FAQs

Below we have provided information about some of the more commonly asked questions about our school. As more information becomes available, we will update these.

Where is the School Situated?

Our new school is situated on an easily accessible, town centre site on Booth Street. See ‘our building’ for details of the fantastic learning and sporting facilities provided. The school is situated right next to the tram stop and a 3 minute walk from the local bus station.

How can we secure a place for our son/daughter?

Applications for September 2024 is now open. You can apply via Oldham Council here.

For admissions for 2024/ 2025 onwards, please register your interest here. This will mean we can keep in touch with you and keep you up to date with the admissions process and important dates and events for subsequent years.

Also see our Admissions page.

Do I need to go to Church or a place of Worship to gain a place for my child?

No.

Please read our information about admissions which can be found here.

At least half of the places (120 in each year) will not be linked in any way to faith or church attendance. require any church or place of worship attendance. These will be allocated fairly across 3 geographical zones.

Up to half of the places (120 per year) will be allocated on a faith basis. There will be up to 60 places for Christian children. All church denominations that are in Churches Together and the Evangelical Alliance will be treated equally. Up to 60 places will be allocated to children of other faiths that are members of the UK Inter-Faith Network, Oldham Interfaith Forum or Oldham Mosques’ Council. If the faith-based places are not taken up, they will be added to the places available through geographical zones.

If we apply for a faith place but aren’t successful, will we be included in the geographical applications?

Yes, automatically.

What if we live outside of the 3 mile zone?

Distance doesn’t matter for faith places. For the geographical places, any places that aren’t taken up in the first 3 zones will be opened up to all children who have applied.

What about siblings?

For sibling rules for September 2023, please see our Admissions Policy.

Do students wear a uniform?

Yes. More information about the uniform can be found here.

My child has special educational needs – what provision will be made?

Children who have an Education and Health Care Plan which names Brian Clarke will automatically get a place. Please read our information about admissions which can be found here.

You can also read all about how we support learning for students who have additional needs by clicking here

What Extra-curricular activities will the School provide?

There is a rich timetable of co-curricular activities that take place each Monday to Thursday (period 6). All students take part in two timetabled co-curricular activities per week. These range from sign language, drama and musical theatre club, Arts, computer programming and the usual sports activities. There are also clubs at lunch time and further after school clubs for students to take part in and represent the school.

Does the School provide Halal food?

Yes and also a range of vegetarian dishes. Find out more about school catering provision here.

Where will students go after they have finished GCSEs?

The Brian Clarke CE Academy is committed to all our young people progressing at 16 to the course that is best and right for them. Our investment in careers and progression starts in Year 7 and is built into the curriculum. We want all our students to be able to build their future, be independent and make a positive contribution. For some this might mean Level 3 qualifications – A Levels or the new T Levels – and then Higher Education. For others, it may be an apprenticeship route with degree-level training beyond that. We will build close relationships with local and regional employers/firms and involve them in the students’ learning. At 16, students will be able to progress to any of the local area providers, including the Sixth Form at The Blue Coat School.

What are the expectations around behaviour?

Full details for details around our expectations for Behaviour please see our Behaviour for Learning section.

In brief the principles are clear. Everyone is equal. We are kind and respectful to one another. No forms of bullying are tolerated. Relationships are at the heart of great education. Staff invest in their students and we expect students to listen to and respect the staff. All students must be able to learn, and teachers must be able to teach. Behaviour which disrupts lessons is not allowed. We are proud of our school and our community and we work together to make them the best that they can be.

Are students be allowed to have a mobile phone?

Yes, but they will not be allowed to use it during the school day. They must be switched off in bags.

School policy is that if a mobile phone is seen or heard during the school day it will be confiscated. There may be emergencies when students have to contact home. This is fine – they go to the pastoral office who will provide a space and they can use the school phone. We strongly advise parents NOT to ring students during the day – they are learning! If there is a home emergency, pastoral support will be able to get a message to the pupil in the right way.

We will look after your child and they will have a great experience – uninterrupted by phone distractions or inappropriate use!

How will my child get to and from school?

The school is extremely well served by the local transport network (bus and tram). We want our students, who will come from a geographically diverse area, to use the current public transport network and as well as cycling and walking to school where possible. Learning to use public transport is a life skill. We know that it is a big step when children have been used to a short and supervised journey to primary school, but they are growing up, and learning to manage travel themselves is part of that.

To ensure your child is safe

Brian Clarke staff will be out in high vis at various duty points around the main transport spots to ensure our students are safe and conducting themselves impeccably at all times.

How do I find out how close I am to the top of the waiting list?

We do not inform families of their number on the waiting list. This is because under the terms of our policy, the date of application is not an admission criterion and once all on-time applications have been processed, any late applications are then added to the waiting list. For Christian places, the waiting list order is based on the number of points awarded as a result of church attendance. For all other admission categories (other world faiths, geographical zones and all other children), this is based on random allocation which is re-set at the point that any late entries are added to the appropriate category’s waiting list. This means that each time a child is added to the waiting list the priority order will be ranked again.