Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic School

When there are more applications than places for 2025-26 (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 a Local Authority or who were previously looked after by a Local Authority.
2. 2Baptised Catholic children in catchment — Baptised Catholic children residing in the school’s catchment area which is the parishes of Merthyr Tydfl, Mary Immaculate Parish (St Margaret’s Primary school catchment), Abertillery & Brynmawr, Tredegar, Ebbw Vale and Rhymney, or who attend any of the following Primary schools: St Margaret’s, Aberdare St Mary’s, Brynmawr All Saints, Ebbw Vale St Joseph’s, Tredegar
3. 3Siblings — Siblings of children attending the school at the time the applicant would join the school.
4. 4Other baptised Catholic children — Other baptised Catholic children.
5. 5Children seeking Christian education — Other children whose parents seek a Christian education.
6. 6Other children — Other children.

If two applications tie: If the governors are unable to admit all applicants who fall into the lowest criterion a tie-breaker will be applied. In the case of all of the Primary sites, priority will be given to children living closest to the site, determined by the shortest walking distance from the applicant’s home address to the main entrance to the site. Distances are calculated by the local authority’s “mapping schools” system. In the case of the Secondary site, priority will be given to children living closest to the site, determined by the shortest distance from the front door of the applicant’s home to the Reception entrance in Phase 2. The Geographical Information System (GIS) will be used to calculate home to school distances in miles, while the shortest walking route will be calculated using Ordnance Survey (OS) customised route data from an applicant’s home to the nearest open school gate.

Confirmation of baptism (either certificate or letter from priest) is required for applications under 2 and 4. The admission number for the school is 193, split across the four separate sites as follows: Year 7 (Blessed Carlos Acutis site) 120; Reception (St Aloysius site) 18; Reception (St Illtyd’s site) 18; Reception (St Mary’s site) 28. Where there are more than 120 applications for year 7, and 73 in Reception, places will be allocated in accordance with the oversubscription criteria listed below. Late applications will be looked at after the applications received by the closing date have been considered. If the number of offers has reached the admission number in the first round, then all late applications will be considered and placed on the waiting list. Waiting list: Children not offered a place will be placed on a waiting list. The order of priority on the waiting list is the same as the list of criteria for over-subscription. No account is taken of the length of time on the waiting list. If offers of a place are refused then the place will be offered to the first child on the waiting list at that point in time. The waiting list will be maintained until 30 September. Right of appeal: When a child is refused a place at a school the governing body will write to the parent giving full details of why the application was refused. Parents have a right to appeal this decision. Parents wishing to appeal the decision must return the appeal form within 14 days of the receipt of the decision letter. The appeal will be heard by an independent appeal panel. Nursery admission: The total number of nursery places available is 66 full-time or 132 part-time split across 3 sites as follows: St Aloysius 20 full-time or 40 part-time; St Illtyd’s 20 full-time or 40 part-time; St Mary’s 26 full-time or 52 part-time. Nursery classes are non-denominational but priority in application for places will be given to: Children who are looked after by a local authority or who were previously looked after by a local authority. Children who have siblings already on roll at the School. Children who have attended the School’s pre-Nursery Group. Children residing in the catchment area. Other children. Attendance at nursery class will not guarantee a place in the School’s Reception class, where a separate application form must be submitted at the appropriate time. There is no right of appeal in relation to admission to the Nursery Class. Policy states it governs: This policy refers to admission in September 2025..

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.