Aims
Cardinal Pole is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys and girls whose parents wish their children to be educated in the spirit of their faith. The school aims to promote the unique development of each pupil intellectually, socially and spiritually. To this end, stress is placed on self-discipline, hard work, punctuality, attendance and high expectations. In order to protect the distinctive nature of a co-educational school, Cardinal Pole seeks to encourage a balance of boys and girls at the school within the context of our admission criteria.

Organisation and Learning
Year 7 and 8 pupils are housed in the Annexe in Victoria Park Road and pupils in Year 9 to 13 on the main site in Kenworthy Road. Throughout the school, pupils are banded in broad tutor groups for part of the curriculum. Expectations and achievement are central to our teaching. The timetable aims to promote equal opportunities. Religious instruction, including some study of comparative religion, is a core subject to Year 13 and is an examination subject. Pupils are instructed in family life and sex education within the traditional teaching of the Catholic faith. Careers guidance is given from Year 9 and homework is compulsory for all. A work experience programme is arranged for those of our Year 10/11 pupils who have completed coursework requirements.

Public Examinations
At the end of Year 11 pupils are normally entered for GCSEs in the subjects undertaken, providing they meet our exam entry criteria. Invitations to follow courses in Year 12 depend on Year 11 results and on the student’s ability to profit from further full-time study in school.

Pastoral Care and Discipline
All staff are involved in pastoral care with each year team being led by a Head of Year. There is an emphasis on pupils developing mutual respect and self-discipline. Additional support is given to those with special educational needs. School procedures and uniform regulations are given to all parents and pupils, and they are of particular significance for daily routines.

Parental Involvement
Parents are asked to monitor and sign their children’s homework journal each evening. In addition to regular parents’ evenings, parents are encouraged to visit the school at any reasonable time. In the middle of the year, parents are invited to discuss with teachers the written reports on their child’s progress. If a parent or teacher is particularly concerned about a child’s progress, an interim report is prepared and discussed. There is a thriving Friends of Cardinal Pole Association and all parents are encouraged to become members. In addition, a number of parents play on Saturdays for Cardinal Pole Old Boys’ Football Club.

Uniform
All pupils must wear school uniform, which consists of tartan skirt with white blouse (short-sleeved), black V-neck jumper and black blazer for the girls; black trousers, blazer, white/grey shirt and the school tie for the boys. Full details are given to each new entrant before the start of the school year.

Assemblies
A religious assembly attended by staff and pupils is held four times a week. We regard the assembly as central to the Catholic ethos of the school. On occasion, year assemblies and Masses replace general assembly.

Extra Curricular Activities
There are regular school trips to the theatre and to cultural centres. Drama and dance productions are a standard feature of the life of the school and take place regularly. Pupils and teachers are involved in community work and in supporting the work of charities. Pupils also have the opportunity to take part in single-day educational visits or in residential journeys in the UK and abroad.

Sports
Extra-curricular sport is open to all pupils regardless of sex or ability. Some clubs produce school teams, whereas others are purely recreational. They operate before, during and after school. Activities that are available include: athletics, badminton, basketball, football, cricket and trampolining.

Criteria for admission applications for the 2008/2009 school year:
Cardinal Pole RC School is a co-educational school and it is important that a boy/girl intake balance is maintained in order to protect the distinctive nature of a co-educational school, within the context of the
published admissions criteria.

Places will only be offered to children who are able to benefit from and contribute to the religious atmosphere of the school.

All children who apply for a place will sit the NFER Non-Verbal and Verbal Reasoning Tests. The tests will last between two to three hours and will be held at a time and venue to be determined in the autumn term each year.

Note: Children cannot fail the NFER Tests and therefore any request to re-sit tests will be refused.

Applications from pupils will be placed in four ability bands of equal size, i.e. four bands of 25% of applicants each.   If in any band there are more applicants than places available; or when the number of applicants exceeds the admission number, offers of places are made using the following criteria in order of priority:

1. Catholic 'looked after' children.
2. Baptised Catholic children from practising Roman Catholic families whose applications are supported by the Parish Priest.
3. Baptised children of Eastern/Orthodox Churches whose application is supported by their Parish Priest.
4. Other 'looked after' Christian children.
5. Other baptised children from Roman Catholic families who can show no evidence of current religious practice.
6. Baptised children from Christian families where there is evidence that the family seeks a Catholic education for their child and where the application is supported by reference from a recognised Minister of Religion.
7. Baptised children from non-Christian families where there is evidence that the family seeks a Catholic education for their child and where the application is supported by reference from a recognised Minister of Religion.
8. All other applicantions with priority to 'looked after' children.

Tiebreaker:
In the event of there being insufficient vacancies to admit all applicants in any of the categories detailed above, priority will be given to children for whom the school (Victoria Park Road site) is the nearest secondary school to their home address.

In addition to the above criteria the governing body will also consider admission on exceptional medical or social grounds. To demonstrate exceptional medical or social need, which can be most appropriately met at the school, the governing body will normally require written evidence from an appropriate professional e.g. doctor, priest at the time of application.

The school maintains a waiting list, ranked according to the published criteria, and places will be offered as and when vacancies occur.

Applications logged outside the normal admission arrangements will be considered in accordance with the above criteria without reference to banding.

Open days and evenings
The school will be open at the following times for visits by parents:

Tuesday 25 September 2007

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Thursday 27 September 2007
All from 9.00am – 10.45am at Victoria Park Road Annexe, Victoria Park Road, E9 7HD

Thursday 4 October 2007
from 6.00pm – 8.00pm at Kenworthy Road, E9 5RB

Subjects