Year 8 Admissions Criteria 2020

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 the original notification from AQE of the score awarded in the AQE CEA to the Transfer Form.

Special Circumstances and Special Provision

Parents/Guardians should read the information in full on Special Circumstances and Special Provision given in the Section on Admissions Criteria. Parents/Guardians who require any further information or clarification are warmly invited to contact the Principal.

The onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that a copy of the Special Circumstance (SC19) Form with all the relevant supporting evidence is attached to the Transfer Form.

It should be noted that all schools have statutory admissions and enrolment numbers which reflect the maximum numbers which can be satisfactorily catered for within a school’s accommodation. These numbers are determined by the Department of Education in consultation with the Board of Governors and the Education Authority and cannot normally be exceeded without Department of Education approval. The admissions number for Enniskillen Royal Grammar School is 130 and the enrolment number for 2018-19 is 975.

 The pattern of applications for and admissions to Year 8 for the last two years is as follows:-

It should be borne in mind that a small number of pupils were admitted due to other factors such as having a statement of Special Educational Needs

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 Provision” 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 the original notification from AQE of the score awarded in the AQE Common Entrance Assessment to the Transfer Form.

The purpose of a claim for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provision 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 Provision 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 Provision 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.

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.

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” are commonly referred to as “Special Circumstances”.

The onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that a copy of the SC19 Form with all the relevant supporting evidence is attached to the Transfer Form.

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

If a claim for the consideration of Special Circumstances is made in respect of a child’s score in one of the AQE CEA assessments the School will take into account that the child’s score is based on the best two results where the child took all three assessments.

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.

Special Provision 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 entered for the AQE Common Entrance Assessments, who because of unforeseen and serious medical or other problems 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 sit the AQE CEA with the exception of those children who take up residence in Northern Ireland after Friday 6 September 2019.

Parents/Guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Provision should complete the SC19 Form obtainable from AQE or the school stating the precise reason why they believe the child is eligible for consideration under Special Provision. This should be sent to the School with appropriate documentary evidence. A copy of the SC19 Form and all the documentary evidence should be attached to the Transfer Form.

The onus is on the parents/guardians to ensure that a copy of the SC19 Form with all the relevant supporting evidence is attached to the Transfer Form.

The Admissions Sub-Committee will consider the application for Special Provision. 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 Provision 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.

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 have a child of the family currently enrolled at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.
ii. Children who are the eldest /only child in the family to be eligible to be admitted to the School.
iii. Children who are entitled to receive free school meals.
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:-

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

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 2 identical surnames the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames will be used.

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 Provision 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 to the Transfer Form. 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 Form or attached 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 Form. 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 Form.

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.

Should a vacancy arise after 29 May 2020 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 and/or Education Authority 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.

i. Child of the family (Article 2(2) of the Domestic proceedings (NI) Order 1980) includes for example, half-brothers and sisters, together with children who are adopted or fostered.
ii. Twins (or other multiples) who are the eldest in the family are treated as joint eldest children.
iii. Children who are listed on the EA register as entitled to Free School Meals at the date on which their parent/guardian has signed their Post-Primary Transfer Form or at any date up to and including Friday 24 April 2020 at 4.00 pm.