Prospective Parents

Admissions Policy

Southampton City Council is the admissions authority for all Community Secondary schools and colleges.

First Preference

If the number of first preference applications received by the closing date is greater than the published admission limit, admissions will be decided on according to the following priorities:

1. Children with statements of special educational needs that name the school.
2. Children in public care (looked after children).
3. Children who live within the school's designated catchment area.

If the school is oversubscribed from within the catchment area, priorities 4 (i) to (v), as set out below, will be used.

4. Children who live outside the school's designated catchment area, in the following order:
   1. children whose parents have named a particular school because the child has a significant medical or psychological condition which means they must attend the preferred school rather than any other. Applications must be supported by appropriate written evidence from a doctor or psychologist
   2. children who have a brother or sister already on the roll of the school who will continue to attend that school during the following year. (This includes children who live as siblings in the same family unit)
   3. children who live in the catchment area of a single sex school whose parents have specially stated their preference for a co-educational school
   4. children attending a designated catchment junior or primary school, namely Harefield Junior, Hightown Primary and Kanes Hill Primary Schools
   5. children who live closest to the school based on the shortest practicable waling distance using public roads and footpaths. Distances are measured from home to school for in-catchment children and from either home to school or home to designated catchment area boundary for out-catchment children, as laid out in the individual school's admissions policy.

Should the school be oversubscribed from within an of the criteria 4 (i) to 4(iv) above, then distance, as given in 4 (v), must be used to prioritise applications.

Second Preference

If the school has places available after admitting all on-time first preference applications, any on-time second preference applications will be considered in accordance with the priorities set out above.

Third Preference

If the school has places available after admitting all on-time first and second preference applications, any on-time third preference applications will be considered in accordance with the priorities set out above.

Late Applications

If the school has places available after admitting all on-time applications, late applications will be considered in accordance with the priorities set out above. Late first preference applications will be considered first followed by late second preference applications and then late third preference applications.

If parents apply after the closing date for applications has passed, for example, because they have recently moved into the area, a place will be offered if one is available in the child's particular year group. The place will be offered in accordance with the priorities of the published admissions criteria.

Unplaced Children

Any child who remains unplaced after all of their preferences have been processed, either because they failed to get into any school requested or they did not complete a form, will be allocated a place at their catchment school, if places are still available. If there are no places available at their catchment school, they will be allocated a place at the nearest school with places available to their home address. Distance to the home address will be measured by public roads and footpaths.

Waiting Lists

If the preferred school is unable to offer a child a place, parents can request that their child's name be placed on a waiting list. If places become available, children on the waiting list will be offered them according to the priorities set out in the admissions policy. The length of time on the waiting list cannot be taken into account. The waiting list will be structured as follows:

Charging Policy

Our policy is not to charge for activities such as visits and trips which are part of the curriculum, but we do ask for voluntary contributions. However, no child will be excluded from such activities if a contribution is not made. We do charge for board and lodging should it be appropriate.

In the unlikely event of deliberate damage being done to college property, we do charge for the repairs.

We also seek to recover any cost incurred should a pupil not attend for a public examination for which an entry has been agreed.