St James'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 and previously looked after children — Catholic looked after children or Catholic previously looked after children (including Catholic children adopted from state care outside of England).
2. 2Siblings (within faith category) — Catholic children with a sibling at St James's School, including the George Tancred Centre, at the time of admission.
3. 3Children of staff (within faith category) — Catholic children of a member of staff at the school who has been employed at the school for two or more consecutive years at the time of admission.
4. 4Faith / foundation places — Catholic children resident in the parishes of St Margaret and St Theodore, in accordance with the following quota (these quotas include children offered places under oversubscription criteria (1), (2)and (3) above) St Theodore - 15 places St Margaret - 15 places This criterion is not applicable to in-year applications.
5. 5Faith / foundation places — Catholic children resident in any of the four parishes of St James (Twickenham), St Francis de Sales (Hampton Hill), St Margaret (East Twickenham), and St Theodore (Hampton).
6. 6Faith / foundation places — Catholic children outside the four parishes listed under criterion 5.
7. 7Looked after and previously looked after children — Non-Catholic looked after children and previously looked after children (including children adopted from state care outside of England). Children with a sibling at St James’s school at the time of admission will be given priority.
8. 8Faith / foundation places — Catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church.
9. 9Siblings (within faith category) — Non-Catholic children with a sibling at St James's School, including the George Tancred Centre, at the time of admission.
10. 10Children of staff (within faith category) — Non-Catholic children of a member of staff at the school who has been employed at the school for two or more consecutive years at the time of admission.
11. 11Faith / foundation places — Children of other Christian denominations whose application is supported either by a certificate of baptism or by a letter from their Minister of Religion confirming membership of the faith community.
12. 12Any other children — Children of any other faith or no faith

Summary of the school's oversubscription criteria for 2027/28 entry as printed by Achieving for Children in Richmond's schools brochure 2027 (the governing body/trust is responsible for the wording; read the full determined policy on the school's website). The published admission number for the Reception class at St James’s is 90. These 90 places are made up of 87 foundation places and three open places. If the open places are not filled, they revert back to foundation places. Where a child is allocated a place under category (8) to (12), siblings of that child will not be offered a place under category (2) but will be offered a place under category (9). Within each of the categories listed above, the following provisions will be applied where evidence is provided at the time of application of an exceptional social, medical or pastoral need of the child which can most appropriately be met at this school, the application will be placed at the top of the category in which the application is made Each year, three open places will be held from the 90 available, for the admission of siblings of the George Tancred Centre children who would not otherwise receive an offer of a place at the school under our normal oversubscription criteria. Any unused places will revert to the Foundation allocation. If more than three applications are received then offers will be made under the tie break provisions set out below. In the case of in-year applications the published admission number (PAN) of 90 will not be exceeded by the offer of an open place. An open place can only be offered for an in-year application if a space becomes available and the three open places have not previously been allocated. Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any of the sub-categories listed above would still lead to oversubscription, the places up to the admission number will be offered to those resident nearest to the school. This will be measured by home to school distance using routes by road or maintained footpath, with the starting point being the child’s home address and the end point being the nearest pedestrian school gate. Distances will be measured using the School Admissions’ computerised geographical information system. Further information on measuring home to school distances can be found in the ‘Admissions to Richmond primary schools’ brochure. If two applicants live the same distance from the school, random selection by the drawing of lots is used as a final tie-breaker. This will be carried out by a local authority officer in the presence of an independent witness. The child’s home address will be verified according to procedures outlined in the ‘Admission to Richmond Primary Schools’ brochure. Sibling means brother or sister, to include adopted brothers and sisters, half, step or foster brothers and sisters. A sibling relationship does not apply when the older child will leave before the younger one starts. The supplementary form to apply for denominational priority is available on the school website.

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.