Admissions at DAA

The Academy will be non-selective, taking in mixed, multi-ethnic students of all abilities and serving the local community first.

The admissions policy for the Academy will reflect the Bradford inclusion strategy and the local special educational needs strategy.

The Academy will admit up to 240 students in year 7.

Application Process

a) Arrangements for applications for places at the Dixons Allerton Academy will be made in accordance with Bradford LA’s co-ordinated admission arrangements

b) Applications must be made on both the common preference form and the Academy’s own application form which can be picked up from reception at the academy.

Timetable for admissions

September:  Allerton Academy’s own application form to be returned to the Academy

October: The Academy will provide opportunities for parents and prospective students to visit the Academy, and for students to sit the fair banding test

October:                 Common preference form to be completed and returned

December:  Bradford LA sends details of applications to the Academy. Academy sends a fair banded list of students to be offered places to Bradford LA

1^st March:                    LA writes with offers of places made to parents.

Consideration of Applications

The Academy will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than the published admission number for Year 7 are received, the Academy will offer places to all those who have applied. 

Applications to Dixons Allerton Academy will be ‘fair-banded’.  In the event of over-subscription, students who apply for and sit the fair-banding test will be considered first.  Banding will be applied to all applications including looked after children and statemented students. There is no pass or fail mark. All applicants will be placed into 1 of 9 ability bands based on the score achieved in the GL Assessment Non Verbal Reasoning test, which will be taken by all applicants. We will admit the required number from each band based on the spread of ability of those applying to the Academy.

Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number for Year 7, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below.  Students with statements of Special Educational Need will be admitted when the statement names the Academy and when, as part of the statementing process, the Academy and LA have agreed that the Academy can meet the needs of the child.  After these children have been admitted,   the criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below:

a)      children in public care;

b)      admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school and who will continue to do so on the date of admission; the term ‘sibling’ refers to children who share at least one parent and who live at the same address.  It includes legally adopted children as well as step-siblings resident at the same address.

c)      admission of students on the basis of proximity to the school using straight line measurement from the main entrance of the Academy to the main entrance to the child’s home.

Waiting lists

Subject to any provisions regarding waiting lists in the LA’s co-ordinated admission scheme, the Academy will operate a waiting list for year 7. Where in any year the Academy receives more applications for places than there are places available, a waiting list will operate throughout the year and will be maintained by the Academy. Children’s position on the waiting list will be determined solely in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. Waiting lists will be fair banded, and tests will be offered regularly through the year so as not to disadvantage late applicants for a place.

Arrangements for Admitting Students to Other Year Groups

The Academy will consider all such applications and if the year group applied for has a place available, admit the child unless the governors determine otherwise (see below). If more applications are received than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria shall apply. The Dixons Allerton Academy opened on 1 September 2009 with a Published Admission Number of 240 relating solely to students in Year 7. Students in subsequent Years have been transferred automatically from the predecessor school.

Admission to these Year groups will be based upon the size of teaching groups already existing in the Academy and the efficient use of resources. In accordance with paragraph 3.32 of the Admissions Code, where the governing body considers that the admission of a child would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources at the school it may refuse to admit that child even though there are places available. There will be a right of appeal to an independent appeal panel for unsuccessful applicants.

Post 16 admission criteria

The Academy has published specific criteria in relation to minimum academic entrance requirements for progression from year 11 to the post-16 provision. There will be a right of appeal to an independent appeals panel for students refused transfer.

Special Educational Needs

Students with special educational needs (SEN) are supported and well-catered for in the Academy. Students with disabilities will not be being treated less favourably than other students. We can provide details of existing facilities to assist access to the school by students with disabilities. The accessibility plan (required under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) covers policies for increasing access to the school by students with disabilities. Information about the implementation of the governing body’s policy on students with special educational needs is available to parents and carers.