St Mary's Catholic School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Catholic Looked After/adopted children — Catholic Looked After Children and children who have been in care outside of England, Catholic children who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders, or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after.
2. 2Baptised Catholic with sibling — Baptised Catholic applicants who have provided a Certificate of Catholic Baptism or of reception into the Catholic Church and who have a sibling who attends the school at the time of application.
3. 3Baptised Catholic children of staff — Baptised Catholic children of staff who have been in employment at the school for 2 years at the time of application, or 1 year if there is a demonstrable and acknowledged skill shortage. The child must live at the same address as the member of staff.
4. 4Baptised Catholic child, no sibling, by designated area proportions — A Baptised Catholic child with no sibling connection, in the following proportions: 45% of the remaining places to those living in the Catholic Parish of Bishop’s Stortford which consists of the six Civil Parishes of Bishop’s Stortford, Thorley, Little Hadham, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, and High Wych. 40% of the remaining places to those living in other parts of the Lea Valley Deanery. 15% of the remaining places to those living in the Catholic parishes that are based in Dunmow, Bardfield and Thaxted, Saffron Walden and Stansted. If any of the three designated areas is under-subscribed, the places will be redistributed among the designated areas in the relative proportions above, before any offers are made to applicants in Criterion 5.
5. 5Any other Baptised Catholic applicant — Any other Baptised Catholic applicant.
6. 6Other Looked After/adopted children (non-Catholic) — Any other ‘Looked After’ Children, children who have been in care outside of England, and non-Catholic children who have been adopted (or made subject to child arrangements orders, or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after.
7. 7Catechumen or Eastern Christian Church — Any applicant who is a catechumen or a baptised member of an Eastern Christian Church.
8. 8Non-Catholic children of staff — Any non-Catholic children of staff who have been in employment at the school for 2 years at the time of application, or 1 year if there is a demonstrable and acknowledged skill shortage. The child must live at the same address as the member of staff.
9. 9Non-Catholic applicant with sibling — Any other non-Catholic applicant with a sibling who attends the school.
10. 10Christian of another denomination — Any applicant who is a Christian of another Christian denomination. Evidence of belonging is simply provided either by a certificate of baptism or by a signed letter from the relevant Minister confirming the child belongs to that church.
11. 11Any other applicant — Any other applicant.

If two applications tie: In cases where there are more applicants in any criterion than there are places available, the places will be offered to those living nearest the school, as measured using the home-school measurement system used by Hertfordshire County Council as outlined in the County’s admission arrangements and application literature for 2027 (see note h), subject to the proportional distribution in Criterion 4 among the three designated areas. If one sibling from a multiple birth gains a place, the other(s) will be admitted automatically, even if this means the published admission number will be exceeded. Similarly, if two children were eligible for the last place and they lived the same distance from the school, both would be admitted. In the case of a number of addresses in a block with the same geographical reference, priority will be given to those nearest to the main entrance of the block.

PAN of 186 stated for Year 7 entry in September 2027. Document also contains a separate Sixth Form (Year 12 external admissions) policy with its own criteria and at least 20 external places, not requested here as entry_point is Year 7 per this school's primary determined arrangements; Sixth Form arrangements are a distinct policy within the same document.

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.