Simon Balle All-through School is committed to providing students with the opportunity to study their chosen Sixth Form subjects wherever possible. However, some courses have a maximum capacity due to factors such as staffing, specialist facilities, practical requirements, or health and safety considerations.

Students must meet the Sixth Form entry requirements and any published subject-specific entry requirements in order to be considered for a place on a course. Meeting the entry requirements does not guarantee a place on an individual course where applications exceed the number of available places. In these circumstances, places will be allocated using the oversubscription criteria below.

Oversubscription Criteria

Where applications for a particular course exceed the number of available places, priority will be given in the following order:

1. Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children, including children who have been adopted from state care outside England, in accordance with the School Admissions Code.
2. Students currently on roll at Simon Balle All-through School who meet both the Sixth Form entry requirements and the published subject-specific entry requirements.
3. New applicants who meet both the Sixth Form entry requirements and the published subject-specific entry requirements.
4. Where there are more eligible applicants than available places within the categories above, priority will be given based on students’ academic suitability for the course, including relevant GCSE attainment and overall GCSE performance.
5. If places remain oversubscribed after applying the above criteria, places will be allocated by random allocation, overseen by an independent member of staff.

Students who are not initially allocated a place on an oversubscribed course will be placed on a waiting list. Waiting lists will be ranked using the same criteria above and will not operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Where a student cannot be offered their first-choice subject, the Sixth Form team will work with the student to explore alternative subject combinations that support their future pathway.

This criteria will only be applied where a course is oversubscribed and it is not possible to accommodate all eligible applicants.