Admission to School - Information for Parents 2025-2026
In this section
- Introduction
- SECTION A - Admissions to Carmarthenshire School
- Normal admissions arrangements for the academic year 2025 - 26
- When to apply
- At what age can children start school?
- Admission to secondary schools including sixth form
- Choosing a school – Catchment areas
- How to apply
- Awarding Places – Over-Subscription 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
- The Teaching of Welsh and English in Carmarthenshire Schools
- Information on Education and Learning
- SECTION C - Services to Pupils
- SECTION D - Carmarthenshire Schools and Pupil Summary
- SECTION E - Carmarthenshire Schools: Nursery Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Community Primary Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Secondary Schools
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Voluntary Aided Secondary School
- Carmarthenshire Schools: Special Schools
Introduction
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to Carmarthenshire, where every child’s learning journey is our shared priority. As a local authority we are proud to offer a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where every pupil is encouraged to flourish, explore their interests, and reach their full potential.
Our vision as an Education Service is that we will support all of our learners ensuring that they are happy, safe, are thriving, and are fulfilling their personal, social and learning potential. As a service we strive to become the best we can be and be highly regarded locally, whilst also earning national and international recognition.
We work diligently to provide the highest possible quality education in order to develop-
• Ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives.
• Healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
• Enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work.
• Ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world.
Estyn inspected our Education Services in July 2023. The comprehensive report, which is available on the Estyn Website that identify a range of strengths and confirms that we provide high quality services to meet the needs of Carmarthenshire’s learners. The importance and appropriateness of our 10-year Strategy (Education Sir Gâr 2022-2032) to establish sustainable education services, giving very robust consideration to the principles set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, was also commended.
Our commitment is to provide an engaging curriculum that reflects Carmarthenshire and Wales’s rich culture, language, and heritage while fostering global awareness and critical thinking. We strive to develop confident, curious, and compassionate learners who are well-prepared for the future. Through innovative teaching and dedicated support, we aim to inspire a lifelong love of learning in every learner.
Our aim is that all learners are given opportunities to become bilingual or multilingual. Our vision is to further expand bilingual education within Carmarthenshire enabling our learners to become bilingual citizens and to be better equipped for employment opportunities in the future. For more information on the benefits of bilingualism have a look at the comprehensive information on the County Council’s website.
I hope this document will be of help to parents/carers of children beginning school for the first time, and for parents/carers of children moving into the area. We appreciate that choosing a school can be a challenge, but we recognise the importance of this decision to you as parents or carers. This guidance is to support you in that process and includes:
• general information on our schools
• advice on how and when you need to make an application for a school place.
• the process of awarding places and
• a range of policies such as school transport which may be relevant to your circumstances.
Before finalising your choice, we advise you to contact and visit the schools in your area to discuss with them the provision available and your individual circumstances. Information will also be available on the individual school websites and in their prospectuses.
We believe education is a partnership between the school, families, and the wider community. Together, we can ensure your child not only achieves academic success but also grows socially, emotionally, and personally.
Please be aware that admission to your preferred school isn’t guaranteed. There are strict limits on the number of pupils that can be admitted to each school. Should there be more applications than places available, the applications received by the closing date must legally be processed first with the over-subscription criteria, as detailed in this booklet, used to priorities the award of the places available. To avoid disappointment and maximize the chance of obtaining a place at your preferred school, please ensure you submit your application by the specified closing date.
Thank you for considering a Carmarthenshire school for your child's education. We invite you to explore our prospectus further to learn more about the wonderful opportunities that await your child here.
We look forward to welcoming your child to one of our schools and wish them every success.
Gareth Morgans - Director of Education and Children and Family Service
