CONSULTATION: Admission Arrangements for 2026/27 for HWS and Sixth Form
The Local Governors of Hinchley Wood School (HWS) and Trustees of the Hinchley Wood Learning Partnership (HWLP or Trust) are currently considering making changes to the HWS and Sixth Form Admission Arrangements for entry in September 2026. As determined by the School Admissions Code 2021, they have a statutory duty to seek the views of families and other interested stakeholders on their proposal to change the school’s Admission Arrangements for September 2026. Details of the changes being proposed are set out below.
Documents / forms available as part of this consultation include:
- Proposed Admission Arrangements for 2026/27 for HWS
- Proposed Admission Arrangements for 2026/27 for HWS Sixth Form
- New Supplementary Information Form (SIF): Exceptional Social/Medical Need (HWS only)
- Revised Supplementary Information Form (SIF): Children of Staff (HWS & Sixth Form)
- Proposed revised Catchment Area (HWS only)
- Consultation response form
Proposed changes
A summary of the changes being proposed to the 2026/27 Admission Arrangements for HWS and Sixth Form are detailed below.
Proposal 1: Increasing the HWS Published Admission Number (PAN) for September 2026 from 210 to 220 places.
This change is proposed to help meet the demand for secondary school places at HWS which in turn will support the existing HWS curriculum delivery model and enrichment offer.
Proposal 2: The replacement of Category 5a with a new category: Category 5: Children attending one of the prescribed HWLP primary phase feeder schools: Hinchley Wood Primary School and Thames Ditton Junior School and introducing a new category: Category 6: Children attending the following feeder schools: Long Ditton St Mary’s Junior School and Claygate Primary School AND living in the Catchment Area. Category 5b will now become Category 7.
This proposed change recognises the distinct links that exist between the Trust’s primary phase schools and the Trust’s secondary school and cements a 4-19 pathway for pupils. If this proposal is approved and implemented, pupils attending HWPS or TDJS would not need to live within the HWS Catchment area in order to be eligible to apply for a place at HWS under Category 5.
Proposal 3: Amending the existing catchment area for HWS.
It is proposed that the existing HWS catchment area is amended by the removal of an area on the western edge of Claygate and the addition of an area to the east of HWS’s existing catchment area (the Surbiton River Roads).
Proposal 4: Amending the process for application under the Exceptional Circumstances criterion.
It is proposed that applicants who wish to be considered for priority under the criterion of exceptional social/medical need at HWS must complete an additional Supplementary Information Form (SIF – Exceptional Social/Medical Need) with their application. This form will enable applicants to clearly outline the grounds on which their application is being made, demonstrate that HWS is the only secondary school suitable for their child and explain why no other school could meet their child’s needs.
Proposal 5: Amending the Supplementary Information Form for application under the Children of Staff criterion (HWS and Sixth Form).
It is proposed that applicants who wish to be considered for priority under the Children of Staff criterion must complete the revised Supplementary Information Form (SIF) – Children of Staff with their application. The revised SIF – Children of Staff aligns with Surrey County Council guidance and the School Admissions Code 2021.
Further information regarding our proposed changes for proposals 1, 2 and 3 are included here.
Admission Criteria: HWS
It is therefore proposed that the new HWS Admission Criteria for September 2026 would be as follows:
- Category 1: Looked After Children and previously looked after children
- Category 2: Exceptional circumstances on medical and social grounds
- Category 3: Pupils who have a sibling living at the same address, attending Hinchley Wood School in Years 7 to 11 at the time of admission
- Category 4: Children of staff at the school
- Category 5: Children attending one of the following HWLP primary phase feeder schools: Hinchley Wood Primary School or Thames Ditton Junior School
- Category 6: Children attending the following feeder schools: Long Ditton St Mary’s Junior School and Claygate Primary School AND living in the HWS catchment area
- Category 7: Any other students whose permanent home is within the catchment area for Hinchley Wood School as defined on the attached map
- Category 8: Any other applicant
Admission Criteria: Sixth Form
The HWS Sixth Form Admission Criteria for September 2026 remain unchanged as follows:
- Category 1: Looked After Children and previously looked after children
- Category 2: Children of staff at the school
- Category 3: Any other applicant
How to respond
The consultation on the proposed changes to the HWS and Sixth Form Admission Arrangements for 2026/27 will run for 7 weeks from Wednesday the 4th of December 2024 until 17:00 on Wednesday the 22nd of January 2025. If you would like to take part, please complete an online response form available here. Alternatively, if you would prefer to respond on a paper form, a pdf of the form is available on this page or can be collected from the School Reception.
Please note, no individual replies to response forms will be provided and only response forms which are fully completed with the respondent’s name and address will be accepted. The form should be completed and submitted by 17:00 on Wednesday the 22nd of January 2025. No further responses will be accepted after the closing date and time.
Next steps
- Responses will be collated and presented to the HWS Admissions Committee for consideration. The Committee will consider all responses and make a recommendation to the HWS Local Governors and the HWLP Trustees on the proposed changes.
- The Local Governing Body and Trustees will approve or reject the recommendations and will determine the HWS and Sixth Form Admission Arrangements for September 2026 onwards.
- Once determined, the final Admission Arrangements will be published on the HWS and Sixth Form’s Admission web pages and shared with Surrey County Council by the statutory deadline – 28th of February 2025.
Anya Headon
Clerk to the HWS Local Governing Body,
04 December 2024
