School Admissions Procedures

(for Nursery Admissions see here)

Admission Application Procedures 2010

The number of places available for admission to the Reception class in the year 2010 will be a maximum of 60. This arrangement follows consultation between the governing body, the Diocesan Board of Education, the Local Authority and other admissions authorities in the area. The governing body will not place any restrictions on admissions to the reception class unless the number of children for whom admission is sought exceeds this number. By law, no infant class may contain more than thirty children.

The Governing Body operates a system of equal preferences under which they consider all preferences equally and the Local Authority allocates places according to the coordinated admissions scheme. In the event that there are more applicants than places, the governing body will allocate places using the following criteria, which are listed in order of priority:

1. Children looked after, i.e. in public care giving priority, if necessary to the youngest children. (Note A)
2. Children living within the catchment area who have attended St Mary’s nursery class, giving priority to those who live closest to the school measured in a straight line on a map from front door of home to the main entrance of the school.
3. Children living outside the catchment area who have attended St Mary’s nursery class, giving priority to those who live closest to the school measured in a straight line on a map from front door of home to the main entrance of the school.
4. Children living in the catchment area who have brothers or sisters in school including the nursery class (note B and D) or Windermere Junior School at the time of admission.
5. Children living outside the catchment area who have brothers or sisters in school or nursery class (note B and D) or Windermere Junior School at the time of their admission.
6. Children living in the catchment area with a parent on the electoral roll of a C of E Church (note C and D).
7. Children living outside the catchment area with a parent on the electoral roll of a C of E Church (note C and D).
8. Children living inside the catchment area, giving priority to those who live closest to the school measured in a straight line on a map from front door of home to the main entrance of the school.
9. Children living outside the catchment area, giving priority to those who live closest to the school measured in a straight line on a map from front door of home to the main entrance of the school.

Applications will be prioritised according to the above criteria.

• Note A. A child looked i.e. in public care, is defined as a child looked after by the local authority of Cumbria within the meaning of Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989.
• Note B. In categories 4 and 5, priority will be given to those children with the youngest siblings. Brothers and sisters are those living at the same address and includes step and foster children. Priority will only be given where it is known at the time of allocating places that a sibling will be attending the school (including nursery class) at the time of admission.
• Note C. In circumstances where there is an application for more than one child in the family, and it is not possible to offer a place to all the children concerned, it will be up to the parents to decide whether they wish to accept the place(s) offered.
• Note D. To be considered under category 6 or 7 parents must provide proof with the completed form that they are on an electoral roll of a Church of England Church and have been for a period of two years prior to the closing date for the submission of the preference forms.

If there is a need to prioritise in categories 5, 6 and 7 then the measurement criteria used in category 8 will be used.
 

Applications for admission to the school should be made on the common application form enclosed with the Local Authority’s brochure from October 2009 to Tuesday 1st December 2009. Applications may also be made on-line. Letters informing parents of whether or not their child has been allocated a place will be sent out by the Local Authority on 22nd April 2010.