Announcement

1. Background 

Venturers Trust is the admission authority for all schools within the Trust.  Admission arrangements are reviewed and determined on an annual basis by the governing body and trustees.  There are no guarantees that admissions criteria set in previous years will remain the same in future years for parents wishing to apply for their child(ren).

Whenever an admission authority for a state school wishes to make any changes to its admission arrangements it is required to conduct a statutory consultation following the timetable set out in the Schools Admissions Code.

The consultation process took place for changes proposed to the 2024/2025 admission arrangements for Merchants’ Academy. The consultation ran for an eight-week period from 21st November 2022 – 13th January 2023.

2. The proposed changes

Merchants’ Academy

Gatehouse Avenue, Bristol, BS13 9AJ (secondary)

Hareclive Road, Bristol, BS13 9AX (primary)

Change to oversubscription criteria for Reception and Year 7 for 2024/2025 admissions.  The proposal will prioritise families of service personnel over distance to the academy, as shown below.

Priority order for 2024/2025:

a. Looked after child or previously looked after child

b. Children with a sibling attending the academy at the time of application

c. Families of service personnel with a confirmed posting to the area, or crown services returning from overseas to live in the area

d. Distance – children living closest to the academy as measured in a direct line from the child’s permanent home address to the academy.

Admissions arrangements reviewed following the statutory guidance from the Department for Education – School Admissions Code 2021.

3. Consultation responses

The consultation was published on the Trust website and the relevant school website and consultations were sent to:

• Parents of children between the ages of two and eighteen for each school;

• Other persons in the relevant area who have an interest in the proposed admissions;

• All other admission authorities within the relevant area;

• The local authority;

• Adjoining neighbouring local authorities

 

3.1 Merchants’ Academy

No responses were received in the consultation period.

Venturers Trust has determined the admission arrangements for Merchants’ Academy as per the consultation version.