St Brendan's Catholic 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 children and all previously looked after children
2. 2Catholic children with a Certificate of Catholic Practice who have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission.
3. 3Catholic children with a Certificate of Catholic Practice.
4. 4Catholic children who have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission
5. 5Catholic children for whom the school is the nearest Catholic school.
6. 6Other Catholic children.
7. 7Children of staff who have either: • been employed at the school for two or more years at the time the application for admission to that school is made or • the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
8. 8Siblings of other children whose siblings will be in attendance at the date of admission.
9. 9Children from other Christian denominations whose parents wish them to receive a Christian education whose application is supported by a Christian minister.
10. 10Children of other faiths whose membership is evidenced by a minister of religion or other religious leader.
11. 11Any other children. In the event that any criterion is over-subscribed, priority will be given to applicants in order of geographical proximity to the school (priority being given to the children who live closer to the school). Distances are measured on a straight-line basis from the child’s home address to the address point of the school using the local authority’s geographical measuring system.

If two applications tie: If two or more applications cannot otherwise be separated and there is only one place available, a random allocation process will be used to determine who should be allocated the place.

Additional documentation is required by the school if you would like your child to be considered under any of the Faith criteria. Please see details below and ensure appropriate documentation is returned to the school by 15 January 2027. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming the school will first be admitted according to the regulations and the policy of the Local Authority. Definitions ‘Catholic’ means a member of a Church in full communion with the See of Rome. This includes the Eastern Catholic Churches. This will normally be evidenced by a certificate of baptism in a Catholic Church or a certificate of reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church. For the purposes of this policy, it includes a looked after child living with a family where at least one of the parents is Catholic. For a child to be treated as Catholic, evidence of baptism or reception into the Church will be required. Those who have difficulty obtaining written evidence of baptism should contact their Parish Priest who, after consulting with the Diocese, will decide how the question of baptism is to be resolved and how written evidence is to be produced in accordance with the laws of the Church. ’Certificate of Catholic Practice’ means a certificate issued by the family’s parish priest (or the priest in charge of the church where the family attends Mass) in the form laid down by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It will be issued if the priest is satisfied that at least one Catholic parent or carer (along with the child, if he or she is over seven years old) have (except when it was impossible to do so) attended Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation for at least five years (or, in the case of a child, since the age of seven, if shorter). It will also be issued when the practice has been continuous since being received into the Church if that occurred less than five years ago. It is expected that most Certificates will be issued on the basis of attendance. A Certificate may also be issued by the priest when attendance is interrupted by exceptional circumstances which excuse from the obligation to attend on that occasion or occasions. “children of other Christian denominations” means children who belong to other churches and ecclesial communities which, acknowledge God’s revelation in Christ, confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures, and, in obedience to God’s will and in the power of the Holy Spirit commit themselves: to seek a deepening of their communion with Christ and with one another in the Church, which is his body; and to fulfil their mission to proclaim the Gospel by common witness and service in the world to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. An ecclesial community which on principle has no credal statements in its tradition, is included if it manifests faith in Christ as witnessed to in the Scriptures and is committed to working in the spirit of the above. All members of Churches Together in England and CYTÛN are deemed to be included in the above definition, as are all other churches and ecclesial communities that are in membership of any local Churches Together Group (by whatever title) on the above basis. “children of other faiths” means children who are members of a religious community that does not fall within the definition of ‘other Christian denominations’ at 7 above and which falls within the definition of a religion for the purposes of charity law. The Charities Act 2011 defines religion to include: • A religion which involves belief in more than one God, and • A religion which does not involve belief in a God. Case law has identified certain characteristics which describe the meaning of religion for the purposes of charity law, which are characterised by a belief in a supreme being and an expression of belief in that supreme being through worship. ‘brother or sister’ includes: all natural brothers or sisters, half brothers or sisters, adopted brothers or sisters, stepbrothers or sisters, foster brothers or sisters, whether or not they are living at the same address; and the child of a parent’s partner where that child for whom the school place is sought lives for at least part of the week in the same family unit at the same home address as the child who is the subject of the application. A child’s “home address” refers to th

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.