St Oscar Romero Catholic School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Catholic LAC / previously LAC — Catholic looked after children or previously looked after children.
2. 2Catholic, exceptional/compelling need — Catholic children who are considered to have an exceptional or compelling need, supported by written evidence.
3. 3Catholic, sibling — Catholic children with a brother or sister at the school at the time of admission. Requires a certificate of Catholic baptism or reception into the Catholic Church.
4. 4Catholic, named feeder school — Catholic children currently attending one of the named feeder schools. Requires a certificate of Catholic baptism or reception into the Catholic Church.
5. 5Catholic, other — Catholic children who are not attending one of the named feeder schools. Requires a certificate of Catholic baptism or reception into the Catholic Church.
6. 6Other LAC / previously LAC — Other looked after children or previously looked after children (not Catholic).
7. 7Catechumens, Candidates, Orthodox Church — Catechumens, Candidates for Reception into the Church, and children who are members of an Orthodox Church. Evidence of catechumenate/candidacy required by letter from the appropriate priest; Orthodox Church applications require a baptism certificate or letter confirming membership signed by the appropriate priest.
8. 8Other, sibling — Other children with a brother or sister at the school at the time of admission.
9. 9Other, exceptional/compelling need — Other children who are considered to have an exceptional or compelling need, supported by written evidence.
10. 10Children of staff — Children of staff, either a permanent member of staff employed at the school for at least two years at the time of application, or a member of staff recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
11. 11Other, named feeder school — Other children currently attending one of the named feeder schools.
12. 12Other Christian denominations — Children of other Christian denominations whose membership is evidenced by a minister of religion (certificate of baptism or letter confirming membership, signed by the minister).
13. 13Other faiths — Children of other faiths whose membership is evidenced by a religious leader (letter confirming membership, signed by the faith leader).
14. 14Any other children — Any other children.

If two applications tie: Final Tiebreaker: priority is given to children living closest to the school, determined by the shortest distance — measured in a straight line by the Local Authority's computerised measuring system from the child's home address to the school, using Ordnance Survey address point data. Where two or more children are equidistant and otherwise equally eligible, names are drawn randomly, supervised by a person independent of the school.

The school does not specify a particular catchment area within the oversubscription criteria; it was set up primarily to serve the Catholic community in the Worthing deanery (parishes of Worthing and Lancing, St Michael's Worthing, East Preston with Angmering, Goring-by-Sea, Littlehampton with Rustington and The Adur Valley). Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted first, ahead of the numbered criteria. Twins/multiple births are all admitted where one is the last child ranked within the PAN. The same oversubscription criteria also apply to in-year and later-year (Years 8-11) applications. Expected roll in September 2027 is 1200 across Main School and Sixth Form, but no separate Sixth Form oversubscription criteria are published in this document.

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.