AN Academy which launched a contoversial admissions policy last year has announced it is to expand its annual intake of students from next September to cope with the demand for places.

Highcrest, in Hatters Lane, High Wycombe, plans to increase Year 7 numbers from 140 to 152 because so many youngsters are applying to go there.

The move follows the introduction of it's new ‘all-ability’ admissions policy – the first of its kind in Bucks. This system requires prospective students to take banding tests prior to admission applications, so the school can obtain an even spread of ability.

The present Year 7 is the first intake since the policy was introduced last year at the academy, and Principal Shena Moynihan insists the evidence is already there to prove the new system has been a great success.

Last year, 382 youngsters took the banding tests prior to admission applications, but this figure is expected to grow to around 500 in 2013.

Miss Moynihan said: "The issue for us is that we have just 140 places in the year but have a massive demand from the local community. That is why we have now taken steps to try to meet some of this demand by increasing the number of available places.

"This will mean three more students for every band. We have had to make adjustments so we could increase the size of our intake but we have worked hard on this because we know it is important for our local community."

Meanwhile, Miss Moynihan says she is pleased with the way the all-ability policy has bedded in at the academy.

She said: "The admissions policy has been a great success, even beyond expectations. The average distance to school is about 1.5 miles so this hasn’t made us any less local than before. The furthest distance is three miles – but that is for siblings which have always been an admission priority.

"Our aim was to ensure that there was a fair and even spread of ability across the academy so students could learn alongside pupils with similar aptitude to them, and this appears to be working extremely well from the evidence of the new intake."

A survey administered to Year 7 parents at a recent open evening stated that all agreed their child was enjoying the school, while 97per cent agreed their child had settled in well.

Miss Moynihan added: "We were delighted with these results. We recognised there was some concern within the local community about the admissions policy, and we are genuinely sorry we cannot take in more local children who wish to join us. That’s why we took this step to increase our numbers."