Admissions

St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School is a comprehensive school which exists primarily to serve the needs of Church in Wales parents who wish their children to be educated within a system which introduces the pupil to an understanding of life based on the Christian faith as taught by the practices, rites and doctrines of the Church in Wales. In addition, the school seeks to promote Christian education in the wider community. As a comprehensive school, the Governors admit children without reference to ability or aptitude. All children whose parents wish them to attend this school, subject to the provision of the Education Acts, will be admitted provided the number seeking admission does not exceed the accommodation available, at this stage, 240 places. In accordance with statutory requirements, the Governors have a duty to admit, following proper application, Looked-After Children and children where the school is named in a Statement of Special Educational Needs in accordance with the published admissions criteria.

The Governors will admit up to 240 children to Year 7 each September;  this will comprise 160 Foundation Places and 80 Open Places. This admission limit has been agreed in principle between the Governors and the Cardiff Local Education Authority and will apply when other statutory changes to school admissions are agreed and implemented. The Governors of aided schools are responsible for the admission arrangements but are required to consult the Local Education Authority before any changes are made.

All parents applying for admission do so knowing that the school aims to provide an education based on Christian principles and therefore the Governors expect all pupils to take part in the Christian worship of the school, to attend all religious education lessons and participate in all other educational activities.

For all applications:

• Complete the St Teilo’s online admissions form.
• Provide all necessary supporting evidence in hard copy to the school.
• Ensure that you regularly check the email address you have provided on your application form. This is how the school will confirm your submissions and keep in touch with you about your application.

In addition, for Year 6 into Year 7 applications:

• Submit your application and evidence before the deadline.
• Attend the school Open Evening (dates can be found here)
• Register five school preferences at ‘Schools Admissions Online’ by visiting www.cardiff.gov.uk before the deadline.

Should I apply for a Foundation Place or Open Place?

Parents/carers must make this decision. In selecting ‘Foundation Place’ you are applying for a faith-based place and confirming that you and your child regularly attend a place of worship or that your child already attends a Church in Wales primary school. If you do not wish to apply for a Foundation Place, you should select ‘Open Place’. If you make more than one application to the school for the same child, only the latest on-time application will be considered.

 

Can I apply for both a Foundation and an Open Place?

No. You must select one option only.

I am applying for a Foundation Place. Do I need to speak to my priest/minister/faith leader?

Yes. Your faith leader will be contacted by the school and asked to complete a reference so you should first gain their consent. Your faith leader cannot recommend your child for a place but will be asked to confirm the extent of your child’s involvement in the faith community. Your application will not be considered complete until this reference is returned. If you are applying for a Foundation Place on the basis of attending a Church in Wales primary school, the supporting reference is optional.

Do I need to provide any documentation to support my application?

If your child has a compelling educational or medical need you must provide written evidence from a medical consultant, social work manager or educational psychologist dated no more than six months prior to the application submission date. This evidence must explain (i) what specific difficulties the child has, (ii) why St Teilo’s is the most suitable school and (iii) the difficulties that would be caused by attending another school. The Governors do not take into account scholastic ability so letters of support from existing headteachers are not required. Letters from General Practitioners are unlikely to be sufficient to demonstrate compelling medical need.

How will I know that you have received my application?

Receipt of your application will be acknowledged automatically by email. Please ensure that your application includes a current email address. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement, you have not submitted your application correctly.

I’ve missed the deadline date! What happens now?

In order for your application to be considered, it must be submitted online by the deadline date. Applications received after this deadline will be treated as late applications.

Should I apply for another school as well as St Teilo’s?

Yes. Parents/carers are strongly advised to apply for four other schools to avoid a situation where a child is not allocated a secondary school place.

When will I know if my application has been successful?

The Admissions Panel will meet in January. You will be notified of their decision by email at the beginning of March.

Can I appeal against the Governors decision?

Yes. If your application has been unsuccessful and you wish to appeal, you must return the reply slip attached to your email giving the reasons for your appeal. You must return this to the school within 10 working days of the date of the email.

When are the appeals heard?

The Appeals Panel are independent of the school and the Governors and normally meet sometime during the Summer Term. Like you, the school will be invited to attend an appeal hearing by letter.

 

My application was unsuccessful. Can I be added to a waiting list?

Yes. The school operates a waiting ‘pool’ and, if your application is unsuccessful, you will be offered the opportunity to have your child’s name placed in this ‘pool’. Should places become available, they will be offered by the Admission Panel according to the admission criteria.

Please read these notes before completing the Application Form for a place in St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School, and retain these notes until after you have received the result of your Application or Appeal.

1. St Teilo’s and The Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales schools both admit Year 7 pupils according to an admission limit agreed with the diocese and the LEA. The Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School normally serves those who live in the area west of Caerphilly Road/North Road including Whitchurch, Gabalfa, Llandaff, Llandaff North, Tongwynlais, Penarth, Barry and beyond as well as the Docks.  St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School normally serves those who live in the area east of Caerphilly Road/North Road including Thornhill, Llanishen, Lisvane and beyond as well as Grangetown.
2. A booklet containing information to parents about the provision of Secondary Education in Cardiff County may be obtained from the Cardiff County LEA, Education Offices, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff.  A virtual school ‘prospectus’ containing detailed information about St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School may be accessed on our website.
3. When you have completed the online application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement by email.  If no acknowledgement is received, you have not submitted your application correctly and must try again.
4. The school will only accept one application per child. If you submit multiple applications for the same child, only the latest application (submitted before the deadline) will be considered. All previous applications will be disregarded.
5. Your application will be considered carefully and sympathetically by the Governors but the completion of the Application Form does not automatically give your child a place at St Teilo’s.
6. The Governors, in considering your child for a place in this Church in Wales High School, do not take into account scholastic ability but primarily, in the event of the applications received exceeding the accommodation available, your family connection that is, father, mother and child with the Church in Wales (Anglican). You are advised to read the ‘Over-Subscription Criteria’.
7. If a place is offered by the Governors, and it is accepted, your child will not normally be reserved a place in a County High School serving the area in which you live.
8. The acknowledgement slip, accepting or refusing the offered place, must be returned immediately to St. Teilo’s Church in Wales High School.
9. If, after acceptance, you do not wish to take up the place reserved in the Church in Wales High School you must immediately write to the Governors as there is normally a waiting list for any vacancies that might arise.
10. If the Governors do not offer a place to your child, the Cardiff County Education Authority will send you a letter indicating the County High School at which a place has been reserved for your child.  If you wish to appeal against the Governors’ decision, you must immediately write to the Governors giving your reasons for appealing (include any letters or other information of support for your appeal, for example letters from a Parish Priest, local Councillors or teachers). Your letter of appeal will be acknowledged, but if you do not receive this acknowledgement within 28 days you should get in touch with the school as your appeal may have gone astray. In such circumstances you will be informed later when your appeal is to be considered by the specially constituted Appeals Committee.
11. Reapplication following refusal of a place and an unsuccessful appeal is not permitted and would not be considered.
12. Transport arrangements for pupils to the High School will be sent to parents at a later date by the Local Authority.

The Governors will offer 160 Foundation Places each academic year. In the event of over-subscription, places will be offered in accordance with the categories detailed below.  Within each category first priority will be given to:

1. Those who fully satisfy the criterion, but also have a brother or sister already in attendance at the school (see note 1 below).
2. Those who fully satisfy the criterion, and the proximity of the family home to the school (see note 2 below).

FOUNDATION PLACE ADMISSION CRITERIA

1. Looked after Children, and children where the school is named in a statement of Special Education Needs, whose family satisfy the requirements of a Foundation place (see note 3 below).
2. Children who have been baptised and who attend a Church in Wales Primary School and whose families are active and practising* members of the Anglican Community.
3. Children who have been baptised and attend any other Primary School whose families are active and practising* members of the Anglican Community.
4. Children who attend a Church in Wales Primary School.
5. Children whose families are active and practising* members of another mainstream denomination of the Christian faith.
6. Children whose families are active and practising* members of another mainstream faith.

Foundation Places notes:

Foundation places will be allocated on the basis of the evidence provided on the Application Form by the family, and confirmed by the clergy/minister or faith leader, of the frequency of attendance and contribution to the life and work and witness of their church or place of worship. An application for a Foundation Place will not be considered complete until the reference is returned. The school will not pursue references which have not been returned. Applications cannot be modified once submitted.

In addition, in each category, consideration will be given to children of families who provide evidence at the time of application that the child has a particular education, social or medical need which can be met especially well within the caring Christian environment of St Teilo’s School, and who are already in support from the church in meeting those needs. Places will be allocated based on evidence provided by the family in a personal statement and confirmed by the clergy/minister/church or faith leader and a professional consultant as appropriate.

*The determination of active and practising is made by reference to the answers to questions on the Application Form and the period of active worship is as significant as the frequency. As a minimum, it will be expected that attendance is at least monthly and for at least two years. Note that attendance at a place of worship by virtue of attendance at a Church in Wales Primary School does not satisfy the definition of ‘active and practising’. 
 
If there are fewer than 160 qualified applicants for Foundation Places any unfilled places will become additional Open Places.

1. Sibling is defined as a biological brother/sister, a half-brother/sister, a step-brother/sister, an adopted and/or fostered brother/sister. In the case of multiple birth children, the Governing Body will seek to ensure that all children are admitted to avoid family separation.
2. Proximity refers to the distance measured by calculating the miles from the school to the parent/carer home address. The school uses Cardiff Council’s Geographic Information System (GIS) to calculate home to school distance in miles to the nearest 2 decimal places.
3. Looked After Children are children who are looked after by the local authority (as defined by Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) or previously looked after children (as defined by the Welsh Government School Admissions Code document no.005/2-13).

The Governors have designated 80 places each year as Open Places to be offered to children who do not qualify for Foundation Places, but whose parents have chosen the school for the type of education it provides. In the event of over-subscription, places will be offered in accordance with the categories below. Within those categories the proximity of the family home to the school will (where necessary) be used to determine the allocation (see note 1 below).

OPEN PLACE ADMISSION CRITERIA

1. Looked-after Children, and children where the school is named in a statement of Special Educational Needs, whose family do not satisfy the criteria for admission to a Foundation Place (see note 2 below).
2. Children who have a brother or sister in the school whose family do not satisfy the criteria for admission to a Foundation Place (see note 3 below).
3. Children who attend - and whose family home lies within the catchment areas of - Bryn Celyn,  Glyncoed, Llanedeyrn and Springwood Primary Schools, whose family do not satisfy the criteria for admission to a Foundation Place.
4. Any other children whose families do not satisfy the criteria for admission to a Foundation Place.

Open Places notes:

In each category consideration will be given to children of families who provide professional evidence at the time of application that the child has a particular educational, social or medical need which can be met especially well within the caring Christian environment of St Teilo’s High School. Places will be allocated based on evidence provided by the family in a written statement at the time of application from a medical professional, social worker or educational psychologist which explains (a) what specific difficulties the child has (b) why St Teilo’s is considered to be the most suitable school and (c) the difficulties that would be caused by attending another school.

1. Proximity refers to the distance measured by calculating the miles from the school to the parent/carer home address. The school uses Cardiff Council’s Geographic Information System (GIS) to calculate home to school distance in miles to the nearest 2 decimal places.
2. Looked After Children are children who are looked after by the local authority (as defined by Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) or previously looked after children (as defined by the Welsh Government School Admissions Code document no.005/2-13).
3. Sibling is defined as a biological brother/sister, a half-brother/sister, a step-brother/sister, an adopted and/or fostered brother/sister. In the case of multiple birth children, the Governing Body will seek to ensure that all children are admitted to avoid family separation.