Admissions Policy

Change to catchment consultation December 2022

The consultation period closed on 20 January 2023.

• Responses to consultation
• Map of catchment area

Admissions Policy 2024-25

The school has an agreed admission number of 225 pupils for entry into year 7
September 2024.

All September 2024 applications for year 7 must be made in accordance with the
co-ordinated admission scheme operated by the child’s home local authority. The
deadline for these applications is 31 October 2023. Details on how to apply can be
found on the Essex County Council website.

All mid-term applications should be made directly to William de Ferrers School. The
application form can be found by visiting the Essex County Council website.

Determined admissions criteria for year 7 September 2024
The school will accordingly admit up to 225 pupils in the relevant year group if
sufficient applications are received. All applicants will be admitted if fewer than 225
apply.

If the school is oversubscribed (after the admission of pupils with an Education,
Health and Care Plan where the school is named in the plan) priority for admission
will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in order:

1: A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after
A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after
being looked after became subject to an adoption,child arrangements, or special
guardianship order including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have
been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of
being adopted. 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).

2: Students attending the following primary schools:
● Cold Norton Primary School
● Collingwood Primary School
● Elmwood Primary School
● St Joseph’s R.C. Primary School
● St Mary’s C. of E. Primary School Woodham Ferrers
● Trinity St. Mary’s C. of E. Primary School
● Woodville Primary School
At the time of the closing date for applications for a September intake.

3:Siblings
Children with a sibling already attending the William de Ferrers School at the time of
the application and in any year group excluding the final year (year 13). A sibling is
determined as a brother, sister, adopted brother or sister or step brother or step
sister living in the same family unit in the same family household. Biological siblings
will be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. Children residing in the
same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated
as siblings.

4: Children living in the priority admission area
Please see the map which details our priority admission area

5: Children of William de Ferrers School staff
To children of staff in 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.

6: Any remaining applications
Other children by distance from the school, with priority for admission given to
children who live nearest to the school as measured using Ordnance Survey data to
plot an address in this system. Distances are measured as the crow flies from the
main entrance of the school to the main entrance of the child's home as specified by
the local authority’s Geographic Information System.

For further clarification please refer to Secondary Education in Essex booklet
produced by Essex County Council under ‘Essential Information for Parents’.
Children with a statement of special educational needs are required to be admitted if
the school is named subject to relevant legislation set out in Schedule 27, paragraph
3 of the Education Act 1996.

The admission procedure is administered by Planning and Admissions, Essex
County Council; whose service the school buys into on an annual basis.

Waiting list
The Local Authority will maintain a waiting list for the year 7 intake until the end of
August 2024. This list is then maintained by the school through to the end of year 11
and is updated regularly.

Right to appeal
For applicants not awarded a place as a result of the above they may appeal to an
independent statutory appeals panel established under the current regulations
especially for this purpose.