Prospectus
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ETHOS STATEMENT
St John's vision is to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality in an atmosphere of high expectation, care and respect.
We encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian values through the experience we offer to all our pupils.
We will preserve and develop our religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England.
Admissions Policy for
September 2013 Admissions Year
1. St John’s is a Church of England primary school (with Academy Status). The Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and the Governing Body establishes an admissions committee to consider applications for admission.
2. It has been agreed with the Local Education Authority that the Published Admission Number (PAN) for this school is 60 in Years R and 1 only and, in accordance with legislation, means that up to 60 children only may be admitted into Year R. Please note: the PAN for Years 2,3,4,5 and 6 remains at 30.
3. Children are not legally required to start school until the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. However, the Governing Body has decided to admit children at the beginning of Term 1 of the academic year starting in the September following their fourth birthday.
4. Parents should be aware that before the application of oversubscription criteria, children with a statement of special educational need which names the school will be admitted. As a result of this the published admission number will be reduced accordingly.
5. The criteria, listed in order of priority, for selecting pupils should the number applying for admission exceed available places, shall be:
i) ‘Children in Local Authority Care’ *
ii) Church Affiliation: regular attendance* at St John’s Church, St Mary the Virgin & All Saints, Boxley or St Martin of Tours, Detling, by the family, always provided that residence is within the designated priority area OR within the Ecclesiastical Parish of Boxley. Applications to be supported by the Minister of the Church attended, Rev'd Susan Hollins or a nominated representative. In this instance ALL applications must be supported by submission to the school of a completed Supplementary Information Form (SIF) obtainable from the school office.
iii) Children with brothers or sisters whose sibling(s)* attend the school now and will still be on roll at the time of entry, September 2013.
iv) Medical, health, social or special access criterion.*
v) Child’s Home Address *
Residence within the designated priority area which is defined as the properties to the east of New Cut Road; properties on the south of Bearsted Road, east of the junction with New Cut Road and properties on the south side of Ware Street until the intersection with the railway line, which itself forms the eastern and southern boundaries of the priority area. Priority will be given to those living nearest to the school. Distances in ALL cases will be measured by a straight line using the OS Address Point Data as supplied by the Kent Local Authority.
vi) All other applications will be ranked on straight line distance from school using the OS Address Point Data as supplied by the Kent Local Authority.
* Categories above – please refer to ‘Definitions’ on attached sheet
6. All applicants are required to complete the Local Education Authority Admission Form (Common Application Form – CAF).
7. Parents/carers wishing to appeal against the decision not to offer a place to their child should write, in the first instance, to the Chairman of the Governing Body, as soon as possible after the decision has been relayed to them.
8. Parents requesting a place for their child in the Reception Year must apply before 16.01.13
10. Decision letters will be posted to parents on 05.04.13
Please note: after a place has been offered the school reserves the right to withdraw the place in the following circumstances:
- When a parent has failed to respond to an offer within a reasonable time; or
- When a parent has failed to notify the school of important changes to the application information; or
- The admission authority offered the place on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application from a parent.
DEFINITIONS:
Children in Local Authority Care
A child under the age of 18 years for whom the Local Authority provides accommodation by agreement with their parents/carers (Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) or who ceased to be so because they were adopted or who is the subject of a care order under Part IV of the Act.
Regular attendance is defined as a parent/carer or parents/carers of the child applying for a place at St John’s School having attended Worship at one of the three Churches at least once a month for no less than two years prior to application or for as long as they have been resident in the designated priority area or Ecclesiastical Parish of Boxley if they have moved house within the last two years prior to application.
Applicants who have moved into the designated priority area within the last six months but attended Worship at their local Church at least once a month prior to their move will be required to provide a reference from their Minister if they wish to be considered in category ii). SIF required.
Sibling refers to brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, foster brother or sister, step brother or sister of the parent / carer’s partner where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling.
Please note, the sibling link is maintained only as long as the family live at the same address as when the first child applied, or has moved closer to the school than when the first child was offered a place or has moved to an address that is less than 2 miles from the school using the distance measured by the method outlined in the distance criterion.
Medical, health, social or special access criterion.
‘Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school’s legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents’/guardians’ physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitable qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school’. Documents must be submitted at the time of application.
Child’s Home Address (the address must be the child's home address, i.e. they are living there, on Weds 16 January 2013).
A child’s home address is considered to be a residential property that is the child’s only or main residence (not an address at which the child may sometimes stay or sleep) and which is either owned by the child’s parent, parents or guardian or leased or rented to them under a lease or written rental agreement. Where partners live apart but share responsibility for the child and the child lives at two different addresses during the week, we will regard the home address as the one at which the child sleeps for the majority of week days.
Distance from home to school will be measured in a straight line using the OS Address Point Data as supplied by the Kent Local Authority. For clarity we include the following information:
A block of flats has a single address point reference, so applicants living in the same block will be regarded as living the same distance away from the school. In the unlikely event that two or more children live in the same block and in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.
Should a tie breaker situation occur the nearness of an applicant’s home to school will be the decider. If in the event more than one applicant has the same distance from home to school (as measured by the local authority), then a random selection will be applied.
Proof of residence
Once a place has been offered parents are advised to take evidence of their address to schools when they accept their places. This can be by, for example:
- A child benefit letter, child tax and working tax credit (TC602), the child’s medical card or a letter from a medical centre, hospital or GP to confirm the child’s residence. The child should be named on the document.
- A utility bill and bank or credit card statement to verify the family’s address
- These documents should not be more than 3 months old.