Admissions

The College is open to all students who can demonstrate a serious commitment to study, provided that there is an appropriate course for them and the College has room to accommodate them.  Given the demanding nature of our Advanced Level Course (see below), confirmation of acceptance onto courses is dependent on GCSE results (or appropriate equivalents). 

 

Full-time students are admitted to the Lower Sixth to study programmes of four Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level subjects.  In addition, students will take General Studies to Advanced Level. In the Upper Sixth, students will generally continue, in at least three of their four subjects, from AS to the full A Level qualification standard (A2). A range of additional options will be available to students should they choose to discontinue one of their original four AS Level subject choices as they enter the Upper Sixth year. 

 

 

 

All who apply to us will be considered carefully on their suitability for an Advanced Course and given advice on which subjects would best meet their needs and abilities if there are any issues.  In consultation with applicants, and guided by their school reports and references, the College will decide upon the appropriate entry qualifications for each applicant onto their chosen course.   Details of entry requirements will be discussed with Partner High School students when senior staff from the College visit their schools in the Autumn Term of their Year 11.   The College would normally expect you to achieve Grade B in each of the subjects you wish to study at A Level, or in a related subject. As a general guide, you should obtain six or more GCSE subjects at higher Grades (A*, A, B, C).   

 

 

If you attend one of the five Partner High Schools (County, Hartford, Middlewich, Rudheath and Weaverham), you will automatically be included in the following programme:
Senior College staff liaise directly with your school.  During the Autumn Term the Principal, together with the Assistant Principal (Student Services), will visit  Partner High Schools to tell Year 11 pupils about the College and to answer your questions.  If you are interested in the possibility of coming to College, you will be invited, with your parents/carers, to an Open Evening at Sir John Deane’s in September to see the campus, meet staff, learn more about the courses offered and collect an Application Pack. 

We ask Partner High School students to complete your Application Forms and return these using the pre-paid envelope provided by 25 November 2011. There is no pressure on a Partner High School student to apply earlier than Friday 25 November, nor is there any advantage to you as the College guarantees a place to all Partner High School students who apply by this date and who meet our entry requirements. You are not in competition for places with non-partner high school students. 

 

Once the College has received your Application Form and most recent school report from you and a reference for you from your school, you shall hear as promptly as possible from us whether we can make you a conditional offer dependent on your final GCSE results or if we need to explore your application further with you in an interview or advise you if your application has been unsuccessful.  

 

2. Applying from a school other than a Partner High School 

The College welcomes applications from students attending other schools in Cheshire and beyond, and each year well over three hundred such applications are accepted.  Prior to 2011, it has been our practice that applications for entry will be dealt with strictly in the order in which we receive them, that the College reserves the right to close its lists when numbers reach a certain limit, and that after that time, applications will only be accepted provisionally until final numbers are known in September.