Admissions Policy
Sacred Heart School is a Voluntary Aided Secondary School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark. The Catholic Diocese founded the school in 1959 to provide education for boys and girls of Catholic families. The school is conducted by its governing body as part of the Catholic Church in accordance with its trust deed and instrument of government, and seeks at all times to be a witness to Jesus Christ.
Whenever there are more applications than places available, priority will be given to baptised Catholic applicants in accordance with the over-subscription criteria listed below. In 2010 we intend to admit 120 applicants.
Over-subscription Criteria
At any time where there are more applications for places than the number of places available, places will be offered according to the following order of priority:
- Looked after Catholic children or looked after children in the care of Catholic families.
- Children who, together with one or both parents, are baptised, practising members of the Catholic Church and who attend one of the following local Catholic feeder primary schools, St Joseph's Junior, Camberwell; English Martyrs, Walworth; St James the Great, Peckham; St Francis, Peckham; St Helens, Brixton; St Anne's, Vauxhall; and, are resident in the Camberwell, Cathedral or Lambeth Deaneries.
- Children who, together with one or both parents, are baptised, practising members of the Catholic Church and are resident in the Camberwell, Cathedral or Lambeth Deaneries.
- Children who are baptised members of the Catholic Church and are resident in the Camberwell, Cathedral or Lambeth Deaneries.
- Children who are baptised members of the Catholic Church.
- Other looked after children.
- Children who are baptised members of Historic Eastern Churches.
- Children who are members of churches that are part of Churches Together in England.
- Any other applicants.
Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any of the categories listed above would lead to over-subscription the following provisions will be applied in each of the above categories in order of priority.
a) The attendance of a brother(s) or sister(s) at the school at the time of admission.
b) Pupils who are currently attending one of the following local Catholic feeder primary schools, St Joseph's Junior, Camberwell; English Martyrs, Walworth; St James the Great, Peckham; St Francis, Peckham; St Helens, Brixton and St Anne's, Vauxhall.
c) The Deaneries would be prioritised in the following order Camberwell, Cathedral and Lambeth.
d) Exceptional social or medical need of the child, which can be most appropriately met at this school. Written evidence from a professional such as a registered health worker, doctor, social worker or priest must be provided. This should set out the particular reason why the Sacred Heart School is the most suitable and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
e) Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any of the sub-categories listed above would still lead to over-subscription, the places up to the admission number will be offered to those living nearest the school.
Application Procedures and Timetable
A common application form (CAF) from the parents' home LA must be completed and returned to that LA by the set date in year 2009. Any late applications will be considered after those returned on time.
Supplementary form – Section A (Information About Religious Practice) should be filled in by the parents/carers and returned to the school by the closing date together with copies of the child's birth or Baptism certificates as evidence of religious membership of the Catholic Church. Any late applications will be considered after those returned on time.
Supplementary form – Section B (Priests Reference) must be completed by, in the case of Catholic children, a Catholic priest and in the case of other children from other denominations or faiths, a religious leader. This form should be sent direct to the school by the priest or religious leader who signed it.
Completion of a Supplementary Form is not mandatory; however, if one is not received the Governors will not be able to apply their admission criteria and the application will be considered under the ‘any other applicants' category.
These forms must be brought or sent to the Clerk of Governors, Sacred Heart School, Camberwell New Road, London SE5 0RP, during the set week in October in year 2009 (details of times available in the school's prospectus).
Parents will be advised of the outcome of their applications by their home LA on the set date in March in year 2010. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised of their right of appeal to an independent appeal panel.
Applicants are requested to note that unless they have applied on the home LA application form AND submitted completed Religious Practice forms and copies of the relevant certificates by the deadline, their application will only be considered after those who have met the deadline. Sacred Heart RC School will comply with the Southwark co-ordinated admissions process and timetable for year.
Any late applications made between the offer date and 31st August will need to be made through the LA.
Waiting Lists
In addition to the right of appeal, unsuccessful candidates will be offered the opportunity to be placed on a waiting list. This waiting list will be maintained in the order of the over-subscription criteria set out above and not in the order in which applications are received or added to the list. A waiting list will be maintained by the LA until the 31st August and subsequently by the school until 31st October.
Appeals
Parents whose applications for places are unsuccessful may appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel set up in accordance with section 85(3) of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998. Appeals must be made in writing and must set out the reasons on which the appeal is made. Appeals should be made to the Admissions Appeal Clerk at the school address. Parents/Carers have the right to make oral representations to the Appeal Panel.
Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs
The admission of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs is dealt with by a completely separate procedure. This procedure is integral to the making and maintaining statements by the pupil's home LA. Details of this separate procedure is set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
Notes (these notes form part of the over-subscription criteria)
"Looked after children" has the same meaning as in section 22 of the Children's Act 1989, and means any child in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by them (e.g. children with foster parents). Please note that children in private fostering arrangements are not considered looked after children.
"Catholic" means a member of a Church in communion with the See of Rome. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of Baptism in a Catholic Church or a confirmation of reception into the Catholic Church
"practising members of the Catholic Church" refers to people who:
- have attended Sunday Mass regularly over at least three years. (See Canons 1246, 1247 and 1248 of the current Code of Canon Law 1983) Higher priority will be given where there is a higher frequency of attendance as specified on the supplementary form.
- have had their children baptised as infants (see Canon 867 of the current Code of Canon Law 1983).
- have had their children receive First Communion at the age of reason (see Canons 913, 914, 97 of the current Code of Canon Law 1983).
- Applications will be ranked in the order shown on the Supplementary Form; priority being given firstly weekly Mass attendance, then fortnightly, etc.
"Catechumen" means a member of the catechumenate of the Catholic Church. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of reception into the order of catechumens.
"Historic Eastern Church" includes Orthodox Churches, and is normally evidenced by a certificate of baptism or reception from the authorities of that Church.
A brother or sister is defined as a brother or sister through blood, a half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, and in every case who is living as part of the same family unit at the same address.
To demonstrate an exceptional social or medical need of the child which can be most appropriately met at this school, the governing body will normally require written evidence from an appropriate professional such as a registered health worker, doctor, social worker or priest.
Distances will be measured from the main entrance to the school in a straight line on a large-scale map to the front door which provides entry to their accommodation by Southwark LA mapping system.
