Admissions Process
Casual Admissions
All applications for admissions for pupils in Years 8 – 11 and for Year 7 received after 1 September should be made directly to the school. The Academy Trust will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child unless one of the permitted reliefs apply. Should a student be considered to be hard to place under Medway’s Fair Access Protocols, the admission request will be referred to Medway to be considered by the Fair Access panel, rather than follow the normal admissions process. Please contact our Admissions Officer if you would like to apply for a place. If there are no places available in the year group then the application will go on our waiting list.
Year 6 into Year 7
The arrangements for coordinated admissions in Medway will be set out in detail in the Medway LA booklet for parents/carers ‘Admission to Secondary School’, a copy of which will be available from the school or from the Admissions Team at Medway LA. The Planned Admission Number (PAN) is 250. Offers of places will be posted to parents/carers by the LA on behalf of the school. Places must first be offered to those children with statements of special education needs where the school is named.
Over-Subscription Criteria
If the number of preferences for The Howard School received via the Medway coordinated scheme is more than the number of places available, places are allocated in the following priority order:
- Looked After Children or previously looked after children as defined in the Medway coordinated admission scheme.
- At the time of application where a child has a brother/sister including adopted siblings, stepbrother/sister, foster brother/sister and those who live as a brother/sister in the same house currently attending the school and will still be on roll at the time of entry.
- Child’s health reasons. Medical evidence must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason which requires a child to attend the preferred school.
- Where the child resides within the access area. Priority given to those nearest the school.
- Nearness of child’s home. Distance will be measured by the shortest available route between home and school as measured by Medway Council’s Geographical Information System
- Children of THAT Staff.
Tiebreaker
In the unlikely event that two or more children in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.
Appeals for Year 7 - Academic Year 24/25
Please find a link below to our completed FAQ sheet for the Appeals Process, the Medway Council Secondary Scheme Policy and our Appeals Form.
28th March 2024 by 5pm is the date when all appeals should be submitted to The Howard School if you would like to apply for a place rather than take up the school that you have been allocated. You should have been provided with an appeal form with your letter from Medway Council offering a school place, which you must complete and return to this school. If you do not have the form, you can request one from Medway Council or from this school.
Timetable for Appeals
Your appeal request should state your reasons for your request and any additional information/documentation/appendices should be submitted five days before the Hearing to allow time for it to be copied and distributed to all the interested parties. At least 10 working days before your appeal, unless you choose to waive this right, you will be sent detailed information regarding the process and also the date, time and names of the independent panel members who will hear the appeal.
The school is unable to guarantee that any original work/evidence/folders, submitted as part of the appeal, will be returned. Appellants may wish to submit copies via email in advance.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the school on 01634 388765.