Portadown College became a Senior High School (Grammar) in 1969, admitting students to the Senior School at 14+ on transfer from Junior High Schools and other schools to continue academic courses to GCSE and ‘A’ level.  The school has a staff of 55 teachers, with one of the largest Sixth Forms in Northern Ireland.

Particular regard is paid to the necessity for very close liaison with Clounagh, Killicomaine and Tandragee Junior High Schools (the "Contributory Junior High Schools”) and Craigavon Senior High School.   Detailed consultation takes place with the staff of the Contributory Junior High Schools, students and parents before the GCSE options are selected so that a choice of suitable subjects can be made in the full knowledge of the career implications of such a choice.  Choice among (27) subjects is offered at AS and ‘A’ level.  In addition to promoting the highest academic standards, an appropriate emphasis is placed on meeting the pastoral needs of the students through a well developed pastoral system.  Pastorally focused evenings for parents take place at the start of each year for particular year groups.

                                                                  ADMISSIONS POLICY

Portadown College will consider for admission those students who, in the judgement of the Board of Governors, are suited to, and will benefit from, the courses and form of education on offer in the school.

The lodging of an application for a place at Portadown College is interpreted by the Board of Governors as an indication that the parents and the student concerned accept and are in agreement with the ethos, philosophy, aims, policies, rules and regulations of the school including any code of conduct or behaviour management policy of the school.  Information in relation to this may be obtained from the school.

For admission to Year 11 preference will be given to applications from students who are currently attending one of the Contributory Junior High Schools. If, after allocating places to these students, there remain places available, then applications from students attending other schools will be considered.

In selecting students for admission those resident in Northern Ireland will be selected for admission before those not so resident.

Special consideration will be given to students whose normal progress has been restricted by medical or other valid reasons. Documentary evidence in support of special circumstances must be provided to the school by Monday 18 April 2011.  The evidence required can be obtained by contacting the school directly.

In the event of not being able to separate applicant students down to the last available place the Admissions Sub-Criteria listed below will apply in the order given.

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application/transfer form.

The provision of false or incorrect information or the failure to provide verifying documents by the required deadline may result in either the withdrawal of a place or the inability of the school to offer a place.

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION TO YEAR 11 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE

2011/2012 SCHOOL YEAR

Before the admissions criteria are applied, the Board of Governors will first establish the number of places available for each of the Contributory Junior High Schools based on the current academic attainment of the students from each school who have applied for admission to Portadown College. The 2011 allocation will have regard to the allocation of places in Year 11 in previous years.

A. Contributory Junior High Schools

In the event of there being more applications on behalf of students attending any one particular Contributory Junior High School than places available for students from that school, the Board of Governors will select students on the basis of rank order, with higher scores preceding lower ones, on the evidence of academic attainment including, as a minimum, the overall standardised score and rank order position as at April 2011 as indicated by the Junior High Schools and accepted by the Board of Governors.    It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to ensure that written consent has been given to the Principal of the Junior High School to release this information for the purposes of admission. 

B. Schools other than Contributory Junior High Schools

If, after the allocation of places of students from the three Contributory Junior High Schools, there are more applications from students from other schools than places remaining available, the Board of Governors will select students on the basis of an assessment of evidence made available to it of previous academic attainment and suitability of the education on offer at Portadown College.

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION DURING THE COURSE OF YEAR 11 AND AT THE BEGINNING OF OR DURING YEAR 12

Consideration can only be given where places are available at the time of application.

Given that GCSE courses are of two years’ duration, applications for admission to Year 12 will only be considered if the courses taken by the applicant in his/her previous school are compatible with those on offer in Portadown College.

KEY DATES FOR TRANSFER FROM JUNIOR TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 2011

Friday 25th February 2011 - last date for return of application forms to the SELB

Monday 18th April 2011 - last date on which parents may inform Senior High School of special circumstances.

Friday 6th May 2011 - Senior High Schools issue letters notifying parents of decision about application.

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION AFTER GCSE (16+)

Students wishing to transfer to Portadown College for Sixth Form Courses should contact the Principal. Interested students will be invited to visit the College on the Open Day (23rd March 2011 2.30-3.30pm).

Admission will be based on:

(a)           Evidence of academic attainment based on externally validated examinations.  A minimum of 3  

          Grade B and 5 Grade C GCSE passes are required (“the Minimum Academic Criteria”). It is

          preferable to have GCSE grades A/B (or equivalent) in those subjects to be taken at Advanced Level.

(b)           Availability of places in chosen subjects or courses. 

The admissions criteria for admission after GCSE will be applied by the Principal on behalf of the Board of Governors. Students who are currently members of the College and who have attained the Minimum Academic Criteria will be offered places in preference to students from other schools.  Students from other schools who meet the Minimum Academic Criteria will be offered places on the basis of rank order of achievement in descending order based on total points (A* = 4 points, A = 3 points, B = 2 points and C = 1 point) and their entry is subject to places being available and/or the Principal requesting additional places from DENI with the support of the Southern Education and Library Board.

Applications from students with qualifications other than GCSE will be assessed on the basis of GCSE equivalence, where possible.

KEY DATES FOR ADMISSION AT 16+

February 2011 - Prospectus 2011/2012 available online and by requesting a copy from the school office.  The prospectus will be distributed to all local secondary schools without a Sixth Form.

April 2011 - students asked to return completed application forms by the end of April 2011.

May 2011 - students who have submitted an application form will be called for an informal chat about their application to join Sixth Form at PC.

August 2011 - GCSE results available on Thursday, 25th August 2011.  External applicants should confirm results by 4pm.

September 2011 - Thursday, 1st September 2011: Portadown College to confirm offers to students subject to DENI and SELB approval if in excess of approved enrolment numbers. 

ADMISSIONS SUB-CRITERIA

Should there be more applications at any time than places available, the following sub-criteria will be applied to identify the students to be admitted in the following order:-

1.     Brother/sister in attendance at Portadown College.

2.     Eldest child in the family.

3.     Brother/sister previously attended Portadown  College.

4.     Initial letter of surname (as entered on birth certificate) in the order set out below:-

        E M Y K T S L Mac Z Q O G N A Mc I H F V P R W D B C U J X.

5.     In the event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order.  In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the letters of the forenames (as entered on birth certificate) will be used.

6      If applicants are still tied after this, then priority will be determined amongst them by a method of computerised random selection capable of leaving a clear audit trail.