Admissions Criteria

• To Year 8
• To Year 9 and above
• To Year 13

Admission To Year 8

The Board of Governors has determined that, in the event of the number of applicants being greater than the admissions for the school, the following method will be used to select pupils for admission. Applicants normally resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be considered before all other applicants.

Special Circumstances and Special Provisions

The Board of Governors will consider in accordance with the 'Model Criteria for Special Circumstances and Special Provisions' as set out below and in the WELB's booklet 'Secondary Education and Changing Schools at Eleven' 2004 edition, applications on behalf of children:

1. whose performance in the test was affected by medical or other problems,
2. who did not participate in the test for the reasons stated.

Model Criteria

Special Circumstances

Grammar Schools must admit pupils strictly in the order of the Transfer Grade which they obtain, subject only to the consideration of medial or other problems which may have affected performance in a Test and which are supported by documentary evidence of a medical or other appropriate nature.

Details of Medical or other Problems

Where it is claimed that a pupil's performance in the Transfer Test has been affected by a medical or other problem, independent evidence of its existence must be provided to the school. Where the problem is a meical one of short term duration which affected the pupil only at the time of the Transfer Test the school will require the production of evidence that the pupil was examined by a medical practitioner in relation to the illness.

Where the problem is of a non-medical nature the parents should set out in the Transfer Form precise details fo the problem and append any appropriate evidence to corroborate its existence.

Educational Evidence

Sufficient objective comparative documentary evidence must be provided by the parents and the Primary School and accompany the Transfer Form to enable the School to reach a decision.

The following information must be provided to enable the school to arrive at a decision:

1. The number of pupils in his/her P7 class and the number taking the tests.
2. All pupil's internal school test results in English, Mathematics, Science and Technology (eg standardised practice tests in examination conditions) from the beginning of the P6 school year compared to the results of the same tests for all other members of his/her P7 clas and the transfer grades of the mother members of his/her P7 class. In the case of small schools, or schools where very few pupils take the Tranfer Tests, it will be appropriate to include the same comparative information in relation to pupils who have taken the Transfer Tests in teh previous year(s).  Such information must be provided on Form SC1, a sample of which is set out in the Board's booklet.  Only the pupil claiming Special Circumstances should be identified. All other pupils in the comparative picture should be anonymous.

The Primary School Principal's comments on the pupil's academic achievements in comparison with the other members of his/her P7 class who received the same or a higher grade in the Transfer Tests are also requested.

In is emphasised that the onus is on the parents to ensure that the above informatino is provided by the Primary School.  Failure to provide such information may result in the school being unable to consider the application for special circumstances.

The applicants will have their claims considered before the application of the Admissions Criteria. The Board of Governors will, on teh basis of all of the documentary evidence available to them at the time of making their decision, decide the grade to be used in the application of their Admissions Criteria to such applicants. Those who are deemed by the Board of Governors to be of equivalent ability to thsoe awarded Grade A or B1 or B2 or C1 or C2 or D will be treated on equal terms to those awarded such grades in the Transfer Procedure tests.

Special Provisions for

1. Children whose parents wish them to transfer to Grammar Schools from schools outside Northern Ireland
2. Children who have received more than half of their primary education outside Northern Ireland
3. Children, who because of medical or other problems, which are supported by appropriate documentary evidence of a medical or other appropriate nature, were unable to take the Transfer Tests.

The Board of Governors have agreed that the follwoing procedures will apply

• The parents must indicate to schools of preference, the precise reasons why the child did not take part in the Transfer Test and provide in teh case of medical problems, appropriate documentary evidence.
• The Grammar School will expect to receive reports from the school(s) attended and will request the Education and Library Board to make an assessment of the child's ability where this is not provided with the Transfer Form.
• The assessment will eb considered in relation to the standard of the pupils gaining admission to the school and a decision will be made by the Board of Governors whether or not to offer the child a place.

Admission to Year 8

1. Applicants will be admitted in grade order, i.e.
   A, B1, B2, C1, C2 and then D.
2. If there are more applicants with a particular grade than places remaining, then pupils with that grade will be selected by applying the following sub-criteria in the order set down.
   
   1. Pupils whose brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, step-brother, step-sister is presently enrolled at the school or has been accepted for entry into Year 8 (e.g. a twin) or is the eldest child in the family.
   2. Pupils whose brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, step-brother, step-sister was formerly a pupil at the school.
   3. Pupils of whom a parent is a former pupil of the school
   4. Pupils who are transferring from Controlled primary schools.
   5. Pupils who are transferring from Maintained primary schools
   6. Other pupils with this grade.

In the event of equal claims to the last place(s), a rank order based on the distance from home to school measured as the "crow flies" will be drawn up with the nearest placed first. The remaining place(s) will be allocated according to this rank order, beginning with the nearest.

It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that all relevent information is submitted on or appended to the applicant's Transfer Report Form.

The Admissions Sub-Committee, consisting of three Governors and the Senior Management Team applies the criteria to the transfer applications and makes recommendations to the Board of Governors.

Year 8 admissions after Beginning of School Year

The same criteria as outlined above will be applied to applications for admission to Year 8 after the beginning of the school year.

Admission to Year 9 and above

Pupils will be considered for enrolment provided that:

1. their admission would not cause the school to exceed it's enrolment number
2. in the opinion of the Board of Governors their admission would not prejudice the efficient use of the school's resources
3. the Board of Governors, on the basis of all the information provided, are of the opinion that the child's academic ability is of the standard equivalent to that of the pupils with whom he or she would be taught at the school.

Admission to Year 13

As year 12 numbers could be in excess of the anticipated admission number for year 13, GCSE grades will be converted to numbers using the following allocations:

The total number for each applicant, for the school's own Year 12 and for outside candidates, will be used to determine a cut-off point below which pupils will not be accepted back, except in very special circumstances.

Pupils will be expected to have grade B or better in the subjects they propose to take to AS level. this requirement may not be necessary in relation to pupils taking Advanced GNVQ (VCE) courses.