Admissions

Admissions
FAQs
IN-YEAR ADMISSIONS
APPEALS

Please click on this link to view our 2021/22 Prospectus

Admissions for September 2022

Oversubscription Criteria

If the number of preferences for the school exceeds the number of places available at the school, the LA will allocate places in the following priority order:

1. Looked after children (children in public care) and previously looked after children, and children previously in Care outside of England – Children who appear to Medway Council to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A child is regarded as having been in state care in a place outside of England if they were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation or any other provider of care whose sole purpose is to benefit society.

3. Children who will have a brother or sister (including children living as siblings in the same family unit) on the roll of the school at the time of the sibling’s admission.

4. Child’s health reasons, supported by medical evidence, which requires the child to attend this school.

5. Children who at the time of application have a parent who is a member of staff at the school (where the member of staff has been employed for three years or more at the time at which the application for admission is made and/or where the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage).

6. Nearness of children’s homes.

Distance will be measured by the shortest available safe route between home and school as measured by the council’s geographical information system. Those living closer to the school will receive the higher priority. Medway Council’s Geographical Information System measures the start point, end point and distance of each route.

Parents who believe that they qualify under criterion 2 are advised to send evidence directly to the local authority Admissions team, who will decide if they qualify. The local authority will then inform all preferred schools of the outcome of the decision at the same time that rank lists are made available.

In the event of two or more pupils having equal ranking for the last place the deciding factor will be the shortest available safe distance between the home address and the school as measured by the Medway Council Geographical Information System and determined by Medway Local Authority. Where this cannot be determined, the available place(s) will be allocated by drawing lots.

Admissions Determination

september 2022 September 2023

FAQs

It’s October, where has the secondary transfer admissions process got to?

For admissions in September 2021, students sat the Medway Test in October and got their result in early November. Attendees at our Open Evening are making a decision about whether to list our school on their Secondary Common Application Form, which has to be submitted in late November.

My son passed the test – please can I have an application form for your school?

We do not have a separate application form. Parents who wish a place for their son at our school should list it on the Secondary Common Application Form. Parents can apply online at www.medway.gov.uk/onlineadmissions

I’ve filled in the Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) – if I put this school down first, will I get in?

The SCAF invites parents to express preferences in priority order. Preferences can be expressed for Medway and non-Medway schools. Medway operates an Equal Preference scheme. This means that all preferences are considered equally and the order of preference is between parents and the LA. The LA will look to offer a place at the highest named preference for which the child is eligible. Putting the school as 1st Preference will not guarantee an offer of a place because that depends on the over-subscription criteria.

When will I know if my son has got a place here?

Offers are notified on National Offer Day in March.

My son achieved a very high score in the test – will that help his chances of getting a place here?

No. Allocation of places at this school is overseen by Medway Council, and in the event of the number of pupils seeking admission exceeding the number of places available, our over-subscription criteria are applied. These are – children in care, those previously in care outside of England, sibling link, health reasons, staff parent and then distance. This school does not admit pupils based on the size of the score, they just need to have passed.

I know that distance is important – can you tell me what your catchment area is?

No defined catchment area exists, but the distance a child lives from the school is key determinant of the likelihood of gaining a place because distance is the most frequently applied of the six oversubscription criteria. The distance calculated is the shortest available safe route between the child’s home and school using roads and footpaths known to the mapping layer used by Student Services (Admissions) within the Geographical Information System. In 2010 the furthest distance offered was 4.9 miles, in 2011 it was 4.9 miles, in 2013 it was 9.2 miles, in 2014, 3.8 miles, in 2015 it was 5.2 miles, in 2016 it was 4.6 miles, in 2017 it was 3.9 miles, in 2018 it was 4.6 miles, in 2019 it was 4.14 miles and in 2020 it was 3.31 miles.

I live outside Medway (in a non-Medway post code). What do I need to do to get a place here?

Parents who live in another area can register to sit the Medway Test (and should have done so by the time of Open Evening in October). They must submit an application form to their relevant authority but can name this school on that form. Their ‘home’ authority will liaise with Medway Council.

My son passed the Kent Test – does that count?

No. Medway will not accept the results of any other test. To gain admission to a Medway selective (grammar) school, children must have sat and passed the Medway Test.

I’ve heard that Medway operates an Equal Preference Scheme – what is that?

This means that all preferences are considered equally and the order of preference is between parents and the LA. All children will be ranked against the oversubscription criteria for all schools listed by a parent on their preference form, and this ranking will not be affected by the preference position on the form. The LA will look to offer a place at the highest named preference for which the child is eligible. Parents should always list schools in their true preference order, as Medway will offer a place at the school highest on the form where a place can be offered. Even if a parent is unlikely to obtain a place for their child at their preferred school, this should not stop them from putting it as their first preference, as it will not affect their chances of getting into any other school on their list.

You are an Academy now – are you going change your admissions process?

No. Medway Council will continue to oversee admissions and allocate places. We have no intention of changing our oversubscription criteria or the number of places available.

I’ve heard about your tie-up with The Leigh Academies Trust – what implications will that have for admissions?

The Leigh Academies Trust relates to aspects of school leadership, management and resources, and our admissions arrangements will remain unchanged. Please direct questions regarding admissions to Mr Hodges (Headteacher) or Mr Morris (Deputy Headteacher).

IN-YEAR ADMISSIONS

The method to apply for a place at this school during the academic year is the casual admission process.

Please complete the casual admission form (available here) and return it by email to office@sjwms.org.uk . Please refer to our admissions determination policy before completing this form.

When we receive your completed form, your son will be invited to sit an 11+ style test (if he is in Year 7, 8 or 9) to determine if he is of selective school ability. Children who are of Year 10 age or older will sit tests in English, Mathematics and Science.

Please note that if your son has already been deemed selective by Medway Council, the result is valid for 12 calendar months. If your son reaches the required academic standard and if a place is available in the year group, a place will be offered. Parents will be notified of the outcome of a casual admission no more than 15 days from receipt of the application form.

If an offer is not given (including sixth form places), due to the school being oversubscribed or your son/daughter not reaching the required academic standard, you will be able to appeal. To request an admission appeal please complete the appeal form.

Please note that, as set out in the School Admission Appeal Code 2012, section 5, para 5.1, parents can only appeal once for a place in the same school in the same academic year.

This school is currently oversubscribed in all year groups.

The casual admissions flowchart may also be helpful to parents.

The school does not hold a waiting list for in-year admissions.

APPEALS

Admission appeals for Year 6 to Year 7 have now all been completed. Please check back here next summer for details of the appeal process for September 2022.

Please email appeals@sjwms.org.uk with all queries regarding appeals.

Admission Appeals Statement