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Admissions

Admissions

West Bromwich Collegiate Academy is a non-selective, non-denominational Academy for the community and our admissions policy reflects this. Each year we have 150 places available.

Our inclusive admissions process will at all times be open, transparent and fair, and will meet the requirements of the national Schools Admissions Code, the Appeals Code and admissions legislation. West Bromwich Collegiate Academy will process applications inside the normal Local Authority process for co-ordinating school offers. We will be able to accept applications for places through the normal Sandwell admissions process.

Applications for the Academy are currently closed for September 2020 and all places have been filled.

Application can now be made for Year 7 places to start in September 2021. Please apply via Sandwell Admissions.

The closing date for applications for Year 7, September 2021 is Saturday, 31 October 2020.

 

Open Evening 2020

Our Open Evening is scheduled for Wednesday, 30 September 2020 from 4:30pm – 8pm.

It is likely that this event will have to be a ‘Virtual Open Evening’; the arrangements are very much dependent on the Government and Public Health England Guidance available at the time. If social distancing measures are still in place will may not be able to offer physical presentations or tours of the Academy.

Fair Banding Admissions Test

All students who have applied for a Year 7 place starting in September 2021 will receive an invitation to sit a Fair Banding Admissions Test at the Academy. The tests will be held during November at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy and families will receive a letter regarding this after the closing date for admissions.

Accepting your place and before you arrive

On 1st March 2021 you will receive an e-mail from the Local Authority which will tell you which school you have been allocated. If you applied using a paper application form, you will receive a letter in the first few days of March 2021. You must accept or reject the school your child has been allocated. Following this, the Authority will provide us with a list of students who have been allocated a place and we will write to you with a welcome pack. If you wish to appeal the decision you can do this through the Sandwell Admissions website.

As we are still a new and relatively small Academy, our transition arrangements of what we can offer in terms of a Summer School are still under review. However if your child has any particular needs you can always contact us to arrange a meeting.

Still looking for more information?

If you would like further information about the Academy you can find it throughout the website, contact us or access an online copy of our prospectus here.

If you would like the detail of our Admissions Policy you can access it here.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What forms do I have to fill in?

    You need to complete the online form here. There are no further forms to complete.

  • Is there a test?

    Like many schools in Sandwell we operate a Fair Banding Test to make sure we have an equal number of students of all abilities in the Academy. Doing well or badly in the test does not increase your chance of gaining a place at the Academy but will place you into one of 5 bands. We then take an equal number of students from each band. There was no test in 2018-19 as the Academy was not open. All children who applied for a September 2020 place took the fair banding test and all children who apply to join us in September 2021 must sit the test.

  • What is the test?

    It is a non-verbal reasoning test which involves activities such as shape matching and pattern recognition. Children cannot revise or prepare for the test and the scores will not be shared with children or families. Staff at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy do not find out the results to the tests. A good or poor performance in the test will not improve your child’s chance of gaining a place at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy.

  • Do siblings have priority?

    Yes, but they must still sit the Fair Banding Test.

  • What are the criteria for admissions?

    Students are accepted in the following order:

    • Students in Care
    • Students with an EHCP
    • Siblings
    • Distance from the Academy
  • When will I find out if my child has a place?

    Places are allocated to you via Sandwell on National Offer Day, which is usually early in March.