Admission to School - Information for Parents 2024-2025

Our admissions policy is as follows:-

The Admission Number for the school is 60 pupils. This means that the number of pupils who can be admitted into any one year group in the school is 60 pupils. If there are more applications than places then the following criteria will be used to prioritise applications:-

1. Looked After Children and Previously Looked after Children.
2. Children who live within the historic parish boundaries of St. David’s and St. Peter’s Carmarthen.
3. Children who have brothers or sisters already attending the school.
4. Children who have received a Christian baptism and who live outside the parishes of St. David’s and St. Peter’s, if there is space available. A letter of support could also be requested from the local parish priest.

Children with statements of Educational Needs naming the school will be awarded places prior to the over-subscription criteria being applied.

Please Note – in each of the categories above priority will be given to:

• looked-after children and children who are temporarily resident in Carmarthen’s Women’s Aid refuge.
• The children of armed forces personnel who are admitted outside the normal admission round.
• Children whose twin or other sibling from multiple birth is admitted as non-excepted pupils, as the final pupils(s) allocated a place before the admission number is reached.
• Excepted pupils will now maintain this status for the duration of their time in an infant class or until classes are reorganized or numbers are at a level that complies with infant size legislation.
• The distance from home to the school, as measured by the shortest radius from the most central school building will be used as a criterion for determining priority, with those living nearest the school being given priority and a place at the school before those living further away.

If we do not offer a child a place at this school, it is because to do so would prejudice the education of other children by allowing the numbers of children in the school to increase too much.

Appeals Regarding Admission

The Governing Body will make arrangements for an appeal by a parent against refusal of admission to be heard by an Independent Appeals Committee in accordance with regulations. The decision of the Independent Appeals Committee will be binding on the Governing Body and the parent.

Criteria for Determining Admissions for Penboyr School

If the number of children whose parents are seeking admission to the school exceeds the number of places available offers will be made in the following order of priority:

(a.i)Looked After Children (LAC) who are communicants of the Anglican faith.
(a.ii)Children who were previously LAC who are communicants of the Anglican faith but are now adopted.
(b.i)Children who are Looked After Children.
(b.ii)Children who are LAC but are now adopted.
c) Children with brothers or sisters, these being determined as foster, adopted or permanently living at the same address, who attend the school at the date of the proposed admission.
d) Children who live in the catchment area of the school.
e) Children from families living outside the area who are regular communicants at an Anglican Church.
f) Children from families of other Christian denominations from outside the catchment area whose parents wish them to be educated in an Anglican Church School.
g) Children from families outside the catchment area who are not active Christian worshippers but whose parents wish their children to be educated in an Anglican Church School.

There is, in all instances a ‘right of appeal’ against a decision that has been made with regard to the refusal of an application for admission which must be made to the Chairperson of the Governing Body.

Appeals Regarding Admission

The Governing Body will make arrangements for an appeal by a parent against refusal of admission to be heard by an Independent Appeals Committee in accordance with regulations. The decision of the Independent Appeals Committee will be binding on the Governing Body and the parent.

Admissions to the school are the responsibility of the Governing Body. The school has a limited admission into any year group. The Admission Number for entry at present is 27 into any one year group.

Pentip is primarily a Voluntary Aided Church in Wales school, serving the Deanery of Bro Lliedi, and the Llanelli area as indicated on the LA map. The Governors welcome applications from parents of pupils of other denominations that support the Christian ethos and traditions of the school.

Admission applications are considered by the governing body in the Autumn Term preceding the academic year of entry. Applications should be made to the Admin Officer; Tel: 01554 758602 or e-mail admin@pentip.ysgolccc.cymru. Should there be over-subscription for places, the criteria for admissions are as follows:-

1. Pupils with either a brother or a sister already at the school.
2. Children who reside within the specified catchment area for the school as indicated on LA map. A copy of the catchment area map is available from the school.
3. Baptised, Church in Wales children in the Deanery of Bro Lliedi.
4. Children of parents of other denominations who wish to share in and support the Christian ethos and traditions of the school.

Please note – in each of the categories above priority will be given to looked-after children.

If an applicant for entry is refused, parents have the right of appeal. A letter should be addressed to the Chair of the Governing Body, appealing against the decision not to offer a place. This will be heard by an independent appeals panel. The decision of the panel is binding upon the governors and the appellants.

Application Process

Application forms for admission to the school are available on request from the School Administrative Officer and should be returned to the school; Tel: 01554 759178, or email: admin@stmarysllanelli.ysgolccc.cymru. Applications for admission to the School are then considered by the Admissions and Pastoral Committee each term for admission at the beginning of the next term. Nursery children are admitted the term following their third birthday. Late applications, or applications made after the Committee has met will be treated promptly; they will normally be considered by two members of the Committee nominated for that purpose by the Committee to act on its behalf.

Over-Subscription Criteria

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School welcomes applications from families who are seeking a Christian Education for their children. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available the following over subscription criteria will be used:

1. Baptised Catholic ‘Looked After’ children and ‘Previously Looked After’ children who are in the care of a local authority (children in care) or provided with accommodation by them (e.g. children with foster parents or who have a special needs statement naming the school, within the parishes served by the school.
2. ‘Looked After’ children and ‘Previously Looked After’ children who are in the care of a local authority (children in care) or provided with accommodation by them (e.g children with foster parents or who have a special needs statement naming the school, within the parishes served by the school.
3. Baptised Catholic Children within the parishes served by the school.
4. Other Baptised Catholic children.
5. Children who have a brother or sister at the school at the time of likely admission.
6. Children of other Christian denominations.
7. Other children who have a brother or sister in the school at the time of admission.
8. Children of other faiths whose parents seek catholic schooling
9. Other children whose parents seek Catholic education for their child.
10. Children for whom the LEA has specifically asked for a place at the school.

Please note that:

• In each of the categories above priority will be given to looked-after children.
• In each of the categories above distance from school will be used as the deciding factor with those living nearest to school having highest priority.

Appeals

If an application for entry is refused, parents have the right of appeal. A letter should be addressed to the Chair of the Governing Body, appealing against the decision not to offer a place. This will be heard by an Independent Appeal Panel; this is independent of the Governing Body and all other representatives of the school, and its decision is binding on the Governing Body and the appellant.

Application Process

Application forms for admission to the school are available on request from the School Administrative Officer and should be returned to the school. Tel: 01267 234297, email: admin@stmaryscarm.ysgolccc.cymru. Applications for admission to the School are then considered by the Admissions and Pastoral Committee each term for admission at the beginning of the next term. Nursery children are admitted the term following their third birthday. Late applications, or applications made after the Committee has met will be treated promptly; they will normally be considered by two members of the Committee nominated for that purpose by the Committee to act on its behalf.

Over-Subscription Criteria

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School welcomes applications from families who are seeking a Christian Education for their children. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available the following over subscription criteria will be used:

1. Baptised Catholic children.
2. Baptised non-Catholic children.
3. Children who belong to non-Christian faith communities.
4. Children who have a sibling (i.e. brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, step-brother, step-sister, adoptive brother or adoptive sister) on the roll of the school at the time of the admission.
5. The Governing Body may give consideration to applications made by parents who can demonstrate that admission is necessary for the medical or social welfare of their child. Independent supporting evidence will be required.

Please note that:

• In each of the categories above priority will be given to looked-after children.
• In each of the categories above distance from school will be used as the deciding factor with those living nearest to school having highest priority.

Appeals

If an application for entry is refused, parents have the right of appeal. A letter should be addressed to the Chairman of the Governing Body, appealing against the decision not to offer a place. This will be heard by an Independent Appeal Panel; this is independent of the Governing Body and all other representatives of the school, and its decision is binding on the Governing Body and the appellant.

Admissions Over-Subscription Criteria

The Admission and over-subscription Policy of the Governors of St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School is as follows:

This does not affect the right of parents who are not of the faith of this school or of no faith background to apply for and be considered for a place here. Indeed the School welcomes and encourages applications from all families. The School’s Admission Number is currently 105.

If the number of applications exceeds the admission number, the governors will give priority to applications in accordance with the criteria listed, provided that the governors are made aware of that application before decisions on admissions are made. In all categories the governors will give priority to those who have a brother or sister attending St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School and then to those children living closest to the school determined by shortest distance.

1. Baptised Catholic children who are in the care of a local authority (children in care) or provided with accommodation by them (e.g. children with foster parents) (Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) and children with a statement of Additional Learning Needs who have named St John Lloyd School.
2. Non-Catholic children who are in the care of a local authority (children in care) or provided with accommodation by them (e.g. children with foster parents) (Section 22 of the Children Act 1989) and children with a statement of Additional Learning Needs who have named St John Lloyd School.
3. Baptised Catholic children who currently attend a designated Catholic feeder school.
4. Baptised Catholic children who currently live in the parish area of a designated Catholic feeder school who are not currently attending the designated Catholic feeder school.
5. Baptised Church in Wales children.
6. Other non-baptised children who currently attend a designated Catholic feeder school.
7. Other Non-baptised children who attend Church in Wales schools.
8. Other Non-Catholic children from other primary schools.

Application Process

Parents are asked to apply directly to the school using the school application form. These are available from the school office and are also issued at the Open Evening for Year 6 pupils and parents in October. Parents must also apply online via the Carmarthenshire School Admission page and select St John Lloyd as their first choice. The deadline for Year 6 applications for 2023/2024 is 20 December 2022. Parents will be informed if their child has been offered a place following the Governors Admission Sub Committee meeting in the Spring term. Offers of school places will be emailed to parents on 1 March 2023.

Appeals

If an application for entry is refused, then parents have the Right of Appeal.
A letter should be sent to the Chairman of Governors (c/o the School) appealing against the decision not to offer a place. This will be heard by an Independent Appeals Panel from which all Governors and other representatives of the school are excluded.