Admissions

The Application Process for entry in September 2009

The Corby Business Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 200 applications are received, the Academy will offer places to all those who have applied. When more than 200 applications are received and after the students with statements of Special Educational Needs where the Corby Business Academy is named on the statement have been admitted, all other 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 and is comprehensive in intake.

The following process will occur:

• All applicants taking the test will be placed in one of nine bands based on the results of the ability test. A number of places will be allocated from each band 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. Children with an older brother or sister continuing at the Academy at the time of transfer of the younger child.
3. Proximity to the Academy

The procedure for allocating places in each band will be as follows.

The allocation of places to children who live closer to the site of former Corby Community College than any other school, until 50% of the places in the band are allocated to these children.

The allocation of places to children who live in the Academy's linked villages of Brigstock, Gretton, Harringworth, Great Oakley, Little Oakley, Lyveden, Stanion and Weldon, until 20% of the places in the band are allocated to these children.

Other children

Should a "tie-break" be required in criteria b or c priority will be given to children whose permanent address is closest to the Academy as measured in a straight line.

Admissions Timetable

November 5th 2008

Parents complete the Local Authority Common Preference form and return it to the Authority by November 5th 2007.

January 17th 2009

Parents receive a letter in early January containing details of the cognitive ability test. This is scheduled to take place on Saturday 19th January 2008.

March 2nd 2009

Parents receive notification of the school their son/daughter will attend. Parents of students with a statement of Special Educational Needs receive this information in late February.

Admissions information regarding students with statements of SEN

Phase transfer

To enable parents, children and the receiving school to plan well in advance of transfer from primary to secondary phase, Part 4 of a student's statement of SEN must be amended no later than 15th February in the year of transfer. Parents will receive a letter from NCC at the beginning of October, seeking details of their school preference or representations. Parents should return their preference to NCC by early November. Consultation then follows with the school and the Local Authority has to make the final decision about placement, informing parents by 15th February. Parents are given their right of appeal to SENDIST at this stage, if they are not in agreement with the decision.

Waiting List

Where the Corby Business Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate until a month after the admission date. This will be maintained by the Corby Business 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.

Where places become vacant they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Appeals

Parents will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the Corby Business 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 Education and Skills (DfES) 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 will prepare guidance for parents about how the appeals process will work and will provide parents with a named contact who can answer any enquiries parents may have about the process.

Sixth Form Admissions

Entry to the sixth form will depend on a number of factors including performance in GCSEs and equivalent examinations. Our expectations are that all sixth form students take their studies seriously, work hard and make the most of the expertise and commitment of staff. Every sixth form student will need to provide commitment to their own future and be fully focussed on achieving the best they can. All students will be expected to follow the Sixth Form Code of Conduct and Appearance, which will be set out in the student contract and must be signed prior to commencing sixth form study.

All students wishing to find out more about the sixth form should contact the Academy directly early in 2009. At that time an information pack and application form will be available.