Admissions department on 01305 228 509 or apply on-line via Dorset for You.

Places in The Blandford School are allocated to new students in line with the Dorset Admissions policy and in the following order of priority:

  1. Children who are or have been in care or are looked after by the local authority
  1. Children who the authority accepts have exceptional medical or social needs

and where there is a need for a place at one specific school

  1. Children who live within the school’s catchment area and will have a sibling

attending the school at the time they would be due to start

  1. Children living in the school’s catchment area
  1. Children living outside the school’s catchment area who will have a sibling

attending the school at the time of admission

  1. Children living outside the catchment area who attend the preferred school’s

recognised feeder school during the previous year at the time of the application

  1. Children of staff who have at least two years continuous service at the school

or have been recruited to meet a demonstrable skills shortage at the closing

date of the application and intend to still be employed at the school at the time

their child would be due to start. The term “children” includes those non-blood

related but resident through marriage, civil partnerships or family cohabitation

8. All other children living outside the catchment area (known as distance criteria)

If, in the categories listed above, the number of children seeking admission exceeds the number of places which are available, decisions as to which children will be admitted will be made in the following way:

•Priority 1 children – catchment area children

•Priority 2 children – out of catchment area children

In both cases, places will be allocated by applying the priority order. In the event of there being more children than places available in any of these categories, the child’s proximity to the school will be the determining (i.e. tie-break) factor. Admission arrangements for students joining us at times other then the beginning of an academic year are made by the Assistant Headteacher i/c Admissions after consultation with the Admissions Officer at County Hall.

A full transition programme is in place. In addition, an Open Evening is held each year in September for parents of future (and current) students. This is advertised in the local press, and details are sent out to the local schools. During the Summer Term a pre-transfer day and an evening parents’ meeting are held for Year 6 students. An annual ‘meet the tutor’ information evening is held for new year 7 students and their parents early in the Autumn term.

Sixth Form Entry

There are currently three levels of courses offered in the Sixth Form.

•Levels 1 and 2 Intermediate: Health and Social Care, Business Studies, Travel and Tourism.

•Level 3 Advanced (AS/A2 and BTEC Music Technology/Cambridge National Level 3 ICT and Cambridge National Level 3 Business).

Each individual’s particular abilities will determine which course is correct for them and the main guide to determining this is their Average GCSE Point Score. Access to level 3 courses generally requires 5 grade C passes or above at GCSE level, including English language. Some courses have specific entry requirements listed in the sixth form course booklet.

The school has a very good record of Sixth Form success for all levels of entry. There is a high percentage of University entrants, including Oxbridge candidates. In addition our student trainees gain modern apprenticeships and F.E. places.

The admission number of Year 12 entry is 20 (over and above the number of students entering Year 12 from Year 11 within the school). Sixth Form admissions are at the discretion of the Headteacher, and will normally be decided in the light of the student’s commitment to study, attendance data and his or her suitability for the course which is offered and applied for.

An Open Evening is held each year for parents of future (and current) students. This is advertised in the local press, and details are sent out to the local schools. During the Autumn Term an evening meeting is held for prospective Sixth Formers and their parents.