Admissions

Admissions Policy for 2009

St. Anselm’s College is a Catholic Grammar School for boys aged 11 to 18. It is situated in the Diocese of Shrewsbury and is under the Trusteeship of the Christian Brothers. It is maintained by Wirral Education Authority. As a Voluntary Aided School, the Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and is responsible for decisions on admissions to the College.

In drawing together their Admissions’ Policy, Governors recognise the obligations of the College to meet the needs of parents of baptised Catholics in fulfilling the promises and responsibilities accepted by them at their child’s Baptism and to act as an extension of the Catholic home and parish. They also acknowledge that each school must relate to the good of others and their particular responsibility for seeing that the admissions’ policies of all Catholic Secondary Schools in Wirral are co-ordinated in the overall interest of Catholic education.

Admissions to St. Anselm’s College in Year 7:

For the school year commencing September 2009, the Indicated Admissions Number, based on Net Capacity, is 135.

The CRITERIA FOR ADMISSIONS are that places will go to applicants who have reached the required standard in the assessment and testing procedure. If more than 135 boys satisfy these criteria, then places are allocated according to the following over subscription criteria:

  • Baptised Catholic boys, living in the relevant area (defined as the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, the County of Cheshire and any other areas within 5 miles of the College).

  • Non-Catholic boys attending Catholic Primary Schools whose parents wish them to have a Catholic education.

  • Non-Catholic boys whose parents wish them to have a Catholic education.

    • Sixth Form

    In addition to places available for boys already in the College, the Governing Body will make available a further 10 places for boys from other schools. The normal requirement for entry on to the A/S course is 218 GCSE points from their best 5 GCSE results (equivalent to a minimum of 3 grade Bs and 2 grade Cs), with grade B expected in most subjects to be studied in Year 12.

    Should the College receive more external applications for the Sixth Form than stipulated, then the criteria applied for entry in Year 7 will be used to determine admission.

    NOTES

    a)   All applicants will be considered at the same time and after the closing date for admissions which is 28th November 2008 (Y7), 1st September 2009 (Y12).

    b)   Where applications are received from Catholic and non-Catholic boys in public care, they will be admitted to the College in advance of the outlined oversubscription criteria.

    c)   Baptised Catholic boy means a boy who has been baptised into the Roman Catholic Church and who can produce evidence of baptism or one who has been baptised a Christian and can demonstrate that he has subsequently been admitted into the Roman Catholic Church.

    d)   The Planned Admissions Number has been set at 135, slightly higher than the Net Capacity number of 131. This will allow equal access to Wirral Catholic Grammar Schools for boys and girls. This complies with the Governors’ aim to ensure that their Admissions’ Policy is co-ordinated with the policies of all Catholic secondary schools in Wirral.

    e)   If in any category there are more applicants than places available, priority will be given on the basis of rank order of performance in the assessment and testing procedures.

    f)   The Governing Body reserves the right to admit boys with proven and exceptional medical and social needs, where admission to the College might best help satisfy those exceptional needs, providing that such application is submitted with appropriate evidence or reports from a doctor or social worker. The College will admit, in advance of the outlined order of criteria, a boy with a statement of special educational needs that names the College.

    g)  For occasional applications received outside the normal admissions round, and if places are available, then boys qualifying under the published criteria will be admitted. If there are places available, but more applicants than places, then the published oversubscription criteria will be applied. Occasional and late applications will be treated as per the admissions arrangements published by the Local Education Authority.

    h)  If an application for admission has been turned down by the Governing Body, parents can appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. This appeal must be sent in writing to the Clerk to the Governors at the College within 14 days of refusal. The parents must give their reasons for appealing, in writing, and the decision of the Appeals Panel is binding on the Governors.

    April 2008