Admissions Policy

Woodhouse College is an educational institution principally concerned with providing full-time education suitable to the requirements of persons over compulsory school age but under 19 at the start of the academic year (31 August).
 
Applicants who are younger or older than this are admitted as full-time Applicants only in exceptional circumstances.
 
The College operates an admission window each year in which applications open in October and close in January (exact dates published on the College website).  All Applicants must meet our minimum grade requirement for their chosen A level programme. Offers are then made to eligible Applicants according to the following list of priorities: 
 
1. Looked after children 
2. Applicants with an EHC plan 
3. Children of current staff
4. Applicants who attend one of the College’s partner schools 
5. Other applicants who submit applications within the window
 
Applicants from categories 1-4 will usually be offered a place if their predicted grades suggest they will meet minimum grade criteria.   Minimum grades for a programme and for individual subjects are published annually in the College’s prospectus and on its website.
 
If the College is over-subscribed, applicants in categories 5 will be offered places according to these criteria: 
 
  • Predicted grades – the College is more likely to offer  a  place where predicted grades are high. 
  • Subject combinations – the College will offer places in such a way to fill all courses as efficiently as possible. 
  • Distance from College – Applicants living more than an hour away by public transport are less likely to be offered a place. 
  • Age of Applicants – Applicants who are 17 on 31st  August of the year they wish to join the College are less likely to be offered a place.  Applicants who are 18 or more on 31st  August of that year will not be offered a place. 
  • Reference from school(s) – a applicant with a reference suggesting poor behaviour or unsuitability is unlikely to be offered a place.  
 
Home School Applicants 
Home schooled applicants will be required to attend an interview before we can consider their application.
 
Applicants Studying Fewer Than 8 GCSE Subjects
Applicants who fall into this category, will be required to attend an interview before we can consider their application.
 
Eligible Applicants
The College will only offer places to Applicants eligible for ESFA funding. Eligibility criteria are set nationally and may vary from year to year. Evidence of eligibility, such as passports, will be required at enrolment.
 
Equal Treatment
Woodhouse College has a multi-cultural and diverse Applicant population and welcomes Applicants from all ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds. All candidates for admission will be treated equally, irrespective of disability; gender reassignment; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation.
 
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
The College will make all reasonable efforts to comply with the Equality Act 2010, including making provision, where possible, to accommodate prospective applicants with specific needs.
 
Before a place is offered at the College, parents of a candidate with any known or suspected circumstances relating to a disability, long-term medical condition or special educational need must provide full written details as part of the application process.
 
Should parents or Applicants fail to disclose any relevant information prior to acceptance, the College may be unable to meet the needs of the Applicant and in some circumstances, this may result in the offer of a place being withdrawn.
 
Where a Applicant’s SEND is identified, or develops after beginning at Woodhouse, the College will continue to support the Applicant with regard to the following considerations:
 
  • The College possesses the appropriate resources and facilities to provide the support required.
  • It is in the best interests of the Applicant and of the College community for the Applicant to remain at the College.
Where either of these considerations do not apply, the College reserves the right to withdraw any place that has been awarded.
 
Admission and Enrolment processes to FLT
The Trust recognises that for certain courses there is a need to ensure that students are emotionally and physically fit and able to undertake all aspects of study including field trips.
 
The admissions and enrolment process takes every reasonable step to ensure that students are supported and given appropriate information regarding the demands of the course and the support available. However, in doing this the Trust must also consider its duty of care in relation to Health and Safety and Safeguarding.
 
Where there is insufficient information to decide when an offer has been made, then the AP Student Services will request further evidence in writing from the GP, health professional or relevant external agency. The applicant will be asked to provide historical details of relevant support services that can be contacted, current medical status and any other support the applicant accesses. If the applicant declines to co-operate, or after investigation, information is not available to enable risk management procedures to be put into place, then a decision may be made to withdraw the offer of study. The applicant will be formally advised of the decision and the applicant may be offered a Careers Advice and Guidance appointment, arranged with the careers team at the Trust to assist the applicant in making an informed choice.
 
Appeals
An appeal may be made at any point in the admissions process, including in the circumstances that:
 
  • An applicant is not selected for conditional offer
  • An applicant does not meet the College’s conditional offer.
Stage One:
The applicant or the applicant’s parent/carer should contact College admissions in writing, outlining their concerns and the issues they wish the College to address. This will be dealt with by the Assistant Principal Curriculum who will review the selection procedure or other relevant information. S/he will then contact the applicant or their parent/carer to discuss their findings by telephone within ten working days of receiving the appeal.
 
Stage Two:
Should the applicant and their parents be dissatisfied with the outcome of stage one, the applicant or parents/carers should contact the Principal in writing within ten working days of being informed of the outcome. The Principal will review the documentation from stage one. S/he may also meet with the applicant and their parent/carer. The Principal will put her/his decision in writing and this would be sent to the applicant’s parents/carers within ten working days. The Principal’s decision is final.
 
NB: Working days are defined for the purpose of this procedure as weekdays during the College term.
 
 
Policy Date: October 2023
Next review: October 2024