Open Events 2021

We’re delighted to be able to announce our open event dates for September on Thursday 23rd September and Saturday 25th September

The application window for parents applying for secondary places in September 2022 is due to open today (Monday 12 July 2021). This means that parents of children moving into year 6 in September will be able to apply online for their secondary year 7 place from this date.

We’re also delighted to be able to announce our open event dates for September. Students and their parents will be able to book their bubbles for Thursday 23rd September, Saturday 25th September or Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday the following week.

We have designed our booking system where start times for the open events are staggered with a maximum of four families and a member of staff in each bubble. Additionally, there will be four starting points on the tour so numbers and flow throughout each event will be closely controlled and monitored.

Principal, Dr Lisa Mason, said: “Our open events are always a huge success and this year won’t be any different. We can’t wait to see children who are due to start secondary school in September 2022 and give them a taste of life at Forge.

We’ve been meticulous in our planning and communications throughout the pandemic and it’s really important that we provide a safe, enjoyable experience for one of the biggest decisions that a family will make together. Attending our open events will give families the opportunity to make the right decision for their child’s education.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR BUBBLE – https://bit.ly/2TS2lmN

The doors will be open from 6.00pm – 8.30pm on Thursday and 9.00am until 12.00pm on Saturday. There will be a number of tours the following week which will provide the opportunity to see how good the Academy is, all day, every day.

On Thursday 23rd and Saturday 25th, prospective parents and students will be able to visit departments at Forge meeting teachers and students. There will be live demonstrations and opportunities to meet senior leaders all in a safe environment. Also in attendance will be our football scholars and The Access Project; The Access Project supports student access to top universities, through tuition and in-school mentoring. 

Ormiston Forge Academy is an oversubscribed secondary school and has had Good inspections from Ofsted in 2016 and 2019. We are rated as Good in every category we were inspected. In 2017 we were also designated as a National Support School (NSS) with a number of staff designated as specialist leaders of education (SLE).

Michael Gill, head of year 7 at Forge said: “We’ve ensured that we can cater for all families safely but we recognise that booking isn’t to everyone’s liking. It’s important to say that we operate an open-door policy here and if you want to visit at another time or would like to talk to me or Dr Mason, we are available for you and will always do our best to accommodate.

Please contact us on 01384 566 598 or email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When are your open events?
Our traditional open events are on Thursday 23 September 6.00pm – 8.30pm and Saturday 25 September 9.00am-12.00pm. We are also doing tours on 27-29 September but these won’t be open events, simply an opportunity to look around the site. 

How are you making your open events safe?
We will be operating a booking system. This will ensure that we are able to control the number of families on the site at one time. We are an oversubscribed school and in previous years we have had over 250 families turn up on an evening to visit us. We simply can’t allow this to happen in 2021.

Each day will be split into a limited number of timeslots, only four groups of four families will be allocated to each time. There will be four starting points on the tour this year and they will operate in a one-way system. Each group will visit each point on the tour in a specific order meaning that the groups won’t pass each other or meet each other.

During the events, we will have cleaning staff wiping surfaces and ensure the routes remain clean and tidy. Throughout the Covid situation, we have followed Government guidance very closely and will continue to do so ensuring the safety of visitors to our site.

Can I just turn up?
We are asking all families to pre-book a space on the open events this year. You will be allocated a time slot but we are going to try and be flexible to accommodate the needs of each family.

What if I can’t make any of the dates?
Don’t worry. We’ll work around you. Get in touch and let us know when is convenient and we’ll try our very best to accommodate you.

What if I’m allocated a date/time I can’t make?
We’re going to try and make this experience as personal as possible for all of our prospective families. If you are allocated a date/time that you can’t make, let us know and we’ll find a date together that you can make.

I don’t want to come to your open events, how can I find out more about your school?
We can arrange telephone/video calls with any of our staff. We’d also be happy for you to visit the Academy out-of-hours and show you around. 

What will I see at the open events?
We’ll ensure that you get the perfect opportunity to experience the Forge family first hand. You can meet the Principal, enjoy a tour of the academy and, most importantly, meet our students. If there’s something you want to see or somebody that you want to meet, we’ll do our best to arrange this for you. We pride ourselves on being good all day, every day. 

How do I apply?
Arrangements for applications for places at Ormiston Forge Academy will be made in accordance with Sandwell Local Authority’s co-ordinated admission arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by Sandwell Council. All of the details are on our website – https://ormistonforgeacademy.co.uk/admissions/criteria 

We also accept applications from families living in Dudley, see the last question.

When is the closing date for applications for students starting in September 2022?
The closing date for applications will be Sunday 31 October. Please check the local authority where you are making the application for the exact time.

Can I apply even if my child goes to a Primary School in Dudley?
We have lots of parents contact us who live in the Dudley area asking if they are able to apply to Forge. The answer is, categorically, YES! All you need to do when you apply is change the local authority drop-down box to Sandwell to find us easily. We have a page on our website with guidance on how to apply if you live in Dudley: http://www.ormistonforgeacademy.co.uk/admissions/dudley-admissions