The St. Mary's CofE Primary School

When there are more applications than places for 2026-27 (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 — Looked after children (LAC), all previously looked after children (PLAC), including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England (IAPLAC ), and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted, or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order, as defined by the Children Act 1989.
2. 2Medical or exceptional circumstances with hardship — Children who 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 or by other exceptional circumstances. ... and Test 2: the child would suffer hardship if they were unable to attend the preferred school.
3. 3Children living within the catchment area — Children living within the catchment area.
4. 4Children with an elder sibling at the 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 admission purposes, a brother or sister is a child who lives at the same address and either: has one or both natural parents in common; is related by a parents marriage; is adopted or fostered by a common parent or has unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners.)
5. 5Regular attendance at Church of England or affiliated church — 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.
6. 6Regular attendance at other Christian place of worship — Children who regularly attend a place of Christian worship other than the Church of England. 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.
7. 7Other children by distance to 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 Trust’s Geographical Information System.

If two applications tie: Where it is not possible to accommodate all children applying for places within a particular category then the Trust will allocate the available places through random selection.

In accordance with legislation, children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names a particular school as being the most appropriate to meet the child's needs must be admitted to that school; this reduces places available to other applicants (EHCP admission sits above the oversubscription criteria). Document notes only certain Voluntary Controlled Schools use criteria 5 and 6. CATCHMENT: Children living within the catchment area. Transcribed from the school's own determined admission arrangements as published by Staffordshire County Council. Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted first; that is a statutory duty, 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.