Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Reception), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Looked after / previously looked after children — Children who are looked after by the local authority, i.e. children with either a care order (full or interim) or who are accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989. 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 copy of the adoption order, residence order or special guardianship order and a confirmation letter from the LA that last looked after the child should be provided with the application.
2. 2Child Protection/Child in Need order requiring specific school — Where a Child Protection Order or Child in Need document identifies that there is a need for the child to be educated in a school closest to home or in an identified particular school/setting for their own safety.
3. 3Vulnerable children (medical/social need/young carer) — Vulnerable children with a physical, medical or social need. Medical need means where written evidence has been provided from a senior clinical medical officer or the child’s GP/specialist showing that the child’s condition would make it detrimental to the child’s health not to admit him/her to the school. Social Need means where the child is of confirmed refugee status. Written evidence of this from the LA must be submitted with the Supplemental Information Form and sent to the school on or before 15 January 2027 for the primary schools. Registered Young Carer. Where a child is a registered young carer and it would be detrimental for the child to attend a different school. This must be supported by evidence of the child as a young carer.
4. 4Sibling in catchment — Children living within the school’s catchment area who will have a sibling*(s) attending the school at the time of admission.
5. 5Sibling outside catchment — Children living outside the school’s catchment area who will have a sibling(s) attending the school at the time of admission.
6. 6Catchment area — Children living within the school’s catchment area.
7. 7Feeder school (outside catchment) — Children living outside the school’s catchment area and who were attending one of the preferred school’s recognised maintained feeder* schools or on-site Foundation Unit during the previous year.
8. 8Children of staff — Children of staff with at least two years continuous service at the school or who have been recruited to a vacancy to meet a demonstrable skills shortage as at the date of application (in year) or relevant closing date under the LA co-ordinated scheme (normal year of entry) and who still intend to be employed at the school at the time of the child's admission.
9. 9Faith (regular churchgoers, outside catchment) — Burton Bradstock CE Primary School and St Mary’s CE Primary School will consider applications for children living outside the catchment area who are regularly (at least once a month for 12 months prior to application) practising Christians of whatever denomination at a recognised church or religious group, i.e. a member of Churches together in Britain and Ireland (see ctbi.org.uk); the Evangelical Alliance (see eauk.org); the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (see www.fiec.org.uk); Affinity Fellowship of Churches (see www.affinity.org.uk). In the event that during the period specified for attendance at worship the church [or, in relation to those of other faiths, relevant place of worship] has been closed for public worship and has not provided alternative premises for that worship, the requirements of these [admissions] arrangements in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church or alternative premises have been available for public worship.
10. 10All other children outside catchment — All other children living outside the school’s catchment area.

If two applications tie: If oversubscribed within any of the priority order categories above, places will be allocated based on the shortest straight-line measurement using a geographical information-based system which identifies an Easting and Northing for the home address and the school building and calculates the distance between the two locations.

Faith criterion requires a completed Supplementary Information Form (Appendix 1) confirming regular monthly church attendance for 12 months, signed by a vicar/priest/minister/pastor/church warden, submitted directly to the school office by 15 January 2027 for Reception applications alongside the LA common application form.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.