school.foylenet.org.uk

For information regarding the new  exam and guidelines, as well as sample papers, please visit http://www.aqe.org.uk/ 

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The Board of Governors has delegated the task of applying the criteria to 'The Selectors' - a committee consisting of the Headmaster, a Vice-Principal nominated by the Headmaster, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Board of Governors and one other member of the Board of Governors, nominated by the Headmaster, except where a conflict of interest arises with any of the forenamed, in which case another Governor would be nominated by the Headmaster.

The Board of Governors has determined that, in the event of the number of applicants being greater than the Admissions Number for the school, the following method will be used to select pupils for admission.  Applicants should be aware that the First Criterion for Admission to Foyle and Londonderry College will be marks gained in the Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) administered by the Association for Quality Education (AQE).  Applicants who will be resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be considered before other applicants. 

The Selectors will, on the basis of all of the documented evidence available to them at the time of making their decision, admit pupils using the following criteria:-

1          Applicants will be admitted in relation to their standardised score in the CEA, as reported by AQE, as amended under Special Circumstances, or allocated under Special Provisions, in mark order, highest first. 

2          If there are more applicants with a particular mark than places remaining, then pupils at that mark will be selected by applying the following criteria in the order set down:-

(i)         applicants who are transferring from the school's traditional contributory

primary schools:

Artigarvan                    Ashlea                          Ballougry          Bready Jubilee 

            Culmore                       Cumber Claudy            Donemana        Drumahoe       

Ebrington                      Eglinton                        Fountain           Greenhaw

Groarty Integrated        Lisnagelvin                    Newbuildings    Strabane                      

Londonderry Model     Oakgrove Integrated

(ii)        applicants with an existing family connection to the school as defined thus:-

(a)  applicants of whom a brother/sister, half-brother/sister, step-brother/sister or

 legally adopted brother/sister is a pupil in the school or will be in the academic

 year under consideration;

                        (b)  applicants of whom a brother/sister, half-brother/sister, step-brother/sister or

            legally adopted brother/sister attended Foyle and Londonderry College;

                        (c)  applicants of whom a parent is a permanent member of the school staff or will

be in the coming year;

            (iii)       applicants who are the eldest child in the family, as evidenced in the Green

Transfer Form;

(iv)       applicants who are entitled to Free School Meals;

   (v)        other applicants ranked by Date of Birth - eldest first. 

Note: Should two or more such applicants have the same Date of Birth, the initial

letter of the surname in alphabetical order as it appears on the Birth Certificate will

be used.

In the event of there being fewer applicants for admission with CEA marks than the school's Admissions Number, the above criteria will also be applied to applicants who did not sit the test. The Selectors reserve the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any Application Form/Transfer Form.  The provision of false or incorrect information or the failure to provide information within the deadlines set by the school can result in the withdrawal of a place and the inability to offer a place on the part of the school as nominated on the applicant's Transfer Form.

When applying the above criteria, should the number of pupils who satisfy the requirements of any criterion exceed the number of places remaining, then the candidates will be listed by Date of Birth, eldest first, and admitted in that order.  Note: Should two or more such applicants have the same Date of Birth, the initial letter of the surname in alphabetical order as it appears on the Birth Certificate will be used.

Candidates not admitted at this stage will be held on a Reserve List for consideration should places become available, and admitted by application of the above criteria.

If any place(s) become available after 1^st September and there are more applicants than places available, then decisions will be made on application of the Year 8 Admissions Criteria to those pupils seeking admission at the time the place(s) become available. 

It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that all of the relevant information is given on, or attached to the Transfer Form, to enable the Selectors to apply the above criteria.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

The purpose of a claim for Special Circumstances is so that a child who has sat the AQE CEA, and whose performance may have been affected by medical or other problems, can be assigned a score, by the Selectors, equivalent to that which he/she would have obtained in the AQE CEA under normal circumstances.

Applicants claiming under Special Circumstances i.e. that medical or other problems affected the performance of their child at the time of the test(s) should complete Form SC09 available from AQE or the school.  The Selectors will expect that parents will provide medical or other evidence which would set out the likely impact of the problem or difficulty on the child's performance in the test(s).  Parents should also supply documentary evidence, e.g. drawn from results of any standardised tests conducted in P5, P6 or P7 that would indicate that the child's academic ability is greater than the outcome of the CEA would suggest.  The Selectors will consider whether there is sufficient material to permit a child to be considered as having Special Circumstances. Such consideration requires an educational judgement to be made on the totality of material presented to the school so that Score equivalent to that which the child would have obtained in the AQE CEA under normal conditions can be awarded.  Where Special Circumstances are accepted, the Selectors will determine, on the basis of the information provided, the score for the pupil.  Such pupils will then be considered with all other pupils who have received a CEA score, and the Admissions Criteria will be applied.

It is for parents to present all such material as they consider will assist the school in performing both parts of the consideration described above.  It should be noted by parents that both parts of the consideration referred to, involve an exercise in judgement and not precise calculation.

SPECIAL PROVISION

Applicants claiming under Special Provision should complete Form SC09 available from AQE or the school.  Special Provision applies to (i) children whose parents/guardians wish them to transfer to grammar schools from schools outside Northern Ireland; (ii) children who have received more than half their primary education outside Northern Ireland; (iii) children, entered for the Common Entrance Assessment (CEA), who because of serious medical problems, were unable to participate in the Common Entrance Assessment. Please note that it is expected that all those seeking admission to a grammar school which has the result of the CEA as an Admissions Criterion should sit the CEA, with the exception of those applicants who take up residence in Northern Ireland after the start of the Year 7.  The school will also require parents to supply information to demonstrate the pupil's academic ability. 

Please note that it may not be possible to process claims for Special Provisions after 27^th April 2010.  The Selectors will consider the application for Special Provisions.  Where Special Provisions are accepted, the Selectors will determine, on the basis of the information available, an appropriate score for that pupil.  Such pupils will then be considered with all other pupils who have received a CEA score and the Admissions Criteria applied.

Parents should be aware that the school's Admissions Number is fixed by the Department of Education and that extra places cannot be awarded by Governors.

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/Transfer Form.  The provision of false or incorrect information or the failure to provide information within the deadlines set by the school can result in the withdrawal of a place and the inability to offer a place on the part of the school as nominated on the applicant's Transfer Form.

SCHOOL DESCRIPTION

Foyle and Londonderry College was founded as the Diocesan Free School in 1617.  It became co-educational by the amalgamation of Foyle College and Londonderry High School in 1976 and operates on two impressive sites half a mile apart.  Years 8 to 10 are housed in Springtown and Years 11 to 14 in the Duncreggan campus. 

CURRICULUM

Continuing the long tradition of academic excellence, the school offers a broad and challenging range of subjects to help pupils develop as caring, happy individuals and as responsible members of the community.  Pupils in the first three years study English, Mathematics, Languages, the Sciences, History, Geography, Art, Music, Home Economics, Technology and Design, Religious Studies, PE and Games.  The two IT suites in the Junior School enable the teaching of Computer Studies and Information Technology as a specialist subject to each individual pupil.

In the Senior School the curriculum is broad and balanced in accordance with the regulations laid down by the Department of Education, with pupils taking nine to eleven GCSE subjects.  In the Sixth Form, pupils work for AS and A2 Levels from a list of nineteen subjects.   The curriculum is constantly under review as are the methods of teaching and assessment.

FACILITIES

Specialist accommodation includes 2 Libraries, 9 Science Laboratories, 4 Computer Centres, 2 Technology Workshops, 2 Music Suites, 2 Art Rooms, 2 Sixth Form Centres, 2 Assembly Halls, a Gym, Multi-gym, a Sports Hall and a Study Hall.  Science and Business Studies also have dedicated computer facilities.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Over 30 acres of playing fields are laid out for Rugby, Hockey, Cricket, Tennis and Athletics.  There is an opportunity to join in many other activities including Canoeing, Badminton, Table Tennis, Orienteering, Gymnastics, Fencing, as well as a thriving Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Scripture Union, Debating, Community Service, Environmental Group and Photographic and Chess Clubs.  The school has a high reputation in Drama and Music, its choirs and instrumentalists winning many local competitions and Feis.

CAREERS

Advice is provided by a specialist Careers Department.  Its programme includes individual interviews, class training, work experience, visits by employers, educationalists and Careers Conventions.

PASTORAL CARE

This is the concern of all staff and each class has a Form Teacher who liaises with Year Teachers and Senior Staff in all that concerns the welfare and progress of each pupil.  Parents and teachers meet regularly to discuss progress.  Parents receive regular reports throughout the year based on continuous assessment, as well as examinations, so that progress can be monitored and learning difficulties promptly remedied.  There is an active and supportive Parents' Association.  Bus services operate to the school directly from all areas of the region, including Eglinton and there is a late bus to allow pupils to engage in a full range of after school activities.