St James RC Primary Admissions Policy 2025-26

St James’ is a Catholic Primary School under the trusteeship of the Diocese of Lancaster.

It is maintained by the Cumbria Local Authority.

As a Voluntary Aided primary school the Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and

is responsible for taking decisions on applications for admission. The coordination of

admissions arrangements is undertaken by the Local Authority.

For the school year commencing September 2025, the Governing Body has set its

admissions number at 30.

The Governors welcome applications from Catholic and non-Catholic parents who would

like their children educated within the aims and ethos of St James’ Catholic Primary

School.

St James’ is a Catholic Primary School in which the Catholic faith and the teachings of the

Catholic Church are essential aspects of school life and influence the school curriculum.

We ask all parents applying for a place here to respect this ethos and its importance to

the school community.

This does not affect the right of parents who are not of the faith of this school to apply

for and be considered for a place here.

Date when School reviewed policy

February 2024

Date when school adopted policy

March 2024

Policy to be reviewed

February 2025

Signature of Chair of Governors

S. Lloyd

St James’ Catholic Primary School

Determined Admissions Policy for

September 2025 to August 2026

‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’

Jeremiah 31:3

ARRANGEMENTS FOR ADMISSIONS - SEPTEMBER 2025

Admissions to the school will be made by the Governing Body. All preferences listed

on the Local Authority Preference Form will be considered on an equal basis with the

following set of Admissions Criteria forming a priority order where there are more

applications for admissions than the school has places available:

1. Baptised Roman Catholic Looked After Children and previously Looked After

children.

2. Baptised Roman Catholic Children who have siblings in school at the time of

admission (baptismal certificate must be supplied).

3. Baptised Roman Catholic Children (baptismal certificate must be supplied).

4. Other Looked After Children and previously Looked After children.

5. Other children who have a sibling in school at the time of admission

6. Baptised children with proof of baptism in their chosen Christian tradition

(baptismal certificate must be supplied) who have had siblings in the school

previously prior to transferring to secondary school.

7. Baptised children with proof of baptism in their chosen Christian tradition

(baptismal certificate must be supplied)

8. Other children who have had siblings in the school previously prior to transferring

to secondary school.

9. Other children

Please note: The criteria outlined above will be strictly followed there being one

exception. If a child has an Educational Health and Care Plan naming St James’ Catholic

Primary School then irrespective of the criteria the child will be admitted as in these

circumstances the Governors have a statutory duty to admit the child concerned.

Notes:

a) All applicants will be considered at the same time and after the closing date for

admissions which is 15

January 2025.

b) A Looked After Child is a child who is (a) in the care of the Local Authority, or

(b) being provided with accommodation by a Local Authority in the exercise of

their Social Services functions (under section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989. A

previously Look After Child is one who immediately moved on from that status

after becoming subject to an adoption, child arrangements order or special

guardianship order.

c) For a child to be considered as a Roman Catholic evidence of such baptism will

be required in the form of a baptismal certificate.

d) It is the duty of governors to comply with regulations on class size limits at Key

Stage One. The Governing Body may exceed the regulations for twins and children

from multiple births where one of the children is the 30

child admitted.

e) If in any category there are more applications than places available, priority will be

given on the basis of distance from home to school. Distance will be measured in a

straight line from the front door of the child’s home address (including the

community entrance to flats) to the main entrance of the school using the Local

Authority’s computerised measuring system with those living nearer to the school

having priority. If the distance is the same for two or more applicants where this

would be the last place/s to be allocated a random lottery will be carried out in a

public place.

f) Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility, each for part of the

week, the child’s ‘permanent place of residence’ will be determined as the address

of the parent who normally has responsibility for the majority of school days in a

week.

g) Sibling is defined as a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or

sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer’s partner where the

child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the

same address as that sibling.

h) A waiting list for children who have not been offered a place will be kept and will

be ranked according to the Admission Criteria. Parents will be informed of their

child’s position on the waiting list which will not be operated for longer than the

December 2025.

i) For ‘In Year’ applications received outside the normal admissions round and if

places are available then children qualifying under the published criteria will be

admitted. Direct application to the school can now be made under this heading. If

there are places available but more applicants than places then the published

oversubscription criteria will be applied.

j) If an application for admission has been turned down by the Governing Body,

parents can appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. Parents must be allowed at

least twenty school days from the date of notification that their application was

unsuccessful to submit that appeal. Parents must give reasons for appealing in

writing and the decision of the Appeals Panel is binding on all parties.

k) Parents can request that the date their child, if below compulsory school age, is

admitted to school is deferred to later in the school year or until the term when

they reach compulsory school age.

l) The Governing Body reserve the right to withdraw the offer of a school place

where false evidence is received in relation to baptism, sibling connections or place

of residence.