Admissions
Admissions 2022/3
Admissions Criteria
The criteria for admissions to Warden Park Secondary Academy follow the mandatory guidance in the Statutory Admissions Codes of the Department for Education (DfE) and the law.
GENERAL CRITERIA
It is acknowledged that children with an Education Health Plan that specifies the school will be given prior consideration either for one of the Specialist Support Centre places or the ‘main roll’. Beyond these children places will be allocated on the following basis with the ‘tie-breaker’ in each category (should they be over-subscribed) being nearest ‘as the crow flies’ from the child’s home front door to that of the Academy.
OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA
- Looked After Children, children who were previously looked after and children who leave care under a special guardianship or residence order [1]
- Children who need a place at the academy on exceptional and compelling social, psychological or medical grounds. [2]
- Children living ‘in the catchment area [3] with siblings on-roll at the point of application submission deadline [4] & [5]
- Children living ‘out of the catchment area’ with siblings on roll at the point of application submission deadline [4] & [5]
- Children on roll at Warden Park Primary Academy at the point of application
- Your child has a parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or carer who works for the Warden Park Secondary Academy
- Children living in the catchment area who are on roll at a member school of the Sussex Learning Trust at the point of application
- Children living in the catchment area
- Children living outside the catchment area who are on roll at a member school of the Sussex Learning Trust at the point of application
- All other children
How to apply for a place
Warden Park Secondary Academy is a significantly over-subscribed school demonstrating the high regard with which it is held in the local community. We have 300 places available in Year 7 each year. We welcome all students, including those with particular gifts and talents or with Additional Educational Needs as long as they will benefit from a mainstream education and will contribute to the development and well being of the academy community. The Academy’s catchment area will remain as agreed with the Local Authority in 2012.
We welcome the opportunity of meeting you and believe you will find many reasons for choosing Warden Park for your child. See below for information on tours throughout the year. In year admission enquiries should be directed to: Mr M Sorrell, Deputy Headteacher msorrell@wardenpark.co.uk
Information on availability of places in current Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 (including waiting list information) can be obtained from West Sussex County Council, Pupil Admissions on Telephone Number: 033 301 42903 or admissions.north@westsussex.gov.uk Catchment maps can be obtained from the Pupil Admissions Office of the Local Authority Contact Pupil Admissions.
Application Process
Admission arrangements for Warden Park are co-ordinated by: Pupil Admissions Office, County Hall North, Horsham, West Sussex. RH12 1XA. Tel: 01403 229102. Fax: 01403 240158. Email: admissions@westsussex.gov.uk
For information about how to apply, please go to www.westsussex.gov.uk/admissions. Applications are usually made on line. If you have problems, please alert the Pupil Admissions Office.
Applicants from East Sussex must complete the East Sussex application form. This can be completed on line. The form will be forwarded to the West Sussex Admissions Office by East Sussex County Council.
Parents should keep the Admissions Team informed of any changes to their circumstances once an application has been made.
Please note that visits to the academy do not form part of the process of deciding which children are to be offered a place at the academy.
The WSCC admissions team will confirm a young person’s place with parents or carers and with the academy. A senior member of the Warden Park staff will then contact parents or carers as soon as is practicable to make the necessary arrangements to enrol the young person at Warden Park.
Parents of children with disabilities or Statements of Special Educational Need should contact us when their children are in Year 4 of primary school.
Further general information on admissions and appeals, can be obtained from www.westsussex.gov.uk/admissions
Once your son or daughter’s place is confirmed, we will then contact you.
APPEALS 2022/23
We have become aware that there are a significant number of families who named Warden Park as their first choice for their child’s secondary school who have been disappointed that they were not allocated a place with us via the Local Authority admissions system.
This year, there are more children in the system than there are school places in Mid Sussex schools and allocations have been challenging. In the first instance, if you are unhappy with the school that you have been allocated for your child you can appeal. This link provides further details.
