Admission Details

Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School (Specialist Mathematics and Computing College) is a Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic 11-18 Girls only all ability School.

The Ethos and Mission Statement of Virgo Fidelis welcomes all faith's.

Pupils at Virgo Fidelis represent a wide range of ethnic and Religious Faiths and Masses are held regularly through the year.

For 'Sixth Form Entry' please see bottom of page.

Years 7-11 (11-16Yr old)

Admissions Policy

Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School is a Voluntary Aided, Mathematics and Computing College, all-ability, Catholic school for girls.  The Governing Body acting through its Admissions Committee will admit a maximum of 110 pupils each year at age 11.

In this Policy the expression ‘Roman Catholic children’ means children who have been baptised as members of the Roman Catholic Church.

As Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School is a specialist school the first 11 places (10% of the intake) must be awarded on the basis of performance in the Aptitude Test in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Parents must complete a separate supplementary form if they wish their daughters to sit the Aptitude Test.  Dates will be sent to parents when their daughters are to attend school to sit the test.

Subject to commitment to the Catholic ethos of the School where applications exceed the number of places available, after allowing for any places allocated to children with a statement of special educational needs naming the school (or who the Admissions Committee reasonably believes will receive such a statement before 1^st September in the year of intended admission) and for those who have succeeded in the Aptitude Test, priority will be given as follows:

Category 1.     Baptised and practising Roman Catholic children.

Category 2.     Baptised and practising children of those churches in communion with the Catholic faith.

Category 3.     Other children who have a sister presently in the school.

Category 4.     Other children who provide evidence from their place of worship that they will support the Catholic ethos of the school.

Over-subscription Criteria

Where within any priority category the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will be applied, in the order set out below, to decide the order in which offers of places should be made:

1.     Looked-after children.

2.     In the case of Category 1 applicants only the applicants will be ranked according to their degree of religious commitment and practice and that ranking will determine the order in which offers are made.  Where more than one applicant has the same score, their relative ranking will be determined by the application of the remaining criteria 3 and 4 below.

The degree of  religious commitment and practice will be determined from information requested as indicated on the Supplementary Information Form to be completed by the applicant.  This will establish the extent to which the applicant is from a committed and practising family and that the parent(s) are committed to raising their children according to the requirements of their religion and also support the Catholic ethos of the School.

Any parent for whom the School may request a meeting in order to demonstrate his/her degree of religious commitment and practice.  Where the Head Teacher (acting under delegated authority from the Governing Body) considers that the evidence supplied is insufficient to indicate the degree of religious commitment and practice, or where the Head Teacher considers that the information supplied requires verification, (s)he will personally or by a member or members of the Admissions Committee or senior members of School staff request a meeting with the parent(s) and the child to obtain further information as may be required.

Support for applications will be required from the Parish Priest or another Roman Catholic priest nominated by the applicant who must be able to confirm that he knows the practice and commitment of the family.  The Admissions Committee reserves the right to seek independent verification of any information supplied by applicants.

Explanatory Note

Commitment and practice will be demonstrated by the following:

·         The child’s and family’s religious commitment and practice as shown by the Supplementary Information Form and any other information supplied.

·         Full adherence to the Sacramental life of the Church.

·         Commitment to Catholic education as shown by the primary school attended and siblings’ schools, as indicated on the Supplementary Information Form.

·         The consistency of the family’s religious practice and the extent of any parish involvement as shown on the Supplementary Information Form and by the Priest’s reference.

·         Other Faiths – Evidence for full commitment to the practice of their religion and agreement to support the Catholic Ethos of the school.

It is important to outline membership of parish groups, active participation in Liturgy and any other indicators of commitment to the Church.

Parents should ensure that they provide as much information as they can in support of their commitment to the Church and to Catholic education.

The Admissions Committee will take into account any factors or circumstances which might have made the degree of the family’s religious commitment or practice less than they would have wished.  Parents should make sure that these factors or circumstances are mentioned on the Supplementary Information Form and that details are given.  They can if they wish ask for a meeting to explain their position.

3. Medical or other special reasons why the child should be admitted to the School and not to any other school for which the child may be eligible.  Supporting evidence from a doctor, social worker or educational welfare officer must be supplied at the time of application or subsequently, but before the closing date for applications.  Although the Admissions Committee may, at its discretion, make enquiries to satisfy itself about as to the matters referred to in the material supplied, it will not be required to make any independent investigation and it will be entitled to rely entirely on the information material supplied by the applicants.

4. Proximity to the School from the pupil’s home, the distance measured by the shortest road route. 

Late Applications

Applications received after the closing date will be dealt with after decisions have been made on and appeals heard in relation to those applications that were received on time.

Withdrawal of Offer

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to verify any information supplied and to require further evidence including evidence that the address given is the normal weekday address of the child.  Where fraudulent or deliberately misleading or incorrect information has been supplied and that information has led to a place being offered which would not otherwise have been offered, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to withdraw the offer.

Right of Appeal

If a place at the School is not offered, the Council will give parents the details of the right of appeal and the procedure to be followed.

Waiting List

Where the School has had to refuse applicants a place, a waiting list of those applicants will be kept, ranked in descending order according to the priorities listed above.  If a place subsequently becomes available, that place will be offered to the applicant at the top of the waiting list.

NB;

Those applying for admission outside the normal admissions cycle – for example, those moving into the area in the course of the year – will be considered under the same criteria as those applying for entry at the usual time.

Applications must be made on the school application forms provided by the School and must reach the School by not later than Friday 20^th October 2006.

Years 12-13(17-19Yr old)

Sixth Form College Entry

Parents whom wish further information should contact the School and talk to our Admissions Secretary.