Admission Policy 2008/2009
1 St Paul’s is a Catholic Voluntary Aided primary school, which was established by the Church to serve the parish of St Lawrence and St Paul, Chipping Sodbury and Yate. The governing body acting in accordance with the Code of Practice and the Clifton Diocesan Policy Statement is responsible for the admission of pupils.
2 The Admission Number for the Reception Year (2008/2009) is 30 pupils. Pupils are normally admitted in the September of the school year in which they reach their fifth birthday.
3 Applications for a place at school should be made by the 19 October 2007, to South Gloucestershire Local Authority, from where you may obtain an application form. The governors will offer places by the end of the Spring Term 2008. Successful applicants will be notified by South Gloucestershire Local Authority, on behalf of the Governors.
4 A waiting list of unsuccessful applicants will be held until 27 June 2008 and then discarded. If places become available before then, offers will be made in accordance with the priority in paragraph 5 below.
5 In the event of over-subscription (i.e more applications than available places) places will be offered in accordance with the following order of priority.
5.1 Baptised Catholic children who are looked after for whom a place is requested by the relevant person/ authority.
5.2 Looked After Children for whom a place is requested by the relevant person/authority.
5.3 Children who are baptised Catholics and who live in the parishes of St Lawrence and St Paul.
5.4 Baptised Catholic children who live outside the parishes of St Lawrence and St Paul and who do not have a catholic primary school serving the parish in which they live or at whose parish school a place is not available.
5.5 Children of Catholic parent(s)/carer(s) who live within the parishes of St Lawrence and St Paul.
5.6 Children who will have a brother or a sister at the school at the time of their admission.
5.7 Children of other Christian faiths who live within the parishes of St Lawrence and St Paul and whose parents are members of their church and have the written support of their minister.
5.8 Baptised Catholic children who live outside the parishes of St Lawrence and St Paul and who fall outside of Category 5.3 above.
5.9 Other applicants not in the above categories.
In Categories 5.1, 5.3,5.4, 5.7 and 5.8 baptismal certificates should be available for inspection.
A map of the parishes St Lawrence and St Paul is available at the school.
Definitions:
a) Brother or sister are defined as children who share one natural parent, step brother or sister, or have been legally adopted or fostered into the family.
b) Looked After Children, as defined by Section 22 of the Children Act 1989.
Tiebreakers:
6. When applications within category 5.3 above exceed the number of places available, priority will be given to:
6.1 Children who have a brother or sister at the school at the time of their admission.
6.2 Children who live furthest from the nearest alternative Catholic school at which a place is available.
Priority in other categories will be given to:
6.3 Children who have a brother or sister at the school at the time of their admission.
6.4 Children who live nearest to the school.
Distance will be calculated by the Local Authority using the shortest actual distance between the school gate and home: as measured by the nearest available walking distance: as defined by South Gloucestershire’s current statement.
7. Casual applications, (application forms available from South Gloucestershire Local Authority) i.e. those which fall outside the normal admissions round, will be considered by the Admissions Committee against the criteria listed in paragraph 5 above. Successful applicants will be notified by South Gloucestershire Local Authority, on behalf of the Governors.
Late Applications
8. Applications received after the closing date will be considered in accordance with the priorities of 5 above and only if places are available, after all other allocations are given. The decision of the Governors’ Admissions Committee will be given via South Gloucestershire Local Authority.
9. In September 2006 the Governing Body received 25 applications which fell in the following categories:
5.1 0
5.2 0
5.3 8
5.4 0
5.5 0
5.6 4
5.7 0
5.8 0
5.9 13
and admitted all applicants.
Appeals Procedure
10. Parents have the right to appeal against the refusal by the Governing Body to admit their child and should put their appeal in writing to the Clerk to the Governors at the school within 14 days of receiving the letter of refusal. Appeals will be arranged by the Diocesan Department for Schools and
Colleges and conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice on School Appeals.
Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs
11. There is a different procedure for the admission to the school for children with Statements of Special Educational Needs: it is administered by the Local Authority in whose area the family lives. The Local Authority is responsible for issuing the Statement and consulting parents and the governing body of St Paul’s, if a preference has been made for the school, before the school is named in the Statement.