LORETO GRAMMAR SCHOOL 

James Street

Omagh 

Co Tyrone BT78 1DL 

Telephone: 028 8224 3633

Fax: 028 8225 1143 

Email: info@loretogs.omagh.ni.sch.uk

Principal: Mrs S Cullinan 

Chairperson of the Board of Governors: Ms Mary Murnaghan

Voluntary Grammar School Girls

Age Range ;  11 – 18

Admissions No:   125

Enrolment No:   890

Roll:   894

Loreto Grammar School, Omagh, is a Catholic Grammar School for girls. This school wishes to accept girls who are most academically suitable for the type of education it offers and whose parents/guardians are in agreement with the Philosophy and Aims of the school.

Following the approval by the Department of Education of Development Proposal 459 – To discontinue academic selection by Loreto Grammar School Omagh for its Year 8 intake, on a phased basis – admission to the school to Year 8 in September 2022 will be via two routes.

Route 1 – Academic Selection and Route 2 – Non-academic Selection. Applicants can apply for both sets of admission routes.

In accordance with the 1997 Education Northern Ireland Order (Section 16 (4)) Loreto Grammar School, Omagh has been directed to select for admission all children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission before any child not so resident may be selected for admission.

Virtual Open Tour – 12 January 2022

To Parents/Guardians naming Loreto Grammar School, Omagh as a Preference on your child’s Transfer Application

A voluntary subscription of £70.00 per student per annum is requested with concessions for families - £70 for 1 child, £120 for 2 children and £150 for 3 or more children.

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

The Board of Governors sets the admissions criteria and has delegated the responsibility for applying these criteria to the Transfer Sub-Committee which includes the Principal.

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ADMISSIONS 2022

Admission to the school to Year 8 will be via two routes. Applicants can apply for both sets of admission routes.

Route 1 – Academic Selection will apply to a maximum of 62 places. This route will be considered first with places allocated on the basis of GLA Entrance Assessment scores as detailed below.

Route 2 – Non-academic Selection will apply to the remaining places being a minimum of 63 places.

After places have been allocated from Route 1 according to the admissions criteria for Route 1 all remaining applicants will be considered for admission via Route 2 along with any other applicants who applied to be considered for admission only by Route 2. The final 63 places will be selected from the total number of applicants using the admissions criteria for Route 2.

The allocation of 62/63 places for Routes 1/2 will alternate in successive years for the duration of 50% Academic Selection / Non-academic Selection.

ROUTE 1 – Academic Selection

Special Circumstances (Route 1) - which may have affected performance in the GLA Entrance Assessment.

The following information is relevant if you are making a claim for your daughter to be considered under Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions. All claims for Special Circumstances and Special Provision will be considered before the Transfer Sub-Committee begins to apply the admissions criteria.

Girls will be admitted strictly according to the combined Standardised Age Score achieved in the GLA Entrance Assessment subject only to the consideration of medical or other problems which may have affected their performance in the GLA Entrance Assessment and which are supported by verified documentary evidence of a medical or other appropriate nature. These medical or other problems are commonly referred to as Special Circumstances and are described in the PPTC Entrance Assessment: Access Arrangements Policy and Special Circumstances Policy available from Loreto Grammar School, Omagh or its website. Parents/Guardians should carefully read these policy documents along with the guidance provided in the Claiming Special Circumstances Pack available from the school and its website.

If a claim for the consideration of Special Circumstances is made in respect of matters for which Access Arrangements were granted or could have been granted, had they been made known to the Assessment Centre, the Transfer Sub-Committee may take into account the fact that the child was granted Access Arrangements or could have been granted Access Arrangements for those matters.

1) The Transfer Sub-Committee will consider each claim for Special Circumstances registered by 2.00 pm on 15 December 2021 using Form SCR within the Special Circumstances Pack.

2) Full details of the claim must be submitted on the Form SC1 which must be uploaded with the Transfer Application or attached to the Transfer Application Form in circumstances where a parent is unable to complete an online application.

3) Where claims are not registered by Wednesday 15th December 2021 at 2.00pm and / or are not supported by the required and verified documentary evidence, as described in the guidance material available from Loreto Grammar School, Omagh, the Transfer Sub-Committee may exercise its discretion in considering such claims.

On the basis of the evidence presented by parents/guardians on the SC1 Form, the Board of Governors will decide whether the score achieved in the GLA Entrance Assessment should be adjusted.

The Board of Governors will employ a Special Circumstances Protocol to adjust scores. A copy of this protocol is available on request from the school.

• Evidence required with a claim for Special Circumstances

Parents/Guardians should refer to the PPTC Entrance Assessment: Access Arrangements Policy and Special Circumstances and other guidance information available from Loreto Grammar School, Omagh in the “Claiming Special Circumstances” Pack. Every claim for Special Circumstances must have supporting evidence which includes both:

(a) details of the medical or other problems which occurred just before or at the time of the GLA Entrance Assessment with verification by a medical practitioner or appropriate professional, and

(b) verifiable educational evidence to show that the combined Standardised Age Score achieved in the GLA Entrance Assessment does not correspond to the academic ability of their daughter because she experienced medical or other problems just before or at the time of the GLA Entrance Assessment.

• Medical or Other Problems

If the medical problem is other than of a short duration, parents/guardians must ask the medical practitioner or appropriate professional to provide a letter on headed notepaper which explains the medical condition and how it could have affected their daughter in the GLA Entrance Assessment.

Where the problem is of a non-medical nature, parents/guardians must provide documentary evidence, verified by an appropriate professional, of its existence and its effect on their daughter.

• Educational Evidence

All claims for Special Circumstances must include objective and relevant educational evidence to show that the medical or other problem experienced by the child at or around the time of the GLA Entrance Assessment caused her to underachieve in the GLA Entrance Assessment. Parents/Guardians are responsible for providing this educational evidence which must be sufficient to enable the Transfer Sub-Committee of the Board of Governors to reach a decision on any adjustment to the combined Standardised Age Score achieved by their daughter in the GLA Entrance Assessment.

Parents/Guardians should provide all of the results from their daughter’s school administered standardised tests in English/Literacy and Mathematics/Numeracy which she has taken since the beginning of the Key Stage 2 period. Parents/Guardians may include their daughter’s school reports for P5 and P6 if they show the results of standardised tests. All standardised tests should be named.

Parents/Guardians should record this information in the tables provided on the reverse side of the SC1 Form (included in the Claiming Special Circumstances Pack). Parents/Guardians should ask the Principal of their daughter’s primary school to sign the form or authenticate with the school stamp, as verification of the accuracy of the results they have recorded.

Some of these results may have been provided by the child’s Primary School on previous school reports. If parents/guardians are using results from their daughter’s school reports in support of their claim, the reports should be uploaded with Transfer Application or attached to the Transfer Application Form in circumstances where a parent is unable to complete an online application.

Parents/Guardians rights to this information is legislated for by:

• Education (Pupil Records and Reporting) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

• Data Protection Act 1998

Parents/Guardians may provide any other appropriately verified educational evidence, for example results of standardised reading tests, spelling tests, verbal or non-verbal reasoning tests for the consideration of the Transfer Sub-Committee of the Board of Governors by uploading reports with the Transfer Application or attaching to the Transfer Application Form.

Providing the documentary evidence, as described, is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and is vital to allow the Transfer Sub-Committee to give full consideration to a claim for Special Circumstances.

The submission of false or incorrect information will result in either the withdrawal of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place.

Special Provision (Route 1)

The following information is relevant if you are making a claim for your daughter to be considered under Special Provision.

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

• are transferring from Primary Schools outside of Northern Ireland; or

• have received more than half of their Primary education outside of Northern Ireland; or

• have had their educational provision to date negatively affected by serious medical or other problems which are supported by independent verifiable documentary evidence and who were unable to take either the GLA Entrance Assessment or the GLA Supplementary Assessment.

To apply for Special Provision, parents/guardians must complete Form SP1, available from Loreto Grammar School. It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure Form SP1 is completed, to obtain all supporting documentary evidence and to attach it to the Transfer Application at the correct time outlined by the Education Authority.

For applicants not in Primary School in Northern Ireland, Parents/Guardians should complete Form SP1 and contact the Education Authority Post Primary Admissions Office to complete the Transfer Application and attach the SP1 Form.

A copy of the Form SP1 should be sent directly to Loreto Grammar School, Omagh by 2.00pm on Friday 11 February 2022. Further guidance on applying for Special Provision is provided with the Form SP1 available from Loreto Grammar School, Omagh or its website.

The Transfer Sub-Committee will examine each application for Special Provision and

1. Decide if a girl is eligible for Special Provision;

2. If eligible, determine a score for the girl, based on the assessment of all available educational evidence. Parents/Guardians may provide any appropriately verified educational evidence, for example results of standardised reading tests, spelling tests, verbal or non-verbal reasoning tests for the consideration of the Transfer Sub-Committee. The Board of Governors may also require the girl to undertake a standardised assessment test, arranged by the School.

The score following consideration of Special Provision as detailed above, will determine the position of the girl in in the rank order of all Route 1 applications.

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure that information relating to Special Provision, or Special Circumstances, or indeed information regarding the existence of any other relevant factor(s), is given on or appended to the child's Transfer Application as described. Parents/Guardians are responsible for the verification of all of the information provided to the Transfer Sub-Committee of Loreto Grammar School, Omagh.

If parents/guardians require further assistance they should not hesitate to contact the school.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 2022 FOR YEAR 8 AND AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Route 1- Academic Selection will apply to a maximum of 62 places. This route will be considered first.

Entrance Test Results

In assessing academic ability Loreto Grammar School, Omagh will use the Standardised Age Score achieved by pupils completing the GLA Entrance Assessment on Saturday 13 November 2021, or the supplementary GLA Entrance Assessment on Saturday 11 December 2021, or any adjusted score following application for Special Circumstances, or a score determined as a result of Special Provision.

Parents/guardians must state the Standardised Age Score achieved and attach a copy of the statement of results which they receive on Saturday 5 February 2022 to the Transfer Application.

The Board of Governors has determined that if the number of applicants for admission via Route 1 is greater than 62 then the following criteria will be applied sequentially in the order set down to admit 62 girls to the school.

1. Applicants in rank order of achievement based on the combined Standardised Age Score achieved in the GLA Entrance Assessment set by the school or scores as determined by the Board of Governors in respect of Special Circumstances or Special Provision. Higher scores will precede lower scores.

1.2 If there are more applicants with a particular combined Standardised Age Score than places remaining then girls with that score will be selected on the basis of the initial letter of the surname as it appears on the birth certificate, in the order set out below:

B A T C N H X V M L P W S Y D O’ K R J F Mac Z Mc E Q U I G O

The order was determined by a random selection of initial letter/component of surname (Mac/Mc/O’). In the event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order (a,b,c…). In the event of two identical surnames the alphabetical order of the initial letter of the forename as it appears on the birth certificate, will be used. In the event of forenames beginning with the same initial letter the subsequent letters of the forename will be used in alphabetical order. Only the first forename will apply.

1.3 If applicants have identical surnames and forenames they will be placed in rank order of the eldest child by date of birth as stated on their birth certificate and admitted in this order. The priority of eldest / youngest child will alternate in subsequent years.

1.4 If, after 1.2 and 1.3, any applicants still tie for a final place, the place(s) will be allocated by random computerised selection.

Route 2 –Non-academic Selection will apply to the remaining places being a minimum of 63.

Girls who apply for selection via Route 1, but do not obtain a place, will automatically be considered with applicants who have applied via Route 2. If the number of applicants for Route 2 exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria will be applied sequentially in the order set down below.

2.1 Applicants who, at the date of application, have a child of the family* currently enrolled at the school.

*The phrase “child of the family” includes e.g. 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; An adopted or fostered child; A situation where for example an orphaned cousin is being brought up with a family or individual;

The child should be a child of the family as at the date of application.

2.2 Applicants who, at the date of application, are the eldest child of the family** to be eligible to apply for admission to Loreto Grammar School, Omagh. This criterion includes:

(i) A child who has an older sibling who could not attend mainstream Post-Primary school, for example who attends a special school.

(ii) A child whose family has moved residence and who is the first child in the family eligible to apply for admission to Loreto Grammar School, Omagh.

** The phrase “eldest child in the family” includes twins, or other multiple births.

Documents which may be used to verify eldest child or sibling relationships* include:

*A letter from a member of the Clergy, Solicitor, or Public Servant such as a Health or Education professional directly involved with the family. The letter should be on headed paper and attached to the Transfer Application/Application Form.

2.3 In the event of over subscription in any one of the criterion 2.1 or 2.2, when applied in the order set, the selection of available places will be carried out using the following method of random selection:

(i) Applicants will be selected on the basis of the initial letter of the surname as it appears on the birth certificate, in the order set out below.

B A T C N H X V M L P W S Y D O’ K R J F Mac Z Mc E Q U I G O

The order was determined by a random selection of initial letter/component of surname (Mac/Mc/O’). In the event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter/component the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order (a,b,c…). In the event of two identical surnames the alphabetical order of the initial letter of the forename as it appears on the birth certificate, will be used. In the event of forenames beginning with the same initial letter the subsequent letters of the forename will be used in alphabetical order. Only the first forename will apply.

(ii) If applicants have identical surnames and forenames they will be placed in rank order of the eldest child by date of birth as stated on their birth certificate and admitted in this order. The priority of eldest / youngest child will alternate in subsequent years.

(iii) If, after (i) and (ii) any applicants still tie for a final place, the place(s) will be allocated by random computerised selection.

VERIFICATION OF ALL INFORMATION

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information within any Transfer Application/Application Form.

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure:

• The Transfer Application is correctly completed.

• Any claim for Special Circumstances or Special Provision is properly documented as described in detail above and in guidance documentation provided by the school.

• The provision of any required verification documents within specified deadlines.

Any one of the following documents can verify child’s age or name. Only original documents will be accepted.

Child’s Birth Certificate;

Letter awarding Child Benefit to the child or another letter relating to this benefit;

Child’s Medical Card;

Child’s passport;

Child’s adoption certificate.

If the requested evidence is not provided to Loreto Grammar School, Omagh by the deadline specified by the Board of Governors, this will result in the withdrawal of an offer of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place.

Similarly, the submission of false or incorrect information, or information which appears to be false or misleading in any material way or the failure to provide any requested verifying documents within the deadline set by Loreto

Grammar School, Omagh will result in either the withdrawal of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place. Parents/Guardians are advised to retain a copy of all documentation.

Year 8 Waiting List Policy

Applications made for a particular academic year will be considered only for entry in that year. Thereafter, applicants will be required to make a new application for any subsequent year.

Any student who has not initially gained a place in Year 8 will automatically remain on the Year 8 Waiting List. In the event of a place becoming available following the beginning of the school year the criteria for entry via Route 2 will be applied to award the place.

NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

Year    2018/19

Admissions No.   125

Total Applications All Preferences   146

Total Admissions   129*

Year    2019/20

Admissions No.   125

Total Applications All Preferences   171

Total Admissions   128*

Year    2020/21

Admissions No.   125

Total Applications All Preferences   173

Total Admissions   136*

Total admissions include statemented pupils and / or pupils admitted following an appeal.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR YEAR 9-12

The Admission Criteria for Years 9 – 12 is available in the School Prospectus or from the school office