Admission arrangements - Spalding High School

Introduction

Spalding High School is a girls' grammar school, with a mixed sex sixth form. Lincolnshire County Council is the Admission Authority.

For a child to be eligible for a place at Spalding High School they must be of the required academic ability.

In common with the majority of grammar schools in Lincolnshire the school requires children to reach a common qualifying standard. For entry into Year 7 this is an aggregate standardised score of 220 in the verbal reasoning test and the non-verbal reasoning test.

This standard is intended to identify the top 25% of children by ability in areas of Lincolnshire served by a grammar school. This means the percentage pass rate may vary from one area to another and from one year to another, depending on the abilities of the children in a local area in any one year.

Published Admission Number

The published admission number for Year 7 is 150.

Testing and arrangements for admission into Year 7

For entry into Year 7 the school determines a child's academic ability for admission by their performance in the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools' 11 plus examinations.

  • A registration form must be completed in order for a child to sit the 11 plus examinations. It is imperative that parents wishing their daughters to sit the 11 plus examination complete and return the registration form.
  • Registration forms are sent to Lincolnshire feeder primary schools in January when children are in Year 5. They should be returned to the primary school by the deadline date on the form. Alternatively, the registration form can be downloaded from the Spalding High School website. It should be returned to Spalding High School by the deadline on the form.
  • Further details regarding test dates and practice papers will be sent once a child is registered for the test.
  • The tests take place in September when the children are in Year 6.
  • Spalding High School sends the result of the 11 plus to parents at the beginning of October.
  • A child taking the 11 plus is not considered as an application for the school and a formal application must be made to the child's home Local Authority.
  • Children can only be tested once for entry into an academic year. A child who does not achieve the qualifying standard for Year 7 cannot be tested for Year 8 until the second half of the summer term preceding entry.

Arrangements for applications for places in Year 7 at Spalding High School will be made in accordance with our coordinated admission arrangements. Parents resident in Lincolnshire can apply:

  • online
  • by telephone 01522 782030
  • request a paper application form by telephoning 01522 782030

Parents resident in other areas must apply through their home local authority. Spalding High School will use our timetable for these applications. The relevant Local Authority will make the offers of places on our behalf as required by the School Admissions Code.

Testing for admission at other times

Children will be required to take entrance examinations to ensure that they are of the academic ability for the relevant year group at Spalding High School. These examinations will determine whether the child is at least of the minimum ability for the relevant year group. Parents who wish their child to take this test should contact Spalding High School directly for more information. For mid-year entry the following tests are to be taken and the standards the child must achieve in order to qualify for the relevant cohort are discussed. The school will also display this information on the school website.

12 plus mid-year entry between the ages of 11.03 and 14 years

These pupils will sit:

  • a GL Assessment verbal reasoning (age 12 and 13, which is suitable for pupils aged 11.03 to 14.03) and 
  • a GL Assessment non-verbal reasoning (age 12 to14, suitable for pupils aged 11.03 to 15.03). These 12 to 14 tests will be age weighted.  Pupils will be expected to attain an amalgamated score of at least 230 with no individual paper scoring below 110. This will place them in the top 25% of the ability range.

Mid-year entry over the age of 14 years

These pupils will sit nferNelson Cognitive Abilities Test 3, Level G. (This is suitable for pupils aged 13.06 to 16 plus, although most appropriate for pupils over 14). Pupils will sit three batteries:

  • verbal
  • quantitative
  • non-verbal

Pupils sitting Cognitive Abilities Tests 14 plus will be expected to attain Level 7 in each section (Stanine Scales). This should place them in the top 25% of the ability range.

A child taking these tests does not constitute a formal an application and a formal application must be made to the school.

For a mid-year place, including the Year 7 that has commenced, an application can be made online. Applications should be made to Lincolnshire County Council for applicants from all areas.

For entry into Year 7 in September places will be allocated to applicants who return an application before we consider any applicant who has not returned one.

If a place is not offered at the school you will be informed of your right of appeal.

Oversubscription criteria

In accordance with relevant legislation the allocation of places for qualifying children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (Children and Families Act 2014) where the school is named on the plan will take place first. Remaining places will be allocated in accordance with this policy.

In the event of the school being oversubscribed by qualified children, places will be allocated using the oversubscription criteria listed below. Criterion marked with a number 1, 2 and 3 are explained in the definitions section.

  1. Looked after children and previously looked after children including those children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. (1).
  2. Children with a brother or sister on roll at Spalding High School at the time of application or who will be attending the school at the expected time of admission (2).
  3. Other Children

Tie breaker

If any admissions category is oversubscribed then the applicants in that category will be ranked in increasing order of straight line distance (3). If the distance criterion is not sufficient to distinguish between two or more applicants for the last remaining place then a lottery will be drawn by an independent person, not employed by the school or working in the Local Authority Children's Service Directorate.

Definitions

(1) 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 (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school.

Previously looked after children are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order). This includes children who were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (see section 12 adoption orders) and children who were adopted under the Adoption and Children's Act 2002 (see section 46 adoption orders). Child arrangements orders are defined in s.8 of the Children Act 1989, as amended by Section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Child arrangements orders replace residence orders and any residence order in force prior to 22 April 2014 is deemed to be a child arrangements order. Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians).

A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.

(2) Children with a sibling attending the school at the time of application, or who will be attending the school at the expected time of admission. In all cases both children must live at the same address. We include in this criterion:

  • siblings who share the same biological parents
  • half siblings and step siblings
  • a legally adopted child, a child legally adopted by a biological or step-parent

(3) The distance measurement is found by measuring the distance from the child's home address to the school. Distances are measured in a straight line and are calculated to three decimal places (for example 1.543 miles) by our school admissions team, using the “Synergy” system.

Information about the address used for each application is taken from the Ordnance Survey AddressBase database. This provides 12 figure X and Y coordinates for each individual property. Distances are measured from this point of the child’s home to the school.

Home address

The home address is where the child lives for the majority of term time with a parent as defined in section 576 of the Education Act (1996).

Where a child lives normally during the school week with more than one parent at different addresses, the home address for the purposes of school admissions will be the one where the child spends the majority of term time. If a parent can show that their child spends an equal amount of time at both addresses during school term time, they can choose which address to use on the application.

If a parent has more than one home, we will take as the home address the address where the parent and child normally live for the majority of the school term time.

We do not take into account an intention to move for the purposes of the oversubscription criteria except for armed forces personnel and returning crown servants.

Twins, other siblings from a multiple birth and siblings in the same year group

If one or more can be admitted within the published admission number the school go above its admission number as necessary to admit all the children, unless this would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources. All siblings must have reached the qualifying standard.

Reserve lists

For admission into Year 7 the governors will keep a waiting list called a reserve list.

If a child has met the required standard in the 11plus and is offered a place at a school named as a lower preference than Spalding High School they will be automatically placed on the reserve list. A child cannot be placed on the reserve list if they have not met the required standard in the 11 plus or have been deemed qualified by an appeal panel.

The reserve lists are kept in the order of the oversubscription criteria. Names can move down the list if someone applies for a place and is higher placed on the oversubscription criteria. The length of time you have been on the list is not taken into account when allocating places.

The list is kept by the school admissions team until the end of the coordinated admission round in August each year. Spalding High School will then keep the reserve list until the end of the academic year.

If your child is of the required ability and you wish them to join the school in another year group, you can request your child be added to the reserve list by contacting Spalding High School directly. The reserve lists are cleared at the end of each academic year in Year 7 to 9 and at the end of December for Year 10. If would like your child to be placed on the reserve list for the following academic year please contact Spalding High School. A reserve list is not kept for Year 11.

Appeals

For entry into Years 7 to 11 a parent has the right to appeal if a place is not offered due to non-qualification, oversubscription or both. There is only a right of appeal if Spalding High School has been expressed as a preference on the application form.

The procedures for appeals relating to admissions are in accordance with all relevant legislation. They are independent and organised by our legal services section and are separate from the admission system. The decision of the independent appeal panel is binding on all parties. You will be informed of how to appeal if your application for a place is denied.

Further information is available about school admissions.

Fraudulent or misleading applications

The Admission Authority and Spalding High School reserve the right to check any address and other information provided so we can apply the oversubscription criteria accurately and fairly.

The Admission Authority and Spalding High School have the right to investigate any concerns they may have about your application. If it is considered there is evidence than an applicant has made a fraudulent claim or provided misleading information, the Admission Authority has the right to withdraw an offer of a school place. For example, if a false home address has been given for a child, which denied a place to a child with a stronger claim.

Fair access protocol

The purpose of the Fair Access Protocol is to ensure that unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are offered a place quickly when applying outside of the main admissions round so that the amount of time any child is out of school is kept to the minimum. Spalding High School will participate in our Fair Access Protocol (FAP). Children allocated under the Fair Access Protocol will take precedence over children on the reserve list.

Children of UK Service Personnel (UK Armed Forces)

In order to support the military covenant aimed at removing disadvantage for UK service personnel (UK Armed Forces), and Crown Servants returning from abroad the following arrangements will apply:

If an application is supported by an official letter declaring a posting and a relocation date then an intention to move to a confirmed address or quartering within the UK will be accepted for a child for the purposes of implementing the oversubscription criteria.

Where an application is not supported by an official letter declaring a posting and relocation date, or is not being made due to a new posting then the child's current address will be used to examine the application against the oversubscription criteria until the child is formally resident in the new address.

Proof of intended occupation of the residential address such as mortgage statement, exchange of contracts or signed tenancy agreement will be required. For applicants participating in the Future Accommodation Model trial, a letter accepting an address under the scheme will be accepted if a signed tenancy agreement cannot be provided.

An offer may be withdrawn if a child does not reside at the address listed on the application form if the school is oversubscribed and use of an incorrect address has resulted in a place being denied to another child who would otherwise have been offered the place.

If a family have provided the required proof of posting, a unit postal address will be accepted for the purposes of operating the oversubscription criteria if parents are unable to provide an address or prefer to use the unit address. This unit will be the base to which the parent has been posted.

In all cases where an applicant is considered after national offer day of the admitting year and parents can demonstrate that the child is a child of a crown servant returning from abroad or is a child of a serving member of the armed forces, the governors will consider whether to offer a place at a school even if the school has reached its official PAN. When making the decision whether to offer over PAN the governors will consider the circumstances of each case including:

  • if the applicant would have been offered a place had they applied on time in the admissions round of the year of entry
  • whether there is any child on the reserve list with higher priority under the oversubscription criteria
  • whether admission of a further student would prejudice the efficient education and efficient use of resources and this prejudice would be excessive

The Governors have discretion to admit above the admission number in these circumstances but they are not obliged to do so. If a place is refused, parents will be informed of their right of appeal.

In all cases the child must have met the required standard to be educated at the school.

Admission of children outside of their normal age group

Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group, for example, if the child is gifted and talented, has experienced problems such as ill health. Parents wishing to make these requests should contact their home local authority for guidance on the procedure to follow. It is important for parents to note that they will have the opportunity and responsibility to provide whatever evidence they wish to support their request.

Decisions will be made on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. This will include taking account of:

  • the parent’s views
  • any available information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development
  • where relevant, the child's medical history and the views of a medical professional
  • whether the child has previously been educated out of their normal age group
  • any evidence that the child may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely
  • the views of the head teacher

Date determined: 23 February 2024