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This page provides a summary of
the Admissions Policy and does not include all
details of the policy approved by the Governors
of the School. Full details of our admissions
policy can be found in the Prospectus
Supplement.
The School was established under
the Royal Alexandra and Albert School Act 1949,
which united the Royal Alexandra School and the
Royal Albert School at Gatton Park. The new school,
which united two orphanage schools with Royal
patronage, was founded as a boarding school with
a distinct Church foundation.
The school is unique among maintained
schools in England as it provides education for
pupils from the age of 7 to 16 and provides boarding
accommodation for Sixth Form pupils who are educated
elsewhere. Pupils admitted into Key Stage 2 have
automatic admittance to Key Stages 3 & 4.
In order to be admitted to the School,
all candidates must have full United Kingdom or
other EU/ EEA nationality, or have other approved
residential status in the United Kingdom.
Admission to the Sixth Form
is by a separate system.
Admission to Boarding
The school has always been a boarding
school, and Governors are resolved to preserve
the school ethos of providing a rounded educational
experience both within the classroom and in a
wide range of sporting and extra-curricular activities.
The Governors are keen to promote the benefits
of boarding school education. The Charity Foundation
provides financial support for attendance at the
school for a number of boys or girls who have
lost one or both parents or whose circumstances
make boarding education desirable.
The Admission Numbers for
each category for each year of entry shall be
as follows:
| Year of Entry |
Boarders |
Day Boarders |
| 3 |
24 |
20 |
| 7 |
50 |
57 |
The school reserves the right to
request specific evidence that the address given
as the place of residence of the child is the
address held by the current junior school. Such
evidence could include an original council tax
bill.
Admissions Procedure for Boarding
Places
Suitability for Boarding
Applicants for Boarding places are
assessed to determine their suitability for boarding.
This assessment includes the following:
- A reference from the applicant's
present school and/or a previous school or where
the applicant is not currently at school or
has recently changed school.
- Information provided by a Local
Authority (or equivalent authority outside England
and Wales), where relevant.
- An interview with the Headmaster
or his Deputy.
In determining whether or not an
applicant is suitable to board, the School has
regard to the following questions:
- Does the applicant wish to board?
- Does the applicant have experience
of staying away from his parents/carers whether
or not he is currently a boarder?
- Does the applicant show evidence
of self reliance and independence?
- Does the applicant show evidence
of understanding the challenges of a communal
life?
- Does the applicant show understanding
of the responsibilities of a member of a boarding
community?
- Is there any medical or psychological
reason why boarding would not be appropriate,
or any need that could not be met by reasonable
adjustment to the boarding accommodation, routine
and practice?
In the case of over subscription
the following criteria will apply:
First priority will be given to
applicants who are looked after by a local authority
in England and Wales, in accordance with section
22 of the Children Act 1989(b) at the time of
application is made.
Second priority will be given to
applicants whose parents receive the Continuity
Education Allowance (CEA) of the Ministry of Defence.
Third priority will be given to
applicants who are offered a Foundationer boarding
place by the Royal Alexandra and Albert School
Charitable Foundation
Fourth priority will be given to
applicants who are offered Bursary support for
a boarding place at the school by another Charitable
Foundation
Fifth priority will be given to
applicants who have a sibling boarding at the
school, including in the Sixth Form boarding accommodation.
Sixth priority will be given to
applicants who have satisfied the Governors that
they have a significant degree of boarding need,
including candidates who are the sons or daughters
of members of HM Armed Forces and Crown Servants
serving abroad and candidates whose parents are
temporarily resident outside the United Kingdom
for other work purposes;
Seventh priority will be given to
all other applicants for places as boarders.
For any category of a boarding
applicant, if a further criterion is needed, it
shall be proximity from the main home address
of the pupil in a direct line to the front door
of the main school building, with the nearest
receiving preference. In the case of a tie, lots
will be drawn. Given the fixed maximum number
of beds available to girls and to boys in the
Primary and Secondary boarding accommodation,
and given the impossibility of accommodating boys
or girls in accommodation other than that reserved
for their gender, a separate calculation of places
shall be made by gender, which may mean that oversubscription
criteria are applied at different stages of priority
for the two genders.
Admission to Day Boarding
In the case of over-subscription,
the following criteria shall apply:
Year 3 applicants
First priority will be given to
applicants who are looked after by a local authority
in England and Wales, in accordance with section
22 of the Children Act 1989(b) at the time of
application is made.
Second priority will be given to
applicants who are offered a Foundationer Day
Boarding place by the Royal Alexandra and Albert
School Charitable Foundation.
Third priority will be given to
applicants who have a sibling who is a Day Boarder
at the school. 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 where the child for whom the School place
is sought is living in the same family unit at
the same address as that sibling.
Fourth priority will be given to all other applicants
for Day Boarding places by proximity (see description
below).
Year 7 applicants
In the case of over-subscription,
the following criteria shall apply to Year 7 applicants.
First priority will be given to
applicants who are looked after by a local authority
in England and Wales, in accordance with section
22 of the Children Act 1989(b) at the time of
application is made.
Second priority will be given to
applicants who are offered a Foundationer day
boarding place by the Royal Alexandra and Albert
School Charitable Foundation
Third priority will be given to
applicants who have a sibling who is a Day Boarder
at the school. 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 where the child for whom the School place
is sought is living in the same family unit at
the same address as that sibling.
Fourth priority will be given to
up to 14 applicants for Day Boarding who are identified
by the selection process as showing particular
sporting potential or ability. Following the designation
of the school as a Specialist Sports College,
Governors have agreed to accept up the possibility
of selecting up to 10% of the total number in
Year 7 by Sporting Ability. The process will involve
objective tests of physical potential. All applications
for a Year 7 place will have the opportunity to
apply for selection under the Sporting Ability
criteria.
Fifth priority will be given to
all other applicants for Day Boarding places.
For any category for admission as
a Day Boarder in Year 3 or Year 7, if a further
criterion is needed, it shall be proximity from
the main access to the public highway of the home
address of the pupil in a direct line to the front
door of the main school building, with the nearest
receiving preference. In the case of a tie, lots
will be drawn.
Parents have the right to
appeal against a decision by the Governors to
refuse to admit their child to a Boarding or Day
Boarding at the school. Appeals will be heard
by an Appeal Committee, constituted and proceeding
in accordance with the School Standards and Framework
Act 1998. Details are available from the school
on request.
Transfer between Boarding
and Day Boarding Categories
There is no automatic
transfer between categories for pupils already
in the School.
Those admitted as Day Boarders may
apply to transfer to take up a vacant Boarding
place. Places will be offered using the criteria
listed above in competition with Boarder applicants
who are not already members of the School. There
is no guarantee of a place being offered.
Those admitted as Boarders
may apply to transfer to take up a vacant Day
Boarding place. Places will be offered using the
criteria listed above in competition with Day
Boarder applicants who are not already members
of the School. There is no guarantee of a place
being offered.
Waiting List Procedures
Parents of candidates
who are unsuccessful in obtaining a place should
indicate whether they wish to remain on a waiting
list. Waiting lists are maintained for 12 months
after the September of the year in which admission
was originally sought. For example, unsuccessful
candidates for admission in September 2009 would
be eligible to remain on a waiting list until
September 2010. The length of time on the waiting
list is not material to whether or not a place
is finally awarded.
Candidates on the waiting list for
a Boarding place will be considered along with
any new applicants at the point when any vacancy
arises. The place will be awarded according to
the stated oversubscription criteria. Candidates
judged to be unsuitable for boarding will not
be kept on a waiting list. They may, however,
reapply and be reassessed for each year of entry.
Candidates on the waiting list for
a Day Boarding place will be considered along
with any new applicants at the point when any
vacancy arises. The place will be awarded according
to the stated oversubscription criteria.
Policy
for Admissions September 2010
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