Admissions Policy
For the Academic Year September 2005 - 2006
St George's School, founded in 1907, was one of the
first co-educational day and boarding schools in the country. The
aims of the School's Admissions Policy and Criteria reflect the Governors'
intention to respect its original foundation and the wishes of its
founder, the Reverend Cecil Grant, an Anglican Priest. When St George's
became a Voluntary Aided School in 1967, an essential part of the
agreement with Hertfordshire County Council and the then Department
of Education was to maintain the aims, the ethos of the School and
its religious character.
St George's School is a non-denominational Christian
foundation. It is not a church school and it is not supported financially
by any religious body, such as the Anglican or Catholic Dioceses or
the Free Churches. By tradition, the School's Chaplain is an ordained
Anglican and is licensed by the Bishop of St Albans. All staff appointed
to the School are required to support the Christian Foundation and
many with their families are active members of both the School Chapel
and local churches. Pupils and children of staff of the School can
be baptized and confirmed by the Chaplain. Children of staff can also
be married under Special License from the Archbishop. The Chapel is
available for Christian groups and Churches and former members of
the School use its facilities for special services.
St George's is the only non-denominational maintained
school with a Christian foundation in the Harpenden area. The School
welcomes children from a wide church membership and has strong links
with local churches (for example, the Church of England, Roman Catholic,
Methodist, United Reform, Baptist, Salvation Army, Free and Evangelical
congregations) in the civil parishes listed. As a Voluntary Aided
School, the Governors are responsible for the RE syllabus, which for
all years is largely based on the study of Christianity. All pupils
are entered for at least the short course GCSE in Religious Studies
at the end of KS4.
St George's has some day pupils from other faiths
and non-Christian families and a number of boarders who come from
a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Parents must agree to
their children attending at least three designated Sunday Chapel services
a term. This is a requirement of entry and continuing attendance at
St George's School.
St George's does not have 'feeder primary schools'.
Traditionally the School takes the majority of its day students from
the surrounding area and this includes maintained and independent
schools, denominational and non-denominational schools.
The aims of the School's Admission Criteria reflect
the Governors' intention to respect its traditions and the aims of
the Reverend Cecil Grant, the School's Founder. Briefly, these can
be summarised as follows:
· To provide a rich educational experience
to allow each pupil to make progress and work to realise his/her full
potential.
· To protect and develop the religious character
of St George's School.
· To provide boarding to support and enrich
the experiences of pupils who live at the School.
· To remain, as Cecil Grant intended, a family
school where brothers and sisters can be educated together, and further
the family link by giving priority to the children of former members
of the School and the children of staff.
· To admit children, regardless of aptitude
or ability, whose parents declare their intention to support the traditions
of St George's. These include loyalty to the House system and the
School's strong belief in competition. Competition in the School's
curricular and extra-curricular life is deeply embedded in its sport,
drama and music and involves children of all abilities and aptitudes.
· To allow children, regardless of their ability,
access to specific curricular and extra-curricular opportunities or
facilities that are particular strengths of the School. These include,
for example, the choice of modern languages and a classical language;
different specialisms within Technology; the compulsory study of RE
to GCSE level; involvement with choral and church music; the chance
to contribute to, and participate in, regular Christian worship in
the Chapel; the availability of particular sports and games (such
as lacrosse and rugby) which are played on a competitive basis with
regular fixture lists; Inter-House drama and music competitions; art
exhibitions and particular extra-curricular activities, such as the
School Sailing Club. Children who may not be able to participate in
games can benefit from many other activities offered at the School,
such as sailing, drama, music etc.
Parents and Guardians of children who gain admission
will be expected to co-operate with the School in maintaining high
standards of behaviour and achievement. A full copy of the School's
Discipline Policy and School Rules is available to all parents. Parents
and Guardians are strongly advised to read the School Prospectus in
detail to appreciate the special kind of education offered at St George's.
Firm guidance on behaviour and manners (both within and after school
hours) and on uniform is also provided and should be reinforced by
the home - the Home School Agreement includes these.
The admission of pupils is the responsibility of the
Governors. All communication regarding Admissions should be clearly
addressed to the Day Admissions Secretary, St George's School, Sun
Lane, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 4TD.
Pupils will be admitted to St George's in Year 7 at
the age of 11 irrespective of physical or academic ability. Only in
exceptional circumstances will a child younger than 11 years of age
on 1 September of the year in which he/she is due to transfer to secondary
school be considered for admission as a day pupil. The advice of the
Headteacher of the Primary School that the child attends and another
relevant professional, such as an Educational Psychologist, will be
considered.
Boarders will be required to complete an interview
satisfactorily. A full report from the pupil's present school will
be requested. In addition, parents must also be able to meet the financial
requirements of boarding as long as the child is a registered pupil
at the School. In exceptional circumstances, pupils younger than 11
years of age at the time of transfer to a secondary school may be
considered, such as in the case of a family returning from overseas
whose child is close in educational terms to secondary transfer. There
is no transfer of boarding pupils or boarding places to day places.
The Governors wish to make it clear that in the application
of their Admissions Criteria, they will not tolerate direct or indirect
race discrimination and if it is demonstrated in any case that the
policy has given rise to race discrimination, it will be disapplied.
Criteria for Admissions
For the Academic Year September 2005 - July 2006
The Governors have agreed to admit 130 day pupils
into Year 7 for September 2005. The arrangements and criteria listed
below are reviewed annually and should not be regarded as binding
for future years.
St George's is a non-denominational Christian Foundation
and is recognised by the DfES as a school with the religious character
of Christian. By tradition its Chaplain, appointed and supported by
the Foundation, is an Anglican and is licensed by the Bishop of St
Albans. Daily and Sunday Chapel worship is a unique feature of the
School and children of all Christian Churches (see Note 3) are welcome
to apply for entry to the School.
The School's Priority Area comprises the Harpenden
Area and the Villages Area together, each being as follows:
· Harpenden Area comprises the civil parishes
of Harpenden and Harpenden Rural.
· Villages Area comprises the civil parishes
of Ayot St Lawrence, Flamstead, Kimpton, Kings Walden, Markyate, Redbourn,
St Paul's Walden and Wheathampstead.
Children will be allocated to any such Area according
to their normal residence at the date of decision.
If the School receives more applications than it has
places available, the following criteria will be applied at the date
of decision, in the order they are printed below. If more children
qualify under a particular criterion than there are places available
under that criterion, the following criteria will be applied in order
as a tie-break.
1. Children who have a brother or sister at the school
(see Note 1).
2. Children of staff who have a permanent contract
of employment with the Governors of the School.
3. Children living with a parent or parents with a
Christian commitment shown by membership of a Christian Church (see
Note 2).
a) 70% of places available under this criterion will
be allocated to children living in the Harpenden Area (the civil parishes
of Harpenden and Harpenden Rural).
b) 20% of places available under this criterion will
be allocated to those living in the civil parishes of Ayot St Lawrence,
Flamstead, Kimpton, Kings Walden, Markyate, Redbourn, St Paul's Walden
and Wheathampstead.
c) 10% of places available under this criterion will
be allocated to those living outside the Priority Area civil parishes
as listed above.
4. Children who can prove that they have a particular
medical or social reason for attending the school (see Note 3).
5. Children who have a brother or sister who attended
the school in the past for a period of at least three years (see Note
1).
6. Children whose normal residence is in the Priority
Area living with a parent who attended the School for a period of
at least three years.
7. Children whose parent or parents can demonstrate
that their child would benefit from attending a non-denominational
Christian School with daily and Sunday services (see Note 4).
8. Children whose parent or parents can demonstrate
why, in the future, it is likely that their child will need to take
advantage of the School's boarding facility in order to safeguard
the continuity of their education (see Note 5).
9. Children whose normal residence is nearest the
School, measured in a straight line from the child's normal residence
to the School's Aim Higher doorway.
Note 1
A "brother" or "sister" means
the sister, brother, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister,
or child of the parent or partner, living in the same house.
Note 2
A Christian commitment shall be shown by membership
of a Christian Church (as defined in this note) and by attendance
at church at least once a month over the two years prior to the date
of application. Children and their parents will need to show that
they attend church services regularly as testified by the Church leader
on the form provided by the School. This is not intended to include
compulsory church attendance with school or other organisations or
children's participation in Sunday School or Youth Club.
Please ask for the enclosed form to be signed and
return it with the application or under separate cover to the Day
Admissions Secretary at the School.
A Christian Church is one that is a member of the
Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland or is in association with
Churches Together in England or the Evangelical Alliance. It should
have recognised ecumenical links, such as membership of a local Churches
Together group and must
include the local Anglican church. A list of membership of the Council
of Churches for Britain and Ireland is given in the Church of England
Handbook and is available for consultation (by prior arrangement)
from the School Office.
Note 3
Documentary evidence from a medical consultant or
qualified social worker will be required if applicants wish to be
considered under this rule. A second wider professional opinion may
be sought.
Note 4
Examples of grounds under the rule include the consequences
of each parent being an active member of different churches as supported
by letters confirming this from church leaders in each church; where
a parent can show that they have changed denomination and is an active
member of the church; or where a child would benefit from attending
a non-denominational Christian School with daily and Sunday services.
Note 5
Documentary evidence from employers will be required
if applicants wish to be considered under this rule.
