Admissions

Admission of students into Year 8

The Board of Governors will seek to reflect in the total number admitted into Year 8, in September 2011, an overall balance amongst all traditions and all abilities. In order to achieve these aims the college will reservea maximum of 20% of the available places for students from traditions other than the Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions. The remaining places will be divided as equally as possible between Protestant and Roman Catholic applicants. In the event of less than 20% of places being awarded to applicants regarded as from ‘other’ backgrounds, the balance will be divided as equally as possible between Protestant and Roman Catholic applicants. The Board of Governors will also seek to ensure a comprehensive range of abilities within its student body. Priority will be given to students resident in Northern Ireland and to those who identify the college as their first-choice preference.

The criteria set out below will be applied separately to ‘Other’, Protestant and Roman Catholic applicants. If there are fewer applicants from either of the main traditions than there are places available for that tradition then the balance of places will be allocated to the other tradition.

Definitions of ‘Other’ include:

>> Applicants of a religion that is neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic.

>> Applicants who are from a mixed marriage/union or a background that is similarly integrated.

>> Applicants who have genuine, specific reasons for regarding themselves as neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic.

Applications to be regarded as ‘Other’ must be clearly noted as such on the transfer form and the reasons for applying on this basis must be stated.

It is a matter for parents to ensure that all the information required by the College to apply its criteria is provided. In the event that there are more applicants than places available, thefollowing criteria shall be applied, in theorder set down:

(a) Applicants who are transferring from a Grant Maintained Integrated Primary School or Controlled Integrated Primary School, as defined in the Education Reform (NI) Order 1989.

(b) Applicants whose parent/guardian is an employee of the Board of Governors of Drumragh Integrated College, who is due to take up such an appointment, or who are children of a member of the Board of Governors of Drumragh Integrated College.

(c) Applicants who have a brother or sister presently enrolled at the college.

(d) Applicants who are gifted and/or talented. These will be applicants who:

- Achieve or have the potential to achieve at a level significantly higher than the majority of their peer group;

- Have gifts and/or talents in two or more subject areas;

- Express themselves effectively, both orally and in writing. Gifts and/or talents may be academic, creative, practical or sporting. Claims for a place within this criterion must be accompanied by relevant supporting documentation. Further details and a guidance form are available from the college on request.

(e) Applicants who are the first child in the family.

(f) Applicants of a mixed marriage/union.

(g) Applicants who are transferring from a mixed enrolment primary school.

For the purpose of applying the Admissions Criteria, ‘mixed’ is defined as primary schools whose management can confirm an enrolment of not less than 20% of both the Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions.

(h) Applicants whose parents wish to make a claim for a place based on specific circumstances (medical, social, educational or other factors) which, in the judgement of the Board of Governors, would require attendance at the college rather than another school. (Please note that appropriate evidence in support of such requests should besubmitted to the college.)

(i) Applicants who are transferring from other primary schools in Northern Ireland.

(j) Other applicants. eg controlled or maintained;

(iv) Directly from the applicant’s current Principal.

Parents / carers who would like to ask questions or discuss an application are warmly invited to contact the college Principal.

Admission of Students for Year Groups Other than Year 8

1. Parents should apply in writing and complete standard forms, available from the college and/or the WELB, which request important information and details of reasons for leaving the applicant’s present school.

2. The college currently runs a wholecollege waiting list (except in the SixthForm), wherein applicants are rankordered using the same admissions criteria as above.

3. At the initial interview, parents/ guardians and prospective students must indicate a clear commitment to the ideals, aims and disciplinary procedures of the college.

4. The existing school is asked to provide a report on the student. The student’s record of achievement will be taken into account.

5. Where there is doubt over a prospective student’s attitude, he or she may be asked to fulfil a temporary contract.

The following criteria may be applied In the event of full subscription being exceeded within any of the above criterion groupings, selection for the available places in that grouping will be on the basis of random selection. This will include allocating a number to each applicant, and using an internet-based random number generator to select an order of numbers. All of the applicants concerned will be listed in alphabetical order based on the first letter of their surname (as entered on the transfer form). In the event of more than one surname beginning with the first initial letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the forenames will be used. The first student on the list will be allocated number one, and each subsequent student will be allocated the next whole number, until all students have a unique number. An internet random number generator will be used to produce the required numbers. The applicant with each number selected will be offered a place. This will be repeated until all available places have been allocated.

The religious affiliation of a student will be noted by:

(i) Information supplied to the college by the applicant’s parent/guardian;

(ii) The religious affiliation noted on or attached to the transfer form (whilst there is no specific space for this information on the transfer form, it is helpful to the admissions process if parents note it clearly on the form);

(iii) The category of primary school which the student has attended in P7, if places are available in the college and in the relevant year group:

• The need to maintain a balance between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

• The college’s capacity for meeting any learning/behaviour needs of the student.

• The need to preserve the good learning environment of the college and ensure the well-being of all of its students.

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require appropriate supplementary evidence in order to support or verify information on any application form, or indeed to consider the application more fully. Please note that the provision of false or incorrect information, or the failure to provide information within the deadlines set, can result in the withdrawal of a place or the inability to offer a place at this college.

For applications to the Sixth Form, there are separate admissions criteria which are available from the college.

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