The School’s Standard Number per Year Group (Year 7-11) is currently 270.
As an Academy, admissions are the responsibility of the School Academy Councillors. The Councillors have arranged with the Gloucestershire County Council for admissions procedures to be administered by the County Council but the final responsibility for deciding admission rests with the School Academy Councillors.
Where applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied in the order set out below, to decide which children to admit:-
¹ A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22. (1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. In Gloucestershire, such children are referred to as Children in Care. (2) This includes children who were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 (see section 12 adoption orders) and children who were adopted under the Adoption and Children’s Act 2002 (see section 46 adoption orders). (3) Under the provisions of s.12 of the Children and Families Act 2014. (4) See Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 which defines a ‘special guardianship order’ as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians). (5) A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
² Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner as well as children who are brought together as a family by a same sex civil partnership. In every case, the child must be living in the same family unit at the same address, at the time of application.
³ Distances are measured in the following way. Children with the strongest geographical claim, measured in a straight line from the child’s home address (including flats) to the School Reception area using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system, with those living closer to the school receiving the highest priority.
The minimum requirement for entry to the Sixth Form is 5 GCSE’s at grades 4 or above (or *equivalent, as determined by the school) with further specific subject requirements.
The school has an open access policy of admission to Year 12 for one and two year courses and students are guided in their choice of course and level of study. However, the small number of students who have had their education permanently redirected to our alternative provision free school, Abbey View, will not be considered for entry into the Sixth Form.
Details of our open days will be displayed on the school website and advertised in the local media as well as being available from the school office.
If your child is not offered a place in the Sixth Form an appeal can be made to the school office. Appeals will take place as set out below within 30 days of the appeal being lodged.
If the Sixth Form is over-subscribed we will apply the same over-subscription criteria as above. Priority access will be afforded to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
* Wales has retained grades A* to E.
Students are admitted at age 11 without preference to ability or aptitude. Although we do not wish to discourage any prospective parent from considering the school, at the present time the structure of the buildings may restrict movement for children with some physical disabilities, although, we will make any reasonable adjustments to minimise this. If you would like to discuss any particular needs, please contact the school. Wherever possible, students with specific difficulties will be included in the full range of school activities.
Tewkesbury Academy will conform to the requirement to admit a child with an EHCP of Special Educational Needs that names the school, even if the school is full.
In the case of there being too many applicants for places and such applicants having identical claims to a place based on the priority criteria set out above, a further tie break will be used. Each applicant’s name will be written on a blank sheet of paper and placed in a container. An appointed member of the School Academy Council will then draw out one of the slips and the place will be allocated to the name on that slip.
If the school is oversubscribed, a waiting list will be held until 31 December. The waiting list will be prioritised according to the school’s over-subscription criteria.
Any applications for a school made outside the normal year of entry to the school must be made directly to the school.
Appeals Process
Appeals against non-admissions are heard by an independent appeal panel of three to five members of the public.
The admission authority for the school must write to you at least 10 school days before the hearing to confirm the date. Organisations like the Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) can give you advice on preparing your case.
Secondary Admissions round
Appeals for on-time application (decisions sent on national offer day) must be heard by 6th July. If 6th July falls on a weekend then it must be heard on the next working day.
Appeals for late applications Such appeals should be included with those being heard for the same admissions round. However, if this is not feasible, appeals for late applications must be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
In-year admissions
For applications made outside of the timetabled admissions process, hearings must be held within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.
The school has signed up to the In-year Fair Access Protocols held by the Local Authority. Should a vulnerable child within these Protocols require a place at the school they will take precedence over any child on the waiting list.
Please refer to the Gloucester County Council guidance booklet: http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions
The Local Authority will only pay travelling expenses for pupils attending the designated or nearest school to their home address and who live 3 miles or more from the school. Distances are measured using the nearest pedestrian route available. For detailed transport entitlement information, please see the relevant pages in the Transfer to Secondary booklet or contact the Education Transport Section at Shire Hall.
