Admissions

La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School
Highgate Road, London NW5 1RP


DRAFT  ADMISSIONS POLICY   :   2011/2012

ADMISSION TO YEAR 7
La Sainte Union was founded by its Sisters to provide education for children 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.  The school seeks at all times to be a witness to Jesus Christ.

Whenever there are more applications than places available, priority will always be given to Catholic applicants, in strict accordance with the Over-subscription Criteria set out below.  In this Admissions Policy document, ‘applicant’ refers to the parent or carer applying for a place on behalf of the child, and ‘candidate’ refers to the child on behalf of whom the application is being made.

As a Catholic school, we aim to provide a Catholic education for all our pupils.  At a Catholic school, Catholic doctrine and practice permeates every aspect of the school’s activity.  It is essential that the Catholic character of the school’s education is supported by all families in the school.   All applicants and candidates are, therefore, expected to give their full, unreserved and positive support for the aims and ethos of the school. 

The School will ask your parish priest, or the parish priest of the church where you worship each Sunday, either to complete a reference himself, or to pass it for completion, to another priest to whom you are known.  The School will ask him to confirm evidence of regular practice of at least three years.   The information given by you will be confidential to the priest and those directly concerned with the admission arrangements at the School and will not be disclosed to anyone else.   Parents who wish to do so, may, of course, discuss their reference with their parish priest.

The Governing Body has responsibility for admissions to this school and intends to admit 180 girls to Year 7 in the school year which begins in September 2010.  



Over-subscription Criteria
At any time where there are more applications for places than there are places available, places will be offered in the following order of priority:

i.    Catholic Looked After Girls ;

ii.    Baptised and practising Catholic girls who live with one or more parents who are practising Catholics.  The extent to which the candidate and her Catholic parent (where only one parent is Catholic) or parents meet their obligation in respect of Mass attendance and the Church’s sacramental practice regarding Baptism, as outlined in Canon Law 867 (please see ‘Notes’  at the end)

iii.    Baptised Catholic Girls;

iv.    Other Christian Girls;

v.    Other Looked After Girls;

vi.    Any other applicants.


Where the offer of places to all the candidates in any of the categories listed above would lead to over-subscription, places shall be allocated in accordance with the following provisions:

1.    The establishment by the provision of appropriate evidence – supplied at the time of application – of an exceptional social and/or medical need on the part of the candidate which can be best met by the school will lead to such a candidate being given the second highest priority within category (ii), (iii) (iv) and (v) after girls falling within number 1 above.

2.    Girls who have a sibling already on roll at La Sainte Union and who will continue to attend La Sainte Union during the following year.

3.    The location of the permanent address of the candidate, with priority within this category being accorded to those with the shortest reasonable travelling time whether by foot or by public transport. Note that all applicants will be asked to complete a travel questionnaire giving details of their candidate’s intended means of travel.  In making decisions in accordance with this criterion, the school will apply an objective, clear and fair means of assessing accessibility – this will rely upon the Transport for London Journey Planner.  In the event of a number of candidates having the same journey time, a lottery will be used to offer places .   This will take place in the presence of an independent witness.

4.    Eighteen places will be offered to applicants who may not fulfil any of the above Criteria 1 - 3 but who show aptitude in the performance of music.   Applicants who wish to be considered under this Criterion are invited to submit their child’s name for an Aptitude Test.  Places will be allocated on merit.

Waiting List
The school maintains a waiting list where there is an over-subscription.  Candidates are ranked on the waiting list in the same order as appears in this Admissions Policy.  No priority is given to any candidate on the basis of the date their name was added to the list.   The school confirms that being placed on the waiting list in no way affects an applicant’s right of appeal against an unsuccessful application.    The waiting list is maintained until September 2011.  Parents wishing their daughter to continue on the waiting list after this date, should inform the school, in writing. 

Late Submission of Supplementary Information Forms
Any Supplementary Information Form received by the school after the closing date of 31st October 2010 will be considered as late and will be dealt with after all Supplementary Information Forms received by the school on time and candidates are, therefore, unlikely to be allocated a place at the school in the first instance.  Only where there is a genuine and compelling reason for a Form to be late, which can be substantiated to the satisfaction of the Governing Body, by the submission of strong and independent documentary evidence at the time the school receives the Form. Late Submissions will be considered alongside those received by the closing date.   For these Forms to be considered, they must be received by the end of the first week of December so that they can be processed before the Governors meet to make their decisions.

Casual Admissions
♣    All those applying for admission outside the normal admission round and entry to a year other than Year 7 will be considered in accordance with the same criteria as those applying for entry at the usual time.  Applicants should complete the Common Application Form and submit it to their Home LA and also the School’s Supplementary Information Form which should be returned to the school.




Fair Access Protocol
The school is committed to taking its fair share of children who are vulnerable and/or hard to place, as set out in locally agreed protocols.  Accordingly, outside the normal admissions round, the Governing Body is empowered to give absolute priority to a child where admission is requested under any local protocol that has been agreed by both the Diocese and the Governing Body for the current school year.  The Governing Body has this power even when admitting the child would mean exceeding the published admission number.