NURSERY

ADMISSIONS POLICY 2024-25

FOR

ST WINIFRED’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

LEE

Application Form – Nursery

Nursery Supplementary Form 2024-25

 For admissions in September 2024

 ST WINIFRED’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

ADMISSIONS POLICY

St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School is a Voluntary Aided school in the Archdiocese of Southwark. It was founded by the Catholic Church to provide education for children of Catholic families.  The school is conducted by its Governing Body as part of the Catholic Church in accordance with its trust deed and instrument of government, and seeks at all times to be a witness to Jesus Christ.

The Governing Body has sole responsibility for admissions to this school and has 60 part time Nursery places to offer in each school year.

Oversubscription Criteria

When a vacancy arises, a place will be allocated to an applicant on the waiting list.  Where there are more applicants on the waiting list for places than the number of places available, places will be offered according to the following order of priority:

  1. Looked after baptised Catholic children or looked after children in the care of Catholic families and previously looked after baptised Catholic children who have been adopted or who have become the subject of a residence or guardianship order.  See note (i)
  2. Baptised Catholic children who have a brother or sister at St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School at the intended date of admission. See note (ii)          
  3. Baptised Catholic children from practising Catholic families who are resident in the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Lee.
  4. Other Baptised Catholic children from practising Catholic families.
  5. Other Baptised Catholic children.
  6. Children enrolled in the catechumenate. Evidence of enrolment in the catechumenate will be required.
  7. Non-Catholic children who have a brother or sister at either St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School at the intended date of admission. See note (ii)
  8. Other looked after children and other previously looked after children who have been adopted or who have become the subject of a residence or guardianship order (see note i).
  9. Children who are members of Eastern Orthodox churches.
  10. Children of families who are members of other Christian denominations that are part of Churches Together in England. Evidence of Baptism (or dedication) provided by a priest or minister of a designated place of worship will be required.
  11. Children of other faiths.
  12. Other applicants.

Tie Break

Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any one of the sub categories listed above will lead to oversubscription, the places will be allocated up to the admission number will be offered according to the following criteria:

  1. Evidence of an exceptional social, medical, pastoral or other need of the child, supported by a statement from a relevant professional body which sets out the reasons why this school is the most suitable for the child in question and the difficulties that would be caused if the child had to attend another school.
  2. Frequency of Mass attendance, with those who attend more often being ranked higher (see note v).
  3. Those living nearest to the school (see note vi).
  4. Where the last remaining place is to be allocated and two or more children are deemed to live at the same distance from the school the place will be decided by the drawing of lots.

Notes (these notes form part of the Admission criteria)

(i) ‘a looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after, became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order. A looked after child who is a) in the care of a local authority or b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).

(ii) ‘brother or sister’ means children who live as brother and sister, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, step-brothers or sisters and foster brothers or sisters

(iii) ‘families’ are defined as being the child’s natural or adoptive parents or officially designated carers

(iv) ‘Catholic’ In the context of school admissions Catholic children are defined as children who are baptised or received into the Catholic Church, children baptised or received into the Eastern Churches in union with Rome and children of members of the Ordinariate. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church or evidence of reception into the Catholic Church. Evidence of Baptism will be required and an original baptism certificate (or a copy certified as a correct copy) should accompany the Supplementary Form. Any offer of a place may be withdrawn if evidence of baptism is shown to be false.

(v) ‘practising Catholic families’ means those who worship at Mass and whose application is supported by a Catholic priest.   This practice must be verified by a reference from a priest and the child’s Baptismal certificate.  Applicants will be ranked according to how often they attend Mass with those who attend more often being ranked higher. If a family practices at more than one church it may be beneficial to their application to get verification from ALL the churches attended on a regular basis.

(vi) ‘resident in the parish means living and having a permanent address within the parish boundary (see attached map and notes). For the purposes of this policy, parish boundaries are as shown on the attached map. All distances will be measured to a central nodal point in the school premises, using digitised mapping software of the area, from a nodal point in the applicant’s permanent home address.

(vii) proof of address will require the production of current council tax or utility bills. If a false address has been given and an offer made on the basis of that information, the offer of a place may be withdrawn.

(viii) ‘Eastern Orthodox Church’ is usually evidenced by a certificate of baptism or reception from the authorities of that church.

(ix) for non-Catholic faiths, evidence of baptism (or dedication) and of religious commitment provided by a priest, minister or religious leader where the family regularly worships will be required.

Application Procedure and Timetable

Application Forms will be available from the School office from 1st March 2023. For those who have already registered their child at the school application forms will be sent to the home address/emailed at the end of February 2023.

  • The closing date for applications is 1st April 2023

Please note, a completed Supplementary Form is required to enable the Governors to apply their admission criteria.  The supplementary form is not mandatory, however, if one is not received, the application will be considered under Criteria 10, page 1 the ‘other applicants’ category’.   Supplementary Forms, available from the school, should be returned to St Winifred’s Catholic Primary School by 1st April 2023.

Waiting List

As vacancies can occur at any time during the year there is no specific closing date for receipt of applications and all forms submitted will be placed on a waiting list.  Placing a child’s name on the waiting list does not guarantee that a place will become available.  When a vacancy does occur, time spent on the waiting list has no bearing on the allocation of the place and the criteria above continue to be applied in that order. 

Any appeals against decisions should be addressed to the Chair of Governors, care of the school.

Pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs

The admission of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is dealt with by a completely separate procedure.  This procedure is integral to the making and maintaining of statements by the pupil’s home Local Education Authority. Details of this separate procedure is set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

In accordance with the SEN and Disability Act 2001 we will take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled pupils / prospective pupils are not placed at any substantial disadvantage to their non-disabled peers.

Late Applications

The closing date for applications in the normal admissions round is 1st April 2023.  Late applications will be considered if surplus places are available.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC RIGHT OF TRANSFER FOR CHILDREN IN ST. WINIFRED’S NURSERY CLASS TO ST. WINIFRED’S RECEPTION CLASS.  A NEW APPLICATION WILL HAVE TO BE MADE BY JANUARY 2024, TO THE BOROUGH IN WHICH YOU RESIDE, FOR ADMISSION TO RECEPTION CLASS IN SEPTEMBER 2024.

 

Nursery Admissions Policy 2024-25