ENNISKILLEN ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL 

Voluntary Grammar Co-Educational

Cooper Crescent Site 

1 Cooper Crescent 

Enniskillen 

BT74 6DQ

Tel No: 028 6632 2165

Lough Shore Site 

1 Lough Shore Road

Portora, Enniskillen

BT74 5HD 

Tel No: 028 6632 2658

Age Range: 11 - 18

Admissions No: 130

E-mail: info@enniskillenroyalgs.com Enrolment No: 900

Website: www.enniskillenroyalgs.com

Principal: Miss E Armstrong BA (Hons)PGCE PQH(NI) Roll: 918

Chair of the Board of Governors: Mr Peter Little MBE

Open Evening

An Open Evening for P7 pupils and their parents/guardians will be held virtually. Details will be placed on our website www.enniskillenroyalgs.com in February 2022. Further details of the virtual arrangements will be published in the local press prior to the Open Evening.

To Parents/Guardians naming Enniskillen Royal Grammar School as a Preference on your child’s Transfer Application. Please note that the application process for pupils transferring from primary to post-primary will be facilitated by the Education Authority’s online portal. The portal will go live at 12 noon on Tuesday 1 February 2022 and will close at 4 pm on Wednesday 23 February 2022

Entrance Test Results

AQE Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) Score

Children will be admitted to Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in strict rank order of their score in the AQE CEA, highest to lowest. If there are more children with a particular score than places remaining, then children with that score will be selected by applying the criteria outlined in the section below “Application of Admissions Criteria” in the order set down in that section.

Please ensure that you attach/upload the original notification from AQE of the score awarded in the AQE CEA to the Transfer Application.

Special Circumstances and Special Provisions

Parents/Guardians should read the information in full on Special Circumstances and Special Provisions given in the Section on Admissions Criteria. Parents/Guardians who require any further information or clarification are warmly invited to contact the Principal. Please note that if only one assessment was taken because of illness, self-isolation due to COVID 19 or other unforeseen circumstances, an application for Special Circumstances should be made.

The onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that a copy of the Special Circumstances (SC22) Form with all the relevant supporting evidence is attached/ uploaded to the Transfer Application.

Respective functions of the Board of Governors and Principal in relation to admissions

The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and has delegated to the Admission Sub-Committee, composed of a minimum of five members of the Board, including the Principal, the task of 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 purpose of applying the Admissions Criteria set out herein.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 2022

The Board of Governors of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School has determined that, in the event of over-subscription, children will be selected for admission by the application of the following procedure. Children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be considered before any child not so resident.

Children who have taken the AQE Common Entrance Assessment (CEA), and have been awarded a score by AQE, subject only to the consideration of those children claiming ‘Special Provisions’ and ‘Special Circumstances’ as defined below, will be considered before any child who has not taken the AQE Common Entrance Assessment. Parents/Guardians are advised to attach/upload the original notification from AQE of the score awarded in the AQE Common Entrance Assessment to the Transfer Application.

Special Circumstances and Special Provisions

The purpose of a claim for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions is so that a child can be assigned a score equivalent to that which he/she would have obtained in the AQE CEA under normal conditions. Consideration of a claim for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions consists of two parts: the first requires the consideration of whether there is sufficient material to permit a child to be considered as having Special Circumstances or as attracting Special Provisions or both: the second part of the consideration requires an educational judgement to be made on the totality of the material presented to the Admissions Sub-Committee so that a score equivalent to that which the child would have obtained in the AQE CEA under normal conditions can be awarded. Please note that if only one assessment was taken because of illness, self-isolation due to COVID 19 or other unforeseen circumstances an application for Special Circumstances should be made.

It is for parents/guardians to present all such material as they consider will assist the Admissions Sub-Committee in performing both parts of the consideration described above. It should be noted by parents/guardians that both parts of the consideration referred to involve an exercise in judgement and not precise calculation.

The material referred to in the paragraphs below will assist the Admission Sub-Committee in making their judgement: it is however not intended to be restrictive and the Admissions Sub-Committee will consider all material presented by parents/guardians.

A. Special Circumstances

Children will be admitted strictly in the order of the score they obtain in the AQE Common Entrance Assessment (CEA), subject only to the consideration of medical or other problems which may have affected performance in this assessment and which are supported by documentary material of a medical or other appropriate nature. These “medical or other problems including illness, self-isolation due to COVID 19 or other unforeseen circumstances are commonly referred to as “Special Circumstances”.

• Details of medical or other problems

Where it is claimed that a child was unable to take a CEA test(s) due to illness, self-isolation or other unforeseen circumstances due to COVID 19, parents/guardians should complete the SC22 Form obtainable from AQE or the School giving precise details of the situation and attach /upload it with independent, verifiable and contemporaneous supporting evidence to the Transfer Application. Independent and verifiable supporting evidence may include documentary evidence of a positive PCR test.

Where it is claimed that a child’s performance in the AQE CEA has been affected by a medical or other problem other than, or additional to, a COVID 19 related problem, parents/guardians should complete the SC22 Form obtainable from AQE or the School giving precise details of the problem and attach /upload it with relevant supporting evidence to the Transfer Application.

Where the problem is a medical one other than, or additional to a COVID 19 related problem and of short term duration which affected the child only at the time of the AQE CEA, the Admissions Sub-Committee requires the production of evidence that a medical practitioner was consulted in relation to the illness at the time of the assessments.

Where the problem is of a non-medical nature the parents/guardians should set out in the SC22 Form precise details of the problem and attach/upload all appropriate evidence to corroborate its existence.

• Educational evidence

The score achieved in the AQE Common Entrance Assessment (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 illness, self-isolation or

other unforeseen circumstances due to COVID 19).

Documentary evidence must be provided by the parents/guardians to enable the Admissions Sub-Committee to make an educational judgement. Useful evidence would include the results for the child of any standardised tests conducted in P5, P6 and P7, the child’s school test results in English and Mathematics and the three best results from official AQE past papers (expressed as a percentage), taken under

examination conditions in school in the period September to December 2021 and marked by the class teacher, as verified by the primary school.

Comparative information from the primary school will also be considered, where it is made available. This would include the results for other children in the child’s P7 class of any standardised tests conducted in P5, P6 and P7, any school test results in English and Mathematics and the results from official AQE past papers (expressed as a percentage), taken under examination conditions in school in the period September to December 2021 and marked by the class teacher, as verified by the primary school.

Please note that only the child for whom Special Circumstances is claimed should be identified. All other children in the comparative picture should be anonymous. Where this information is made available by the primary school the parents/guardians should ensure that it is attached/uploaded to the Transfer Application.

Such material will assist the Admissions Sub-Committee in making their judgement. It is recognised that some parents /guardians may not be in a position to submit all the categories of information described. These are not intended to be restrictive. The Admissions Sub-Committee will consider all material presented by parents/guardians in support of their son/daughter’s application.

The onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that a copy of the SC22 Form with all the relevant supporting evidence is attached/ uploaded to the Transfer Application.

In consideration of the claim for Special Circumstances the School will also take into account any Access Arrangements provided by AQE for the CEA.

The Admissions Sub-Committee will consider the application for Special Circumstances. Where this is accepted the Governors will determine, on the basis of the information available, a score for the child. Such children will then be considered with all other children who have received an AQE CEA score and the Admissions Criteria applied.

B. Special Provisions

Special Provisions will apply for:-

(a) Children whose parents/guardians 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 registered for the AQE Common Entrance Assessments, who, because of unforeseen and serious medical or other problems, including absence due to COVID 19 or the need to self-isolate due to COVID 19, which are supported by appropriate documentary evidence, were unable to take any of the assessments.

Note: It is expected that all those seeking admission should have registered for the AQE CEA with the exception of those children who took up residence in Northern Ireland after Friday 24 September 2021

Parents/Guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Provisions should complete the SC22 Form obtainable from AQE or the school stating the precise reason why they believe the child is eligible for consideration under Special Provisions. This should be sent to the School with appropriate documentary evidence. A copy of the SC22 Form and all the documentary evidence should be attached/uploaded to the Transfer Application.

The onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that a copy of the SC22 Form with all the relevant supporting evidence is attached/ uploaded to the Transfer Application.

The Admissions Sub-Committee will consider the application for Special Provisions. Where this is accepted the following procedures will apply:

• The Admissions Sub-Committee will consider any documentary material including information supplied by the child’s primary school which will enable it to make an educational judgement as to what the child would have obtained in the AQE CEA test had the Special Provisions not applied.

• The Admissions Sub-Committee will determine, on the basis of all the available information an appropriate score for the child. Such children will then be considered with all the other children who have received an AQE CEA score and the Admissions Criteria applied.

APPLICATION OF ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 2022

1 Children will be admitted in strict rank order of their score in the AQE CEA, highest to lowest.

2 If there are more children with a particular score than places remaining then children with that score will be selected by applying the following criteria in the order set down below:-

i. Children who at the date of their application have a child of the family¹ currently enrolled at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.

ii. Children who at the date of their application are the eldest /only child² of the family to be eligible to apply for admission to the School.

iii. Children who are entitled to receive free school meals³.

iv. Random Selection as detailed below. Selection for all places remaining in this category will be on the basis of the initial letter of the surname, (as it appears on the birth certificate) in the order set out below:-

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

The order was determined by a random selection of letters witnessed by the Board of Governors.

In the event of surnames beginning with the same letter the subsequent letters of the surnames will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of two identical surnames the alphabetical order of the initial of the first forename as it appears on the birth certificate will be used. In the event of two or more children with the same first forename as it appears on the birth certificate, the date of birth as entered on the birth certificate will be used to establish the eldest child. In the event of two or more children with the same date of birth the final selection will be made by computerised random selection.

3 If there are still places available after consideration of all the children who have taken the AQE CEA and have been awarded a score by AQE or awarded a score as a result of Special Provisions and Special Circumstances the School will consider children who have not taken the AQE CEA. Such children will be allocated the remaining places up to the School’s Admissions Number using the criteria listed in paragraph 2 above in the order set down.

If an application is made in respect of a child who arrives in Northern Ireland after the Transfer Process has been concluded and the School decides on the basis of the evidence supplied that the child is suitable for admission and the Admissions Number has been reached, the School will seek approval from the Department of Education to admit the child through the allocation of an additional place.

When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors will only take into account information which is detailed on or attached/uploaded to the Transfer Application. Parents/Guardians should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to the school’s admissions criteria as outlined above is stated on the Transfer Application or attached /uploaded to it.

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/Transfer Application. This information will be requested from those whose applications have been successful when they have been notified of their allocation of a place at the School.

The provision of false or incorrect information or the failure to provide information within the deadlines set by post-primary schools can result in the withdrawal of a place and the inability to offer a place on the part of any school nominated on the applicant’s Transfer Application.

If you state within your application that your child is currently registered as Free School Meals Entitled and that claim is decisive in qualifying him/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.

Waiting List Policy

Should a vacancy arise after 21 May 2022 all applications for admission to Year 8 that were initially refused, new applications, late applications and applications where new information has been provided will be treated equally and the published criteria applied.

The school will contact you in writing if your child gains a place in the school by this method.

Your child’s name will be automatically added to the list. Please contact the school if you wish for your child’s name to be removed from the list.

NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

Total Applications All Preferences

Year    2019/20

Admissions No.   130

Total Applications All Preferences    139

130

Year    2020/21

Admissions No.   130

Total Applications All Preferences    139

130

Year    2021/22

Admissions No.   130

Total Applications All Preferences    158

133

¹ Child of the family includes 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 an individual. The child should be a child of the family as at the date of application.

² Twins (or other multiples) who are the eldest children of the family are treated as joint eldest children. Eligibility for the eldest child criterion will also apply in the case where a child is currently more than seven years younger than their next sibling, where a family has moved residence and where an older sibling cannot attend mainstream school.

³ Children who are listed on the EA register as entitled to Free School Meals at the date on which their parent/guardian has submitted their Post-Primary Transfer Application or at any date up to and including Wednesday 9 March 2022 at 4.00 pm.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR ENTRY TO YEARS 9 – 12

An offer of a place in Enniskillen Royal Grammar School will be contingent on evidence of the pupil’s ability to follow a broad academic syllabus as provided by the school. This evidence may be contained in the pupil’s previous school reports or other relevant documentation.

The School reserves the right to require applicants to undertake an assessment.

Pupils will be considered for enrolment provided that:

i. The school would not exceed its enrolment number, and

ii. In the opinion of the Board of Governors their admission would not prejudice the efficient use of the school’s resources, and

iii. The Board of Governors, on the basis of all information provided, are of the opinion that the child’s academic ability is of the standard equivalent to that of the pupils with whom s/he would be taught at the school.

In situations where there are a number of applicants for limited places, the following criteria may be applied by the Admissions Sub-Committee:

I. Rank order of academic ability as evidenced by the AQE score or GL grade.

II. Children who have a child of the family¹ currently enrolled at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.

¹ Child of the family includes 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 an individual. The child should be a child of the family as at the date of application.

Admissions criteria for entry September 2022

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

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR ENTRY TO YEARS 13-14

We are keen to encourage pupils from local schools to consider joining our school community to take the AS/A level courses we offer. The normal minimum general requirement for consideration for entry will be a minimum of seven different subjects at GCSE level grade C and above, normally to include English Language and Mathematics giving a total score of 15 points where A*=5, A=4, B=3, C*=2 and C=1

Applicants must have a positive record of conduct, attendance and punctuality for the previous five years.

Where there is proven evidence of special circumstances or other factors which may have affected a pupil’s performance at GCSE these general requirements may be subject to review on an individual basis.

Satisfying this general requirement does not guarantee acceptance to study a particular subject or subjects as there are specific subject entry requirements. Sometimes there can be considerable pressure of demand for places in some subjects and not all applicants meeting the minimum entry requirements for those subjects can always be accepted. Intending applicants should consult the school for further details.

If there are more applicants than places for entry to Year 13 candidates will be placed in a rank order based on the total score of their basic seven GCSE grades and places allocated in strict adherence to this order. For this purpose, A* will count as a score of 5 points, A as 4, B as 3, C*as 2 and C as1. In a tie-breaker situation each pupil will be scored on his/ her overall GCSE performance.

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

The Department of Education may, in response to a request from a school, increase the number of pupils the school can admit into Year 13. Places which become available in this way shall be allocated only to pupils who meet the essential criteria for entry as set out above and shall be allocated in the order determined by the following criteria:

• Pupils who have most recently completed Year 12 in Enniskillen Royal Grammar School

• Pupils from other schools where admission to an extra place in Enniskillen Royal Grammar School has been agreed by the Department of Education*

* It should be noted how the Department of Education (DE) will, in response to a school’s request, increase the school’s enrolment number in order to allow an extra post-16 pupil 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 cannot 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 they young person lives). If DE finds that no other suitable school may provide all of the post- 16 courses those pupils wishes to pursue, then DE will agree a school’s request for an extra place.