Admissions

In 2024, there will be no cap on the number of places offered for entry into Year 12. The majority of places are likely to be taken up by students already attending Chichester High School, but in addition, we welcome applications from 6 students in other schools and colleges and we will be offering at least 30 places to these external applicants.

External applicants should complete the online application form on the school’s website. Students are entitled to apply in their own right. All application forms must be completed and returned by the date outlined in the sixth form prospectus. Applications made by the date publicised in the sixth form prospectus will be considered at the same time and conditional offers made to those who are eligible.

The minimum entry requirements for sixth form courses are published in the school sixth form prospectus.

The minimum entry requirements for level 3 courses are 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9-4 including either
English or Maths.

There are also subject-specific requirements that are published in the sixth form prospectus.

All level 2 BTEC awards at pass and above will count as 1 GCSE equivalent regardless of the number of guided learning hours studied or the number of separate qualifications achieved. A maximum of three BTEC qualifications will be counted in the 5 GCSEs.

Students failing to meet the specific entry criteria for their preferred course choice will be offered alternative courses if available.

Students achieving below a grade 4 in either English or Maths will be eligible to choose from the full range of courses (assuming they meet the individual subject criteria) if they have 5 or more 9- 4 equivalent grades in total but will need to retake the relevant GCSE until they secure at least a grade 4 or the functional skills course in the relevant subject, if applicable.

Students who have studied in another country will need to have obtained an equivalent qualification to meet the entry criteria. It is the applicant’s responsibility to prove the equivalency of their qualifications before the application will be considered.

Offers of sixth form places are conditional on final GCSE results.

If there are more applications from students who meet the criteria than places available, the oversubscription criteria will be used for those students. Please see the oversubscription section for more details.

Throughout a student’s time in Sixth form their academic progress will be regularly monitored in all subjects. If a student is struggling to access the rigorous nature of their current A-levels, mentoring meetings will be established with both the student, Sixth form leadership staff and, where possible, parents. These mentoring sessions will be used to discuss whether current academic pathways / course choices are appropriate and whether there are alternatives that will help support the student in accessing their future pathway.

If there are more applications than places available we will apply the oversubscription criteria listed below:

1. Looked after children and previously looked after children. 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 also include those who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

2. Siblings of children already attending the school, who will still be there at the time of admission.

3. Pupils from other TKAT Schools meeting the entry criteria for their chosen courses.

4. Where course preferences can be met from the planned provision. Student course availability is subject to change depending on student numbers, staffing, and timetabling restrictions. Should Year 12 courses be undersubscribed, students will be offered alternate course options, or there will be a change in the projection of taught/supervised hours provided. Students’ eligibility for courses will also be determined based on their attendance and attitude to learning information. This will be done in discussions between the Sixth Form team and the Year Team Leader for Year 11. In instances of external applications equivalent references and information will be requested from the applicant’s educational establishment. The closing date for initial applications to be received from students or their parents is 31st December for entry in the following September, although any remaining places will be allocated to late applications received after this date up until the first week of September.

The parents (and/or in the case of a sixth form place, the student) of any child refused a place at the school have a right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. The decision of the independent appeal panel is binding on all parties.