ASSUMPTION GRAMMAR SCHOOL

SPECIALIST SCHOOL FOR MUSIC WITH PHYSICAL EDUCATION

24 Belfast Road

Ballynahinch BT24 8EA

Telephone No: 028 9756 2250

Fax No: 028 97565341

Email: admin@assumption.ballynahinch.ni.sch.uk

Website: www.assumptiongrammar.org.uk

Principal: Mr Peter Dobbin BA (Hons) PGCE MSc PQH (NI)

Chairperson Board of Governors: Miss M O’Halloran

Voluntary Grammar School For Girls

Denominational

Age Range: 11-18

Admission No: 120

Enrolment No: 840

OPEN DAY INFORMATION

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we are unable to showcase the School through our usual Open Day. A video, prospectus and information pack are available on our school website www.assumptiongrammar.org.uk

Entrance Assessment Results

Assumption Grammar School will give preference to, (apart from those who qualify either for Special Circumstances or Special Provision), those pupils awarded a grade by GL in completing the GL Entrance Assessment on Saturday 13 November 2021 or the supplementary GL Entrance Assessment on Saturday 11 December 2021 as specified by the School. In Section C of the Online Transfer Application, parents/guardians must state the GRADE achieved and attach to the Online Transfer Application a copy of the GL Entrance Assessment statement of results which they receive on Saturday 5 February 2022.

Special Circumstances

Special Circumstances refer to the claim that, as a result of medical or other problems, a pupil’s performance in the GL Entrance Assessment was affected.

Any parent/guardian claiming Special Circumstances must complete the documentation in the “Claiming Special Circumstances Pack” available from Assumption Grammar School or from its website. Claims for Special Circumstances should be made by 2.00pm on Wednesday 15 December 2021 using the SCR Form. Claims not registered within this period may not be considered. Independent evidence in support of Special Circumstances is not required to be produced at this stage. This documentation, together with the independent, verifiable documentary evidence which corroborates the Special Circumstances claim, must be attached to the Online Transfer Application and include the SC1 Form.

Special Provision

Special Provision may be made by the Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors for girls:

a) who are transferring from primary schools outside Northern Ireland;

b) who have received more than half of their primary education outside Northern Ireland;

c) whose educational provision to date has been negatively affected by serious medical or other problems which are supported by independent verifiable documentary evidence, and who have not taken either the GL Assessment or its supplementary assessment.

d) who were entered for the GL Assessment and it took place, but the applicant was unable to sit either the GL Entrance Assessment or Supplementary GL Entrance Assessment due to COVID-19 reasons.

1. For those pupils currently in P7 in Primary Schools in Northern Ireland, claims for Special Provision should be made on Form SP1 and attached to the Online Transfer Application. Form SP1 is available from the school or its website. Parents wishing to claim Special Provision should also forward a copy of Form SP1 directly to Assumption Grammar School, by 28 February 2022.

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2. After this date, claims for Special Provision should be made directly to Assumption Grammar School and the Post Primary Transfer Section of the Education Authority notified.

Further details can be found in the section ‘Note on Special Circumstances and Special Provision’.

VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTION

We ask parents to make an annual voluntary contribution towards the School Development Fund to help meet the costs of additional facilities. A minimum of £80 per pupil is requested. Where there are two or more children from the same family attending the school, a minimum of £20 each is requested for the second and third child. Where there are more than three children from any one family attending the school at the same time, no fee is required for the fourth child.

Respective functions of the Board of Governors and Principal in relation to Admissions to the school The Board of Governors, having agreed the criteria for admissions, has delegated to the Admissions Committee, consisting of 3 members of the Board of Governors and the Principal, the authority to decide which particular applicants shall be admitted to the school in accordance with the admissions criteria.

ADMISSIONS POLICY

All girls residing in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission to the school will be selected for admission before any girl not so resident.

The Admissions Committee will not use as a criterion the position of preference given to the school on the Online Transfer Application. This means that a pupil who has chosen Assumption Grammar School in any position on the Online Transfer Application will be considered equally with those who have put this school as first choice.

IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENT/GUARDIAN OF PROSPECTIVE PUPILS TO ENSURE THAT ALL INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA/SUB CRITERIA OF ASSUMPTION GRAMMAR SCHOOL IS SUBMITTED EITHER ON THE ONLINE TRANSFER APPLICATION OR IS ATTACHED TO THAT FORM AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION TO THE SCHOOL FOR ADMISSION.

NOTE ON SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND SPECIAL PROVISION

The Admissions Committee will first consider applicants claiming that Special Circumstances or Special Provision exist. Where it is determined that Special Circumstances exist, the Admissions Committee will award, on the basis of the information available, an appropriate grade equivalent for the applicant. Such applicants will then be considered with all other applicants who have received a GL Entrance Assessment grade and the admissions criteria applied.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Special Circumstances refer to the claim that as a result of medical or other problems a pupil’s performance in the GL Entrance Assessment was affected.

Special Circumstances

 must be supported by documentary evidence of a medical and/or other appropriate nature in keeping with the Post Primary Transfer Consortium’s Entrance Assessment: Policy on “Access Arrangements” and “A Guide to Claiming Special Circumstances for Children taking the GL Entrance Assessment” available from the school website www.assumptiongrammar.org.uk or directly from the school as required.

NB The existence of special circumstances DOES NOT in itself lead to automatic admission to the school. Each case is considered on its own merits by the Admissions Committee.

Claims for Special Circumstances should be made by 2.00pm on Wednesday 15 December 2021 using the appropriate form (SCR) available from the school. Claims not registered within this period may not be considered. Independent evidence in support of Special Circumstances is not required to be produced at this stage. This independent evidence will need to be attached to the Online Transfer Application at the time of application to the school.

All documented evidence in support of any claim must be attached to the Online Transfer Application, using the SC1 Form, and forwarded to the School via the Post Primary Transfer Section of the Education Authority in February 2022

Note on COVID-19

Special Circumstances will not be applied solely due to lost teaching and learning time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lost teaching and learning is being addressed in the GL Entrance Assessment 2021 via the assessment methods and the reduction in the content that will be assessed. Specific COVID-19 impacts which are unique to the applicant may still be applicable to Special Circumstances.

DETAILS OF MEDICAL OR OTHER PROBLEMS:

Where it is claimed that a pupil’s performance in the GL Assessment has been affected by a medical or other problem, it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to provide the precise details of the problem and append independent evidence to the Online Transfer Application to corroborate its existence. Where the problem is a medical one of short term duration which affected the pupil only at the time of the GL Assessment, the school will require the production of evidence including dates that the pupil was examined by a medical practitioner in relation to the illness at the time of the GL Assessment. This evidence should be provided on the headed note paper of the medical practitioner and signed by him/her.

Where the problem is of a non medical nature, it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to provide the precise details of the problem and append any appropriate independent evidence to the Online Transfer Application to corroborate its existence. This evidence must be verified by an appropriate professional. Please refer to the Policy on “Access Arrangements” and “A Guide to Claiming Special Circumstances for Children taking the GL Entrance Assessment”.

EDUCATIONAL EVIDENCE:

Please note that sufficient documentary evidence must be provided by the parents/guardians applying for Special Circumstances and accompany the Online Transfer Application and be verified by the Primary School to enable the Admissions Committee to reach a decision.

The following information should be provided on Form SC1 in relation to the applicant:

1) All the applicant’s school standardised test results in English/Literacy and Mathematics/Numeracy from the beginning of the Key Stage 2 period:

a) All test results must be dated and verified by the Primary School;

b) Results from all tests should be accompanied by the name of the standardised test and the supplier of test.

c) Results should include scores for English/Literacy and Mathematics/Numeracy;

d) Comparative information in respect of standardised test scores (for Years 5, 6 and 7) along with the GL Assessment Grade achieved in relation to the other pupils (without names) in the applicants Primary 7 class (where available).

e) Any other relevant material.

2) The Primary School’s comments on the pupil’s academic achievements in relation to the standardised tests taken during Key Stage 2.

It is emphasised that the onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that the above information is provided by the Primary School. Failure to provide such information may result in the school being unable to consider the application for Special Circumstances. Parents have a right to obtain such information under the Education (Pupil Records and Reporting) Regulations (NI) 2009 as amended and also the ‘Data Protection Act’. Further information on parents’ rights can be obtained from the Information Commissioners Office at www.ico.gov.uk.

The Admissions Committee may decide, in relation to an applicant in this category of Special Circumstances, that the grade which the applicant achieved in the GL Assessment is the grade which the applicant would have achieved under normal circumstances.

Once a decision has been made the applicant will be considered alongside applicants within that category.

Please note that the judgement of Special Circumstances will be at the absolute discretion of the Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors.

SPECIAL PROVISION

Special Provision may be made by the Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors for girls:

a) who are transferring from primary schools outside Northern Ireland;

b) who have received more than half of their primary education outside Northern Ireland;

c) whose educational provision to date has been negatively affected by serious medical or other problems which are supported by independent verifiable documentary evidence, and who have not taken either the GL Assessment or its supplementary assessment.

d) who were entered for the GL Assessment and it took place, but the applicant was unable to sit either the GL Entrance Assessment or Supplementary GL Entrance Assessment due to COVID-19 reasons.

Applicants in categories a) and b) above, who wish to apply under Special Provision do not need to take the GL Entrance Assessment or the supplementary assessment unless their parents/guardians so wish, in which case the GL Entrance Assessment grade obtained would also be considered.

The Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors may require a suitably qualified person or body approved by the school to make an assessment of the applicant’s ability. The Admissions Committee, within the operation of its admissions criteria, will decide whether these children should be admitted on the basis that they fall within the ability range of other pupils being admitted in that year.

For those pupils currently in P7 in Primary Schools in Northern Ireland, claims for Special Provision should be made on Form SP1 and attached to the Online Transfer Application. Form SP1 is available from the school or its website. Parents wishing to claim Special Provision should also forward a copy of Form SP1 directly to Assumption Grammar School, by 28 February 2022. After this date, claims for Special Provision should be made directly to Assumption Grammar School and the Post Primary Transfer Section of the Education Authority notified.

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to provide precise reasons why the applicant qualifies for Special Provision and to submit appropriate verified documentary evidence attached to the Online Transfer Application.

Further guidance on applying for Special Provision is provided with the SP1 Form available from our school or website.

Once the Special Circumstances and Special Provision applications have been considered and decisions made, then the Admissions Committee will go through the process of allocating places to Year 8.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR YEAR 8 PUPILS TO ASSUMPTION GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BALLYNAHINCH

Assumption Grammar School will initially consider only those applicants who have taken the GL Entrance Assessment and who have been awarded a grade or assigned a grade pursuant to “special circumstances” or “special provision”. Information on the GL Entrance Assessment is available from the school or can be downloaded from the school website at www.assumptiongrammar.org.uk

ALLOCATION OF PLACES

In order to determine which applicants will be accepted into Year 8, the following criteria will be applied in the order set down:

A Applicants who have been awarded Grade A in the GL Assessment and also those applicants to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provision apply and who on the documented evidence submitted appear to be of comparable ability to applicants awarded Grade A.

B Applicants who have been awarded Grade B1 in the GL Assessment and also those applicants to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provision apply and who on the documented evidence submitted appear to be of comparable ability to applicants awarded Grade B1.

C Applicants who have been awarded Grade B2 in the GL Assessment and also those applicants to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provision apply and who on the documented evidence submitted appear to be of comparable ability to applicants awarded Grade B2.

D Applicants who have been awarded Grade C1 in the GL Assessment and also those applicants to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provision apply and who on the documented evidence submitted appear to be of comparable ability to applicants awarded Grade C1.

E Applicants who have been awarded Grade C2 in the GL Assessment and also those applicants to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provision apply and who on the documented evidence submitted appear to be of comparable ability to applicants awarded Grade C2.

F Applicants who have been awarded Grade D in the GL Assessment and also those applicants to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provision apply and who on the documented evidence submitted appear to be of comparable ability to applicants awarded Grade D.

G Other Applicants.

If there are more applicants in a category under consideration (i.e. Grades A, B1, B2, C1, C2, D and Other applicants) than there are number of places available, priority will be given in descending order to those who indicate on the Online Transfer Application that they are:

(i) Applicants who have/had a sibling (past or present) at the school or already accepted for the coming year. (Name and year left/current year group of sibling to be stated on Online Transfer Application).

(ii) An applicant who is the eldest or only girl in her family, or who is the first girl in her family to transfer to a Grammar school. This Criterion covers ‘only’ children and will treat twins or other multiples as joint eldest. For the purpose of this criterion “eldest child of the family” will be interpreted in accordance with DE Circular 2016/15 Revised 16 November 2021, “The Procedure for Transfer to Post-Primary Education”. The parents/guardians must provide evidence stating that the applicant is the eldest or only girl in her family, or is the first girl in her family to transfer to a Grammar school. The applicant and family must be known for at least two years to the verifier of such evidence. It must be written on headed notepaper and signed by a verifier who is not a member of the applicant’s family. Examples of this might include a medical practitioner, a solicitor, a Priest / Minister of Religion or a Primary School Principal

(iii) An applicant who is entitled to Free School Meals. “Entitled to Free School Meals” will mean applicants who are listed on the Education Authority Register as entitled to Free School Meals at the date on which their parent or guardian has signed their Post Primary Online Transfer Application or up to 4.00pm on Wednesday 9 March 2022. If it is stated on the Online Transfer Application that an applicant is currently registered as Free School Meal Entitled, and that claim is decisive in qualifying her for admission, then that information will be verified. If it is found to be incorrect, then any place offered because of it will be withdrawn.

(iv) An applicant for whom Assumption Grammar School is the nearest Catholic Grammar School which caters for girls. Distance will be measured from the applicant’s permanent place of residence to the front gate of Assumption Grammar School using a radial distance mapping tool.

In the event that there are fewer applicants complying with a particular criterion than there are places available or remaining, those applicants complying with that criterion will be admitted and the next criterion will be applied to the remaining applicants.

In the event that there are more applicants complying with a particular criterion than there are places available or remaining, those applicants complying with that criterion will go forward to be considered under the next criterion and those not complying with that criterion will be eliminated.

In the event that there are more applicants than there are places available or remaining on the application of the last criterion which can be applied, applicants will be selected for the remaining places on the basis of the initial letter(s) of the surname as identified on the birth certificate presented at registration for the Entrance Assessment by 24 September 2021. The order is set out below:

O  D  K  A  U  Q  Z  S  L  H  P  M  E  B  I  F  J  X  Y  W  R  T  C  N  V  G

The order was determined by randomised selection.

In the event of the surnames beginning with the same letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in order using the above randomised selection. In the event of two or more identical surnames, the randomised order of the initial of the forenames will be used. Where names cannot be separated by this process, children will be accepted by date of birth with preference given to the oldest.

Where, after this process has been applied, any applicants continue to tie for a final place, places will be allocated by randomised computer selection.

DUTY TO VERIFY

The Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application form/Online Transfer Application.

Parents/Guardians should note that they may be asked to produce verifying information pertinent to the school’s admissions criteria. Original documents are required. Photocopies or facsimiles are not acceptable.

The provision of false or incorrect information or the failure to provide information within deadlines set by the Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors can result in the withdrawal of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place.

WAITING LIST POLICY

It should be noted that all those who have previously applied, but who have failed to obtain a place in the School, will have their application held open until 30 June of the year following application when their application is deemed to have lapsed. Should a vacancy arise, the above criteria will be applied to select pupils from this waiting list.

If the application is made by a child who arrived in Northern Ireland after the transfer process had been concluded and the Admissions Committee determines that the child is suitable to be admitted, the school will then seek Department of Education approval to admit the child as an additional place. If such approval is given, the child will be admitted.

Admissions criteria for entry September 2022

Updated January 2022 http://www.eani.org.uk/admissions

APPLICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS TO YEAR 8

Year

Admissions No

Total Applications ie.

All preferences

Total Admissions

2019/20

120

203

137** * #

2020/21

120

160

134* ** # X

2021/22

120

204

150* ** #

* inc Upheld Admission Appeals

** inc DE Temporary Variation Approval

X inc ECB Appeals

# inc SEN students

Admissions criteria for entry September 2022

Updated January 2022 http://www.eani.org.uk/admissions

ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR ENTRY TO YEARS 9-12

GENERAL POLICY FOR ADMISSION

Assumption Grammar School is a Catholic grammar school for girls. The Board of Governors will consider for admission pupils who have the ability to cope with the academic requirements of the curriculum offered by the school and whose parents are in support of the philosophy, ethos and aims of the school.

The Board of Governors draws up the school's policy and criteria for admissions and delegates to a sub-committee responsibility for applying the criteria in the selection of pupils.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

1 If suitable places are available in any particular year, and subject to enrolment numbers, consideration will be given to applicants who produce evidence of good academic ability and achievement. This should include most recent school reports, assessment scores and recommendation from the previous Principal as to the applicant's suitability regarding attitude to study, behaviour and attendance record.

2 Applicants, if accepted, will be expected to abide by the school's standards of behaviour, apply themselves seriously to their studies and co-operate fully with the school, showing loyalty and participating as fully as possible in the life of the school.

3 If there are more applicants than there are places available, the following further criteria will be applied in the order set out below.

a. Pupils who have/had a sibling (past or present) at the school or already accepted for the coming year. (Name and year left/current year group of sibling to be stated).

b. A pupil who is the eldest or only girl in her family, or a pupil who is the first girl in her family to transfer to a Grammar school. This Criterion covers ‘only’ children and will treat twins or other multiples as joint eldest. For the purpose of this criterion “eldest child of the family” will be interpreted in accordance with DE Circular 2016/15 Revised 16 November 2021, “The Procedure for Transfer to Post-Primary Education”. The parents/guardians must provide evidence stating that the applicant is the eldest or only girl in her family, or is the first girl in her family to transfer to a Grammar school. The applicant and family must be known for at least two years to the verifier of such evidence. It must be written on headed notepaper and signed by a verifier who is not a member of the applicant’s family. Examples of this might include a medical practitioner, a solicitor, a Priest / Minister of Religion or a Primary School Principal.

c. A pupil whose family has recently moved into the school's catchment area.

d. An applicant who is entitled to Free School Meals. “Entitled to Free School Meals” will mean applicants who are listed on the Education Authority Register.

e. A pupil who is considered by the Board of Governors to have special circumstances and who is judged deserving of a place in the school.

4 The Board of Governors' sub-committee, or the Principal, delegated by the sub-committee, may interview the applicants and, on the basis of the above criteria and the interview, final selection will be made.

Requests for admission should be made in writing.