Admissions Policy
1. Statement
2. Aims
3. Related policies, legislation and guidance
4. Equal opportunity
5. SEND
6. Criteria for admission
7. Admissions procedure
8. Offer of acceptance
9. Conditional offers
10. Scholarships
11. Entry points
12. Age restrictions
13. Applications for exceptional provision
14. Right of appeal
15. Commitment to joining Ashbourne
16. Exclusions
1. Statement
Ashbourne is a co-educational, independent day college for students aged 13 to 21 years old inclusive; however the majority of students are studying A level and are aged between 16 and 19 years. Ashbourne is a selective college and will only admit a student who has met the academic and non-academic criteria.
2. Aims
This policy aims to:
3. Related policies, legislation and guidance
3.1 Related policies
3.2 Relevant legislation and guidance
4. Equal opportunity
Ashbourne has a diverse, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-talented student population and welcomes students from all different types of ethnic, social, economic and cultural backgrounds. All candidates for admission will be treated equally, in accordance with the Equal Act 2010.
5. Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
The College will make every effort to comply with the Equality Act 2010.
Before a place is offered at the College, parents of a candidate with any known or suspected circumstances relating to a disability, long-term medical condition or special educational need must provide full written details as part of the application process.
Should parents or students fail to disclose any relevant information prior to acceptance, the College may be unable to meet the needs of the student and in some circumstances this may result in the offer of a place being withdrawn.
Where a student’s SEND is identified or develops after beginning at Ashbourne the College will continue to support the student with regard to the following considerations:
When either of these considerations do not apply, the College reserves the right to withdraw any place that has been offered.
5.1 English as an additional language
Ashbourne is very careful to ensure that all international students have the appropriate competence with regard to English language skills. The College would never accept a student who could not participate in general college life because they lacked confidence with either self-expression or comprehension. Similarly, the College aims to avoid cliques forming around different nationalities; ideally anyone visiting the College would not be able to distinguish between a native or non-native student on the basis of fluency with the English language alone. About 40% of the College’s students were born outside the UK; the College supports the development of their English language skills with special classes. In particular, where appropriate, the College will help all such students to meet the English language qualifications for UK universities.
6. Criteria for admission
Ashbourne is selective and will use the following criteria to assess applicants. Applicants should:
If students do not satisfy the criteria for admission, the College reserves the right not to offer a place. In particular, the College will not accept a candidate who, in the opinion of the interviewer or member of the admissions team, has a poor record of behaviour or who is likely to be disruptive. The College may also reject a candidate who is unlikely to benefit from attending the College.
7. Admissions procedure
Students must complete the admissions procedure, which has the following elements:
7.1 Competitive entry tests (usually subject-specific)
For GCSE entrance tests, students will generally take both a Mathematics and English assessment.
For A-level entrance tests, students will, wherever possible, take at least one subject-specific entrance test. In cases where students are not sure what subjects they want to take, they will usually be expected to take both a Mathematics and Critical Thinking assessment.
In addition to the above-mentioned tests, the subject-specific entrance tests include, but are not limited to:
With exception to auditions and the Music theory test, students are not expected to prepare for any other entrance examinations. The general purpose of these assessments is to test the raw academic ability of students.
The entire audition process, including feedback, will usually last a maximum of 25 minutes, whereas written assessments can take up to one hour.
7.2 Interviews
There are two kinds of interviews for prospective students at Ashbourne: General and Academic.
7.2.1 General interviews: in all cases there will be a general interview, which will aim to explore the candidate’s hobbies and interests, attitude to learning, academic ambitions, personal qualities, ability to contribute to the College community, support available at home and to discuss any other relevant information.
7.2.2 Academic interviews: where applicable there may also be an academic interview to explore a candidate’s academic ability in a particular subject. This interview may form part of a candidate’s general interview.
The College prefers face-to-face interviews but is prepared to conduct them online or by phone in cases where, for whatever reason, the student is unable to meet an Ashbourne admissions tutor in person.
If the interview is conducted online, students must ensure the following:
7.3 Character reference
The Head of the candidate’s current school will be asked to provide a written reference relating to the candidate’s academic ability, attitude and behaviour, involvement in the College community, talents and interests, and any other special circumstances such as a special educational need or disability.
7.4 Academic records from previous institutions
Candidates must submit copies of results for the most recent tests taken at their current school and, if applicable, any copies of official examination results (e.g. GCSE, A level, IELTS or overseas qualifications).
7.5 Personal statement
Candidates must write a 500-word statement to express their ambitions, interests and hobbies. For candidates who are clear about their university path after A level studies they should provide evidence of activities they have participated in to support their interest in their chosen degree programme (e.g. work experience, reading, projects undertaken, seminars, other relevant courses and competitions).
7.6 Letter of Intent (if applicable)
Occasionally, prospective students whose commitment to learning or behaviour is in question will be asked to write a Letter of Intent. This offers them the opportunity to reflect on their past behaviour or performance and to pledge to do better during their time at Ashbourne.
In addition to this forming part of the application process, the College has also found this to be a useful exercise in aiding students to improve in any areas where concerns are raised.
7.7 Completion of application form
Applicants will be expected to complete an application form which will require:
In addition, the College will also expect students to provide the following as part of the admissions process:
8. Offer of acceptance
Once students have satisfied the criteria for acceptance, providing there are places available, they will be made an offer.
Once an offer has been made the usual deadline for acceptance is two weeks. For UK students to accept the place the candidate’s family will need to pay the registration fee and sign the registration form before the deadline date. For overseas applicants, the candidate’s family will need to pay the two terms’ fees in advance and sign the registration form before the date of the deadline.
9. Conditional offers
On occasion, candidates may be given a conditional offer. In circumstances where candidates do not meet the condition, this will be reviewed with the candidate before a final decision is made. Conditions could include:
As a general rule, the College does not make academic grades a condition of admissions at Ashbourne; academic potential is assessed during the admissions process. However, it is expected that students will achieve at least six grade 6s (B grades) at GCSE or equivalent. In cases where students have fallen far short of this requirement, a meeting will usually be organised after the release of the GCSE results to discuss how best to move forward.
10. Scholarships
Ashbourne offers a limited number of scholarships. Those students wishing to apply for a scholarship must make that clear when applying. The prime objectives of awarding scholarships are to support students with outstanding academic potential and/or ability in music or drama. See the Scholarships Policy for further information.
11. Entry points
Ashbourne can accommodate students applying to the College for entry into year 11, 12 or 13. The College has two start dates: September and January. However, the College is willing to consider accepting students at other points during the academic year, but this will depend on availability of places; applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
12. Age restrictions
Ashbourne is licensed to teach students between the ages of 13 and 21. The College is unable to consider the application for any student who will be over the age of 21 before completing their course of study at Ashbourne (up to 30th June of their final year).
A levels
Almost all students will be 16 or 17 years of age in their first year of study. Approximately 5% of our students join us each year for a one-year A-level course. It is not uncommon for these students to be a year older than their cohort.
GCSEs (Year 11)
Almost all students will be 15 or 16 years of age. In exceptional cases, the College would be willing to consider younger or older applicants.
13. Applications for exceptional provisions
Ashbourne is committed to providing an environment where students are able to study without discrimination. Any requests that do not fall within Ashbourne’s statutory duties will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the College. Please refer to the SEND and Access Arrangement Policy.
14. Right of appeal
Where an applicant is rejected Ashbourne may, in certain cases, offer the student the opportunity to re-apply at a later date. This may include the applicant being re-interviewed and/or re-assessed.
In addition, the College recognises that a candidate’s performance at interview or in the entrance examinations may be affected by particular circumstances, for example (not exhaustive):
The College will carefully consider concerns raised by the applicant and if deemed appropriate, the College will allow the applicant to be re-interviewed or re-assessed.
15. Commitment to joining Ashbourne
Before signing the registration form and paying the required fees to secure a place, candidates should ensure that they are fully committed to join Ashbourne.
After a place has been offered and accepted, the candidate’s family, or person responsible for the fees, is automatically liable for the first term’s fees, regardless of attendance. Subsequent withdrawal from the College must be accompanied by one full term’s notice; otherwise the fees of the term following withdrawal become payable.
For example if a student who is registered for September entry no longer wishes to attend, notice must be given prior to the start of the Summer term preceding their commencement of education at Ashbourne.
16. Exclusions
Exclusions arise either for gross misconduct or repeated incidents of less severe behaviour. With regard to the former, the College has a zero-tolerance policy against drugs, all forms of abuse and extreme bullying. Exclusions for repeated incidents of poor behaviour are a last resort and always preceded by meetings between the administration, parents and students, and suspensions.
The College has an appeal procedure against exclusions which may be found in the Complaints Policy. For more information on exclusions please refer to the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy.