Admissions
The Hart School is an oversubscribed school. We are delighted that parents and carers are choosing our school as their number one choice.
Here you will find an overview of entry to our school.
Students normally join the school in Year 7. Occasional entry is possible into other year groups, however we are oversubscribed in some areas so in-year admissions cannot be guaranteed.
Visiting
Before applying, we would encourage you to contact us with a view to arranging a visit to the school. We normally have open mornings and evenings in both the autumn and summer term and they provide an ideal opportunity to view our wonderful facilities and to meet our students and staff.
Admission Arrangements
Year 7
Most students join the school from local primary schools at the age of 11 (Year 7) through the Local Authority’s admission arrangements for secondary schools which The Hart School has adopted.
The majority of students who are admitted to The Hart School live within the school’s catchment area. Places are usually offered to students who reside outside the catchment area where numbers in any year group fall below the planned Admission Number which is currently 220.
Staffordshire County Council manages all applications for students wishing to join the school in Year 7. All places are allocated in line with the local authority’s admission arrangements. Please follow this link to find out more.
Arriving at a new school is an exciting time for students. We want new students to feel at home as quickly as possible and so work closely with partner schools to ensure a smooth transition from primary to secondary school. This enables students to transfer without undue difficulty and to settle quickly to the routines of secondary school.
Open Evening
An Open Evening is held annually early in the Autumn Term for parents and students due to transfer to The Hart School in September of the following year. The purpose of this meeting is to give students and parents an initial opportunity to look around the school, to hear more about our ethos and the opportunities which we offer and to ask questions. Information regarding this meeting is communicated via local schools and dates are advertised on our website.
Induction
All students who have been offered a place attend school for two full days. This provides Year 6 students with the opportunity to become familiar with their new environment during a normal busy school day.
The induction period for students also incorporates a further opportunity for parents to attend a meeting in July to receive detailed information about admission and induction arrangements. As part of the admissions process, an induction pack is provided for parents dealing with matters of everyday routine and containing the forms which should be completed and returned to the school before admission. Details of school uniform are also provided. The school is committed to high standards of uniform and all students are expected to wear their uniform well as a clear indication of their belonging to the school and commitment to its standards.
Working with Partner Schools
We make contact with a student’s former school prior to the date of admission and request educational records.
In the case of students joining Year 7 in September, we work with other schools in the spring and summer terms to ensure transfer information is passed on.
For students who join the school at other times, individual arrangements are made for admission and induction. New students and their parents will usually be invited to visit the school and meet the Principal.
A student guide is also allocated to each new arrival to help them to find their way around during the first few days of their time here.
Pastoral Arrangements
Students are placed into one of eight mixed ability tutor groups after consultation with primary school staff.
Each group is allocated a tutor who is responsible for overseeing the progress, welfare and development of each student in the group. Tutors remain with their group for the full five years of compulsory schooling. Tutors meet their tutor groups daily for registration and once per week for an assembly.
Sixth Form
Admission to the school’s large Sixth Form does not depend upon catchment area and places are usually offered on the basis of references, an interview and the successful achievement of the school’s admissions criteria which vary according to the courses selected. For further information on entry to the Sixth Form, please contact our Head of Sixth Form Mr Ben Brennan ben.brennan@hartschool.org.uk or click on the Sixth Form Information tab.