Admissions

The school is a five form entry, boys’ bi-lateral school,with Mathematics and Computing College status,designed to serve the Roman Catholic community of South East Essex, admitting 150 pupils annually, into Year 7.

The governors place particular emphasis on the commitment of pupils and their families to the expectations and opportunities of St. Thomas More High School, and seek those who demonstrate that they will support the school and enhance its reputation.

Consideration will only be given to boys whose parents, applying for admission to years 7 to 11, have completed the Single Application Form (SAF). In order for the school’s Governing Body to apply its admissions criteria, it will be necessary for parents also to complete the school’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and, where appropriate, the application will be supported by a completed form of reference from the applicant’s Parish Priest (or another Priest who knows the family well).

The governors will adopt the following criteria to decide which children to admit to the school:

Selective Places

Thirty places will be offered to boys who have passed the selection procedure as administered by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (of which the school is a founder member). Baptised practising Roman Catholic boys will be given priority and any remaining selective places will be filled first by baptised Roman Catholic selective boysand second by non-Catholic selective boys where priority wiil be given to practising Christians.  The following criteria will be used, in order, to decide which boys to admit should there be more than 30 Catholic boys who pass the selection procedure:

1. The commitment of the family to the practice of the faith as defined by (I) Catholic Baptism, and (II) regular Sunday and other holy day attendance at Mass, as attested by the Priest who completed the Priest’s form.
2. Where an older sibling* will be on roll at the time of the child’s admission.
3. Where the boy has a sibling* currently attending St. Bernard’s High School.
4. Proximity of the child’s home from school, measured by the shortest walking route from the front door of the child’s home address (including flats) to the nearest pupil entrance to the school with those living nearest being given preference. Distances will be measured using the Local Authority’s computerised measuring system.

*The definition of sibling in this document being:

Siblings are considered to be an older brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister, step-brother or step-sister, adopted brother or sister, living at the same address, who attends St. Thomas More High School at the time of application with a reasonable expectation that he or she will still be attending at the time of the proposed admission.

Non-Selective Places

The next 120 places (plus any that are not filled by selective pupils) will be allocated as follows:

1. Looked-After boys from Roman Catholic families will have priority overall.
2. Baptised practising Roman Catholic boys living in the parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh on Sea; St. Helen’s, Westcliff; Sacred Heart, Southend; St. Teresa’s, Rochford; St. George’s, Shoebury; St. Peter’s, Eastwood; St. John Fisher, Prittlewell; Holy Family, South Benfleet; Our Lady of Ransom, Rayleigh and Our Lady of Canvey.
   Should it be necessary to distinguish between applicants, the criteria (a) to (e) above will be used.
3. Other baptised practising Roman Catholic boys.
   Should it be necessary to distinguish between applicants, the criteria (a) to (e) above will be used.
4. Baptised Roman Catholic boys living in the parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh on Sea; St. Helen’s, Westcliff; Sacred Heart, Southend; St. Teresa’s, Rochford; St. George’s, Shoebury; St. Peter’s, Eastwood; St. John Fisher, Prittlewell; Holy Family, South Benfleet; Our Lady of Ransom, Rayleigh and Our Lady of Canvey.
   Should it be necessary to distinguish between applicants, the criteria (a) to (e) above will be used.
5. Other baptised Roman Catholic boys.
   Should it be necessary to distinguish between applicants, the criteria (a) to (e) above will be used.
6. Other Looked-After boys will have priority over the non-Catholic categories overall
7. Practising Christian boys within the South East Essex area whose parents desire for them a Roman Catholic education. In filling places, the governors will consider applications only from practising Christians as verified by a Church Minister.
   Should it be necessary to distinguish between applicants, the criteria (a) to (e) above will be used.
8. Should any places still remain, the governors will consider applications from families who desire a Roman Catholic education for their son, even though they are not themselves practising Christians.
   Should it be necessary to distinguish between applicants, the criteria (a) to (e) above will be used.

Where the school is named in a child’s statement of special educational needs the school and the Local Authority have a duty to admit the child.

IF YOU ARE NAMING ST THOMAS MORE HIGH SCHOOL AS ONE OF YOUR CHOICES FOR ADMISSION TO YEARS 7 TO 11, THE SCHOOL’S SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FORM (SIF) SHOULD BE COMPLETED TO ENABLE THE GOVERNING BODY TO APPLY ITS ADMISSIONS CRITERIA. THIS FORM IS AVAILABLE FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY, THE SCHOOL OR CAN BE COLLECTED ON THE OPEN EVENING.

Admission to the Sixth Form Details of the entry requirements and courses available are given in the Sixth Form Prospectus, which is available from the school. Applicants should use the school’s Sixth Form application form, which is included within the Prospectus. Applications are also welcomed from pupils – boys and girls – from other schools. Meetings take place for prospective students to discuss option choices, course availability and entry criteria. Places are offered to those applicants who meet the entry criteria.

Appeals

In the event that an applicant should be refused admission by the Governors’ Admissions Committee, parents will be given details in writing of the procedures to follow if they should wish to appeal against the decision to the Governors’ Appeals Committee.

Secondary Admission Round

Deadline for receipt of appeals for on-time applications need to be submitted to the school is 30th March 2012.

Appeals for on-time applications (i.e those relating to decisions sent on national offer day, 1st March 2012) must be heard by 6th July 2012.

Appeals for late applications should be included with those being heard for the same admissions round.  However, if this is not feasible, must be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

Appeal requests received after 30/3/12 may not be heard before end of summer term.