Mid-Year
Whenever vacancies arise in years 7 to 11, we are duty-bound to offer a place to the next student on our waiting list within the same band (refer to notes on admissions into Year 7), under the fair banding arrangements of our funding agreement which are designed to ensure that we take students from the full range of academic ability.
Vacancies for all students new to the area or not yet on our waiting lists
All potential admissions in these circumstances must apply for a place via the local authority. Once we receive the application via the local authority, the student is invited to attend the school to take the fair-banding test, in order to place them on the appropriate waiting list.
Vacancies for students at the top of our waiting lists
Year 7 and 8
The parents or carers of the student are asked to confirm that they are still interested in taking up the vacancy and if so, the local authority formally offers the student a place. Once this has been accepted, the student is allocated a place in one of our six Colleges and will complete standard Cognitive Ability Tests to aid in the process of placing the student into the appropriate groups.
Year 9 to 11
The parents or carers of the student are asked to confirm that they are still interested in taking up the vacancy and if so, they are invited to the Academy for a pre-admission meeting to establish the type of curriculum available in Key Stage 4 and whether we can meet their needs. If the applicant is satisfied, then the local authority again formally offers them a place at Thomas Deacon.
Once this has been accepted, the student is allocated a place in one of our six Colleges and invited into the Academy and will complete standard Cognitive Ability Tests to aid in the process of placing the student into the appropriate groups.