BLOOMFIELD COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

Astoria Gardens

Belfast BT5 6HW

Telephone No: 028 9047 1214

Fax No: 028 9065 1252

E-mail: info@bloomfield.belfast.ni.sch.uk

Web-site: www.bloomfieldcollegiate.org.uk

Principal: Mr G Greer BEd MA PQHNI

Chair of Board of Governors: Mr N McBride BSSc DipHRM MA

Controlled Grammar School    Girls’ Grammar

Age Range: 11-18

Admission No: 100

Enrolment No: 710

‘Excellence in a Caring Community’

A guide to the school and prospectus will be available on our school website

To Parents/Guardians naming Bloomfield Collegiate School (“the School”) as a preference on your child’s Transfer Application.

Entrance Assessment Results

The School will initially consider children who have taken the Common Entrance Assessment [CEA] provided by the Association for Quality Education [AQE].

The score in the AQE CEA and the AQE candidate number should both be entered on the Transfer Application. It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to make sure that the original notification received from AQE indicating your daughter’s AQE CEA score is uploaded with the Transfer Application.

Special Circumstances

If you are making a claim for your child to be considered under Special Circumstances please note that you should:

• Complete Form SC22, available from the School or from AQE, and upload it with appropriate documentary evidence with the Transfer Application.

(Refer to Section 3 “SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES” below for details of appropriate documentary evidence.)

Special Provisions

If you are making a claim for your child to be considered under Special Provisions please note that you should:

• Contact the School as soon as possible.

• Complete Form SC22, available from the School or from AQE and upload it with appropriate documentary evidence with the Transfer Application.

Note to Parents/Guardians

Parents/Guardians should note that they are required to produce documents verifying information pertinent to the School’s Admissions Criteria. If the documents are not uploaded with the Transfer Application, as detailed below, they will be requested after notification of a place in the school.

RESPECTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND PRINCIPAL IN RELATION TO ADMISSIONS TO THE SCHOOL

The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and delegates to an Admissions Sub-Committee, which includes the Principal, the responsibility for applying these criteria. Any reference herein to the term the Board of Governors includes any Committee or Sub-Committee appointed by the Board of Governors for the purposes of applying the Admission Criteria set out herein.

ADMISSIONS POLICY

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR ENTRY OF PUPILS INTO YEAR 8 IN SEPTEMBER 2022

Definitions

“applicant” means the parent or guardian who completes and digitally signs the Transfer Application on behalf of the child;

“child of the family” covers: a child born to a married couple or to a couple in a civil partnership; a child born to a co-habiting couple; a child born to a single parent; a child of either/any of those people by a previous marriage, civil partnership or relationship; a child living with a couple who has been treated as a “child of the family” whether there is a marriage or a civil partnership or not; a child living with an individual, who has been treated as a “child of the family”; an adopted or fostered child; a situation where for example an orphaned cousin is being brought up with a family or individual.

“eldest” includes twins and other multiple birth applicants, who will be regarded as joint eldest. The “eldest eligible child” criterion will also apply in the case where a family has not had the opportunity to enrol an elder child, such as in cases where the elder child has completed their post-primary education, was statemented or could not attend mainstream school (e.g. attends a special school), or where a family has relocated to Northern Ireland.

“normal home address” will mean the child’s permanent home address at the time the application form is being completed. This should be where the parent and child live and where the child spends the majority of the School week (Monday to Friday including nights). Where the child lives with parents with shared responsibility, it is for the parents to determine which address is to be used;

“parent” will mean a person who at the date of application has legal responsibility for the child;

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Bloomfield Collegiate School (the School) is a grammar school for girls offering a wide-ranging curriculum of academic courses. The School will initially consider those children who have taken the Common Entrance Assessment [CEA] provided by the Association for Quality Education [AQE] and who have been awarded a result in the form of an overall score. The School will use this ‘score’ as notified to parents by AQE, subject only to consideration by the Board of Governors of those children claiming Special Circumstances or Special Provisions, as explained in Sections 3 & 4 below.

The score in the AQE CEA and the AQE candidate number should both be entered on the Transfer Application. The original notification received from AQE indicating your daughter’s AQE CEA score should be uploaded with the Transfer Application.

Information regarding the CEA is available from School or on the AQE website (www.aqe.org.uk).

1.2 The School will not use the position of preference given to it on the Transfer Application as a criterion for admission. Therefore, an applicant who has chosen Bloomfield Collegiate as a second or subsequent preference School will not be distinguished from first preference applicants.

1.3 Girls resident in Northern Ireland at the time of proposed admission will be selected before those not so resident.

The child’s Birth Certificate and proof of normal home address should be uploaded with the Transfer Application. Proof of address – any TWO of the following recent documents (within six months or billing period) with sensitive information redacted: Bank/building society statement; Utility bill (e.g. electricity, gas, TV licence, landline telephone); Addressed payslip; Letter awarding Child Benefit to the child or another letter relating to this benefit; Mortgage statement; Land and Property Services Rates Demand; Financial statement such as ISA, Pension or Endowment; Current Driving licence; Rental agreement.

1.4 The School’s Admission Number is currently 100.

2. ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

2.1 The places available up to the School’s Admission Number will be allocated to children on the basis of the rank order of their respective CEA scores, those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores in strict rank order. If several children are eligible for the 100th place because they have equal scores, then all such children will be allocated places up to the School’s Admission Number, using the criteria in section 2.3, if necessary. The score in the AQE CEA should be entered, along with the AQE candidate number, on the Transfer Application.

2.2 If, following application of section 2.1, all the available places within the School’s Admission Number have not been filled, the School will consider children who have not taken the CEA. Allocation of any such remaining places will be made by applying the criteria in section 2.3.

2.3 If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria shall apply in the order stated:

(i) Children with a child of the family enrolled in the School as of 1 September 2021 or accepted for enrolment in September 2022;

(ii) Children who are the eldest girl in the family to be eligible for admission in September 2022 (details to be supplied)*;

(iii) Children with a child of the family enrolled in Years 8-14 at an all-boys post-primary school as of 1 September 2021 or accepted for enrolment in September 2022 (details to be supplied)*;

(iv) Children who are transferring from one of the following primary schools (no priority will be given to any particular school):

Abbey PS (Newtownards), Andrews Memorial PS, Braniel PS, Brooklands PS, Cairnshill PS, Carrowdore PS, Castle Gardens PS, Comber PS, Dundonald PS, Elmgrove PS, Euston Street PS, Forge IPS, Gilnahirk PS, Harding Memorial PS, Holywood PS, Killinchy PS, Knockbreda PS, Knocknagoney PS, Leadhill PS, Lisnasharragh PS, Londonderry PS, Loughview IPS, Moneyrea PS, Nettlefield PS, Newtownards Model PS, Orangefield PS, Rosetta PS, St. Bernard’s PS, St. Joseph’s PS (Holland Drive), St. Matthew’s PS, St. Patrick’s PS (Holywood), Strandtown PS, Stranmillis PS, Strathearn Preparatory Department, Victoria PS (Newtownards), Victoria Park PS.

(v) Tie-breaker: In the unlikely event that the criteria above, applied in the order listed, have not resolved the final place in Bloomfield Collegiate School, this final place will be determined using selection based on a computer based process which makes use of the names as entered on the Transfer Application. The ranking process is carried out by means of a computer programme which, for each applicant, generates a ranking number using the details from the Transfer Application as the seed for a random number generator. The ranking number generated, for any given applicant, is dependent only on the applicant’s name (as entered on the Transfer Application), and is not affected by the details of any other applicant. Although the process is repeatable, and the results may therefore be subsequently verified, it is not possible to predict, in advance of running the programme, what the result will be for any given set of details. Applicants with the lowest ranking numbers will be given places up to the number of places available. Further details may be obtained from the Principal.

(vi) If there are still places available after consideration of all the children who have taken the AQE CEA and been awarded a score by AQE (or a score determined by the Admissions sub-committee in accordance with the arrangements for Special Circumstances and Special Provisions as set out below), the School will consider for admission any children who have not taken the AQE CEA. Such children, if they satisfy Section 1.3, will be allocated to the remaining place(s) up to the School’s Admissions Number using the sub-criteria listed in Section 2 in the order set out.

*This is subject to satisfying verification requirements as set out below:

Proof of eldest child and/or brother attending an all-boys post-primary school should be uploaded with the Transfer Application – a letter on headed note paper, stating that the child is the eldest eligible child and/or has a brother attending an all-boys post-primary school and that the family is known to the verifier, from one of the following who is not a family member of the applicant: a Primary School Principal, a medical practitioner, a solicitor, an elected public representative, a member of the clergy or a police officer.

Parents/Guardians must indicate on the Transfer Application which of the above sub-criteria apply and furnish relevant details. The Board of Governors will only take into account information which is detailed on, or uploaded with, the Transfer Application.

3. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

3.1 Bloomfield Collegiate School has academic performance as its first criterion, subject only to the consideration of medical or other problems which may have affected performance in the Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) and which are supported by documentary evidence of a medical or other appropriate nature. These ‘medical or other problems’ are commonly referred to as ‘special circumstances’.

Please note, if a claim for Special Circumstances is made in respect of matters for which Special Access arrangements have been granted for a child, the School will take into account the fact that the child has already been granted Special Access arrangements for those matters.

Parents who wish to apply to the School under Special Circumstances should complete Form SC22 obtainable from the School or AQE, and attach it with appropriate documentary evidence with the Transfer Application, as detailed below:

• Details of Medical or Other Problems

Where it is claimed that a child’s performance in the CEA has been affected by a medical or other problem, it is the responsibility of the parents to set out in the Form SC22 precise details of the problem and append evidence to corroborate its existence.

Where the problem is a medical one of short-term duration which affected the child only at the time of the CEA, the School will require documentary evidence that the child was examined by a qualified medical practitioner in relation to the illness at the time of the relevant assessment, or an explanation as to why this evidence is not available. For children who have tested positive for COVID-19, documentary evidence such as a positive PCR test notice should be uploaded with the Transfer Application.

Where the problem is of a non-medical nature the parents should append appropriate evidence.

Parents are advised that in all cases independent evidence is likely to carry greater weight than evidence that is not of an independent nature.

• Educational Evidence

It is the responsibility of applicants to provide educational evidence as detailed in Form SC22. This should include, where they exist:

a) the child’s score achieved in the AQE CEA (if the child sits two or three AQE CEAs) or the “raw score” provided by AQE (if the child only sits one of the AQE CEAs, due to the child’s illness, the child’s need to self-isolate or other unforeseen circumstances).

b) the results for the child of any standardised tests conducted in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 of primary school and the results in any end of year tests in English and Mathematics in Years 5 and 6.

c) additional comparative information, which has been verified, from the child’s primary school and which should include the results, without names, for other pupils in the child’s Year 7 class of any standardised tests conducted in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7, the results in any end of year tests in English and Mathematics in Years 5 and 6 and, where available, the respective CEA scores.

d) Any other relevant material.

3.2 A panel of Governors will consider the application for Special Circumstances and where accepted, the panel will determine a score for the child. In determining a score, the panel will consider all of the academic information presented. Such children will then be considered with all other children who have received a CEA score, applying the Admissions Criteria in section 2.

4. SPECIAL PROVISIONS

4.1 Special provisions will apply for:

a) children whose parents wish them to transfer from schools outside Northern Ireland;

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

c) children, entered for the AQE Common Entrance Assessments, who, because of unforeseen and serious medical or other problems, (including absence for all three CEAs due to the child having COVID-19 or the need for the child to self-isolate for all three CEAs due to COVID-19) which are supported by appropriate independent documentary evidence, were unable to participate in any of the assessments.

Note: It is expected that, all those seeking admission should sit the AQE CEA except those children who take up residence in Northern Ireland after 24 September 2021.

Parents who wish to apply to the School under Special Provisions should contact the School as soon as possible. In addition, they should complete Form SC22, obtainable from the School or AQE, stating the precise reason(s) why they believe the child is eligible for consideration under Special Provisions and provide appropriate documentary evidence including any Educational Evidence as detailed under Special Circumstances above that might assist the panel to determine an appropriate score. A copy of SC22 and all the documentary evidence should be uploaded with the Transfer Application. For children who have tested positive for COVID-19, documentary evidence such as a positive PCR test notice should be uploaded with the Transfer Application.

4.2 A panel of Governors will consider the application for Special Provisions. Where Special Provisions are accepted, the following procedure will apply:

a) The School will also consider any other assessment information and may choose to commission an independent assessment of the child’s ability in English, Mathematics and/or Verbal Reasoning;

b) A panel of Governors will determine an appropriate AQE CEA score for the child. In determining a score, the panel will consider all of the academic information presented. Such children will then be considered with all other children who have received an AQE CEA score, applying the Admissions Criteria in section 2.

NOTE TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure that the Transfer Application is completed in full and that all relevant information is uploaded with the Transfer Application.

If the Board of Governors becomes aware of any irregularity in the details uploaded or included on the Transfer Application, it reserves the right to reject the application made on behalf of the child for admission to the School.

DUTY TO VERIFY

Parents/Guardians should note that the information contained on the Transfer Application that qualifies the child for admission will be verified.

The Board of Governors therefore reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on the Transfer Application.

Those making applications should also note that the provision of false information or incorrect information, or the failure to provide verifying documents according to the required deadline, may result in either the withdrawal of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place.

WAITING LIST POLICY

Please note that Bloomfield Collegiate School operates a Waiting List Policy a copy of which is available on the School’s Website. The section relevant to Year 8 entry is as follows:

Waiting List for entry into Year 8 after completion of the Admissions Process

1.1 Following completion of the Admissions Process, those pupils who applied to Bloomfield Collegiate School and were not successful in obtaining a place in Year 8 will have their names held on a Waiting List. The names of these pupils will remain on the Waiting List for Year 8 entry until 30 June 2023.

1.2 Parents of a pupil who did not apply for a place in Bloomfield Collegiate School during the Admissions

Process can apply to have their daughter’s name added to the Waiting List for entry into Year 8 by putting a request in writing to the Principal.

1.3 Pupils whose names are on the Waiting List will be considered for any vacancies which may arise in Year 8 following completion of the Admissions Process and during the academic year up until 30 June 2023. Any vacancy will be filled from the Waiting List which exists at the time the vacancy occurs, using the same transfer criteria which applied during the Admissions Process.

1.4 The School will take into consideration any new information which may come to light after the Admissions Process is complete.

Applications and Admissions

Year    2019/2020

Admissions No    106

Total Applications ie. All preferences    194

Total Admissions    107*

Year    2020/2021

Admissions No    103

Total Applications ie. All preferences    187

Total Admissions    103

Year    2021/2022

Admissions No    100

Total Applications ie. All preferences    191

Total Admissions    100

*Admitted through exceptional circumstances procedure

Criteria for entry into Year 9 – Year 11

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Admission to any year group will be governed by the availability of places within that year group, class sizes (including practical class sizes), planned allocation and usage of staff, accommodation and other resources. The number of places available is at the discretion of the Principal.

1.2 Applicants who have registered on the waiting list will be invited to sit a standardised test. Bloomfield Collegiate School reserves the right to change the date of the test due to unforeseen circumstances.

2. CRITERIA

2.1 The following criteria will be applied to determine the admission of pupils into Years 9 - 11.

2.2 Proven academic ability as demonstrated by achieving a score in Vocabulary and Mathematics on or above the national average (100) in a recognised standardised test sat at Bloomfield Collegiate School.

2.3 If the number of applicants with proven academic ability exceeds the number of available places, then the following criterion shall apply:

(i) An applicant with a child of the family currently attending Bloomfield Collegiate School.

(ii) If, after criterion 2.3(i) has been applied, there are number of applicants who have equal claim to the remaining places then those places will be allocated on the basis of strict rank order of the standardised average test score; those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.

(iii) If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place, priority will be given to the applicant whose home is closer to the school. (Distance will be measured in a straight line using an Ordnance Survey web distance measurement tool from the candidate’s normal home address to the School’s front gate).

(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)

Direct entry into Year 12 will be at the discretion of the Principal.

Criteria for entry into Year 13

Internal Admissions to Bloomfield Collegiate School

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 This section applies to Bloomfield Collegiate School Year 12 pupils only.

1.2 Pupils must notify the School as soon as possible upon the publication of the GCSE

results to advise if it is their intention to return to Year 13.

1.3 Pupils must study a minimum of 3 AS subjects or equivalent. For any subject they wish to study, pupils will normally be expected to have achieved at least a grade B in GCSE, except where prior study is not a prerequisite. This includes subjects only offered at AS level. (Please refer to the Subject Choice Booklet for specific subject entry requirements).

2. CRITERIA

2.1 The following criterion will be used to determine admission of Year 12 pupils into Year 13.

2.2 Pupils who obtain at least 10 points in their GCSE examinations. For the purpose of calculating an applicant’s score, grade A* = 4 points, A = 3 points, grade B/C* = 2 points, and grade C = 1 point. Short course GCSEs will be counted as half the points. Pupils who achieve fewer than 17 points will study 3 AS subjects, pupils who achieve 17 to 20 points are strongly advised to study 3 AS subjects and pupils who achieve 21 or more points can choose to study 4 AS subjects.

2.3 If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria shall apply in the order stated:

(i) Places will be allocated in strict rank order of the applicant’s GCSE scores as defined above, those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.

(ii) If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place priority will be given to the applicant whose home is closer to the school. (Distance will be measured in a straight line using an Ordnance Survey web distance measurement tool from the candidate’s normal home address to the School’s front gate).

3. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

3.1 Where the performance of a pupil in her GCSE examinations has been affected by verifiably serious and sustained illness or any other verifiable reason deemed, in the opinion of the Principal, exceptional and beyond the control of the pupil concerned, the School may admit the pupil to Year 13 on the basis of a reduced tariff or offer a place to repeat Year 12, if more appropriate.

External Admissions to Bloomfield Collegiate School

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 This section applies to all pupils who are not currently enrolled in Year 12 in Bloomfield Collegiate School.

1.2 Those wishing to be considered for a place must complete an application form, available from the School, and return it to the Principal before, or as soon as possible after, the publication of the GCSE results.

1.3 Following publication of the GCSE results the School should be contacted promptly and notified of the GCSE results and Applicants who meet criterion 2.3 will be invited for an interview to discuss potential subject options and a career path.

1.4 Pupils must study a minimum of 3 AS subjects. For any subject they wish to take to study, pupils will normally be expected to have achieved at least a grade B in GCSE, except where prior study is not a prerequisite.

2. CRITERIA

2.1 The following criteria will be applied to determine the admission of pupils into Year 13.

2.2 Bloomfield Collegiate pupils who meet the criteria under Internal Admissions will be offered a place first.

2.3 Pupils who obtain at least 10 points in their GCSE examinations. For the purpose of calculating an applicant’s score, grade A* = 4 points, A = 3 points, grade B/C* = 2 points, and grade C = 1 point. Short course GCSEs will be counted as half the points. Pupils who achieve fewer than 17 points will study 3 AS subjects, pupils who achieve 17 to 20 points are strongly advised to study 3 AS subjects and pupils who achieve 21 or more points can choose to study 4 AS subjects.

2.4 If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria shall apply:

(i) An applicant with a child of the family currently attending Bloomfield Collegiate School.

(ii) If, after criterion 2.4(i) has been applied, there are a number of applicants who have equal claim to the remaining places then those places will be allocated in strict rank order of the applicant’s GCSE scores as defined above, those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.

(iii) If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place priority will be given to the applicant whose home is closer to the school. (Distance will be measured in a straight line using an Ordnance Survey web distance measurement tool from the candidate’s normal home address to the School’s front gate).

(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)

Criteria for all extra places made available by the Department of Education for admission into Year 13 (Sixth Form)

The Department of Education may, in response to a request from a school, increase the number of pupils the school can admit to Year 13. Places that become available in this way shall be allocated only to pupils who meet the basic eligibility criteria for sixth form (as above) and shall be allocated in the order determined by the criteria to be applied in the order set down.

1. Pupils who have most recently completed Year 12 in Bloomfield Collegiate School.

2. Pupils from other schools where admission has been agreed and additional places granted by the Department of Education. *

*Parents should note how the Department of Education (DE) will, in response to a school’s request, temporarily increase the school’s enrolment number in order to allow extra post-16 pupils to enrol. DE will only increase the school’s enrolment number if it is content that each external pupil for whom a place is requested would not be able to pursue their post-16 course-choices at a suitable school without undertaking an unreasonable journey (i.e. a journey, that by public transport, would be over an hour from

where the young person lives, or is further than 15 miles distance). If DE finds that no other suitable school may provide all of the post-16 courses that the pupil wishes to pursue – then DE will agree a school’s request for an extra place.

What is a school of a type that is suitable for a pupil? To determine this, DE first considers all schools to be one of 4 types: (i) denominational (ii) non-denominational (iii) Integrated and (iv) Irish-Medium. A school requesting an extra place for a post-16 pupil will belong to one of these 4 types and DE will consider any other school from this same type as suitable for the pupil. DE will also consider as suitable for the pupil any school of the same type as that attended by the child in Year 12.

Criteria for entry into Year 14

1. CRITERIA

Bloomfield Collegiate pupils, who wish to return into Year 14, must normally have achieved in AS examinations during Year 13 at least a minimum score of 70 points. If an AS grade is not available, due to an English examination board being the awarding body, a predicted grade will be used.

(Points Tariff: A = 60, B = 50, C = 40, D = 30, E = 20).

A pupil who is awarded a U grade at AS level in one or more subjects will not normally be eligible for entry into Year 14.

2. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

In the case of a Bloomfield Collegiate School pupil whose performance in the AS examinations may have been affected by extreme medical or other circumstances, which were not taken into account during the examination period under special access or special consideration, the Principal will consider whether it is appropriate for the pupil to continue into Year 14 or to offer a place to repeat Year 13 and that places are available and that the Principal feels it is in the best interests of the pupil to do so.

Direct entry into Year 14 will be at the discretion of the Principal.