Admission Policy

1. Runshaw is a very popular, oversubscribed college. Its admissions policy aims to meet the needs of as many young people as possible who wish to study here whilst prioritising (i) firstly, the needs of Runshaw students progressing internally and (ii) secondly, pupils attending our partner high schools in South Ribble, Chorley and Preston and our partner high schools in other areas which have long-established and numerous progression to Runshaw.

2. Applications from pupils attending other, non-partner high schools are welcomed but such applicants will only be enrolled on to courses if there are vacancies after the needs of applicants from partner high schools have been met.

3. Applicants from partner high schools must meet our requirements regarding application deadlines. That is, pupils must apply by 1 April 2012 and must accept an offer of a place in writing within two weeks of the offer being made to them. Applicants who meet these deadlines will be guaranteed a place at the college provided they meet the course entry requirements.

4. Applicants from partner high schools who do not apply by 1 April will be regarded as late applicants.

5. Applicants from partner high schools who apply by 1 April but who do not respond to the offer of a place will be sent a reminder providing them with a further chance to respond to the offer. If the applicant accepts the offer within two weeks, they will be guaranteed a place at the college provided they meet the course entry requirements. Applicants who do not respond within two weeks will be regarded as late applicants. The reminder letter will make clear the responsibility of the applicant to ensure a response is received by the college within two weeks. It will also spell out clearly the result of not responding within the two week period.

6. For applicants from non-partner high schools, they must also apply before 1 April and reply to any offer within two weeks. It will be made clear to them that a place for them at Runshaw depends upon vacancies existing after the enrolment of students from partner high schools. If students do not reply to an offer within two weeks the same process will occur as described in 1.5. The reminder letter will again make clear that a place at Runshaw is conditional upon vacancies existing after the enrolment of students from partner high schools.

7. For students who do not meet the conditions listed above ie they are not Runshaw students progressing internally and they are not applicants from partner high schools who have met the deadlines above, priority will be given in the order as follows provided there are places available: (i) applicants from non-partner high schools, who applied for level 1 and 2 courses before 1 April and responded to an offer within the set deadlines, up to the target numbers of places on these courses; (ii) applicants from non-partner high schools, who applied for advanced level courses before1 April and responded to an offer within the set deadlines; within this group, we will give priority to the best qualified applicants to A level courses and Advanced Vocational courses respectively in terms of their examination results at GCSE and other level 2 qualifications; (iii) late applicants who applied after 1 April (iv) applicants who were offered a place but turned it down or who did not respond to the offer within the deadlines described above but who subsequently expressed a wish to enrol on to a Runshaw course.

8. Applicants to Runshaw should be aware that the college's standards include very high expectations of behaviour and attendance, a dress code, a no-smoking policy and no parking for student cars except in the most exceptional circumstances.

College dress code

Students must wear clothes which are appropriate for a learning community and therefore must not:
 
• wear clothing which causes offence to others.
• dress in ways which are inappropriate or disrespectful.  
• wear clothes or garments which the College deems to interfere with teaching and learning, or to pose a risk to health and safety.