St Margaret's CofE (VC) Junior School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 3), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Children in care and children who ceased to be in care — Children in care and children who ceased to be in care because they were adopted (or became subject to a child arrangements order or special guardianship order), including those children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted see additional note * below.
2. 2Exceptional medical or social circumstances — Children whose current exceptional circumstances satisfy both of the following tests: Test 1: the child is distinguished from the great majority of other applicants either on their own medical grounds which requires regular and sustained medical treatment or by other extreme exceptional circumstances. Medical grounds must be supported by a medical report (obtained by the applicant and provided at the point of application). This report must clearly justify, for health reasons only, why it is better for the child’s health to attend the preferred school rather than any other school. Exceptional circumstances must relate and be relevant to the preferred school and the individual child, i.e. the exceptional circumstances of the child, not the economic or social circumstances of the parent/carer. They should be supported by a recent professional’s report (obtained by the applicant and provided when the application is submitted), e.g. social worker. This report must clearly explain why the child’s circumstances are exceptional and why it is considered best that they attend the preferred school rather than any other school. and Test 2: the child will suffer hardship if they were unable to attend the preferred school rather than any other school. Hardship means severe suffering of any kind, not merely difficulty, inconvenience or mild to moderate emotional distress, which is likely to be experienced as a result of the child attending a different school. Applicants must provide detailed information (which may be included within the professional’s report) detailing both the type and severity of any likely hardship at the time of application.
3. 3Sibling at the school (or affiliated junior school) — Children who have an elder sibling in attendance at the preferred school (or in the case of an infants school, the affiliated junior school) and who will still be attending the school at the proposed admission date; (For the application to be prioritised under this criteria the children must be living at the same home address for the majority of the school week and either: have one or both natural parents in common; are related by a parents marriage; are adopted or fostered by a common parent or are unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners.)
4. 4Home address within the catchment area of the school — Children whose home address is located within the catchment area of the preferred school. see additional notes and ** below
5. 5Church attendance (voluntary controlled church schools only) — Children whose parents regularly attend a Church of England church, or a church in communion with the Church of England, or of a church which is affiliated to the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or the Evangelical Alliance. Evidence of such attendance will be required in the form of a letter from a minister of the churches concerned (Only certain voluntary controlled schools use this criterion, see additional notes *** below). Regular attendance is defined as attendance at a church service (or an explicitly defined church activity) on a Sunday or weekday on at least two occasions per month for at least two years. In the event that during the period specified for attendance at worship the church has been closed for public worship and has not provided alternative premises for that worship, or the person has been unable to partake in such activities due to health restrictions, the requirement in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church or alternative premises have been available for public worship and/or the person was able to partake in such activities
6. 6Proximity to the main gate of the school — Other children arranged in order of priority according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of the school, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the local authority’s geographical information system. see additional notes **** below

If two applications tie: Other children arranged in order of priority according to how near their home addresses are to the main gate of the school, determined by a straight-line measurement as calculated by the local authority’s geographical information system. see additional notes **** below

Staffordshire County Council is the admission authority for this school. Determined admission arrangements for the 2027-28 academic year, first, infant, junior, primary and middle schools (Year 3 entry). Criterion 4 is a CATCHMENT AREA criterion: catchment maps are published by the council (www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Education/Admissions-primary/Catchment-areas.aspx). This school is one of the voluntary controlled schools named in the arrangements as using the church-attendance criterion. Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted first; this is not an oversubscription criterion.

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.