Abacus Belsize Primary School – Admissions September 2017 Consultation

In light of its proposed move to the site of the former Hampstead Police Station on Rosslyn Hill, the governing body of Abacus Belsize Primary School has reviewed its admissions criteria and wishes to consult on the following proposed changes for entry to Reception in September 2017.

The consultation will run from Tuesday 15 December 2015 to midnight on Friday 29 January 2016

1. It is proposed that the designated catchment area be extended to additionally include both sides of all roads lined in blue on the map below, to afford families living close to the school’s permanent site, the former Hampstead Police Station, equal chance of being allocated a place under the current random allocation system.
2. It is proposed that, where places are allocated on distance criteria, (Criteria G), distance will be measured from the centre of the child’s residence to the centre of St Peter’s Church, Belsize Square, NW3 4HJ. We propose using St Peter’s Church as a central data point to ensure that those living on the edge of the catchment all have equal chance of gaining a place and to reduce the impact on other schools.
3. It is proposed that all other existing over-subscription criteria remain unchanged.

If the above proposals are adopted, applications for reception places at the school will be considered in accordance with the arrangements set out below.

The school has a PAN of 30. It is anticipated that this may increase to 60 once the school is fully established in its permanent site. Children with a statement of special educational needs that names the school in the statement will be allocated a place above all other applicants. If fewer applications are received than there are places available, all applicants will be offered a place. Where there are more applicants than places, places will be offered in accordance with the following criteria in order of priority:

1. Looked after children or children who were looked after^i.;
2. Children of staff at the school, where either the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage;
3. Siblingsⁱⁱ of children who will continue to be at the school when the applicant will enter the school and live within the school’s catchment areaⁱⁱⁱ, selected by random allocationiv;
4. Siblings of Foundation Children^v who will continue to be at the school when the applicant will enter the school, who live outside the school’s catchment area selected by random allocation;
5. Children living within the catchment area selected by random allocation;
6. Siblings of children who are not Foundation Children, who will continue to be at the school at the time the applicant enters the school and who live outside the school’s catchment area, by random allocation^iv;
7. Children living outside of the catchment area, measured on a straight line distance from the centre of St Peter’s Church, Belsize Square, NW3 4HJ, to the centre of the child’s residence

The distance is the straight-line distance measured from the centre of the child’s residence to the centre of St Peter’s Church, Belsize Square, NW3 4HJ. The distance is measured using Camden Council’s computerised mapping system and will be measured as a straight line between the Land Property Gazetteer
address point and the child’s residence.

The governing body will review all responses received at its next full meeting on 3 February 2016 and publish its final admissions criteria for September 2017 by 15 March 2016.

How to comment on the proposals

If you would like to comment on the proposals, you can:

• email your views to [email protected]
• (Please mark ADMISSIONS CONSULTATION RESPONSE in the title line.

• write to Admissions Consultation

Abacus Belsize Primary School
Jubilee Waterside Centre
105 Camley Street
London N1C 4PF

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 function (see definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989). Previous “looked after children” include those children under the terms of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (section 46 relating to adoption orders), Children Act 1989, section 8 which defines a “residence order” as an order settling the arrangements to be made as to the person with whom the child is to live and section 14A which defines a “special guardianship order” as an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child’s special guardian (or special guardians). Applications received under the Criterion A must be made by the person with parental responsibility for the child (e.g. the child’s social worker, acting on behalf of the local authority for a looked after child) and will need to be supported by the following official documentation, as applicable:
i. Confirmation by the home local authority that the child is looked after or
ii. Confirmation by the local authority that last looked after the child confirming that the child was looked after immediately prior to the issuing of one of the following orders

• Adoption order
• Residence order
• Special guardianship order.

ii Sibling is defined in these arrangements as children who live as brother and sister in the same house, including natural brothers
and sisters, adopted siblings, step-brothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters, or any other child for whom the parent has
parental responsibility.
iii The catchment area constitutes all the roads between Adelaide Road, Finchley Road, Lyndhurst Road, Fitzjohn’s Avenue up to
Netherhall Gardens, Rosslyn Hill up to Downshire Hill, Downshire Hill to Keats Grove, Keats Grove, South End Road, Fleet Road to
the junction of Lawn Road, Lawn Road, Garnett Road to the junction of Upper Park Road, Upper Park Road, Haverstock Hill to
the junction of Chalk Farm Road and Adelaide Road. (See map).
iv This process will be by supervised drawing of lots, carried out by at least two officers at the CST, who are independent of the
school;
v A Foundation Child is a child who attended Abacus Belsize Primary School in its first two years of operation, ie 2013-14 or 2014-
15.