Admissions Policy 2024/25

Headteacher: Mrs C Hughes
Chair of Governors: Ms F Keenan

The planned pupil admission number (PAN) for September 2024 is 150

Introduction

Loreto High School, Chorlton is a Roman Catholic secondary school provided by the Diocese of Salford and maintained by the Manchester Local Authority as a Voluntary Aided School.  The school’s Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and is responsible for taking decisions on applications for admission.

The ethos of this school is Roman Catholic. The Governors recognise that the first responsibility of the school is to serve the Roman Catholic community for which it has been established.  This is focused on designated parish communities and the Roman Catholic primary schools that are partners in providing for those communities.  We ask all parents applying for a place at Loreto High School to respect this ethos and its importance to the school community. This does not affect the right of parents who are not of the faith of this school to apply for, and be considered for, a place at Loreto High School.

In establishing their oversubscription criteria, the Governors have also taken full account of the Code of Practice produced by the Department for Education.

The parish communities served by the school are:

• St. John’s (Chorlton),
• St. Kentigern’s,
• Our Lady’s,
• English Martyrs
• St Augustine's
• St Ambrose

The associated primary schools are:

• St John’s RC (Chorlton) Primary School
• St. Kentigern’s RC Primary School
• Our Lady’s RC Primary School
• Holy Name RC Primary School
• St Wilfrid’s RC Primary School
• The Divine Mercy RC Primary School
• St Ambrose RC Primary School

Admission to the school will be made by the Governing Body in accordance with the stated parental preferences it receives and subject to the following set of criteria, which will be used to form a priority order if there are more applications for admission than the school has places.

1. Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children.
2. Baptised Roman Catholic children who attend one of the associated partner primary schools and have a sibling attending school at the time of admission
   1. St John’s RC (Chorlton) Primary School
   2. St. Kentigern’s RC Primary School
   3. Our Lady’s RC Primary School
   4. Holy Name RC Primary School
   5. St Wilfrid’s RC Primary School
   6. The Divine Mercy RC Primary School
   7. St. Ambrose RC Primary School
3. Baptised Roman Catholic children who attend one of the associated partner primary schools.
4. Baptised Roman Catholic children who have a sibling in the school at the time of admission.
5. Other baptised Roman Catholic children who are resident in one of the parishes named below:
   1. Our Lady & St. John’s (Chorlton)
   2. St. Kentigern’s
   3. Our Lady’s
   4. English Martyrs
   5. St. Augustine's
   6. St. Ambrose
6. Other children who have a sibling in the school at the time of admission.
7. Non Catholic children attending schools names in ‘2’ above.
8. Non Catholic children from other Catholic primary schools
9. Children with exceptional medical/social needs
10. All other children seeking a Catholic education.

All pupils who have named the school in their EHC plan will be admitted. Children with SEND who do not have an EHC plan will be treated equally to all other applicants in the admissions process. This includes children who may need extra support or reasonable adjustments to be made. The details of the school’s SEND provision can be found in our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy and SEN Information Report.

Notes

• Sibling refers to brother or sister, half-brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step-brother or sister, foster siblings 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 of that sibling.
• A Catholic is a baptised member of a church in communion with the See of Rome or a child who has been received into the Catholic Church. All Roman Catholic applicants are required to provide baptismal certificates.
• The Governing Body reserves the right to admit children with proven and exceptional medical and social needs where admission to the school might best help satisfy those exceptional needs. Children with exceptional medical or social needs are required to provide appropriate supporting evidence, supplied by a doctor or a social worker.
• Distance will be measured from the home address using the shortest route (straight line) to the main entrance to the school, using a standard computerised measuring system. Those living closer to the school receiving the higher priority within the relevant category. In the unlikely event of the distance between two applicant’s homes and the school being the same, random allocation will be used, which will be supervised by an independent party.
• Looked After and Previously Looked After children – children who are registered as being in the care of a Local Authority or provided with accommodation by a local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989(a) e.g. fostered or living in a children’s home, at the time an application for a school is made and children who have been previously in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by a local authority in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989 (a) and who have left that care through adoption, a child arrangements order (in accordance with Section 8 of the Children Act 1989, and as amended by the Children and Families Act 2014 ) or special guardianship order (in accordance with Section 14A of the children Act 1989).
• In the event of oversubscription, a waiting list will operate and children will be ranked according to the criteria stated in this policy. The waiting list will be operated for the full academic year for which entry has been sought. Looked after children, previously looked after children, and those allocated a place at the school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol, will take precedence over those on a waiting list. Parents will be informed of their child’s current position on the waiting list, upon enquiry.
• Late applicants will be placed on the waiting list, with places allocated as available according to the criteria stated in this policy.
• For ‘In Year’ applications received outside the normal admissions round and if places are available then children qualifying under the published criteria will be admitted. If there are places available but more applicants than places then the published oversubscription criteria will be applied.
• The Governing Body reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a school place where false evidence is provided relating to siblings, place of residence or baptism.

Appeals Procedure

In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 amended by the 2002 Act, parents have the right to appeal against the refusal of the Governors to admit the child. An independent appeals panel will hear the appeal.

Please note that this policy is subject to annual review by the Governing Body.