St Damian's RC Science College

Admissions Policy September 2027

The school admission policy is rigorously applied, and pupils are admitted up to the agreed Published Admission Number, which for the September 2027 academic year will be 165.

If there are more applications than places, admission to St Damian’s RC Science College will be subject to the oversubscription criteria in the order of priority set out below.

Pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan

If the college is named in an Education, Health and Care Plan, the Governing Body has a duty to admit the child to the school.

The duty to apply these arrangements rests with the Governors of the College. All preferences listed on the Local Authority Preference Form will be considered on an equal basis with the following set of oversubscription criteria forming a priority order where there are more applications for admissions than the college has places available.

1.         Baptised Catholic children who are looked after, or Baptised Catholic children who were previously looked after (children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted  or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order) including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (IAPLAC).  

2.        Baptised Catholic children from the following Catholic partner primary schools:-

• St Christopher’s RC Primary School, Ashton
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Primary School, Ashton
• St Stephen’s RC Primary School, Droylsden
• St Joseph’s RC Primary School, Mossley

3.        Baptised Catholic children who will have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission.

4.        Baptised Catholic children living in the contributory parishes of:-

• St Joseph’s, Mossley
• St Stephen’s, Droylsden
• The Parish of Holy Cross and St Helens (formerly St Mary of the Angels & St Christopher’s)

Maps showing Parish boundaries can be consulted in the appropriate parish.

5.        Other Baptised Catholic children.

6.        Other children who are looked after, or children who were previously looked after (children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted  or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order) including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted (IAPLAC).  

7.        Other children who will have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission. 

8.        Other children.

Tie Breaker Definition:

If in any category there are more applications than places available, priority will be given on the basis of proximity to the school.

Distance will be measured as a straight line from the child's home address, using the address point assigned by The National Land and Property Gazetteer, to the main gate to the school property.  Measurements will be made using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software, which employs a Geographical Information System based on Ordnance Survey. In the event of distances being the same for 2 or more applications where this distance would be the last place/s to be allocated, the place will be allocated to the pupil that is nearer using walking distance as measured using the local authority’s school admissions data mapping software.  

In the event of distances being the same for two or more children where this would determine the last place to be allocated, random allocation will be carried out and supervised by a person independent of the school.  All names will be entered into a hat and the required number of names will be drawn out.

The address from which distance will be measured will be the permanent residential address, at the time of application, of the parent with whom the child is normally resident. Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility, each for part of a week, the home address is the address from which the child travels to school for the majority of school days per week. If the number of days is exactly equal the home address will be that of the parent who receives the Child Benefit.

Notes

1. The governing body is the admissions authority for year 7 applications. The admissions committee is composed of the following governors: chair of governors, parish priest, head teacher, governor & independent clerk.

2. All applications for entry into Tameside schools in September 2027 should be completed online and copies of “Moving On” will be available via download from the Tameside website. The online application process will enable parents to apply for up to 6 schools as equal preference. The closing date for all applicants is 31^st October 2026. All applicants will be considered by the governors at the same time in a fair way according to the published criteria.

3. Parents will be informed of the governors’ decision by the LA on 1^st   March 2027. An offer of a place does not guarantee a place for brothers and sisters in subsequent years.
4. Catholic means a person/child who has been baptised into the Catholic faith. Parents who wish their application to be considered under criteria 1 - 5 are required to complete a Supplementary Form and submit a Baptism Certificate as part of their application.

5. The term ‘brothers and sisters’ will be taken to include step brothers and sisters, foster children and children of partners living in the same household. In cases where twins, triplets or other multiple birth siblings would be split between St Damian’s RC Science College and another school when allocations take place, siblings will be offered a place at St Damian’s RC Science College, if that is the parents’ wish.

6. Late applications will be considered after all those that were received by the deadline.

7. Admission of children outside their normal age group: Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group (younger or older), for example, if the child is gifted and talented. Any request for admission of a child outside their normal age group should be made in writing (including all relevant information) to the Chair of the Governors of the school at the same time as the admission application is made. The Admission Committee acting on behalf of the Governing Body will make its decision about the request based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child. The Admissions Committee will take into account the views of the head teacher, including the head teacher’s statutory responsibility for the internal organisation, management and control of the school, and will take into account the views of the parents, and as necessary appropriate medical and educational advice.

8. Parents are asked to read and confirm receipt of the Governors’ published admission policy. Any changes to the policy will be circulated to all applicants on file for subsequent years.

9. Waiting List: If Year 7 is oversubscribed the Local Authority will maintain a waiting list. The waiting list will operate until the end of the autumn term 2027 for those parents who have submitted an appeal or who have opted to go on the list.  All pupils on the waiting list will be ranked according to the oversubscription criteria. Places will be offered, should any become available, to the highest ranked application received by the date the place becomes available. If new or late applications have a higher priority under the oversubscription criteria, they will be ranked higher than those who have been on the list for some time. A significant change of circumstances, such as a change of address, will be taken into account: evidence must be provided. Children who have been referred under the local authority’s Fair Access protocol or who are the subject of a direction by the local authority to admit must be given precedence over any other children on the waiting list.

10. Appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel:  Any parent or guardian who is dissatisfied with the refusal of a school place has the right of appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. Parents/Guardians will be sent details of the appeal procedures with the letter refusing a place. Parents must be allowed at least twenty school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to submit that appeal.

If you wish to appeal, your written appeal request should be sent to:

Chair of Governors

c/o St Damian’s RC Science College

Lees Road

Ashton Under Lyne  OL6   8BH