The school maintains waiting lists for vacancies which may arise during Years 8-11 (and after 31st December of Year 7).  Those parents who wish their child to be considered for entry should complete and return an In-Year Application Form, which can be found below. Parents must submit both Part 1 and Part 2 of the application form. If, upon receipt of the application form, there are no vacant places in the year group concerned, the school will place the applicant on a waiting list.

When a place is available in the relevant year group, the school will arrange, at a time convenient to it, for the applicant, together with any other applicants for the same year group, to sit a series of tests at the school. These tests will be in English, Mathematics, Science and French/German/Spanish. (Please note there are no specimen papers available in advance of the tests.)

If, based on the test performance, an applicant is deemed to meet the required standard for entry into the relevant year group, the Headteacher will offer a place on behalf of Governors. If there are more applicants deemed to have met the required standard than there are places, then places will be awarded according to the school’s published Admissions Criteria for that year group.

Ability in English, maths and science is indicative of a pupil’s ability to cope with the demands of academic subjects in general; therefore, a candidate must score at least in line with the top 75% of our own pupils in the relevant year group in English, maths and science to be deemed suitable for entry into the year group.

An applicant may only sit the tests once in each academic year. The waiting list does not roll over from one academic year to the next - applicants must complete an in-year application form for each academic year they wish their son to remain on the waiting list.

Parents of an unsuccessful applicant have a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel.

We do not advise moving schools after September of Year 10 because of the variations between different examination board specifications.  Only in exceptional cases will any place be offered in Year 10 or Year 11, even where the Year group is below 180.

We sometimes receive requests from parents who report that their child is unhappy at their current school.  We would strongly advise, in the first instance, working with the current school to resolve the problem because a change of school can seriously disrupt a child’s education.