Admission to Year 12 (6th Form)

2. Capacity

The maximum size of Year 12 is 220 students, subject to their fulfilling the entry criteria described below and subject to class sizes in their chosen subjects.

We welcome external applications to Year 12.  Our Year 12 “Admission Number” is 30.  The over-subscription criteria do not apply to existing Backwell School students but they do have to meet the entry requirements listed in section 5.

3. Closing date for applications

The closing time and date for the first round of applications is 4.30 pm on 30 January 2009. Applications made after that time and date will be considered though the choice of courses and subject combinations may be restricted, depending upon demand.  Application may be made after the start of the academic year and will be accepted if there are spaces within the Sixth Form and on the chosen course but such applicants should be aware that they would be expected to catch up with the coursework.

4. Oversubscription criteria for applicants

These criteria are applied in the following order.

(a) Looked After Children.  This is a child who is looked after by a local authority (LA) in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 at the time an application is made, and who the LA has confirmed will still be looked after at the time when s/he is admitted to the school.

(b) Those living in the first geographical area: the villages of Backwell, Barrow Gurney, Brockley, Claverham, Cleeve, Flax Bourton, Kingston Seymour and Yatton; it also includes parts of Cooks Bridle Path and parts of Downside Road in Wrington Parish and The Fieldings in Kenn Parish.  A map is available from the Clerk to the Governors at the School.

(c) Those living closest to the school.  The distances will be measured in a direct line between the address points of the child’s home and the main entrance to the school, indicated on North Somerset Authority’s computerised system(s).

(d) In the event of a tie, lots will be drawn.

Home address  For school admission purposes the school will normally consider the child’s home address to be the place where the child permanently and ordinarily resides for the majority of the time. This would normally be the same address as the person who has parental responsibility for the child as their main carer.  It will not include the address of a child that is different from his/her parents/carers where the move to this address is expressly linked to obtaining a school place.  Where parents/carers do not live together and the child spends equal amounts of time with both parents/carers, the school will consider the home of the parent/carer who receives Child Benefit to be the child’s home.  The school may undertake rigorous residency checks and reserves the right to request independent confirmation of the child’s place of residence.  Parents/carers may be asked to supply such documentation to support their application as deemed appropriate by the school, for example a Child Benefit book may be required.  If the Child Benefit is shared between parents, the address to be used will be determined by drawing lots.

5. Minimum entry qualifications

GCSE qualifications normally needed are as follows:

• A minimum of 5 grade Cs for two or more A Level subjects.

• At least grade C in English at GCSE.

• At least grade C, preferably B or A, at GCSE in subjects which a student wishes to study at A Level.  Where the subject was not available at GCSE, any comparable subjects are taken into account.

• In the following A Level subjects the additional normal minimum GCSE requirement is as follows:

Business and Economics C in Mathematics.
French and German  B.
Biology and PE  B in Double Science or Biology and C in Mathematics.
Chemistry  B in Double Science or Chemistry and B in Mathematics.
Geography   C at Higher Tier.
Mathematics B at Higher Tier.
Physics   B in Double Science or Physics and B in Mathematics.
Psychology B in Science or Biology and preferably B in Mathematics.
Statistics AS Level B in Mathematics at either Intermediate or Higher Tier.

• BTEC First Diplomas in Business and Travel & Tourism are also offered, for which the minimum academic requirement is an average grade E at GCSE.

Discretion is used in exceptional circumstances – e.g. where a student does not achieve his or her expected grades because of illness.

6. Refusal of a place

If a place is refused the applicant will be given reasons.  The school has a complaints procedure which is available to refused applicants.  Refused applicants also have a legal right of appeal to an independent appeal panel.

Advice is available on suitable further education providers for those who are refused a place because they do not meet the minimum entry qualifications.