ADMISSIONS POLICY 2021-22

Introductory statement

Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre (The NCS) is a selective, co-educational 16-19 Free School Academy with specialism in Science and Mathematics. The NCS aims to provide outstanding A level education and examination results for able students to enable them to progress to the best and most competitive universities, including Oxford and Cambridge and other prestigious universities world-wide.

Capacity

The NCS will have a total capacity of 600 places (full-time equivalent) for students in the age range 16-19.

It will admit approximately 300 students born between 1st September 2005 – 31st August 2006 to year 12 in September 2022.

Minimum study programme

All students will be expected to enrol on a programme of study comprising a minimum of 540 planned hours per year.

Minimum Entry Requirements

The NCS curriculum is academically rigorous and challenging, as such places will be offered to applicants who are assessed to meet our minimum entry criteria. All conditional offers are based on a student’s predicted grades and/or actual GCSE grades submitted on their application form.

General Criteria

In order to study A Levels, students need a minimum of 62 points from their best 8 GCSEs, which must include the EBacc subjects, (vocational courses e.g., BTEC courses, subjects without a substantial written examination and community languages will not be included in the best 8). Students must also have at least a GCSE grade 7 in English Language and Mathematics to study A levels. If students choose a subject at A level that they have not studied at GCSE, their other grades will be taken into consideration (see individual entry requirements for more details).

The NCS reserves the right to administer additional tests and/or hold subject discussions for all applicants to assess their level of academic ability and suitability for the A level courses chosen on their application form. This additional test maybe used to select between students who meet the general and subject specific criteria where there are more students than places available or offer alternative courses that are deemed more suitable once a student enrols.

Applying for places

The closing date for ‘expressions of interest’ to join the NCS is Friday 11th February 2022. Applicants should apply on the online form which can be accessed by clicking the ‘Apply tab’ on the website in January 2022. The NCS will invite applicants who meet the entry criteria to one of a number of our Summer A Level Taster Days. Attending one of these days is not an offer of a place, similarly not being invited does not necessarily mean a student has been rejected. All decisions about places will be made on enrolment day. Where there are more applicants than places the NCS will adopt the following oversubscription criterial

Oversubscription criteria

1. Any students with an Education Health and Care Plan naming the NCS will be admitted provided they meet the admissions/entry criteria.
2. Places will only be offered to those who have met the minimum entry requirements at the point they apply.
3. At any time where there are more applications for places than the number of places available, places will be offered according to the following order of priority.
   1. Looked after children, children who were previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order provided they meet the entry criteria and score highly in any additional entrance tests.
   2. An applicant whose parent is (a) a member of staff at the Sixth Form for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission is made or (b) a member of staff recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage provided they meet the entry criteria and score highly in any additional entrance tests.
   3. Applicants whose GCSE grades meet the entrance criteria for all of their A level subject choices and where there are spaces on all four of their chosen courses. In the event that this presents difficulties (for example where two or more applicants fulfil the entrance criteria and where giving a place to both / all of them would mean a course becoming oversubscribed) then the place will be offered to the applicant with the higher/highest predicted GCSE grades in the subject(s) relevant to the application and any additional entrance tests.
   4. Applicants whose actual GCSE grades meet the entrance criteria for all four of their A level subject choices, but where there is no space on one of their chosen courses and where the applicant is willing to accept a place on an alternative course i.e. one where there is space and they meet the entrance criteria.

Late Applications

Late applications will only be considered if there are places remaining at the NCS or on a specific course once the oversubscription criteria have been applied.

Applications with non-standard qualifications

In case of applicants with non-standard qualifications, the NCS shall consider whether those qualifications are equivalent to GCSEs and will assess on a case by case basis whether or not the applicant is ready to progress to the course which they have applied.

Waiting lists

It may be that some enrolled students decide not to attend the NCS following acceptance of their offer. We will therefore establish a waiting list, with applicants prioritised in line with our over subscription criteria. The waiting list will operate up to the end of the first half term of any academic year. In year admissions will not be accepted after that due to the specialist nature of the provision.

Withdrawal of Places

Applicants should be aware that the NCS carry out checks to confirm predicted/actual GCSE grades with secondary schools. Where the predicted grades submitted on the application form differ from the ones provided by the school we will take the school’s predicted grades when inviting students to our Summer A level Taster Days. We reserve the right to rescind an offer to one of our Summer A L evel Taster Days where the school’s predicted grades for the applicant fail to meet the NCS’ entry criteria.

Confirmation of Enrolment

When a student receives their GCSE results, they must attend an enrolment meeting with an NCS member of staff on GCSE results day (or a different date determined by the NCS) to confirm their place. No place is confirmed until the student or their adult representative has enrolled on GCSE results day (or a different date determined by the NCS). It is unlikely that an offer holder will be enrolled on to a course where they have missed the minimum entry criteria. However, the NCS reserves the right to enrol a student where there is evidence of exceptional academic performance in a subject or group of subjects but who may have failed to achieve one or more of the entry criteria. An example may be where a student has secured 8s & 9s in maths and sciences but has not achieved a 6 in their English Language but wishes to study maths and the sciences only. Students who wish to change subjects from their original offer will be placed on the waiting list. The NCS also reserves the right to reduce the minimum entry criteria for students who wish to study an A level subject or group of subjects where there are sound educational and/or organisational reasons to do so.

Appeals

Applicants who have been declined a place to study on enrolment day and believe that the NCS has failed to follow the admission policy have a right to appeal the decision. A student or representative of the student has 20 days to appeal a decision not to enrol commencing from the third week of the published September start date on the website. The appeal must be in writing, addressed to:

The Clerk to the Appeals Panel The NCS
326 Barking Road
East HamE6 2BB

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually and any amended policy for the following September will be published on the NCS’ website before the end of November (i.e. the policy for 2022 entry will be published in November 2022). The policy will remain on the website throughout the year.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the admission policy or appeal process you may submit a complaint, outlining your concerns to the ESFA at Academy.QUESTIONS@education.gsi.gov.uk, though you should first raise any concerns with the NCS, 326 Barking Road, East Ham, E6 2BB.

Year 12 to 13 Progression Policy

Download the Year 12 to 13 Progression Policy