YESOIDAY HATORAH GIRLS’ ACADEMY

Sedgley Park Road, Prestwich M25 0JW

 

ADMISSION POLICY 2025

 

  1. Yesoiday HaTorah Girls Academy caters for girls with priority conferred on Jewish girls who conduct all aspects of their lives in accordance with strictly Orthodox Jewish Practice, as set out in the “Shulchan Oruch” [Code of Jewish Law].

 

  1. The Academy is funded directly from Central Government.

 

  1. The Academy’s governing body is the admissions authority.

 

  1. For admissions in September for the academic year 2025, the admission number is sixty (60).

 

  1. Applications are considered without reference to the child’s ability or aptitude.

 

  1. Attendance at Yocheved Segal Nursery does not give a child any guarantee or priority when it comes to consideration by the governors of applicants for admission to the reception class.

 

  1. Provision of false information will result in the automatic rejection of the application and any place offered shall be withdrawn even if a child has already started school.

 

  1. The academy will meet its statutory obligation to admit any child whom the academy has to admit by law, including any child with an Education Health and Care Plan that names the academy.

 

  1. If the academy is oversubscribed, priority will be given to applicants who meet the school’s faith-based oversubscription criterion. The academy will give priority to Jewish girls who conduct all aspects of their lives in accordance with strictly Orthodox Jewish Practice as set out in the “Shulchan Oruch” [Code of Jewish Law] and in particular as per the “Mehalech HaChaim code”.  Applicants wishing to be considered for priority in accordance with this criterion should complete the school’s supplementary application form available from the academy, and return both forms to the academy by 15 January 2025.

 

  1. In the event of oversubscription, places will be allocated in accordance with the following oversubscription criteria:                             

 

  1. A looked after Jewish child (note 1)
  2. Charedi Jewish children who will still have siblings in either Yesoiday HaTorah Girls Academy or Yesoiday HaTorah Boys Academy when they join the school and who live at the same address as the applicant (note 2)
  3. Children from “Charedi” families (note 4)
  4. Other looked after children (note 1)
  5. Other children

 

Tie Breaker

If there is over-subscription in any category, places will be offered using distance from home to the academy main gate as a criterion. The distance will be measured using the Local Authority’s computerised mapping system, which uses the ordnance survey integrated network. The route will be measured using a walking distance from the point on the highway nearest to the centre of the house to the academy main gate. This route must be paved and have street lights. Those living closer on this basis will receive the higher priority. When the final place in a year group can be taken by two or more children living an equal distance from the academy, (for example two children living in the same block of flats) the academy will then use random allocation overseen by a person independent of the academy and/or multi academy trust to decide which of the children can be offered a place.

 

Multiple Births

If there is a situation where only one place is available and the next children to be offered are twins or triplets, both twins or the three triplets will be offered places

 

Note 1                A ‘looked after child’ is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school.  Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order).  Previously looked after children include those children who appear (to the Trust) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

 

Note 2                For the purpose of admission, a sibling link is defined as a brother or sister, half or step brother or sister residing at the same address as the pupil who occupies a place in either Yesoiday HaTorah Girls Academy or Yesoiday HaTorah Boys Academy and will be at either school at the time of the applicant’s admission.

 

Note 3.               Families are required to produce a reference from the Rabbi of their community or synagogue certifying their degree of practical commitment to “conducting all aspects of their lives in accordance with strictly Orthodox Jewish Practice as set out in the “Shulchan Oruch” [Code of Jewish Law] in particular in accordance with the “Mehalech HaChaim Code” which is attached as an appendix to the academy admission form.

 

 

  1. Any parent whose child is refused a place may appeal that decision and that appeal will be heard by the “Admission Appeal Panel”. Appeals should be in writing, addressed to the “Clerk to the Admission Appeal Panel” and made within 20 days of receiving notification that the child has been refused a place.

 

  1. It is policy not to reconsider repeat applications in the same academic year unless there has been a significant change in circumstances relevant to the application.

 

  1. Procedure for late applications:

All applications received after the deadline (current year: 15 January 2024) are treated as late applications and only considered after all on-time applications have been processed. It is likely that there will be no vacancies at the school, as the school tends to be heavily oversubscribed and places will usually have been allocated to those applying on time. However, if there are vacancies we will offer them in accordance with the Admissions Policy criteria. If there are no vacancies, the child will be placed on the waiting list. Applications received towards the end of the summer term or during the summer holidays may not be dealt with until the start of the autumn term, due to the summer break.

 

  1. Procedure for in-year applications:

Parents may apply for a place outside of the normal admissions round (these are called in-year applications).  A place will only be offered where to do so would not cause prejudice to the efficient education of others at the school or efficient use of resources.  Where a parent wishes, a right of appeal arises to an Admission Appeal Panel where an in-year application has been rejected.