Transferring to a new school is an exciting but also daunting process. Whether you are applying for a place for Year 8 or Year 13, I hope you will find the admissions information here useful and coherent. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school and we will try our best to answer your queries.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Number of Applications received for 100* places | 190 | 194 | 187 |
| Scores Range of all applications received | 120 to 60 | 126 to 69 | 121 to 66 |
| Number of Candidates accepted under Criterion 2.1 | 95 | 95 | 101 |
| Scores of Candidates accepted under Criterion 2.1 | 94
and over |
94
and over |
95
and over |
| Number of Candidates placed in a pool as per Criterion 2.2 | 20 | 24 | 24 |
| Scores of Candidates placed in a pool as per Criterion 2.2 | 93 to 92 | 93 to 92 | 94 to 93 |
| Number of Candidates admitted from the pool following application of Criterion 2.4 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
* Temporary Variations
6 extra places – total enrolment for 2019 – 106
3 extra places – total enrolment for 2020 – 103
ADMISSION CRITERIA
RESPECTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND PRINCIPAL IN RELATION TO ADMISSIONS TO THE SCHOOL
The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and delegates to an Admissions Sub-Committee, which includes the Principal, the responsibility for applying these criteria. Any reference herein to the term the Board of Governors includes any Committee or Sub-Committee appointed by the Board of Governors for the purposes of applying the Admission criteria set out herein.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR ENTRY OF PUPILS INTO YEAR 8 IN SEPTEMBER 2021
Definitions
“applicant” means the parent or guardian who completes and submits the Transfer Application on behalf of the candidate;
“child of the family” will mean individuals who have both parents in common or children who reside with the same family at the candidate’s normal home address (including foster children and step brothers and sisters living with the candidate at her normal home address);
“candidate” means the child who is stated on the Transfer Application as seeking to gain admission to the School;
“eldest” will mean the eldest or only girl in the family, with eldest sibling twins (or other multiples) regarded as joint eldest. The “eldest girl” criterion will also apply in the case where a family has not had the opportunity to enrol an elder daughter, such as in cases where the elder daughter has completed their post-primary education, could not attend mainstream school (e.g. attends a special school) or where a family has relocated to Northern Ireland.)
“mother” will mean a person who at the date of application has legal responsibility for the candidate;
“parent” will mean a person who at the date of application has legal responsibility for the candidate;
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1 The School will not use the position of preference given to it on the Transfer Application as a criterion for admission. Therefore, an applicant who has chosen Bloomfield Collegiate as a second or subsequent preference School will not be distinguished from first preference applicants.
1.2 Girls resident in Northern Ireland at the time of proposed admission will be selected before those not so resident.
1.3 The School’s Admission Number is currently 100.
2.ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
In light of the unprecedented health concerns surrounding the pandemic in 2020/21, and the inability of AQE to furnish the school with a score to allow applicants to be rank ordered, the school will use the following Admissions sub-criteria which will be applied in the order in which they are set out.
In the event that there are fewer applicants complying with a particular sub-criterion than there are places available or remaining, those applicants complying with that sub-criterion will be admitted and the next sub-criterion will be applied to the remaining applicants.
In the event that there are more applicants complying with a particular sub-criterion than there are places available or remaining, those applicants complying with that sub-criterion will go forward to be considered under the next sub-criterion and those not complying with that sub-criterion will be eliminated.
(i) The Board of Governors will consider for admission into Year 8 initially only those candidates who provide appropriate documentary evidence that the candidate was entered for the Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) provided by AQE.
Children who were not entered for the CEA, because they would have been entitled to apply for Special Provisions as set out below, will also be considered.
(ii) Candidates with a child of the family enrolled in the School as of 1 September 2020 or accepted for enrolment in September 2021;
(iii) Candidates who are the eldest girl in the family to be eligible for admission in September 2021 (details to be supplied)*;
(iv) Candidates with a child of the family enrolled in Years 8-14 at Campbell College, RBAI or other all-boys post-primary school as of 1 September 2020 or accepted for enrolment in September 2021 (details to be supplied)*;
(v) Candidates who are transferring from one of the following feeder primary schools (no priority will be given to any particular school):
Abbey PS (Newtownards), Andrews Memorial PS, Braniel PS, Brooklands PS, Cairnshill PS, Carrowdore PS, Castle Gardens PS, Comber PS, Dundonald PS, Elmgrove PS, Euston Street PS, Gilnahirk PS, Harding Memorial PS, Holywood PS, Killinchy PS, Leadhill PS, Lisnasharragh PS, Londonderry PS, Loughview IPS, Moneyrea PS, Nettlefield PS, Newtownards Model PS, Orangefield PS, St. Joseph’s PS (Holland Drive), St. Patrick’s (Holywood), Strandtown PS, Stranmillis PS, Strathearn Preparatory Department, Victoria PS (Newtownards), Victoria Park PS.
(vi) If, when all other sub-criteria have been applied, there are still more candidates for the remaining places than can be admitted, oldest candidates established by date entered on Birth Certificate will be selected for admission. A copy of the candidate’s birth certificate must be uploaded with the Transfer Application;
(vii) Tie-breaker: In the unlikely event that the criteria above, applied in the order listed, have not resolved the final place in Bloomfield Collegiate School, this final place will be determined using selection based on a computer generated random number being assigned to each applicant who is tying for that place and the place shall be allocated to the applicant with the highest random number.
*This is subject to satisfying verification requirements as set out below:
Eldest girl: The verifying letter must confirm that the child is the eldest girl eligible for admission according to the definition provided and that the child and family are known to the verifier.
Brother of applicant: The verifying letter must state that the male sibling of the applicant attends CCB, RBAI or other all-boys post-primary school and that the sibling and family are known to the verifier.
Verification letter(s) must be written on headed notepaper and signed by one of the following who is not a family member of the applicant and who has known the applicant for at least two years: a primary school principal, elected public representative, GP, solicitor, member of the clergy or a police officer.
Parents/Guardians must indicate on the Transfer Application which of the above sub-criteria apply and furnish relevant details. The Board of Governors will only take into account information which is detailed on, or uploaded/attached to, the Transfer Application.
3. SPECIAL PROVISIONS
Special Provisions will only apply to children who have not entered for the CEA because they took up residence in Northern Ireland after 9 October 2020 or received more than half of their primary education outside Northern Ireland. If a candidate meets sub-criterion (i), then there is no necessity to make an application for Special Provisions this year.
Parents/guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Provisions should complete Form SP20, obtainable from the School, stating the precise reason why they believe the child is eligible for consideration under Special Provisions and upload it with appropriate evidence with the Transfer Application. Parents/Guardians who are applying for Special Provisions must do so by 16 March 2021. Using the information provided the Board of Governors will determine whether Special Provisions applies. If it does, those children who the Board of Governors considers to be eligible will be included under criterion (i) of the Admissions Criteria.
DUTY TO VERIFY
The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any applicant’s Transfer Application.
If the requested evidence is not provided to the Board of Governors by the deadline given, this will result in the withdrawal of an offer of a place. Similarly, if information is supplied which appears to be false or misleading in any material way, the offer of a place will be withdrawn.
WAITING LIST POLICY
Please note that Bloomfield Collegiate School operates a Waiting List Policy a copy of which is available on the School’s Website. The section relevant to Year 8 entry is as follows:
Waiting List for entry into Year 8 after completion of the Admissions Process
1.1 Following completion of the Admissions Process, those pupils who applied to Bloomfield Collegiate School and were not successful in obtaining a place in Year 8 will have their names held on a Waiting List. The names of these pupils will remain on the Waiting List for Year 8 entry until 30 June 2022.
1.2 Parents of a pupil who did not apply for a place in Bloomfield Collegiate School during the Admissions
Process can apply to have their daughter’s name added to the Waiting List for entry into Year 8 by putting a request in writing to the Principal.
1.3 Pupils whose names are on the Waiting List will be considered for any vacancies which may arise in Year 8 following completion of the Admissions Process and during the academic year up until 30 June 2022. Any vacancy will be filled from the Waiting List which exists at the time the vacancy occurs, using the same transfer criteria which applied during the Admissions Process.
1.4 The School will take into consideration any new information which may come to light after the Admissions Process is complete.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Principal’s Secretary, Mrs Susan Johnston.
Telephone: 028 90 471214
Email: sjohnston015@c2kni.net
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA – YEARS 9 – 11
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Admission to any year group will be governed by the availability of places within that year group, class sizes (including practical class sizes), planned allocation and usage of staff, accommodation and other resources. The number of places available is at the discretion of the Principal.
1.2 Applicants who have registered on the waiting list will be invited to sit a standardised test. Bloomfield Collegiate School reserves the right to change the date of the test due to unforeseen circumstances.
2. CRITERIA
2.1 The following criteria will be applied to determine the admission of pupils into Years 9 – 11.
2.2 Proven academic ability as demonstrated by achieving a score in Vocabulary and Mathematics on or above the national average (100) in a recognised standardised test sat at Bloomfield Collegiate School.
2.3 If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria shall apply in the order stated:
(i) An applicant with a child of the family currently attending Bloomfield Collegiate School.
(ii) An applicant who has a brother currently enrolled in Campbell College or RBAI.
(iii) If, after all the criteria 2.3(i) and 2.3(ii) have been exhausted, there is a number of applicants who have equal claim to the remaining places then those places will be allocated on the basis of strict rank order of the standardised average test score; those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.
(iv) If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place priority will be given to the applicant whose home is closer to the school. (Distance will be measured in a straight line using an Ordnance Survey web distance measurement tool from the candidate’s normal home address to the School’s front gate).
(The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application form)
PROVISIONAL ADMISSIONS CRITERIA – YEAR 13
(Please note, when reference is made to GCSE, consideration will also be given to equivalent examinations).
A. Internal Admissions to Bloomfield Collegiate School
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This section applies to Bloomfield Collegiate School Year 12 pupils only.
1.2 Pupils must notify the School as soon as possible upon the publication of the GCSE results to advise if it is their intention to return to Year 13.
1.3 Pupils must study a minimum of 3 AS subjects or equivalent. For any subject they wish to study, pupils will normally be expected to have achieved at least a grade B in GCSE, except where prior study is not a prerequisite. This includes subjects only offered at AS level. (Please refer to the Subject Choice Booklet for specific subject entry requirements).
2. CRITERIA
2.1 The following criterion will be used to determine admission of Year 12 pupils into Year 13.
2.2 Pupils who obtain at least 10 points in their GCSE examinations. For the purpose of calculating an applicant’s score, grade A* = 4 points, A = 3 points, grade B/C* = 2 points, and grade C = 1 point. Short course GCSEs will be counted as half the points. Pupils who achieve fewer than 17 points will study 3 AS subjects, pupils who achieve 17 to 20 points are strongly advised to study 3 AS subjects and pupils who achieve 21 or more points can choose to study 4 AS subjects.
2.3 If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria shall apply in the order stated:
(i) Places will be allocated in strict rank order of the applicant’s GCSE scores as defined above, those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.
(ii) If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place priority will be given to the applicant whose home is closer to the school. (Distance will be measured in a straight line using an Ordnance Survey web distance measurement tool from the candidate’s normal home address to the School’s front gate).
3. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
3.1 Where the performance of a pupil in her GCSE examinations has been affected by verifiably serious and sustained illness or any other verifiable reason deemed, in the opinion of the Principal, exceptional and beyond the control of the pupil concerned, the School may admit the pupil to Year 13 on the basis of a reduced tariff or offer a place to repeat Year 12, if more appropriate.
B. External Admissions to Bloomfield Collegiate School
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This section applies to all pupils who are not currently enrolled in Year 12 in Bloomfield Collegiate School.
1.2 Those wishing to be considered for a place must complete an application form, available from the School, and return it to the Principal before, or as soon as possible after, the publication of the GCSE results.
1.3 Following publication of the GCSE results the School should be contacted promptly and notified of the GCSE results and Applicants who meet criterion 2.3 will be invited for an interview to discuss potential subject options and a career path.
1.4 Pupils must study a minimum of 3 AS subjects. For any subject they wish to take to study, pupils will normally be expected to have achieved at least a grade B in GCSE, except where prior study is not a prerequisite. This includes subjects only offered at AS level.
2. CRITERIA
2.1 The following criteria will be applied to determine the admission of pupils into Year 13.
2.2 Bloomfield Collegiate pupils who meet the criteria under Internal Admissions will be offered a place first.
2.3 Pupils who obtain at least 10 points in their GCSE examinations. For the purpose of calculating an applicant’s score, grade A* = 4 points, A = 3 points, grade B/C* = 2 points, and grade C = 1 point. Short course GCSEs will be counted as half the points. Pupils who achieve fewer than 17 points will study 3 AS subjects, pupils who achieve 17 to 20 points are strongly advised to study 3 AS subjects and pupils who achieve 21 or more points can choose to study 4 AS subjects.
2.4 If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, then the following criteria shall apply in the order stated:
(i) An applicant with a child of the family currently attending Bloomfield Collegiate School.
(ii) An applicant who has a brother currently enrolled in Campbell College or Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
(iii) If, after the criteria 2.4(i) and 2.4(ii) have been exhausted, there is a number of applicants who have equal claim to the remaining places then those places will be allocated in strict rank order of the applicant’s GCSE scores as defined above, those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.
(iv) If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place priority will be given to the applicant whose home is closer to the school. (Distance will be measured in a straight line using an Ordnance Survey web distance measurement tool from the candidate’s normal home address to the School’s front gate).
(The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application form)
C Criteria for all extra places made available by the Department of Education for admission into Year 13 (Sixth Form)
The Department of Education may, in response to a request from a school, increase the number of pupils the school can admit to Year 13. Places that become available in this way shall be allocated only to pupils who meet the basic eligibility criteria for sixth form (as above) and shall be allocated in the order determined by the criteria to be applied in the order set down.
- Pupils who have most recently completed Year 12 in Bloomfield Collegiate School.
- Pupils from other schools where admission has been agreed and additional places granted by the Department of Education. *
*Parents should note how the Department of Education (DE) will, in response to a school’s request, temporarily increase the school’s enrolment number in order to allow extra post-16 pupils to enrol. DE will only increase the school’s enrolment number if it is content that each external pupil for whom a place is requested would not be able to pursue their post-16 course-choices at a suitable school without undertaking an unreasonable journey (i.e. a journey, that by public transport, would be over an hour from where the young person lives, or is further than 15 miles distance). If DE finds that no other suitable school may provide all of the post-16 courses that the pupil wishes to pursue – then DE will agree a school’s request for an extra place.
What is a school of a type that is suitable for a pupil? To determine this, DE first considers all schools to be one of 4 types: (i) denominational (ii) non-denominational (iii) Integrated and (iv) Irish-Medium. A school requesting an extra place for a post-16 pupil will belong to one of these 4 types and DE will consider any other school from this same type as suitable for the pupil. DE will also consider as suitable for the pupil any school of the same type as that attended by the child in Year 12.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA – YEAR 14
CRITERIA
Bloomfield Collegiate pupils, who wish to return into Year 14, must have achieved in AS examinations during Year 13 at least a minimum score of 70 points.
(Points Tariff: A = 60, B = 50, C = 40, D = 30, E = 20).
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
In the case of a Bloomfield Collegiate School pupil whose performance in the AS examinations may have been affected by extreme medical or other circumstances, which were not taken into account during the examination period under special access or special consideration, the Principal will consider whether it is appropriate for the pupil to continue into Year 14 or to offer a place to repeat Year 13 and that places are available and that the Principal feels it is in the best interests of the pupil to do so.
Direct entry into Year 12 or Year 14 will be at the discretion of the Principal.
Voluntary fees for the school fund are £150 per annum.
Music – Tuition Fee/Instrument Hire – details on request.
Adequate notice, in writing, must be given of the intention to withdraw from music tuition.
