Admissions
Admission to Reception Class 2024-25
Please call the school on 01255 425344 and speak with our Admissions Officer, Mrs Warner to arrange a tour.
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 2024-2025
Essex County Council coordinates arrangements for Reception intake admissions to all primary schools within its jurisdiction. This process is managed through a Common Application Form which will be distributed by the Local Authority direct to parents, enabling them to express a preference for up to four schools in ranked order. Applications for admission to the Reception class will be managed in accordance with the arrangements published by the Local Authority. The Governing Body of St Clare’s Catholic Primary School, Clacton-on-Sea, is responsible for all admissions. The admission number for entry is 45. Where applications for admissions exceed the number of places available, the Governing Body will allocate places in the following categories in the order set out below:
CATEGORY 1 Looked after children, or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after, became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order, from Catholic1 families.
CATEGORY 2 Baptised Catholic1 children resident in the Parish of Our Lady of Light (Clacton on Sea), and adjoining Parishes of St Sabina's (Brightlingsea ) and Sacred Heart and St Francis (Frinton on Sea)2 where one or both parents3 are known to be Practising Catholic4 as evidenced by the Certificate of Catholic Practice *. (This will be available from your Parish priest.)
CATEGORY 3 Baptised Catholic1 children resident in the Parishes of Our Lady of Light (Clacton on Sea), St Sabina's (Brightlingsea ) and Sacred Heart and St Francis (Frinton on Sea).
CATEGORY 4 Other Baptised Catholic1 children.
CATEGORY 5 Other looked after children or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after, became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order.
CATEGORY 6 Children from families with a commitment to other Christian churches as supported by a baptism certificate or letter from their Church leader.
CATEGORY 7 Any other application will be considered if places remain.
1 A Catholic means a child baptised, or received into the Church, by a Priest in a Church which is in communion with the See of Rome.
2 You are encouraged to contact the school or your Parish Priest if you are unsure of the Parish boundary.
3 Parents include guardians and carers or any person who has parental responsibility or care of the child.
4 In accordance with the Code of Canon Law practising means attending Mass on every Sunday and on Holy Days.
* Governors will give no preference to applicants where both parents are Catholics.
OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA
In the event of over subscription in any category the following criteria in the order given below will be used to determine priority.
- Those children who have brother(s) or sister(s) in the School in any but the final year at the time of application. A Brother or Sister includes a half brother or a half sister an adopted brother or sister and a foster brother or sister provided they are resident at the same address.
- The straight line distance from the school will be taken into account, with those living nearer the school having a higher priority. All straight line distances are calculated electronically by the LA using data provided jointly by the Post Office and Ordnance Survey. The data plots the co-ordinates of each property and provides the address-point between which straight line distance is measured and reported to three decimal places. In the unlikely event of two applicants with an identical distance competing for a single place at a school the place will be offered to one applicant on the basis of lots drawn by an officer of the County Council not involved in admissions.
Notes:
- The acceptance of a child into the School does not automatically guarantee a place for brothers and sisters – e.g. admission to Reception class does not automatically gain admission to other years for other siblings.
- In applying for a place at the School the Governors assume that you will support the Catholic ethos of the School, the teachings of the Church, and School policies from time to time in force.
- Parents will be informed of the result of their application by the LA.
- Parents whose application has been unsuccessful have the right of appeal. Details of this are available from the School.
- The medical conditions of children may have priority at the Governors’ discretion – with due regard to the efficient running of the School, that is, the efficient education of the children in a given year group and the efficient use of School resources. Evidence of medical considerations must be presented at the point of application.
Waiting List
The School will maintain a waiting list for all year groups should applications be received after a year group has reached its published admission number (PAN) of 45. The school regularly contacts parents on the waiting list to check if the place is still required and the list is reviewed annually in accordance with the admissions criteria.
Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs
If our school is named on your child’s Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan their admission is dealt with by a completely separate procedure giving your child a place at the school regardless of the Admissions Criteria. Details of this separate procedure are set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Please contact the school for further advice or the Parent Partnership Service. Information for parents about the Essex Parent Partnership Service can be found on the main Essex County Council website. Email: parentpartnership@essex.gov.uk Telephone: 01245 436036
Looked after Children
A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after, became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).
Timing of Admission
As required by law, this school provides for the full-time admission of all children offered a place in the reception year group from the September following their fourth birthday.
Parents can request that the date their child is admitted to the school is deferred until later in the school year or until the child reaches compulsory school age in the school year. Where entry is deferred, the school will hold the place for that child and not offer it to another child. The parent would not however be able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the academic year for which the original application was accepted.
Parents can also request that their child attends part-time until the child reaches compulsory school age. For parents opting to take up a part time place this would be mornings only. Where parents choose to defer entry, the school may reasonably expect that the child would start at the beginning of a new school term/half term.
https://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Admissions/Pages/Admissions.aspx
For queries regarding Admission please contact Mrs Carole Philpot or Mrs Stacey Warner at the School by telephoning 01255 425344.
Mid Year or In Year Admissions
Applications for school places outside the normal admissions round
All mid-year applications should be made directly to the school, using the mid-year application form available below. Mid-year applications (sometimes called in-year applications) are any application for a school place made to a year group, apart from September admissions to Reception (primary and infant schools).
For applications into existing year groups, a place will be offered according to published admission criteria and waiting list when the number of pupils in the relevant year group is below the admission number for that year group.
Please note: if a mid-year application is received during a school holiday period, we will respond as soon as possible when the school reopens.
For any questions regarding admission to our school, please call and speak to Mrs Philpot, our Admissions Officer on 01255 560171, or she can be contacted on carole@st-clares.essex.sch.uk.