The College provides courses of study for post 16 male and female students wishing to follow Level 3 courses as outlined in the annual prospectus. 

The majority of 6th form students transfer from Year 11 within the College. Interest from external applicants is most welcome. Availability of places is dependent on the numbers transferring from Year 11. The minimum number of places allocated to external applicants will be 5.

The total number of pupils in Years 12 and 13 is not normally expected to exceed 250. 

Specific subject entry requirements and courses may be requested from school.

Entry requirements for students transferring from within SFX and applying from other schools will be the same.

Oversubscription Criteria

Where the number of eligible external applicants for a course of study exceeds the places available then admission will be determined in accordance with the following priority: 

  1. Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children 

(see notes 1 and 2)

  1. Applicants who have a brother or sister at the College at the time of likely admission.  This includes full, half or step brothers or sisters, adopted and foster brother or sisters who are living at the same address and are part of the same family unit. 
  2. Catholic applicants – proof of baptism will be required.  Refer to the fuller explanation in the year 7 policy.
  3. Other applicants 

Tiebreaker

Should demand for places exceed the number available after the published oversubscription criteria has been applied, a tiebreaker will be used to determine to whom the place will be allocated.  The Governors will offer places to applicants who live nearest the College.  Distance will be measured by straight line distance from the child’s permanent home address (including flats and apartments) to the school using the local authority’s computerised measuring system with those living closest to the school being given preference.  If two or more applicants in the same criteria have equal distance measured, the tie-break will be via a random allocation process which would be independently supervised.

The local authority carries out straight line measurements to calculate the distance from home to school. Direct distance routine calculates the straight line distance between the child’s permanent home address coordinates and the school address coordinates by using the mathematical routine Pythagoras Theorem, based on the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) data and national grid coordinates for the school and the permanent home address”.

If an individual course is oversubscribed, then a tie breaker will be applied based on the total number of points gained by the candidates best 8 GCSE or equivalent results.  The points will be allocated using the Department for Education’s published lists of equivalencies used in the League tables, as applicable at the time of application. 

Late Applications

Applications received after the published closing date will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.

Appeals

Any student (or parent) refused the offer of a place has the right to appeal. Further information on appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel can be requested from the school.

Misleading Information

An application may be regarded as invalid if the information provided by the student or parent on the application form is shown to be intentionally misleading or fraudulent.  

If Governors find that an offer of a place has been made based on fraudulent or intentionally misleading information then such may be withdrawn.