academy 10% places reserved for sport

[3asAbird]

I know it's quite common for academies to specialise and some reserve 10% so specific specialism and many have aptitude tests for music /languages/sport ect.

We interested in 1 Co ed comp that reserves places for sport.
But it's not an aptitude test it's based on out of school sports record.

It's says sporting excellence must have reference from sports coach and play sport at national level.

My Dd is very sporty seems good at most sports.
She's been doing 1 specific individual sport since age 3 and reached high level but she's not competitive so therefore cannot be national.
Her coach said he write a reference.

I said to a freind national level is pretty high threshold for a fairly big standard comp.
I would imagine sports people at national try for scholarships at independent or try get into more prestigious schools.

So I messaged admissions officer of the schools clarifying if this strict rules on national always applies if reference and can prove she's talented , reached a high level and is dedicated but she's non competitive.
The reply was there's no specific rules that they have to be competitive but can't see how anyone can be national without competing .

So found last year's allocation statement .
No sports places given.
Does this mean the threshold too high and no one applied or people tried and failed?

Also on the allocation list next to 0 places given to sports it says child performs beyond age range in that particular sport which my dd does and British gymnastics association confirm that advanced proficiency gyms is 11plus secondary level yet we half way through bronze in year 6.

I thourght 10% had be reserved for specialisms and rest distance.
But last year was all distance.
Obviously they can't help it if no implies .
But 2 schools with sporting specialisms are very vague on exact criteria just say national level.

I think sports aptitude test be fairer.
Seems a pointless category to have if not used.

Can't find allocation statement for 2014 or 15 but guess I could ring admissions.
The admissions officer at schools new to position and has not really given me much detail.

Thinking chancing applying under sports criteria worst they can do is reject it and we go on distance which also affords us good chance based on last 2 years furthest distances.

But feel a sports place boost my dd confidence as she's not overly academic.
Not sure if there's such a thing as gifted and talented list anymore although seen it mentioned on mumsnet.

Whilst it has a lovely new sports hall and plays lots matches against local schools and does well dident seem overly better than other schools sports facilities.

Would they tell us which criteria was accepted before March 1st so we had some idea or will it be total surprise in march.

We have done a music aptitude test and languages test for other schools and will be informed by October 31st.

Anyone else applied for similar criteria?

[procrastination]

OP is this a new academy or a converter academy you're talking about? The fact that it's an academy shouldn't be relevant to your question because the same admissions code applies to all state funded schools. It may well have adopted its current policy long before it converted to academy status.

According to the Admissions Code, only designated grammar schools, pre-existing (since 1997/98) partially selective schools, and schools that use fair banding are allowed to select by ability. I'd always assumed that meant just academic ability, but I guess that isn't clear so it could apply to sport too.

Any other school can select up to 10% by aptitude in:
a) physical education or sport, or one or more sports;
b) the performing arts, or any one or more of those arts;
c) the visual arts, or any one or more of those arts;
d) modern foreign languages, or any such language; and
e) design and technology and information technology. (But only schools which selected on either of these specialist subjects in the school year 2007/08 and every subsequent year may continue to do so).

But, as others have said, aptitude tests have to be very clearly defined, and not be just dependent on ability.

OP, I suggest you check the history of your school's admission policy, because if it's recently adopted it sounds like they would be in breach of the code. That would presumably give you grounds for appeal if you didn't get a place, and you could certainly report the policy to the schools adjudicator when the next reporting window opens in the Spring (no good if you're applying for 2017 though).

[3asAbird]

Thanks procrastination it's an academy converter it did have fairly good history pre acadamisation.
It's not sports aptitude as it's not a test.
Another school near it has a sports aptitude test.
3 other schools near it all I think academy converters all have sporting excellence criteria which is fairly vague details just mentions national level but local authority describe it as playing a sport above age related level.

I actually think we probably get this schooo based on distance.
Just think I have nothing to lose by tying

We also did music aptitudes test and foreign language testing at bristol schools hence why I felt it wasn't unusual.
2 schools in bristol use fair banding
3 schools are lottery

It's a minefield for parents looking against different criteria.

We dident go for independents as sporting scholarship at most 50% of fees.

[3asAbird]

www.batheducationtrust.com/our-academies.php

Looking at all the bath schools within the bath education Trust ie the majority of bath senior schools and their admissions page they all select 10% performing arts at one/ sporting excellance or elite athlete.
There's no detailed explanation of this 10 percent just reference to it and additional supplementary evidence form.
This I guess is unique to bath and the fact so many are selective by sport unusual as no schools in bristol select by sports.

[Hersetta427]

I live in bishops Stortford and 4 of our local schools offer 10% of places on aptitude. The two single sex schools offer 5% for sport and 5% for music and one co-ed is 5% for music and 5% for languages, the other is 10% for languages.

[lacebell10]

The sceptical in me says that they want the glory of boasting about a national level player without being able to support them at school with the coaching they have. Hence has to be out of school activity so parents pay for the top level coaching and not the school. Your daughter not being a competitor will go against her as they won't be able to boast about her.

[mouldycheesefan]

Our local sports club has a lot of children competing at national level and some at international level. They go to their local comprehensive schools which have no sports element for admissions.They get quite a bit of time off to do their sports, even the primary aged children get 2 afternoons off per week. They are not really involved with sports at school level.they can't risk injury.

It sôunds like of your dd is not competing at national level she won't be eligible, that may be why nobody qualified on that admissions category last year. I think it depends how much time of school your dd needs for her sport and which schools can be flexible and accommodate. E.g if she is travelling internationally to compete. The 50% discount at the fee paying school may be worth considering if it will be more flexible in terms of your dds sporting events.

[Spindelina]

I suspect that the sporting excellence of the University of Bath is part of the reason that Bath schools select on sporting ability / aptitude. Beechen Cliff, in particular, has a few boarding places available, which often go to sportspeople so they can access facilities up at the uni.