School Admissions
Admission to Rickmansworth School
Rickmansworth School is a school for students aged between 11-18. Originally founded as a Grammar school in 1953, we continue to be a high-achieving school whose students consistently exceed nationally expected grades in all subjects, at all levels.
We admit 226 children each year, 80 of those children are selected according to music aptitude and academic ability as determined by the South West Herts Consortium Tests.
Information for a place through Secondary Transfer, In-Year Admissions and for our Sixth Form is contained in this section.
Secondary Transfer
Secondary Transfer - Year 7
To apply to Rickmansworth School for Secondary Transfer 2021 applicants must complete their Local Authority online application with Rickmansworth School as the named school.
Hertfordshire residents can use the following link: https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/school-admissions-and-transport.aspx
We are dedicated to maintaining community and family at the centre of our ethos with the proximity and sibling criteria, whilst retaining partial selection through academic ability and musical aptitude.
Applicants must also complete our Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and return directly to the School by 31 October 2020.
The date of 31 October 2020 is the deadline for Secondary Transfer applications to both the Local Authority and Rickmansworth School.
If this date falls within half term, you should ensure your SIF is received by the School before half term. The School will not be open over half term therefore there will be no one on site to accept application forms.
Admissions Policy for Year 7 Entry in September 2021
Each application will be considered under the relevant admission criteria, and we welcome applications from parents whose children will make a full and committed contribution to the School.
Admissions through the South West Herts Consortium
For applications to be considered under the academic or music criterion, applicants must have taken the relevant South West Herts Consortium entrance test.
Note: Rickmansworth School is not able to assess whether a child with a particular test score will or will not achieve a place for Secondary Transfer. Historical data has been provided to facilitate parents to make informed decisions whether or not to make an application for the South West Herts Consortium Test.
PLEASE NOTE THAT LETTERS SETTING OUT YOUR CHILD'S POSITION ON THE RESPECTIVE CONTINUING INTEREST LISTS FOR WHICH THEY QUALIFY WILL BE SENT OUT IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING 1 MARCH AND SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY YOU NO LATER THAN 9 MARCH.
If you are intending to call the Admissions Office prior to 9 March, please be aware of the high call volumes during that time and as a result, any voicemail messages left requesting a call-back may take up to or in excess of 48 hours to return.
Following National Allocation Day, all applicants will automatically be rolled onto the Continuing Interest List for a higher preference school.
You will not remain on the continuing interest list for schools that are lower down your preference list than the school you have been allocated. You will not be entitled to re-apply for a lower preference school until the SECOND round of continuing interest which occurs towards the end of April.
The continuing interest list for entry in September of any year is deleted at the end of the current academic year (i.e. in mid July). If you wish to remain on the continuing interest list for any year group, you will be required to re-apply and submit an In-Year Supplementary Information Form which is available under the In-Year Admissions Page.
Year 7 applicants who have taken the SWHCS Tests will continue to have their application assessed under each criteria that is relevant to them and allotted a position on more than one waiting list.
Information-For-Parents-Results-In-Previous-Years-2020-1.pdf
Admissions-Policy-For-Secondary-Transfer-2021-22
In Year Admissions
In-year Admissions
We very rarely have vacancies outside the normal admissions round. Applications for each year group are considered in accordance with the relevant over subscription criteria. If there are no vacancies, children will be placed on the continuing interest list for the appropriate year group. If a vacancy arises in any of our year groups, a place will be allocated in accordance with our In-Year admissions policy and not according to the date a child's name was added to the list.??
Rickmansworth School is not part of Hertfordshire County Council's scheme of In-Year coordination and parents should apply direct to the school. Parents wishing to be considered for a place in Years 7 - 10 at Rickmansworth School will need to submit an In-Year application to the school.
The In-Year application form should be returned by post to: Admissions Officer Rickmansworth School, Scots Hill, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 3AQ.
In order to comply with the Admissions Code, the Local Authority will be informed of every application and its outcome.
Appeals
RICKMANSWORTH SCHOOL APPEALS INFORMATION
All unsuccessful applicants have the right to appeal. In 2019 the historical secondary transfer appeal information for our School was as follows:
NUMBER OF APPEALS LODGED FOR RICKMANSWORTH SCHOOL |
NUMBER OF APPEALS HEARD FOR RICKMANSWORTH SCHOOL |
NUMBER OF APPEALS UPHELD |
|
2019 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
Secondary Transfer 2020
If you wish to appeal and are a Hertfordshire resident, you can access the online system via your admissions account. Parents who live out-of-county or who applied on paper should now use the appeals online system and will need to contact the Hertfordshire County Council Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 4043 in order to obtain registration details to gain access.
Appeals resulting from secondary transfer applications for admission in September 2019 will be heard according to the following timetable:
Allocation day |
Appeals lodged by |
Appeals Heard Between |
Appeals For Rickmansworth School Heard Between |
2 March 2020 |
4pm on 3 April 2020 |
5 May – 19 June 2020 |
17/18 June 2020 |
Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date.
Appellants will be sent notification of their appeal hearing at least 10 clear school days in advance of the hearing.
Appellants will be sent a copy of the school's case 7 working days in advance of the hearing.
Additional Supporting Documentation
If an appellant wishes to submit further evidence, which was not included with their initial appeal, they should ensure this is received at least 7 clear working days, not counting the day of postage or the hearing, in advance of your appeal.
Only a short document, such as a doctor’s letter not previously available, will be accepted up to 4 clear working days prior to the hearing. Any additional evidence or information received after this deadline will not be circulated and may not be considered at the hearing.
In Year Appeals
You are now able to use the appeals online system for In Year Appeals. In order for you to be able to access the ‘appeals online system’ and register your intention to appeal, you can request registration details from the Local Authority’s Admissions and Transport Team (ATT) to enable you to log into the appeals online system. Appeals resulting from in year admission applications will be heard within 30 school days of an appeal being lodged.
Correspondence
The School is bound by its admissions criteria, and cannot offer places because of special circumstances. We would ask you not to write to the school – please see “Additional Supporting Documentation” above.
Sixth Form Admissions
Sixth Form Admissions are dealt with by the Sixth Form Office.
Please navigate to the Sixth Form section of the website for admissions detials and the application process.