Admissions Policy
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1. Admissions
Admission to the School will be confined to children of parents who are able to demonstrate commitment to the School's ethos. Applications must be submitted on the prescribed form and accompanied by the child's full birth certificate, proof of residence and a £25 administration fee.
Commitment to the ethos will be assessed at interview. Evidence will be sought of active Orthodox synagogue membership, a commitment to a Jewish home life, adherence to Jewish religious dietary laws, involvement in communal life and participation in Jewish adult education.
If parents have demonstrated commitment to the School's ethos at interview, the child will be accepted into the School. If the School is oversubscribed, places will be offered according to the oversubscription criteria set out below.
2. Oversubscription
We will admit up to 30 children in the Reception class.
If there are more applications than places available in any school year, the Governors acting by the Admissions Committee will allocate places using the following order of priority:
a) Siblings
i) Siblings of present pupils of the School at the time of application to the School, and whose parents have been members of Finchley Synagogue for a period of at least two years prior to the intended date of entry into the school, provided that the membership fees are not in arrears of over six months. For these purposes, ‘siblings' shall include half siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings and foster children provided all categories live at the same address.
ii) All other siblings of present pupils of the school at the time of application to the School. (Siblings are defined as in a) i) above.)
b) Children of members of Finchley Synagogue
i) Children of members of Finchley Synagogue (having joined at least three years prior to the intended date of entry to the school and provided that the membership fees are not in arrears of over six months).
ii) Children of other members of Finchley Synagogue who do not fulfil the criteria set out in b) i) above.
c) Children of members of orthodox synagogues in the London Borough of Barnet, resident in the London Borough of Barnet, who satisfy any of the following conditions:
i) Looked-after children (within the meaning of section 22 of the Children Act 1989)
ii) Children with special educational needs whose statement (under section 324 of the Education Act 1996) indicates that placement at the School is appropriate.
iii) Children for whom the School is appropriate on genuine medical grounds. Such applications will be agreed only when the medical circumstances supported by a doctor's submission are considered by the Governors to justify giving priority to the child concerned.
iv) Children for whom the School is appropriate on genuine social needs grounds. Such applications will be agreed only where circumstances have been supported by a social worker and are considered by the Governors to justify giving priority to the child concerned.
v) Other children, including whose parents or guardians can demonstrate that admission to the School is essential to the medical, social or compassionate needs of their child provided in all such cases that the Governors in their sole discretion consider that the School is able to meet the needs of such children having regard to the needs and interests of other children at the School. These special factors must be made known at the time of the application if they are to be considered and must be supported by an appropriate professional practitioner's letter or certificate.
d) Children of members of orthodox synagogues in the London Borough of Barnet, resident in the London Borough of Barnet.
e) Children of members of United Synagogues outside of the London Borough of Barnet.
f) Children of members of other orthodox synagogues.
g) Children of school staff.
h) Other children.
Places will always be made available for children of the founding Governors and for children and grandchildren of Rabbis employed by Finchley Synagogue. A list of names will be made available on request.
In the event of over-subscription after each of the above criteria has been applied, proximity to Finchley Synagogue of the child's residential address will, in each of the above categories, be the determining factor.
References to ‘parents' include persons with parental responsibility for the child and/or care of the child in accordance with the Children Act 1989. Where the parents of a child are separated, the home of the parent who has care and control of the child will be regarded as the child's home for the purpose of determining the distance from the school, and the synagogal affiliation of the parent who has care and control of the child will be regarded as the relevant membership for the purposes of the oversubscription criteria.
3. Waiting List
When all available places have been filled, children not allocated places will be placed on a waiting list ranked in descending order according to the published admissions criteria. The waiting list will remain in operation from the day the original places are awarded and will be used to allocate places which become available before the start of the school year. A separate waiting list will be maintained for each year group.
Applications received after the deadline for any particular year will be added to the waiting list in order of receipt and will be considered at the discretion of the School and the Governors.
4. Appeal Procedure
Parents wishing to appeal against the refusal to admit a child to the school after interview may do so by writing to the Chairman of Governors at the School within 14 days of receipt by parents of a letter from the School informing them that a place is not available. The letter of appeal must state that the parents wish to appeal and state the grounds on which they are appealing the decision.
An appeal panel will be convened as soon as possible after the Chairman of Governors has received notification of the parents' appeal. The appeal panel will be bound by the School's Admission Policy in deciding the appeal.
5. Incorrect or Misleading Applications
If the information given in your application form is not accurate or up to date, your child may lose priority. In such a case, the Governors will have discretion to refuse the offer of a place. The Governors reserve the right to withdraw the offer of a place where it is found that the place was offered on the basis of fraudulent or misleading information given at any time during the application process.
6. Changes to the Admissions Policy
The school's admissions policy can only be changed by two thirds of the Governors present at a formal and duly convened meeting of the governing body providing that it is quorate according to the rules of the governing body.
