ADMISSIONS POLICY FOR BEDFORD FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 2011
Basic information
St Joseph’s Lower, St John Rigby Lower, St Gregory’s and St Thomas More Upper Catholic schools are promoted by the Diocese of Northampton and are maintained by the Bedfordshire Local Authority. (Each of these schools is part of the Federation of Bedford Catholic schools).
The Governing Body is responsible for determining and administering the policy relating to the admission of pupils to the schools. It is guided in that responsibility by the requirements of the law, the advice of the Diocesan trustee, and its duty to the schools and the Catholic community.
In accord with the provisions of Regulation 49 of the Education (School Government) Regulations 1999, the Governing Body has delegated responsibility for determining admissions to the Admissions Committee with regard to the schools.
The schools primarily serve the parishes of: Holy Cross; Saint Joseph’s; St
Phillip and St James; Christ the King; Our Lady’s, Kempston; St
Francesca Cabrini; Sacred Heart and St Cuthbert and the whole of the
Catholic community of Bedfordshire .
Having consulted other local admission authorities in accordance with
legal requirements, the Governing Body has set its planned admissions
numbers as 60 for each of St Joseph’s Lower and St John Rigby Lower,
90 for St Gregory’s Middle, 200 (Year 9) and 20 external applicants (Year 12) for St Thomas More Upper for the school year commencing in September 2011.
Parents wishing to apply for a place in the school for their child
beginning in September 2011 must complete the paper version of the
Local Authority application form or can apply on line at:
www.bedford.gov.uk/onlineadmissions by no later than the dates to
be confirmed by the Local Authority and in accordance with the co-ordinated arrangements. All applications will be considered at the same time.
Children with a Statement of Educational Needs naming the school will
be admitted in accordance with Bedford Borough policy and regulations.
The Admissions Committee of the (Federated) Governing Body will
consider all applications made in accordance with the criteria set out
below without reference to the aptitude or ability of the child. All
applications will be considered on an equal preference basis.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA for ST JOSEPH’S and ST JOHN RIGBY CATHOLIC LOWER SCHOOLS
In case of over subscription the Governors will give priority to children in the following order:
1. ‘Looked After’ children
2. Catholic siblings of children attending the school whose application is
supported by their Parish Priest or a priest known to them.
3. Catholic children from practising families from the parishes of Bedfordshire,
whose application is supported by their Parish Priest or a priest known to them.
4. Catholic children from practising families from other parishes whose
application is supported by a priest.
5. Other Catholic children, with proof of catholicity e.g a baptisimal certificate or
evidence of enrolment on a catechumenate programme .
6. Siblings other than Catholic attending the school.
7. Children from other Christian denominations whose parents wish them to receive a
Christian education, whose application is supported by a Christian minister.
8. Children from other faith backgrounds, whose application is supported by their
Faith minister or leader.
9. Any other children.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA for ST GREGORY’S CATHOLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL
In case of over subscription the Governors will give priority to children in the following order:
1. ‘Looked After’ children
2. Catholic siblings of children attending the school whose application is
supported by their Parish Priest or a priest known to them.
3. Catholic children from practising families from the parishes of Bedfordshire,
whose application is supported by their Parish Priest or a priest known to them.
4. Catholic children from practising families from other parishes whose
application is supported by a priest.
5. Other Catholic children, with proof of catholicity e.g a baptisimal certificate or
evidence of enrolment on a catechumenate programme .
6. Siblings other than Catholic attending the school.
7. Other children attending St Joseph’s and St John Rigby Catholic Lower Schools.
8. Children from other Christian denominations whose parents wish them to receive a
Christian education, whose application is supported by a Christian minister.
9. Children from other faith backgrounds, whose application is supported by their
faith minister or leader.
10. Any other children.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA for ST THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC UPPER SCHOOL
In case of over subscription the Governors will give priority to children in the following order:
1. ‘Looked After’ children
2. Catholic siblings of children attending the school whose application is
supported by their Parish Priest or a priest known to them.
3. Catholic children from practising families from the parishes of Bedfordshire,
whose application is supported by their Parish Priest or a priest known to them.
4. Catholic children from practising families from other parishes whose
application is supported by a priest.
5. Other Catholic children, with proof of catholicity e.g a baptisimal certificate or
evidence of enrolment on a catechumenate programme .
6. Siblings other than Catholic attending the school.
7. Other children attending St Gregory’s school.
7. Children from other Christian denominations whose parents wish them to receive a
Christian education, whose application is supported by a Christian minister.
8. Children from other faith backgrounds, whose application is supported by their
faith minister or leader.
9. Children attending Beauchamp Middle School.
9. Any other children.
Notes
St Thomas More – Front door (opposite Reception)
St Gregory’s – Front door
St John Rigby – Front door
St Joseph’s – Front door
Priority will not be given within each criterion to children who meet other criteria.
Priority will also be given to the admission of pupils in accordance with the ‘In Year Fair Access Protocol’.
There is free transport available for some Catholic children. The local School Transport policy can be accessed by viewing the Admissions Booklets at www.bedford.gov.uk/admissions or by reference to the Admissions information booklet. Further information is available via the School Transport Help Line 01234 228431
Definitions
Catholic child
A catholic child is a child baptised according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church or a child enrolled in a catechumenate programme.
'Looked after' children
The Children Act 1989 defines a child who is ‘looked after’ as a child or young person who is accommodated by the local authority (Section 20) or a child or young person who is the subject of a full care order (Section 31) or interim care order (Section 38).
Sibling
A sibling refers to 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, and in every case, the child should be living at the same address. The sibling must be in the school at the time of application and be likely to remain in the school at the proposed date of admission.
Home Address
A pupil's home address will be regarded as the address of the parents or carers with parental responsibility with whom the child normally lives. This will not usually include grandparents, aunts or uncles. Where a child spends time with parents at more than one address, the address used to allocate a school place will be the one at which the pupil is ordinarily resident and where the child spends the majority of the school week (Mondays to Fridays) including nights. If there is any query on the home address this will be checked against original official documentation e.g. council tax bill, a recent utility bill (gas, electricity or water), a rental agreement, child benefit annual statement or family tax credit information.
Christian
Christian means a member of the Churches Together in England:
Antiochian Orthodox Church, Baptist Union of Great Britain, Catholic Church, Cherubim and Seraphim Council of Churches, Church of England, Church of God of Prophecy, Church of Scotland (Presbytery of England), Congregational Federation, Coptic Orthodox Church, Council of African and Caribbean Churches UK, Council of Oriental Orthodox Christian Churches, Ichthus Christian Fellowship, Independent Methodist Churches, Joint Council for Anglo-Caribbean Churches, Lutheran Council of Great Britain, Methodist Church, Moravian Church, New Testament Assembly, New Testament Church of God, Oecumenical Patriarchate (Arch. of Thyateira and Great Britain , Redeemed Christian Church of God, Religious Society of Friends, Russian Orthodox Church, Salvation Army, Transatlantic Pacific Alliance of Churches, United Reform Church, Wesleyan Holiness Church. Church in Wales,Church of Ireland, Church of Scotland, Evangelische Synode Deutscher Sprache in Grossbritannien, Independent Methodist Churches, Mar Thoma Church, Methodist Church in Ireland, Presbyterian Church of Wales, Scottish Episcopal Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Undeb Yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg, United Free Church of Scotland.
Proof of membership must be provided by the appropriate church leader.
Additional Information
1. All parents/carers whether or not successful will be informed in writing of
the outcome of their application.
2. The parents/carers of those children whose application for a place was
unsuccessful will be informed in writing of the decision of the Admissions
Committee and its reasons for not offering a place and of the right of the
parents/carers to lodge an appeal against the decision including detail of how and to
whom such appeal should be lodged.
3. The Admissions Committee will keep a ‘waiting list’ of those children who have
not been offered a place, and this will be maintained until the end of the Autumn
term.
4. Open Evenings will be on dates yet to be confirmed.
Requests for admission into other year groups should be made on the In-Year application form and in accordance with the Local Authority’s co-ordinated scheme for In-Year admissions.