Admission Arrangements for 2022-2023-2024
Date produced: 2nd August 2023
Persons Responsible: ABU HANIFAH FOUNDATION NON-EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Abu Hanifah Foundation (AHF) was established by the current trustees and non-executive committee of AHF. It is conducted as an evening supplementary Islamic school (madrasah) in accordance with the teachings of the Sunni Muslim faith.
The school admission policy, as such, provides for entry for all Muslim children, with preference given to those families who adhere to the teachings of the Sunni Muslim faith.
Abu Hanifah Foundation is fully committed to equal opportunities in education. No applicant to Abu Hanifah Foundation will be discriminated against on the basis of race, nationality, colour or ethnic origin.
At the school teachings of Islam permeates every aspect of the school’s activity. It is essential that the Islamic character of the school’s education is fully supported and endorsed by all families in the school.
It is proposed that the admission number for the new intake in September 2024 will be 36.
The non-executive committee will not place any restrictions on admissions unless they are advised that the number of children for whom admission is sought is likely to exceed this number.
This arrangement is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the non-executive committee.
Reports from a school currently attended by an applicant are not always available and thus do not form part of the selection procedure.
The admission criteria used to determine admission arrangements for the Academic year 2024-25 will be as follows:
1. Applicant’s parent(s) are in management or staff members or are associated to Abu Hanifah Foundation.
2. Siblings of current pupils. (Siblings are not given priority over merit, although if a sibling achieves exactly the same mark as an applicant who does not have a brother/sister in school then the sibling will be awarded the place). Sibling refers to brother / sister, half brother / sister, adopted brother / sister, step brother / sister, and in every case, the child should be living in the same family unit at the same address.
3. Entry examination. Offers are made on the basis of merit order related to the applicant’s performance in the entrance examination. Applicants for places in the Early Learning Year are not required to take an examination, however, the parents will be asked to come in for an admissions interview.
4. Age Preference: In reception year the child has to be aged 4 years and 6 months to 5 years and 6 months to be eligible for selection. Children under 4 years and 6 months would need to apply the following year.
5. Children with proven exceptional social, welfare or spiritual needs which are directly relevant to the school concerned. Appropriate supporting evidence may be required for entry under this criteria.
6. Remaining places are allocated according to where a child lives. Those living nearest to the preferred school by a straight line (radial) measure will have priority.
Tie-break
The distance criterion which will be used as the tie breaker if there is oversubscription within any of the admission criteria is a straight line (radial) measure. If we are unable to distinguish between applicants using the published criteria (e.g. twins or same block of flats) places will be offered via a random draw.
The closing date for applications for the academic year 2024-25 will be 30th April 2024.
NOTES
Waiting list
Children who are not admitted will have their name placed on a waiting list. The names on this waiting list will be in the order resulting from the application of the admissions criteria. It is possible that a child who moves into the area later to have a higher priority than a child who has been on the waiting list for some time. If a place becomes available within the admission number, the child whose name is at the top of the list will be offered a place.
Late applications
Where there is a good reason for an application being received after the closing date for applications and where it is received before the management have established their list of children to be admitted, the management may consider the application at the same time as all the others that were received on time. Otherwise, applications which are received after the closing date will be considered after all the others that were received on time and placed on the waiting list in order according to the criteria.
Non-routine admissions
It sometimes happens that a child requires admission other than at the ‘normal’ time; such admissions are known as non-routine admissions. Parents wishing their child to attend this school should arrange to meet with the principal. They will be provided with an application form. If there is a place in the year group, a place will be offered otherwise parents will be offered a right to remain on the waiting list.
Fraudulent applications
If the school finds that false information has been provided on the application, the child will not be given a place at the school. If a place has been offered and the information given turns out to be false at a later date, that place may be withdrawn by the management. If the child is allowed to continue at the school, even though the information was false, their sibling/s will not be given priority for place/s under the admissions criteria.
Priority for Twins/Multiple births
Within each of the categories above, if an application has been made for twins/ triplets/other multiple birth groups but application of the published admission number would result in an offer being made to some but not all of the children in the group, then that group of children will be moved up the priority order within that category by the number of places necessary to ensure so far as possible that all the children in the group can be offered a place. Thus, for example, in the case of twins, they would both move up above the child who was previously immediately above them in that category and in the case of triplets all three would be moved up the list and placed above the two children who were previously immediately above them in that category. If, despite having this priority, the situation arises of twins/triplets etc seeking admission but the school being unable to accept them all without breaching the admission number, then the management will use random allocation to decide which of the children can be offered a place.
Refusal of a place
Some applicants may not achieve a satisfactory standard and places will not be offered.
Review of policy
The non-executive committee of Abu Hanifah Foundation will reserve the right to review this policy as and when necessary.