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Admissions Policy for entry in 2010

KES Admissions Policy 2010

King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon
Admissions Policy for entry in 2010

King Edward VI School is a Voluntary Aided School. The Governors are the Admission Authority and as such have formal responsibility for determining pupil admission. The Admissions Policy of the school is outlined below, together with further information about the current admissions process, which adopts Warwickshire County Council’s procedure for selective admissions in South Warwickshire.

The closing date for registering for selection tests for all the selective schools in Warwickshire is 17th July 2009 (end of the summer term). Registration after that date will be considered as late. An exception will be made for parents who can provide evidence of a move of address into the priority circle by 5th February 2010. Late registrations will only be considered after the first round of offers and may not be tested before the offer date.

Year 7

At age 11 (Year 7) pupils may be admitted to King Edward VI School providing they satisfy the provisions of the Warwickshire County Council’s selection procedure for South Warwickshire as follows:

Up to and including 2007, admission at an automatic level was determined by comparing the children’s performances in two Moray House verbal reasoning tests.
Performance in an essay, and additional information provided by the relevant primary schools, was used to decide whether some candidates who do not qualify automatically should also be offered a selective school place.
The test score for automatic qualification for places at both King Edward VI School and the Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls was set at 260 by the Schools Adjudicator in 2004. The Adjudicator also set a limit of 22 on the number of children who could be offered places having scored below the automatic standard.
For entry in 2008, the Moray House tests were replaced by two NFER verbal reasoning tests. The Committee of Reference - a panel of headteachers and teachers appointed according to the terms of reference in the area, and including the Heads of the south Warwickshire selective schools or their representatives - adhered to a similar standard of ability for admission for each of the schools involved, and followed the criteria required by the Adjudicator.
For entry in 2010, admission at an automatic level will be determined by comparing the children’s performances in two tests commissioned by Warwickshire Local Authority from the University of Durham CEM Unit. The standardisation of the new papers is likely to be different from those of the previous tests, but the Committee of Reference will adhere to a similar standard of ability for admission as has been adopted previously. A limit of 22 will be placed on the number of boys offered places having scored below the automatic standard.

Looked After Children

Amongst the group scoring above the automatic standard, the highest priority will be given to children in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, a local authority (under Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) scoring above the automatic standard set by the Committee of Reference and where an application has been made by 5th February 2010.
Similarly amongst the group considered further as possible exceptions the highest priority will be awarded to children in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, a local authority (under Section 22 of the Children Act 1989).

Arrangements for the tests for 2010 entry

Children whose parents have registered for the tests will attend the test centres to complete the test papers. Normally, each child will attend only one session. Details of the test centre are sent to the parent following registration, normally in August or September. Parents of children living in Warwickshire with difficulties in transporting their child to a test centre can raise their individual case with the Admissions Service.
The tests will be set in a morning session in test centres on 3rd October 2009. Supplementary tests will be held on Tuesday 20th October 2009. These will only be available for those who provide proof of illness on the day of the original tests (doctor’s note) or who are able to provide evidence of special circumstances such as religious grounds or previously booked engagements prior to the date of the original tests. Late applications from parents moving into the priority area will be included in this group.
Children not resident in South Warwickshire can be considered for a place at King Edward VI School. However, the first round of offers will only be made to those living within the school’s priority circle, as described in the Local Authority booklet “Secondary Schools in South Warwickshire”. This is a circle drawn from a point between the two Stratford Grammar Schools, on a radius of about 17 miles. Children living outside the priority area will only be considered if vacancies occur after the first round of offers.
The automatic standard for 2010 will be set by the South Warwickshire Committee of Reference taking account of the previous automatic standard for entry to King Edward VI School and there will be a limit of offers to no more than 22 boys scoring below the automatic standard.

The tests will comprise two papers (bespoke papers available only to Warwickshire County Council), with a selection of answering styles including multiple choice. A short sample paper will be issued to each candidate registered for the tests with the notice of allocation to a particular Test Centre.

Each test will be administered over 1 hour, with 45 minutes of this allocated to answering questions, and a 30 minute break in between. The two papers will each incorporate the three components of:

Verbal Reasoning
Non Verbal Reasoning
Numeracy

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning involves the manipulation of verbal representations and the solving of verbally presented problems. Orthographic, syntactic and semantic abilities, as well as logic and other problem solving skills are needed in verbal reasoning. This component also tests the ability to make inferences as to the meaning within and between phrases, sentences and paragraphs- also referred to as comprehension.

Non-Verbal

Non-verbal reasoning tests eliminate cultural bias in intelligence testing and the possible bias against individuals who lack experience of a particular language or have difficulties with verbal elements. This component also consists of several short passages of prose which need an overall understanding of the passage, as well as closer attention being paid to the grammatical and syntactic elements of written language than in the comprehension test.

Numeracy

Numeracy questions will include short mathematical questions which will test ability in mental arithmetic and recognition of mathematical patterns, and data processing problems which will explore numerical problem solving in stages with a greater verbal element than in the shorter maths questions.

Years 8 – 11

Places in these years are occasionally available. Those wishing to apply for a place should contact the school office. The boy concerned must demonstrate a level of ability comparable with that of the relevant transfer group.
Children below the age of 14 years 3 months (years 8 and 9) will be tested according to tests used for that year of entry and appropriate to the age of the child, and will be assessed by comparison with scores of those who qualified for admission to the school.
For children above 14 years and 3 months (years 10 and 11), entry will be considered in comparison with the existing year group, and by taking into account subject areas and examination courses already studied, and where relevant performance in national tests.

School Admission Numbers

For 2010, the Governors have determined that the number of boys admitted to the school at year 7 will be 75, following a ruling by the Schools Adjudicator in 2003.
If the school is oversubscribed for entry in Year 7, pupils’ names may be placed on a reserve list, which will remain in force until the start of the Michaelmas Term. This list is maintained and administered by the Warwickshire Admission Service as part of the selection process. There is no reserve list for pupils who apply for a place in years 8 – 11.

Sixth Form

Boys have for many years been able to apply to join King Edward VI School Sixth Form from other establishments. The admission arrangements for 2010 are as follows:

A meeting for prospective Sixth Form entrants is held at the school in the Michaelmas Term. The precise date each year can be found on the school website, and is advertised in the local press.
Applications for Sixth Form entry should be made to The Head of Sixth Form, by not later than January 31st in the year of entry.
Applicants will be invited into the school to meet the Head of Sixth Form, and to discuss their application and possible subject options.
A minimum of a grade B at GCSE is normally required in any subject to be taken at AS level. All sixth-form pupils must have achieved five GCSE passes at grades A* to C, including mathematics and English.
Provisional offers of places will be sent out to applicants in early February.
The maximum number of pupils to be admitted into the Lower Sixth Form will be 96, and this includes all those who transfer from the KES Year 11 into the Sixth Form.
The priority circle does not apply for entry into the Sixth Form. Boys may be admitted into the sixth form irrespective of where they live, but they must be able to attend school from 8.50 – 4.00pm each day, and to be prepared to play a full part in the life of the school.
All boys offered a provisional place in the sixth form will be required to attend the two days of sixth form induction held in the summer term.
Places at the school will be confirmed following receipt of GCSE results in August.
In the case of over-subscription for Sixth Form entry, GCSE points score will be the criterion used for offering places.

Registering for the Test

The closing date for registering for selection tests for all the selective schools in Warwickshire is 15th July 2009.
Registration after that date will be considered as late. An exception will be made for parents who can provide evidence of a move of address into the priority circle by 5th February 2010. Late registrations will only be considered after the first round of offers and may not be tested before the offer date.

Applications for a place

Applications will be made on the home authority’s composite parental application forms as part of the co-ordinated process with neighbouring authorities.
The closing date for applications is set by the home authority.

For children living in Warwickshire the closing date for applications is 23rd October, 2009.

Applications received after this date will be considered late and will be given a lower priority for places. An exception will be made for children moving into the priority area where independent evidence can be provided by 5th February 2010.

Late applications for the Sixth Form will be considered if places remain following the initial allocation process.

Appeals

Parents of boys who have not been allocated a place at the school have a right of appeal to an independent panel. Parents should contact the school if they wish to enter an appeal.