Admission Policy The Governor

Admission Policy

The Governors of St Mary’s RC Primary School will admit 34 children into the Reception class each academic year, this number having been agreed with the Thurrock Unitary Authority.
Applications for admission will be considered from parents who wish for a Catholic Education for their children. Preference will be given to applicants according to the following criteria, in the following order:

1. Look after children.
‘looked after children’ has the same meaning as in section 22 of the Children Act 1989 and means any child in the care of a local authority or provided with accommodation by them (e.g. children with foster carers)

2. Baptised Catholic children of practising* Catholic families, living in the Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Joseph whose Parish Priest can confirm regular practice.

3. Baptised Catholic children of practising* Catholic families from the Parishes within Thurrock Unitary Authority whose priest can confirm regular practice.

4. Baptised Catholic children residing with in the Thurrock Unitary Authority.

5. Children of practising Christian parents resident in the Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea and St. Joseph, whose minister can confirm regular practice and who accept the Catholic ethos and practices of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School.

6. Children of other faiths, resident in the Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea and St. Joseph, whose parents are in sympathy with the aims and ethos of the school and whose application is supported by a religious leader.

7. Any other applicants.

‘Catholic’ means a member of a Church in communion with the See of Rome. This includes the Eastern Catholic Churches. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church or a certificate of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

*Practising: means Baptised practising Catholic children who attend Mass with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation at their Parish church.

Children with a statement of special educational needs that names the school must be admitted. This will reduce the number of places available to applicants.
Admission to the Nursery does not guarantee a place in our Reception class.
Parents making applications must provide copies of Birth and baptismal certificates together with the application form. Completing the application form, does not guarantee a place for your child at the school. All parents will be informed of the Governors decisions on admissions by 31^st March preceding the academic year of intended admissions.
Parents who wish to appeal against the decision of the Governors to refuse their child a place in the School may apply in writing to: the Chair of Governors c/o St Mary`s RC Primary School, Calcutta Road, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7QH.
Unless there are significant and material changes in the circumstances of a parent`s
application for their child or the school, the governors will not consider a repeat
application in the same academic year.
If any information given on the application form is found to be false, any place
offered may be withdrawn.
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 required all infants (Year R, 1 and 2)
class sizes to be limited to a maximum number of 30. Admission limits are therefore
based on multiples of 15 and 30, which helps school to organise infant classes of 30
pupils or fewer.