This document sets out the admission arrangements for the Brooke Weston Academy. These arrangements are without prejudice to the provisions of Annex 3 to this agreement. The document forms an Annex to the Funding Agreement between the Brooke Weston Academy and the Secretary of State. Any changes to the arrangements set out in this document must be approved in advance by the Secretary of State.

The Academy will act in accordance with, and will ensure that the Independent Appeal Panel acts in accordance with, all relevant provisions of the statutory codes of practice (the School Admissions Code of Practice and the School Admission Appeals Code of Practice) as they apply at any given time to maintained schools and with the law on admissions as it applies to maintained schools. Reference in the codes to admission authorities shall be deemed to be references to the governing body of the Academy. In particular, the Academy will take part in the Admissions Forum set up by Northamptonshire LA and have regard to its advice; and will participate in the co-ordinated admission arrangements operated by Northamptonshire LA.

Notwithstanding these arrangements, the Secretary of State may direct the Brooke Weston Academy to admit a named pupil to the Brooke Weston Academy on application from an LA. Before doing so the Secretary of State will consult the Academy.

The admission arrangements for the Brooke Weston Academy for the year 2008/2009 and, subject to any changes approved by the Secretary of State, for subsequent years are:

1. The Brooke Weston Academy has an agreed admission number of 180 pupils. The Brooke Weston Academy will accordingly admit at least 180 pupils in the relevant age group each year if sufficient applications are received;
2. The Brooke Weston Academy may set a higher admission number as its Published Admission Number for any specific year. Before setting an admission number higher than its agreed admission number, the Brooke Weston Academy will consult those listed at paragraphs 18-19 below. Pupils will not be admitted above the Published Admission Number unless exceptional circumstances apply and such circumstances shall be reported to the Secretary of State.

Applications for places at the Academy will be made in accordance with LA's co-ordinated admission arrangements. and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by the Northamptonshire LA. The Brooke Weston Academy will use the following timetable for applications each year (exact dates within the months may vary from year to year) which, whenever possible, will fit in with the common timetable agreed by the Northamptonshire Admissions Forum or LA:

1. September - The Brooke Weston Academy will publish in its prospectus information about the arrangements for admission, including oversubscription criteria, for the following September (eg in September 2006 for admission in September 2007). This will include details of open evenings and other opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the school. The Brooke Weston Academy will also provide information to the LA for inclusion in the composite prospectus, as required;
2. September/October - The Brooke Weston Academy will provide opportunities for parents to visit the Academy;
3. November - Common Application Form to be completed and returned to the LA to administer
4. LA sends applications to Academy
5. Academy sends list of pupils to be offered places to LA
6. February - LA applies agreed scheme for own schools, informing other LA's of offers to be made to their residents.
7. 1st March offers made to parents.

The Brooke Weston Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 180 applications are received, the Brooke Weston Academy will offer places to all those who have applied.

When the Academy is oversubscribed, all applicants will undertake a suitable cognitive ability test. This is used to ensure that the Academy admits an intake that is representative of the national ability range. When the Academy receives more requests for admission than the Admission Number, and after the admission of pupils with statements of Special Educational Needs where the Brooke Weston Academy is named on the statement, the following process will occur:

All applicants will be placed in one of nine 'stanines' based on the results of the ability test. Places will be allocated in a proportion that reflects the national ability range.

The following criteria will be applied to determine those children that will be offered places.

1. Children in public care.
2. Pupils who have an older brother or sister continuing at Brooke Weston at the time of their admission
3. Pupils living in Kettering and Corby

If the Admission Number is exceeded within criterion (b) or (c) places will be allocated at random. The random allocation will ensure that the correct proportions are allocated from each stanine. 50% of the places will be allocated will be allocated to pupils from Kettering and 50% to pupils from Corby.

Where there are a large proportion of siblings in an individual stanine, it may not always be possible to ensure an exact 50% intake from Corby and 50% intake from Kettering. In this case the remaining places in a stanine will be allocated at random in order to get as close as possible to the 50% intake from Corby and 50% from Kettering.

Pupils who did not take the ability test will only be considered if there are places remaining once allocations have been made to all those who did.

Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the LA's co-ordinated admission scheme, the Academy will operate a waiting list. Where in any year the Brooke Weston Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate for one year after the admission date. This will be maintained by the Brooke Weston Academy and it will be open to any parent, to ask for his or her child's name to be placed on the waiting list, following an unsuccessful application.

Children's position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out in section 7. Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Parents will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the Brooke Weston Academy. The Appeal Panel will be independent of the Academy. The arrangements for Appeals will be in line with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as it applies to Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools. The determination of the appeal panel will be made in accordance with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals and is binding on all parties. The Academy should prepare guidance for parents about how the appeals process will work and provide parents with a named contact who can answer any enquiries parents may have about the process.

The Brooke Weston Academy will operate the following criteria for admitting external applicants to the Sixth form:

1. The admission number for Year 12 students from outside Brooke Weston will be 50;
2. The entry requirements for external students will be the same as for continuing students and would be: a minimum of five higher grade GCSE results ( grades A* to C ) together with B grades in the subjects to be studied in the sixth form or in the event of subjects not taught at GCSE level, B grades in related GCSE subjects.

There will be a right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel for unsuccessful applicants.

Subject to any provisions in the LA's co-ordinated admission arrangements relating to applications submitted for years other than the normal year of entry, the Academy will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child. If more applications are received that there are places available, places will be offered on the basis of the criteria outlined in Section 7. Parents whose application is turned down are entitled to appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel.

The Brooke Weston Academy shall consult each year on its proposed admission arrangements.

The Brooke Weston Academy will consult by 1 March:

1. Northamptonshire LA;
2. Any other admission authorities for primary and secondary schools located within the relevant area for consultation set by the LA;
3. Any other governing body for primary and secondary schools (as far as not falling within paragraph (b) located within the relevant area for consultation.

Following consultation, the Brooke Weston Academy will consider comments made by those consulted. The Brooke Weston Academy will then determine its admission arrangements by 15 April of the relevant year and notify those consulted what has been determined.

The Brooke Weston Academy will publish its admission arrangements each year once these have been determined, by:

1. copies being sent to primary and secondary schools in Northamptonshire LA;
2. copies being sent to the offices of Northamptonshire LA;
3. copies being made available without charge on request from the Academy;
4. copies being sent to public libraries in the area of Northamptonshire LA for the purposes of being made available at such libraries for reference by parents and other persons.

The published arrangements will set out:

1. the name and address of the Academy and contact details;
2. a summary of the admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria;
3. a statement of any religious affiliation;
4. numbers of places and applications for those places in the previous year; and
5. arrangements for hearing appeals.

Where any of those bodies that were consulted, or that should have been consulted, make representations to the Brooke Weston Academy about its admission arrangements, the Brooke Weston Academy will consider such representations before determining the admission arrangements. Where the Academy has determined its admission arrangements and notified all those bodies whom it has consulted and any of those bodies object to the Academy's admission arrangements they can make representations to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will consider the representation and in so doing will consult the Brooke Weston Academy. Where he judges it appropriate, the Secretary of State may direct the Brooke Weston Academy to amend its admission arrangements.

Those consulted have the right to ask the Brooke Weston Academy to increase its proposed Published Admissions Number for any year. Where such a request is made, but agreement cannot be reached locally, they may ask the Secretary of State to direct the Brooke Weston Academy to increase its proposed Published Admissions Number. The Secretary of State will consult the Brooke Weston Academy and will then determine the Published Admission Number.

In addition to the provisions above, the Secretary of State may direct changes to the Brooke Weston Academy's proposed admission arrangements and, in addition to the provisions above, the Secretary of State may direct changes to the proposed Published Admissions Number.

Once the admission arrangements have been determined for a particular year and published, the Brooke Weston Academy will propose changes only if there is a major change of circumstances. In such cases, the Brooke Weston Academy must notify those consulted under paragraph 18 - 19 above of the proposed variation and must then apply to the Secretary of State setting out:

1. the proposed changes;
2. reasons for wishing to make such changes;
3. any comments or objections from those entitled to object.

The Secretary of State will consider applications from the Brooke Weston Academy to change its admission arrangements only when the Academy has notified and consulted the proposed changes as outlined at 19 - 20 above.

Where the Brooke Weston Academy has consulted on proposed changes the Brooke Weston Academy must secure the agreement of the Secretary of State before any such changes can be implemented. The Brooke Weston Academy must seek the Secretary of State's approval in writing, setting out the reasons for the proposed changes and passing to him any comments or objections from other admission authorities/other persons.

The Secretary of State can approve, modify or reject proposals from the Brooke Weston Academy to change its admission arrangements.

Records of applications and admissions shall be kept by the Brooke Weston Academy for a minimum period of ten years and shall be open for inspection by the Secretary of State.