1. education
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WOOTTON ACADEMY TRUST
Chairman: Mr S. G. O’Toole
Hall End Road, Wootton, Beds, MK43 9HT
Tel: 01234 767123
Fax: 01234 765203
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.wootton.beds.sch.uk
Friday 27th March 2015
Dear Sir/Madam
Kimberley 16 - 19 STEM College Admissions Criteria for 2016
Kimberley 16-19 STEM College is a Free School operated by Wootton Academy Trust.
Wootton Academy Trust determined its admissions criteria for applications for students to
join Kimberley 16-19 STEM College from September 2016 at its meeting on Thursday 26th
March 2015.
Wootton Academy Trust has not proposed any changes to the current admissions criteria for
Kimberley College. Therefore these criteria are the same criteria as those used this year.
These determined admissions arrangements will be placed on the school’s website in
accordance with current practice.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. L. Gray,
Executive Secretary
Copied to:
Bedford Borough Council
Central Bedfordshire Borough Council
Milton Keynes Council
All Bedford Borough Schools:
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Kimberley College Admissions Policy
Kimberley College is a 16-19 STEM College operated by Wootton Academy Trust; it has free
school status. Kimberley College is a selective (Level 2 & Level 3), co-educational and
non‐denominational Sixth Form College. Kimberley provides sixth-form education for male
and female students in National Curriculum Years 12 and 13. Kimberley will first admit
students in September 2013.
The Published Admission Number of intended admissions for the forthcoming school
years is:
School year beginning
Year 12 admissions
September 2013
September 2014
September 2015
September 2016
300
350
350
350
Total number of students in
Kimberley
300
650
700
700
In this policy, “applicant” means a pupil currently in Year 11 and preparing for GCSE (or
equivalent) examinations who is applying for a Year 12 place at Kimberley. (Parent includes
any person who is not a parent of the student but who has parental responsibility, or who
has care of the student.)
Applicants who decide to apply for a place at Kimberley and their parents/carers should read
this policy carefully, so that they understand the admissions process and timeline, and the
selection criteria.
Any enquiries should be raised with Linda Gray by telephone on 01234 767123 or by email
to [email protected]
Admission criteria
Kimberley is academically selective and ambitious, and so places will only be offered to
those assessed as being most likely to benefit from following the rigorous curriculum that it
provides.
Level 3 students - the minimum qualification requirements are as follows:
Applicants wishing to join Year 12 A Level programmes must have:
 At least seven A* - C GCSE grades, including GCSE Mathematics and GCSE
English Language or GCSE English;
 At least a GCSE Grade B in the A level subjects they wish to study at Kimberley.
Applicants wishing to join Year 12 BTEC National programmes must have:
 At least five A* - C GCSE grades, including GCSE Mathematics or GCSE English
Language or GCSE English;
 At least a GCSE Grade C (or equivalent, e.g. BTEC Level 2 Pass) in the subject(s)
they wish to study at Kimberley.
Applicants should note that:
 If offered, a place will be conditional on the applicant achieving at least required A*
- C GCSE grades, including GCSE Mathematics and/or GCSE English Language or
GCSE English.
Level 2 students - the minimum qualification requirements are as follows:
Applicants wishing to join Year 12 Level two programmes must have:
 At least five D – E GCSE grades (or equivalent), including GCSE Mathematics and
GCSE English Language or GCSE English.
Applicants should note that:
 If offered, a place will be conditional on the applicant achieving at least 5 D – E
GCSE grades, including GCSE Mathematics and GCSE English Language or GCSE
English
All Level 2 and Level 3 applicants who wish to apply to enter Kimberley in Year 12
must:
 Complete the Wootton Academy Trust application form and return it online, by post,
or in person at a Kimberley Open Event by the deadline 15th March.

Kimberley intends to offer 50% of places to pupils who are currently studying at a
Wootton Academy Trust school and the remaining places to students at other
schools.
It is not intended to offer places to students to join the college in Year 13.
Applicants with Disabilities
All places at Kimberley College are offered on the basis of academic ability and aptitude.
Wootton Academy Trust is keen to ensure that no applicant who has a learning or physical
disability, or has a registered Special Educational Need, or who has previously had a
Statement of Need, is dissuaded from making an application to Kimberley if he or she meets
the admission criteria. Kimberley undertakes to fulfil its anticipatory duty to make reasonable
adjustments to avoid substantial disadvantage to any applicant.
Oversubscription Criteria
If there are more eligible applications received than places available at Kimberley College
then places will be allocated in accordance with the following priority order:
Students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties1
Looked after children, [and previously looked after children] or young people;
Students who present from the local community (judged by proximity to
Kimberley College);
Students who were most recently entitled to free school meals.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
In the event where more than one pupil is assessed equally using the above criteria, the
following process will be used for selection of pupil:

Place(s) allocated by random computerised lottery.
Once all places have been allocated, prospective students will be advised to join the
Kimberley 16-19 STEM College Waiting List.
Kimberley College may also refer unsuccessful applicants to other schools/institutions within
the community and/or other opportunities such as Apprenticeships.
Post-GCSE
All applicants offered conditional places at Kimberley must provide evidence of their GCSE
results between 10:30a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on one of the next three working days immediately
following the
publication of GCSE results. All students are required to meet both the
generic and specific entry requirements for their courses.
1
As defined by Disability and the Equality Act 2010 or an individual with a transition plan (i.e. who
had a statement of special educational needs while at school)
Waiting list
Kimberley College will operate an internal waiting list.
If any vacancies arise within the same year, first priority will be given to those on the waiting
list managed by Kimberley College.
The following process will be used for allocation of places from the Kimberley College
waiting list in accordance with the following priority order:
Students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties2
Looked after children, [and previously looked after] or young people;
Students who present from the local community (judged by proximity to
Kimberley College;
Students who were most recently entitled to free school meals.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
In the event where more than one pupil is assessed equally using the above criteria, the
following process will be used for selection of pupil:

Place(s) allocated by random computerised lottery.
Appeals against non-admission
Parents / carers of applicants who have not been offered a place are able, if they wish, to
appeal to an independent Appeals Panel established by Wootton Academy Trust. Parents /
carers wishing to appeal should put their request in writing to the Clerk to the Appeals Panel,
care of Kimberley. Details of appeal arrangements and procedures will be sent to parents /
carers who request them in writing.
Withdrawal of Places
Applicants and their parents / carers should be aware that checks may be undertaken to
ensure that an applicant offered a place at Kimberley is the applicant who is named on the
Application Form. If there is reasonable suspicion that this is not the case, the applicant’s
place may be withdrawn at any point during the academic year, even after the applicant has
joined Kimberley.
Annual policy review
This policy and the process will both be reviewed annually by Wootton Academy Trust.
2
As defined by Disability and the Equality Act 2010 or an individual with a transition plan (i.e. who had a
statement of special educational needs while at school)
Appendix 1 - Selection process for entry from September 2013
The following table summarises the information that is taken into account about each
applicant when it is being decided if an offer should be made.
All Applicants: Level 2 and Level 3
Information
Past GCSE performance
Predicted GCSE performance
% of pupils at the applicants’ current
schools achieving five or more A*-C
grades including English and
Mathematics in the most recent set of
summer GCSE examinations
Knowledge of Kimberley’s ethos
Commitment to Kimberley’s academic
ethos
Commitment to Kimberley’s wider ethos
Skills and commitment required for KS5
study
Personal context
How this is assessed
Grades achieved in examinations already taken
Grades predicted by current school for GCSE
examinations still to be taken
Data from DfE School Performance Tables
Each applicant will have a 15 minute interview as
part of the application process.
The interview is an opportunity to explore these areas with
each applicant to ensure that she/ he Is making an
informed choice to come to Kimberley. It is not per se an
academic selection interview.
Interview and evidence from the application form.
If there are causes for concern (for example, a poor
attendance record without mitigating circumstances, or a
poor behaviour record),permission will be sought from the
applicant for further information to be requested from the
applicant’s current school.
All Level 3 applicants are given scores, according to the following table:
Information
GCSE score. This is the mean average point score
for predicted or achieved GCSE grades. In this
calculation, an A* grade is worth 8 points, an A
grade 7 points, etc
Interview score (Recorded on Assessment Day)
% of pupils at the applicants’ current schools
achieving five or more A* - C grades including
English and Mathematics
Because Kimberley is seeking to help its students to overcome
educational disadvantage, a higher number of points is given
to applicants from lower-achieving schools, as measured by
these data taken from the DfE website.
Personal context
†An applicant who is looked after at the time of application or
who has been looked after within the two preceding years by a
local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children’s
Act 1989
Data range
Points
7< G ≤ 8
6 < G≤ 7
5< G≤ 6
5
3
1
9 or 10
7 or 8
5 or 6
4 or less
F ≤50%
50% < G≤ 60%
60%< G≤ 70%
70%< G≤ 80%
F > 80%
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
Looked-after child†
Eligible for Free School Meals
Young Carer
3
2
2
All Level 2 applicants are given scores, according to the following table:
Information
GCSE score. This is the mean average point score
for predicted or achieved GCSE grades. In this
calculation, an A* grade is worth 8 points, an A
grade 7 points, etc
Interview score (Recorded on Assessment Day)
% of pupils at the applicants’ current schools
achieving five or more A* - C grades including
English and Mathematics
Because Kimberley is seeking to help its students to overcome
educational disadvantage, a higher number of points is given
to applicants from lower-achieving schools, as measured by
these data taken from the DfE website.
Personal context
†An applicant who is looked after at the time of application or
who has been looked after within the two preceding years by a
local authority in accordance with section 22 of the Children’s
Act 1989
Data range
Points
4.51< G ≤ 5
4.01 < G≤4.50
3.51< G≤ 4.00
3.01< G≤ 3.50
4
3
2
1
9 or 10
7 or 8
5 or 6
4 or less
F ≤50%
50% < G≤ 60%
60%< G≤ 70%
70%< G≤ 80%
F > 80%
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
Looked-after child†
3
Eligible for Free School meals
Young Carer
2
2
How offers are made








††
Each applicant is given a score in each of the categories and then a total score is
calculated.
The overall number of Level 3 offers compared to Level 2 offers will be in the ratio of
5:1
The list of applicants is divided into two: those currently studying in Wootton
Academy Trust schools, and those currently studying elsewhere.
Both lists are put into rank order by the applicants’ total scores.
At least 150†† places are offered to the highest-ranking applicants from Wootton
Academy Trust Schools.
At least 150†† places are offered to the highest-ranking applicants from elsewhere.
If fewer than 150 applicants qualify for a place at the College in one list, then those
places may be vied to the other list.
Where there are more applications than places available, unsuccessful applicants will
be kept on a waiting list ranked in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. The
waiting list will be maintained until the third Monday in September in the year the
place has been sought. If a place becomes available from the waiting list it will go to
the applicant with the highest score.
it is expected that some offers will be declined, and so more than 150 (in total) offers
may be made. Some applicants may be put on a waiting list; this list will be in rank
order according to the applicants’ total scores.
Outcome letters for all applications will be posted on the last working day of the Spring Term
once all interviews have been completed.
Appendix 2 -Stages of the application process and timeline
WHAT
WHEN
Informal information events for Wootton
Academy Trust and other students
November -December
Production of prospectus with available
courses
Last school day of Autumn Term
Formal Open evenings
Second week of Spring Term
Deadline for return of Application Forms
March 15th
Individual Interviews
Between the last week in February and the
last week in March
Outcome letters to applicants issued
Last day of Spring Term
Acceptance of conditional offers
Friday preceding May Day Bank Holiday
Parents Information Evening for students
with conditional offers
Last Thursday in June
Sixth Form Induction for all students with
conditional offers
First Monday and Tuesday in July
Pre Registration – students must provide
written evidence of their GCSE results to
confirm their places.
Any one of the three working days (10:30 –
14:30) after the publication of GCSE results.