Admissions

 

 

 

The ‘admissions authority’ is the Governing Body of Hurstmere School. The agreed admission number is 210.

 

The parents of all applicants must complete an application form obtained from their home Local Authority. Applicants will then sit a compulsory Ability Banding Test at the school.

 

Hurstmere School will admit pupils representing all levels of ability from admission applicants. They will be tested and placed in one of nine bands.

 

There will be 23 places available in bands 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 24 places available in bands 1, 5, and 9. In the event of oversubscription, applicants will be admitted using the criteria set out below: (thereby making a total of 210 boys)

 

Looked after children – children in public care.

 

This is given where a child, sibling or a parent has a medical condition, which would cause significant hardship if the child could not attend the school of parental preference. In such cases the school will require confirmation that it is essential, on medical grounds, for the child to attend Hurstmere School.

 

Note: If you wish to request this priority you must do so, and provide any supporting evidence, at the time of application. Later requests will be considered only if the medical condition occurs after the closing date for applications. Medical conditions consequential from a failure to obtain the preferred school, for example emotional distress (whether or not leading to a recognised medical condition), do not fall within this priority. “Significant hardship” will be interpreted as being greater than inconvenience, financial disadvantage or emotional upset.

 

This is given to a child with a brother attending the school at the time of admission.

 

Note: For this priority, brother includes a full brother or step/brother living at the same address. Please be aware that you must provide the necessary details when you apply. Children of multiple births will be treated individually under the banding system.

 

Pupils who live within the nearest radial distance (direct line distance between the applicant’s home to Hurstmere School’s entrance on Hurst Road) to Hurstmere School on the close of the published admissions application date.

 

Note: Home address is the address at which the child lives with a parent or registered guardian who is the main carer, defined as the parent eligible to receive Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit.

 

Pupils with a statement of Special Education Needs will be dealt with through a separate process. The Governing Body will admit those students whose statements name Hurstmere, after the process has been completed.

 

Where applications exceed places, a waiting list will be maintained until 31st December in the year of admission, in accordance with the admission criteria.

 

Parents have the right to appeal. In such cases parents should forward their appeal in writing to the Clerk to the Governors, at the school address, within 14 days of hearing that their child has not been allocated a place. An Independent Appeals Panel will then hear the appeal.

 

 

A chance to walk around the school with the family, no booking necessary.

 

Guided tours of the school for parents followed by Headteacher’s address. Tours begin promptly at 9am. Please telephone to make a reservation.

 

21st October 2011: Common Application Form should be returned to your Local Authority, official return date is the last day in October.

 

4th November 2011: Hurstmere’s Expression of Interest Form to be returned. Please note that if you indicate Hurstmere as a preferred school on your Common Application Form, you will receive an invitation to the Hurstmere Banding test 21st November 2011.  

 

Saturday 26th November 2011: Hurstmere Banding Test (Non Verbal Reasoning).

If a second date is necessary it will be Saturday 3rd December 2011.

 

Please note that, should you nominate both Hurstmere and Erith School on the Common Application Form, your son will be required to sit the Banding test at only one of those schools. The two schools will exchange such data as necessary. In such circumstances you would receive a banding test invitation from both schools. As such we would ask that you communicate with the lower preference school to inform them that your child will sit the test at the higher preference school.

 

In accordance with the Coordinated School Admission Arrangements parents will be sent a letter saying which school their child has been offered. This letter will be posted by first class post on the first working day of March.

Parents are asked to ensure that all details are correctly entered on the Common Application Form.  Hurstmere reserves the right to withdraw any place offered on the basis of incorrect information.  Such withdrawal may be made subsequent to a student’s entry to Hurstmere.

Please note that, despite its status as a Sports College, Hurstmere does not give priority for admission to elite sportsman.