Year 7 Admissions
Please click on the links below to view and download the Admissions Policy for entry in September 2022, Supplementary Information Form, and information on how places were offered in March over the years.
This form should be completed by all applicants if you would like your application to be considered under one of the faith criteria.
For information on how places were offered on National Offer Day (in March) over the years
How to apply for a place in Year 7
Girls transferring from Year 6 at Primary School to Year 7 at Secondary School must submit the Common Application Form (CAF) to their Local Authority Council (LAC). Please complete download and complete the school's own Supplementary Information Form (SIF) if you would like your application considered under one of the faith criteria. From September 2022, the Planned Admission Number for entry into Year 7 will be 150.
Please make sure you read the school's Admissions Policy (see link above) when completing your form(s) and include all relevant documents with your application.
Please download and complete a Supplementary Information Form (see link above) if applying under criteria 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7. Forms can be either posted to the school (to the main school address) or hand-delivered to the school main reception during school hours. Should you want confirmation of receipt, please include a stamped self-addressed envelope with your application.The closing date for applications for entry in September 2022 is 31st October 2021.
National Offer Day
School place outcome notifications will be sent out to all online applicants on the evening of 1st March 2022. If you submitted your council application via post, you will receive notification by post on 2nd March 2022. The deadline for the return of acceptances is Monday 15th March 2022. This is the date by which you must let the council/school know whether or not you accept the offer of a place in Year 7.
Second Offers
Second offers of school places will take place from the end of March onwards. Any vacancies in the second round will be offered to girls on the waiting list (ranked according to the school's admissions policy).
Waiting List
Please note placing your daughter's name on the waiting list does not guarantee that a place will become available. Your daughter's waiting list position may move up or down as applicants provide additional information to support their application, or join or leave the waiting list. Please note a new revised waiting list will commence in September at the start of each academic year. If you would like your daughter's name to remain on the waiting list after July 2023, please inform the Admissions Manager in writing or by email.
Appeals
You have a legal right to appeal against a decision not to offer your daughter a place at the school that you’ve applied to. You can appeal for a place at your preferred school even though your child may have a place somewhere else. Your appeal will be heard by a panel which is independent of the school. You have the right to attend the hearing to explain your case to the independent appeal panel. The deadline for submitting an appeal is Friday 29th April 2022. Please visit the school website to download an Appeal Form and Appeal Rights document (available after March 2022).
Students with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)
The admission of students where the Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) names the school is dealt with by a completely separate procedure. This procedure is integral to the development and maintenance of EHCPs by the student’s home Local Education Authority. Details of this separate procedure are set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice. Girls with an Education, Health and Care plan that name the school must be admitted without reference to the criteria for entry. Any girl admitted with an Education, Health & Care Plan naming the school, during the normal admission round, will reduce the total number of places on offer by one. For a girl whose EHCP does not name the school, the parent must submit a CAF in the same way as for other girls and their application will be prioritised in accordance with the school’s criteria for entry.
Student Assessment Day
Every year in mid-May, all successful applicants are required to sit a series of CAT (Cognitive Ability Tests) tests to determine streaming.The test provides the school with information that will help accurately place girls in the appropriate teaching group for their ability.
Criteria for Entry
When you apply for a place at Holy Cross you will select one of the following criteria for your application to be considered within.
Places will be prioritised according to these criteria:
1. Catholic Looked After or Catholic previously Looked After girls
For applications to be considered within this criterion (1) please complete the SIF. Applications made must be accompanied by details of circumstances and professionally supported evidence (e.g. from a social worker) and the relevant orders.
2. Girls who are baptised Catholic whose current Mass attendance (at the time of application) is verified by their priest
The application must be supported with a certificate of Catholic Baptism or Reception into the Catholic Church and on the Supplementary Information Form their parish priest’s signature with the parish stamp or seal.
i. Girls who are baptised Catholics who have attended Mass for 3 years or more
ii. Girls who are baptised Catholics who have attended Mass between 1-3 years
iii. Girls who are baptised Catholics who have attended Mass for less than 1 year
For girls applying under criterion 2 and within each level (i, ii or iii), the strength of evidence of commitment to the applicant’s faith, where appropriate, demonstrated by the child’s level of Mass attendance on a Sunday or equivalent (at the time of application), will be ranked according to evidence provided on the Supplementary Information Form and must be endorsed by the priest where the child normally worships. Priority will be given to those who worship weekly, followed by those attending fortnightly, at least once a month and less often. If an applicant has moved parish within the last 3 years or practices in more than one parish, one form for each priest who will be completing the SIF should be completed.
Baptised Catholic girls who do not attend Mass will be considered after all other baptised Catholic girls.
3. Other Girls Looked After (or previously Looked After)
Applications made must be accompanied by details of circumstances and professionally supported evidence (e.g. from a social worker) and the relevant orders.
4. Girls enrolled and registered in the Catechumenate
Proof of acceptance into the catechumenate should be by letter from the parish priest.
5. Girls who are baptised and verified members of Eastern Christian Churches including Orthodox Churches whose membership is supported by their religious leader
Girls who are baptised and verified members of Eastern Christian Churches including Orthodox Churches whose membership is supported by their religious leader. Application for girls from an Eastern Christian Church or Orthodox Church must be supported with a Certificate of Baptism and a letter confirming membership of the applicable church, signed by the appropriate priest.
6. Girls who are baptised or dedicated members of other Christian denominations that are part of Churches Together in England whose membership is supported by their religious leader
The application must be supported by a letter confirming membership of the Christian denomination, signed by the minister of religion and a copy of your daughter’s Certificate of Baptism or Dedication if relevant.
Children of other Christian denominations “Children of other Christian denominations” means: children who belong to other churches and ecclesial communities which, acknowledging God’s revelation in Christ, confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures, and, in obedience to God’s will and in the power of the Holy Spirit commit themselves: to seek a deepening of their communion with Christ and with one another in the Church, which is his body; and to fulfil their mission to proclaim the Gospel by common witness and service in the world to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. An ecclesial community which on principle has no credal statements in its tradition, is included if it manifests faith in Christ as witnessed to in the Scriptures and is committed to working in the spirit of the above. All members of Churches Together in England and of CYTÛN are deemed to be included in the above definition, as are all other churches and ecclesial communities that are in membership of any local Churches Together Group (by whatever title) on the above basis. A full up to date list of Churches that are members of Churches Together in England (CTE) can be accessed from the CTE website - http://cte.org.uk/
7. Girls who are members of other faiths and whose membership is supported by their religious leader
The application must be supported by a letter confirming membership of that faith, signed by the faith leader.
8. Any other girls
Oversubscription (A, B, C, or D):
Within each level of Mass attendance for criterion 2 (e.g. weekly, fortnightly etc.) and for applicants within all other criteria listed above, where the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, the following tie-breakers will be applied in the order stated:
A. A girl with a sister, including a step-, half-, adopted or foster sister, living at the same address and attending this school at the time of admission.
B. A girl who has special medical, pastoral or social grounds for attending the school. A girl who has a strong medical, pastoral or social need for attending this school, making the school particularly suitable. When an application is made on medical, pastoral or on social grounds, Governors will assess strong, relevant, up to date evidence in the form of two supporting letters: one provided by the current school and one other supporting letter from a professional authority (such as a qualified medical practitioner, education welfare officer, social worker or religious leader). Letters must be submitted together with the Supplementary Information Form before the Year 7 application closing date.
C. A girl whose parent is a permanent member of staff and where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
D. A girl living nearest to the school, this being measured by a straight line to the school gate in Sandal Road. All distances will be measured using Kingston Council’s School Admissions computerised Geographical Information System. Where the last remaining place is to be allocated and two or more girls are deemed to live at the same distance from the school the place will be decided by the drawing of lots.
Completed application forms (including any relevant additional documentation e.g. Certificate of Baptism) must be sent to the school by post or handed in to the school office in person in a sealed envelope marked for the attention of the Admissions Manager.
If you would like a confirmation of receipt, please include a stamped self-addressed envelope.
School Admissions Contact:
Mrs S Saragosa-Voysey
The Holy Cross School
25 Sandal Road
New Malden
KT3 5AR
Direct Line: 020 8714 5039
Email: ssarag1@holycross.kingston.sch.uk