Admission to School - Information for Parents 2026-2027
In this section
- Introduction
- SECTION A - Admissions to Carmarthenshire Schools
- When to Apply
- At what age can children start Primary school?
- Admission to secondary schools and sixth form
- Choosing a School and Catchment Areas
- How to Apply
- Awarding Places – Oversubscription Criteria
- Moving / Changing Schools outside the normal admissions arrangements (Mid/in Year Transfers)
- Notification of Offer of a Place at a School
- Appeals Regarding Admission of Pupils to Community / Voluntary Controlled Primary or Secondary Schools
- Admission to Voluntary Aided Schools
- SECTION B - Information on Education and Learning
- Learning Experiences
- The Teaching of Welsh and English in Carmarthenshire Schools
- Public Examinations
- Exclusion of Pupils
- School Activities
- School Leaving Date
- School Governing Bodies
- SECTION C – Services to Pupils
- Carmarthenshire County Council – School Transport Policy
- School Meals & School Essentials Grant
- Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
- School Safeguarding and Attendance Team
- Trust Funds
- The Careers Service
- Carmarthenshire Family Information Service
- The Childcare Offer
- Health & Well-being Promoting Schools Programme
- Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education
- SECTION D – Schools and Pupil Summary
- SECTION E - Carmarthenshire Schools: Nursery Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Community, Voluntary Controlled and Voluntary Aided Primary Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Secondary Schools and Voluntary Aided Secondary Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Special Schools
Health & Well-being Promoting Schools Programme
The Health & Well-being Promoting Schools Programme has been running successfully since September 2001 and all primary schools, secondary schools and additional learning establishments in Carmarthenshire are now engaged with the programme in some way.
The purpose of the programme is to facilitate the physical, social-emotional and psychological conditions for health and well-being within schools in Carmarthenshire, through a whole-school approach to health and well-being.
The programme is part of a National Network based on a set of minimum standards organised across 7 core components describing the core elements of a whole school approach:
- Strong leadership, governance and commitment to health and well-being.
- A School dedicated to understanding need and evaluating action.
- Involvement, engagement and communication with the whole school community.
- A workforce supporting its own well-being in addition to the well-being of learners.
- A curriculum working hand-in-hand with the wider actions, policies and practices of the school.
- A positive school culture and environment that reinforces learning and the school’s commitment to health and well-being.
- A school where strong working partnerships enable the school community to access the health and support services it needs.
The programme supports Wales’ new Curriculum and the new RSE Curriculum with regards to developing:
- Ambitious, capable learners ready to learn throughout their lives
- Enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
- Ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
- Healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society
A Health & Well-being Promoting School is one which makes a constant & consistent effort to ensure a safe & healthy setting for teaching, learning & working. It uses its organisational potential to foster the physical, social & emotional psychological conditions for health & well-being & positive educational outcomes. In so doing, it embodies a whole-school approach to promoting health & attainment.
In response to the Framework on Embedding a Whole-School Approach to Emotional & Mental Well-being, published by the Welsh Government (March 2021), the programme is currently supporting schools in evaluating how well they are currently embedding a Whole-School Approach in relation to the Emotional & Mental Health agenda with the aid of a Self-Evaluation Tool produced by Public Health Wales. Schools must evaluate how well they are performing in relation to a set of indicators within 8 different categories included within the Self-Evaluation tool.
These categories include:
- Leadership & Commitment
- Understanding the Emotional & Mental Well-being of Learners and Staff
- Involvement & Engagement
- Workforce
- Relationships
- Help & Support Services
- School Environment & Facilities
- School Ethos & Environment
- Curriculum
Local Health & Well-being Promoting School Officers are currently supporting schools in identifying areas of strength and areas of development within their Self Evaluation Tools, ensuring that schools select priority areas for their Implementation Plans, monitor school progress in relation to developing priority areas, share good practice amongst schools and signpost them to key partners and agencies that can support them further. Officers will also inform colleagues within the Education Department and the Health Improvement Division of any Well-being trends identified through School Self-Evaluations to ensure that the appropriate support can be provided to schools. The Programme has also produced a Support Package for schools in relation to this agenda to ensure that the Self Evaluation Tool is completed effectively and remains to be a continuous process.
For further information on the Health & Well-being Promoting Schools Programme please contact Catrin Rees, Lead Healthy Schools Co-ordinator: CLRees@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or Shan Thomas, Healthy Schools Co-ordinator: ShEThomas@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
