Sixth Form Interviews Cardinal Vaughan London

[Sata]

My son has an interview for Cardinal Vaughan Sixth Form. The date is yet to be confirmed. The email says it will be December or early January. He has a residential charity event (pre-booked in September) for 12-18 December. The Cardinal's policy is that if you can't make the allotted date, your application will not proceed.
I called them and explained my son's situation, but was told allocation of interview dates was inflexible. Can anyone who has been through this process with their child tell me how much notice they got before the interview date, and what the date range was in previous years?

Where do they say that is their policy? I can't see it in their admissions policy, which actually says:

8.7.Year 12 Course Suitability Discussion – This does not form part of the offer decision-making
process but is designed to provide advice concerning course or subject choices and to en-
able applicants to determine how their needs and requirements might be met at the school.

It doesn't mention it being mandatory as part of the process - it only says applicant will be invited to the discussion.

Thank you. I called the admissions administrator and got the impression that if my son did not attend the Course Suitability Discussion, his application would not go any further.

I'll ring him again to confirm what you have said.

@Sata state school sixth forms are not allowed to "interview", only to have a discussion about course choices. If they say your application will be sidelined because of this, tell them you will appeal. They know you would win if you did so.

It is an absolute disgrace that so many sixth forms flout the rules, and the spirit of the rules, of the national admissions code. Your best protection is to know your rights (and Mumsnet threads can help with that).