Welcome to The John Warner School

At The John Warner School we are proud to be a school that has provided a first-rate education to young people in Hoddesdon since John Warner built a school for children of all classes and religious beliefs in 1841. We have worked tirelessly to build on this rich history to ignite a lifelong passion for learning, to discover and develop potential, allowing all to flourish in an ever-changing world.

That hasn’t, however, come without its challenges – and we are currently making important changes to ensure that we meet the high standards that we set ourselves.

We look forward to welcoming your child to our school community. The information on this page which will support the transition between primary school and secondary school. 

To apply for a place in Year 7 secondary transfer, visit Hertfordshire County Council to register and choose The John Warner School.

To apply for a place in any other year group or in-year for Year 7, visit Hertfordshire County Council to apply. 

 

 

THE JOHN WARNER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS POLICY 2026 - 2027

The school is an academy for students of 11 to 18 years of age; it is a co-educational, all ability secondary school.

The main principle of admission to the school is to maintain the character as an academy, providing for the needs of young persons within the 11 to 18 age range. There is however, no guarantee of a place for children living in the immediate area.

The school participates in the Hertfordshire Local Authority coordinated scheme for ordinary Year 7 September admissions and all deadlines within that should be adhered to by applicants. In Year Admissions are managed by Hertfordshire County Council.

Section 324 of the Education Act 1996, requires the governing bodies of all maintained schools to admit a child with an Education, health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names the school. These children will be admitted within the school’s PAN but before any child prioritised under the school’s oversubscription criteria.

The published admission number (PAN) for September 2026 will be 120.

OVERSUBSCRIPTION

Where applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following Rules will be used to decide which pupils to admit. 90% of allocations will be made using Rules 1 to 5 in the order set out below and the remaining 10% of allocations will be made using Rule 6.

Rule 1: Children looked after and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order. (See Appendix A)

Rule 2: Children of staff. (See Appendix B)

Rule 3: Children who have a sibling at the same address who is a pupil at the school at the time of application. For the purpose of this clause siblings would include sister, brother, half, step, adoptive and looked after children, provided they also live at the same address. (See Appendix C)

Rule 4: Priority primary schools. Children, who at the closing date for applications (31st October) attend the following priority primary school and have attended that primary school for more than two years: Roselands Primary School and The Cranbourne Primary School. (See Appendix D)

Rule 5: Home to school distance. After places have been allocated using Rule 1, 2 and 3, home to school distances used to allocate any remaining places within the 90% of places allocated to Rule 1, 2, 3 and 4. (See Appendix E)

Rule 6: The remaining places will be allocated to children who show an aptitude for Technology on the basis of an assessment of aptitude carried out by the school. (See Appendix F)

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR YEAR 7 ENTRY

In line with the admission coordination arrangements for all Hertfordshire schools approved by the Secretary of State, all parents must complete Hertfordshire LA’s Secondary Transfer Forms (STF) or if outside of Hertfordshire then your own LA’s STF. These forms must be completed and returned as described in the County Council transfer information.

In addition, we strongly encourage parents to complete the school’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF). The SIF enables governors to collect information which they will need to consider applications fully. If an applicant does not complete the SIF, the school board will apply the school’s oversubscription criteria using the information submitted on the STF. This may result in the application being given a lower priority against those Rules due to lack of available information. SIFs are available in electronic format on the school’s website and via Hertfordshire Local Authority’s website at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk. The SIF should be completed online and will be returned to the school electronically by the stated deadline. Hard copies are available on request. Please ensure that you retain your electronic copy as a receipt.

LATE APPLICATIONS

Applications received after the closing date will be deemed as late and will be dealt with as prescribed under Hertfordshire’s Coordinated Admissions Scheme. You are much less likely to be offered a place at our school if you apply late.

AFTER ALLOCATION DAY

You will be required to accept or decline the place that has been offered to you by the stated deadline. If you do not respond then we reserve the right to withdraw the place offered to you in order to offer it to another child who wants it. In the event of a parent not responding then the school will send one reminder email with a response deadline.

Parents who are unsuccessful in their application to the school have the right to appeal to an independent panel. Hertfordshire parents wishing to appeal, who applied online, should log on to their online application and click on the link “register an appeal”. If you did not apply using Hertfordshire’s on-line application system please contact Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 to request registration details to enable you to log your appeal directly with them.

A continued interest (waiting) list will be drawn up and revised in accordance with the Rules set out above. Such places as become available will be allocated strictly in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. 

After places have been offered, Hertfordshire County Council will maintain a continuing interest (waiting) list. A child’s position on a CI list will be determined by the admission criteria outlined above and a child’s place on the list can change as other children join or leave it. The County Council will contact parents/carers if a vacancy becomes available and it can be offered to a child. Continuing Interest lists will be maintained for every year group until the summer term (date to be specified and confirmed to parents at the time of allocation). To remain on the CI (waiting) list after this time, parents must confirm they are still interested in a place by completing an in year Application Form (To retain a CI application after this time parents must make an In year Application).

MULTIPLE BIRTHS

In the event that a twin or triplet is offered a place under any of the admission rules, the remaining twin or triplets will also be offered a place over the published admission number. Where one multiple birth sibling takes the last available place, the remaining multiple birth siblings will also be offered a place as over PAN admissions.

TIE-BREAK

In any case where a ‘tie-break’ is needed under any of the above oversubscription Rules, priority will be given to the child or children living nearest to the school (as defined at Appendix E). When there is a need for a further tie-breaker where two or more different addresses measure the same distance from a school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two or more identical addresses of separate applicants, the tiebreak will be random allocation, which will be independently supervised.

CHILDREN OUT OF YEAR GROUP

The school’s policy is for children to be educated within their correct chronological year group, with the curriculum differentiated as necessary to meet the needs of individual children. This is in line with DfE guidance which states that “in general, children should be educated in their normal age group”.

If parents/carers believe that their child(ren) should be educated in a different year group they must, at the time of application, submit supporting evidence from relevant professionals working with the child and family stating why the child must be placed outside their normal age appropriate cohort.

The Admissions Committee of the School Board would then meet to decide whether the application would be accepted or not. There is no guarantee that an application will be accepted on this basis.

IN-YEAR ADMISSIONS

In Year Admissions are managed by Hertfordshire County Council. The school is part of the county council’s coordinated In Year admissions scheme. You can make an In Year application online via www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/inyear or request a paper copy from the Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043. Parents/carers should return the application form directly to the County Council (address on the form).

Hertfordshire County Council will maintain a continuing interest (waiting) list. A child’s position on a CI list will be determined by the admission criteria outlined below and a child’s place on the list can change as other children join or leave it. Hertfordshire County Council will contact parents/carers if a vacancy becomes available and it can be offered to a child. Continuing interest lists will be maintained for every year group until the end of the summer term. To retain a CI application after this time, parents must make an In Year application.

Section 324 of the Education Act 1996, requires the governing bodies of all maintained schools to admit a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names the school. These children will be admitted within the school’s PAN but before any child prioritised under the school’s oversubscription criteria.

A new In-Year application must be made at the end of the academic year to ensure the child is on the continuing list.

The County Council will write to you with the outcome of your application and if you have been unsuccessful will include registration details to enable you to log in and appeal online at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/schoolappeals

FAIR ACCESS PROTOCOL (IN-YEAR ONLY)

Some pupils take precedence over the continued interest list; these include Fair Access Protocol admissions and Children with Education Health and Care Plans which name the school or where the Academy is subject to a direction from the Secretary of State. We will also admit children under the Fair Access Protocol over the Published Admission Number (PAN) if required.

APPENDICES

Appendix A – Rule 1: Children Looked After and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England, and cased to be in state care as a result of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.

Places are allocated to children in public care according to Chapter 7, Section 2 of the School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012. These children will be prioritised under rule 1.

Highest priority will also be given to children who were previously looked after, including those looked after outside England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.

A “child looked after” is a child who is:

1. in the care of a local authority, or

2.  being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (section 22(1) of The Children Act 1989)

All children adopted from care who are of compulsory school age are eligible for admission under rule 1.

Children in the process of being placed for adoption are classified by law as children looked after providing there is a Placement Order and the application would be prioritised under Rule 1.

Applications made for children who were not “looked after” immediately before being adopted or made the subject of a child arrangement order or special guardianship order can be made for these children, with suitable supporting professional evidence,  which can be considered under rule 1.

Child arrangements order

Under the provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014, which amended section 8 of the Children Act 1989, residence orders have now been replaced by child arrangements orders which settle the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live.

Special guardianship order

Under 14A of The Children Act 1989, an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian or guardians.

Children previously looked after abroad and subsequently adopted will be prioritised under Rule 1 if the child’s previously looked after status and adoption is confirmed by Hertfordshire’s “Virtual School”.

The child’s previously looked status will be decided in accordance with the definition outlined in The Children & Social Work Act 2017:

1. to have been in state care in a place outside England and Wales because he or she would not otherwise have been cared for adequately, and

2. to have ceased to be in that state care as a result of being adopted.

A child is in “state care” if he or she is in the care of, or accommodated by:

1 - a public authority,

2 - a religious organisation, or

3 - any other organisation the sole or main purpose of which is to benefit society.

Appendix B – Staff

Where the member of staff has been employed under contract of employment with The John Warner School for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made or the member of staff is recruited under a contract of employment to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. Staff included are as follows:

• All full-time teaching staff.
• All full-time support staff, defined as those on a 38 week and above contract.
• All part time teaching staff with a 50% and above timetable.
• All part time support staff who work at least 16 hours per week for 38 weeks or more. The child must live permanently with the member of staff and includes the children of partners who live at the same address.

The above definition does not include contract staff. If a service has been ‘in house’ and is subsequently ‘contracted out’, children of staff will no longer be eligible for priority admission under this Rule. The definition does not include peripatetic staff.

Appendix C - Rule 3: Children who have a sibling at the same address who is a pupil at the school at the time of application.

A sibling means the sister, brother, half-brother or half-sister, adopted brother or sister, or child of the parent/carer or partner or a child looked after or previously looked after* and in every case living permanently** in a placement within the home as part of the family household from Monday to Friday at the time of application.

*Children previously looked after are those children adopted or with a special guardianship order or child arrangement order.

**A sibling link will not be recognised for children living temporarily in the same house, for example a child who usually lives with one parent but has temporarily moved or a looked after child in respite placement or very short term or bridging foster placement.

Where a place is obtained and the child admitted to the school and it is subsequently identified that this place was gained fraudulently, there will be no sibling connection available to subsequent children from that family.

Appendix D - Rule 4: Priority primary schools

In January 2024, The John Warner School, Roselands Primary School and The Cranbourne Primary School joined Danes Educational Trust (DET). One of DET’s strategic aims is to develop a 3 - 18 education for the children in the area where its schools are linked. The two primary schools are direct feeder schools in The John Warner School, and DET wants to recognise this and give priority access to those children. The education provision between the primary schools and The John Warner School will be developed to give a seamless transition.

Appendix E - Rule 5: Home to School Distance

Home to school distance will be calculated using the Hertfordshire County Council’s ‘straight line’ distance measurement system. Distances are measured using a computerised mapping system to two decimal places. The measurement is taken from the AddressBase Premium address point of your child’s house to the address point of the school. Premium data is a nationally recognised method of identifying the location of schools and individual residences.

The address provided must be the child’s current permanent address at the time of application. ‘At the time of application’ means the closing date for applications. “Permanent” means that the child has lived at that address for at least a year. Where a family has not lived at an address for a year, they must be able to demonstrate that they own the property or have a tenancy agreement for a minimum of 12* months and the child must be resident in the property at the time of application.

The application can only be processed using one address. If a child lives at more than one address (for example due to a separation) the address used will be the one where the child lives for the majority of the time. If a child lives at two addresses equally, parents/carers should make a single joint application naming one address.

If a child’s permanent residence is disputed, parents/carers should provide court documentation to evidence the address that should be used for admission allocation purposes. If two applications are received, with different addresses and/or different preferences, neither will be processed until the address issue is reconciled.

It is for a child’s home Local Authority to determine the address. If two applications, with different addresses are received from the same Local Authority, it will be for that Local Authority to determine the permanent address. If two applications are received from two different Local Authorities, the above process will be used

If two different applications are received for the same child from the same address, e.g., containing different preferences, parents/carers will be invited to submit a joint application or provide court documentation to evidence the preferences that should be used for the admission process. Until the preference issue is reconciled neither application will be processed.

For the transfer application rounds, if the initial differing applications (one or both) were received “on-time”, an amended joint application will also be considered “on-time” if received before the “late deadline”. If the amended joint application is received after the late date, it will be treated as “late”.

The late deadlines for the 2025/26 transfer application process are 2nd December 2025. If these dates change, amendments will be published on the admissions web pages at the start of the 2026/27 application process in September 2025.

* If, because of the nature of the agreement, it is not possible to provide a 12-month tenancy agreement, alternative proof of address will be requested and verified as necessary with the Shared Anti-Fraud Service.

The application can only be processed using one address. If a child lives at more than one address (for example due to a separation) the address used will be the one which the child lives at for the majority of the time. If a child lives at two addresses equally, the address of the parent/carer that claims Child Benefit/Child Tax Credit will be considered as the child’s main residence.

If a family is not in receipt of Child Benefit/Tax Credit alternative documentation will be requested.

If a child’s residence is in dispute, parents/carers should provide court documentation to evidence the address that should be used for admission allocation purposes.

If two different applications are received for the same child from the same address, e.g. containing different preferences, the application from the parent in receipt of child benefit will be processed if the applications cannot be reconciled.

Fraudulent Applications – The school will do as much as possible to prevent applications being made from fraudulent addresses and may ask for proof of address and/or refer any concerns back to the Local Authority for further investigation.

Appendix F - Rule 6: Technology Aptitude Test

After 90% of places have been allocated using Rules 1 to 4, the remaining places will be allocated to children who show an aptitude for technology on the basis of an assessment of aptitude carried out by the school. This will amount to 15 places.

Pupils seeking entry to the school on the basis of an aptitude for technology will involve a half day on Tuesday, 7 October 2025 at the school and will include only those pupils who are seeking a place on this basis.

Parents who requested a place under this Rule will be written to during the w/c 29 September 2025 with further details; test results will be posted home during the w/c 13 October 2025. All applications must be received by the stated deadline of 26 September 2025.

The tests form part of our oversubscription criteria for secondary transfer and involve the children sitting two papers: a non-verbal reasoning paper (40 minutes) and a spatial awareness test (45 minutes), both papers look for the ability to recognise similarities, analogies and patterns in unfamiliar designs. A sample question will be read out and then a period of time will be given for the children to complete each section of the multiple-choice questions. The scores are then converted to an age-standardised score which takes into account the fact that some children are very young in the year groups. There is no pass mark for these tests, places are strictly offered in descending order of each applicant’s total standardised test scores. The tests that will be conducted will be for an aptitude for technology and will not be concerned with ability. This test can be taken by any child in Year 6 who is due to transfer to secondary school.

In the event of a tie-break being required under this Rule, rankings will be sorted by using the method noted in Appendix E to determine which child is closest to the school. 

In the event that applications for places under this Rule are less than 10% of the total, any remaining places will be added to the places available under Rules 1 to 4 in that order until all the places have been allocated.

Children who have a sibling who attends the school should not ordinarily take the aptitude test as they will normally fall within Rule 3.

How to apply: Electronic applications should be made by completing the Supplementary Information Form and indicating in the appropriate section that you wish your child to sit the test. All applications must be received by the stated deadline. Hard copies are available on request. The school cannot take responsibility for any applications where the applicant has not received an electronic confirmation or been provided with a paper receipt.

You should advise the school before the test if your child has any special requirements that you feel may disadvantage them when sitting the test and provide a letter from your child’s current primary school explaining what assistance they currently receive during examination

conditions. We are unable to offer students assistance on the day of the test if we have not been advised in advance. If your child is sick on the day of the test, please telephone the school in the morning.

Appendix G - Applications from children from overseas

All children of compulsory school age (5 to 16 years) in England have a right of access to education. However, where a child is in England for a short period only, for example less than half term, it may be reasonable to refuse admission to a school.

An application for a school place will only be accepted for such children currently overseas if, for In Year applications, proof is provided that the child will be resident in Hertfordshire within two weeks. In Year allocations are made on the assumption that the child will accept the school place and be on roll within that timescale.

For the Secondary transfer processes, applications will not normally be accepted from, nor places allocated to, an overseas address. The exception to this (for both In Year and transfer processes) is for children of UK service personnel and crown servants (and from military families who are residents of countries with a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK). In these cases, we will agree to HCC allocating a place in advance of the family arriving in the area provided the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares a relocation date and a HCC Unit postal address or quartering area address, for consideration of the application against oversubscription criteria.

Applications will also be considered, and places offered in advance for these families, if the application is accompanied by an official letter that declares a relocation date but does not provide a quartering or unit address because the family will be residing in private accommodation. In these cases, if the family does not already have a permanent private address in Hertfordshire, the military base or alternative “work” address in Hertfordshire will be used for allocation purposes. If the family already has an established alternative private address, that address will be used for admission purposes. HCC will also consider accepting applications from children* whose family can evidence intent to return to and/or permanently reside in Hertfordshire prior to the start of the new academic year. These applications, if accepted, will be processed from the overseas address until sufficient evidence is received to show the child is permanently resident in Hertfordshire.

Evidence must be submitted at the time of application.

Evidence submitted after the date for late applications, cannot be taken into account before National Allocation Day. Decisions on these applications will be made by a panel of senior officers and communicated with parents within six weeks of the closing date for applications.

If an applicant owns a property in Hertfordshire but is not living in it, perhaps because they are working abroad at the time of application, the Hertfordshire address will not be accepted for the purposes of admission until the child is resident at that address.

Other children, than those mentioned above, from overseas do not generally have automatic right of entry to the UK. An application for a school place will not therefore be accepted until they are permanently resident in Hertfordshire. Proof of residency such as an endorsed passport or entry visa will be required with the application, in addition to proof of Hertfordshire address, for example, a council tax bill or 12 month rental agreement.

*Children who hold full British Citizen passports (not British Dependent Territories or British Overseas passports), or have a UK passport describing them as a British citizen or B

SIXTH FORM ADMISSIONS POLICY 

POLICY AND NUMBERS

We aim to offer a range of academic and vocational qualifications to our Sixth Form students and some of these require minimum grades at GCSE. Our policy is to ensure that students accepted into the Sixth Form can be placed on appropriate courses where they are likely to succeed. For this reason, we ask all applicants to attend a meeting to discuss the most suitable courses for study; this meeting does not form part of the decision on whether or not to offer a place.

Alongside our current Year 11 students, we also accept applications from students wishing to transfer from another school. Academic entry rules are the same for both internal and external places.

The number of external admissions for the school year commencing September 2026 is expected to be 10 students.

HOW TO APPLY

SIXTH FORM OFFERS AND ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Dates for Sixth Form open events will be published on the school website: https://www.johnwarner.herts.sch.uk/. All applicants must complete the application form and submit it by the deadline, following all instructions on the application form.

Where internal applicants meet the school’s Sixth Form admissions requirements, they will be offered places, subject to them gaining these requirements when KS4 results are published. Where internal applicants’ predicted grades do not meet the admissions requirements, additional guidance and support will be given on alternative post-16 options.

If an external applicants’ predicted grades, as reported by their current school, meet the entry requirements, they will be eligible for consideration for a conditional offer of a place, subject to the Oversubscription Criteria stated. If an external applicants’ predicted grades, as reported by their current school, do not meet the entry requirements, they will not be given a conditional offer of a place but they will be welcome to re-apply to The John Warner School Sixth Form after KS4 results are published, should there be any available spaces, subject to the Oversubscription Criteria stated. External applicants whose applications meet the entry requirements may have a meeting with a member of staff in the Spring Term after receipt of application to discuss the suitability of their chosen courses.

For successful external applicants, a Conditional Offer of Sixth Form Admission letter will be sent by the school and a formal written acceptance of the conditional offer will be required by the date indicated in the letter. Should a student fail to accept the conditional offer by this date, the school may withdraw the conditional offer of a place in the Sixth Form. The Governors will withdraw a place that has been offered on the basis of a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application from a parent or student.

All applicants (both internal and external) who have been offered a place are expected to attend the school-arranged Sixth Form Induction Programme.

When KS4 results have been received, all applicants with Sixth Form offers (both internal and external) who have met the entry requirements will be invited to confirm their KS4 results and subject choices. Should a student fail to meet the deadline set, the school may withdraw the offer of a place in the Sixth Form.

SIXTH FORM APPEALS

If an application is refused, there is a statutory right of appeal. Appeals against non-admissions may be lodged by the parent/carer or the student. To appeal against a Sixth Form admission decision, follow the Appeals procedure below:

-        Request an Appeal Form from the Admissions Officer by 4pm on Monday 16 March 2026. The Admissions Officer can be contacted at admin@johnwarner.herts.sch.uk.

-        Complete the Appeal Form, including the reason for the appeal based on the published Admissions Criteria.

-        Return the completed form to the Admissions Officer via email by 4pm on Monday 6 April 2026.

-        Sixth Form appeal hearings will be arranged by the school. The school will establish an independent appeals panel to hear the appeal and the independent appeals panel will then decide whether to uphold or dismiss the appeal. In the event that the independent appeals panel upholds the appeals, the child will be admitted to the Sixth Form.

SIXTH FORM APPLICATION FORM

The Sixth Form application form is published on the school website: https://johnwarner.herts.sch.uk/92/sixth-form-admissions. 

DESIRED ENTRY REQUIREMENTS INTO YEAR 12

 - Students must achieve seven full level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) passes at grades 4-9;

 - At least one of those passes must be in English Language or mathematics at grade 4 or above;

 - Any student not in possession of grade 4 or above in either English Language or mathematics will be required to re-take that examination in November or June of Year 12;

 - The normal entry requirement for A level study is an attainment 8 score of 55 or above and a grade 6 or merit in the chosen subjects at level 2 (GCSE);

 - The entry requirement for A level further mathematics is a grade 7 in GCSE mathematics;

 - The normal entry requirement for vocational study is an attainment 8 score of 40 or above and a grade 4 or a pass in the chosen subjects at level 2 (GCSE);

 - For courses that have not been taken at GCSE level, suitable grades will be expected in an equivalent subject area. Each of these subjects will provide details of appropriate equivalent qualifications;

 - Students must follow a minimum of three level 3 courses when entering the Sixth Form.

Please refer to the Sixth Form Prospectus for specific course requirements.

OVER SUBSCRIPTION

The John Warner School is required by its funding agreement to admit children with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) that names the school. 

Where the applications for admission exceed the number of places available, the following oversubscription rules will be applied. Rule 1 must be applied first as all rules are applied numerically as set out below:

Rule 1 - Children Looked After and children who were previously looked after (see Appendix A)

Rule 2 - Priority will be given to external students in rank order according to their grade points

RIGHT TO APPEAL

Parents who are unsuccessful in their application to the school have the right to appeal to an independent panel. Hertfordshire parents wishing to appeal should contact Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 to request registration details to enable you to log your appeal directly with them.

Appendix A – Rule 1: Children Looked After and children who were previously looked after, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside ofEngland, and cased to be in state care as a result of being adopted or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.

Places are allocated to children in public care according to Chapter 7, Section 2 of the School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012. These children will be prioritised under rule 1.

Highest priority will also be given to children who were previously looked after, including those looked after outside England, but ceased to be so because they were adopted, or became subject to a child arrangement order or a special guardianship order.

A “child looked after” is a child who is:

1. in the care of a local authority, or

2. being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (section 22(1) of The Children Act 1989)

All children adopted from care who are of compulsory school age are eligible for admission under rule 1.

Children in the process of being placed for adoption are classified by law as children looked after providing there is a Placement Order and the application would be prioritised under Rule 1.

Applications made for children who were not “looked after” immediately before being adopted or made the subject of a child arrangement order or special guardianship order can be made for these children, with suitable supporting professional evidence,  which can be considered under rule 1.

Child arrangements order

Under the provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014, which amended section 8 of the Children Act 1989, residence orders have now been replaced by child arrangements orders which settle the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live.

Special guardianship order

Under 14A of The Children Act 1989, an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian or guardians.

Children previously looked after abroad and subsequently adopted will be prioritised under Rule 1 if the child’s previously looked after status and adoption is confirmed by Hertfordshire’s “Virtual School”.

The child’s previously looked status will be decided in accordance with the definition outlined in The Children & Social Work Act 2017:

1. to have been in state care in a place outside England and Wales because he or she would not otherwise have been cared for adequately, and

2. to have ceased to be in that state care as a result of being adopted.

A child is in “state care” if he or she is in the care of, or accommodated by:

1. a public authority,

2. a religious organisation, or

3. any other organisation the sole or main purpose of which is to benefit society.

In any case where a ‘tie-break’ is needed under any of the above oversubscription Criteria, priority will be given to children living nearest to the school measured by using Hertfordshire County Council’s ‘find your nearest school’ online facility.  The measurement is taken from the point of your child’s house to a point of distance which has been agreed by the Governors on the school site. Should two applicants have the same home to school distance, a random allocation will be made and that process will be independently supervised.

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR ENTRY IN SEPTEMBER 2026

The Initial Interest Application Form needs to be completed by 8th December 2025. Any applications received after this date will be considered ‘late’ and may be given a lower priority.

All current students and external applicants will be invited to a pathways discussion in January/February 2026 to determine their final option choices.

On the Sixth Form Registration Day in September, students will be asked to complete a Course Sign Up Form. When completing this form, students should include all GCSE results (a copy of the statement of results is preferable).

The continuing interest list will be drawn up and revised in accordance with the criteria indicated previously. Such places as become available will be allocated strictly in accordance with the list. Any applicant will move down the list if applicants with a higher priority are added. The list will not be maintained after 31 December 2026 unless the school considers there to be a realistic possibility of a place becoming available in the immediate future.