St Edmund's School Canterbury

Senior School Admissions Procedure

Boys and girls may enter St Edmund's Senior School at ages 13, 14 and 16 i.e. in Years 9 (Lower Fifth), 10 (Middle Fifth) and 12 (Lower Sixth). There is a notable annual intake into Years 9 and 12 and a significant throughput from the Junior School at age 13.

Step 1 - Visit our school

Arrange to meet the Headmaster, Jeremy Gladwin and tour the school. Contact Mrs Carol Hawkins (Admissions Secretary) at admissions@stemunds.org.uk or telephone 01227 475600.

Step 2 - Registration

Parents may register their child or children for St Edmund's School at any time - before or after a visit - by completing and returning a Registration Form, together with the £75 registration fee. Your son or daughter's name is then added to the provisional list for entry in the term indicated. Your child cannot be assessed for entry and subsequently accepted without first registering. This fee is non-refundable.

Step 3 - Assessment

All prospective pupils are interviewed by the Headmaster.

• For entry into Year 9, prospective pupils sit the Common Entrance Examination. If Common Entrance is not taken at your son or daughter's current school, we have our own entrance exams in Maths and English.
• For entry in Year 10, prospective pupils sit entrance exams in Maths and English.
• For entry into Year 12, prospective pupils have to achieve a minimum of 6 GCSE or IGCSE passes at grade C and above, together with minimum B grades in their chosen A-level subjects.

Where pupils have a diagnosed SEN, a copy of the most current Educational Psychologist's report will be required. A meeting will usually be arranged with our own SEN Co-ordinator (SENCO) in order to assess the level of SEN support needed, and whether or not we are in a position to provide this support.

Overseas prospective pupils not sitting GCSEs or IGCSEs, are required to take entrance exams in each of the chosen A-level options. If English is not the pupil's first language, then the prospective pupil is also required to sit an exam in English.

All assessment visits may be arranged through Ms Ottaway, 01227 475600.

Step 4 - Requesting reference and report

Parents are asked to provide copies of the two most recent school reports from their child's current school. Subsequently, the Headmaster will request a reference on the prospective pupil's academic progress and social traits from the current school's Head Teacher.

Step 5 - Offer of a place

Assuming the assessment is successful, the Headmaster will make a formal offer of a place and send this to the parents with a copy of the Entrance Form and Parent's Contract. Parents respond by accepting the place in writing, completing the Entrance Form agreeing to the school's terms and conditions, and paying a non-refundable deposit.

Scholarships

A small number of scholarships are awarded annually to pupils entering the Senior School at 13+ or 16+ for exceptional achievement in the following areas: Academic, Art, Music, Sport, Drama (16+ sixth form entry only). Scholars must have a strong track record in their chosen subject and they must have the potential to be leaders in their field amongst their peers throughout their school careers. Dates of the scholarships are published approximately 12 months ahead and are available to both internal and external candidates.

Admissions Policy

Admission to St Edmund's School depends upon a prospective pupil meeting the criteria required to ensure that he or she will:

• benefit from and be challenged by the educational programme we offer;
• find the educational programme accessible;
• feel comfortable with the range and depth of the programme and the pace at which it is delivered;
• feel comfortable in the intellectual context of other pupils in that year group;
• maintain and if possible exceed the educational and general standards we expect of our pupils.

We must feel reasonably sure that we will be able to develop the prospective pupil to the best of his or her potential and in line with the general standards achieved by the pupil's peers. There needs to be every chance that the pupil will have a complete, happy and successful career and emerge confident, well-educated and well-rounded. These criteria must continue to be met during a child's time at St Edmund's School.

Our policy is to apply these criteria to all pupils and potential pupils regardless of any disability of which we are aware, subject to our obligation to make reasonable adjustments so as not to put any pupil at a substantial disadvantage when compared to others. Whilst we do not have a specialist unit, children with Special Education Needs (SEN) are accommodated as far as we are able within our limited resource provision.