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WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC PRIMARY
SCHOOL
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 2011/2012
 As
a Catholic school, we aim to provide a Catholic education
for all our pupils. At a Catholic school, Catholic doctrine
and practice permeate every aspect of the school’s
activity. It is essential that the Catholic character of
the school’s education is fully supported by all families in
the school. All applicants are therefore expected to give
their full, unreserved and positive support for the aims and
ethos of the school.
The
governing body has responsibility for admissions to this
school and intends to admit 30 pupils to the reception class
in the school year which begins in September 2011.
Oversubscription criteria
Where there are more applications than the number of places
available, places will be offered to the following in order
of priority.
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1. |
Catholic Looked after children. |
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2. |
Baptised Catholic children from practising Catholic
families who are resident in the parishes of the
Holy Apostles and Westminster Cathedral. |
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3. |
Other baptised Catholic children from practising
Catholic families who live outside the parishes of
the Holy Apostles and Westminster Cathedral. |
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4. |
Other baptised Catholic children. |
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5. |
Other looked after children. |
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6. |
Christians of other denominations whose parents wish
them to have a catholic education whose application
is supported by a minister of religion. |
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7. |
Children of other faiths whose parents wish them to
have a Catholic Education the school whose
application is supported by a religious leader.
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8. |
Any other applications. |
Where the offer of places to all the applicants in any of
the categories listed above would lead to oversubscription
the following provisions will be applied.
The
attendance of a siblings brothers and sisters, step brothers
and sisters, half brothers and sisters or adopted brothers
and sisters at the school at the time of enrolment will
increase the priority of an application within each
category.
Within a category, the governing body will give top priority
to an application where the child has documented social
and/or medical reasons for an appropriate professional (e.g.
doctor or social worker) specifying why Westminster
Cathedral is the most suitable school and the difficulties
that would be caused if the child had to attend another
school.
Tie
Break
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 living nearest the school. This will be
determined using Westminster LEA software The Admissions
Department at Westminster Local Education Authority have
provided the following explanation of how the software
measures the distance from home to school. “The home to
school walking distance is that measured by the geographical
information function embedded in the Local Authority’s
dedicated admissions software. This accurately measures the
shortest walking distance from the centre of the applicant’s
home address to the school gate using the existing road
network. The distance measured for this purpose, uses only
routes ordinarily accessible by road traffic but not
footpaths or pedestrianised areas.”) Where the
admission of children from multiple births would lead to
exceeding the Published Admissions Number of 30. "In the
case of twins or other multiple applications from one family
where there is only one remaining place, the offer will be
made by random allocation i.e. lottery. This will take
place in the presence of an independent witness." Where
distance is used as a tie breaker, and where it is necessary
to differentiate between applicants living in the same block
of flats and eligible for the remaining place/s, priority
will be given to applicants by ascending flat numerical
order.
Waiting Lists
In
addition to their right of appeal, unsuccessful candidates
will be offered the opportunity to be placed on a waiting
list. This waiting list will be maintained in order of the
oversubscription criteria set out above and not in the order
in which applications are received or added to the list.
Children are kept on the list for the duration of their
primary school career.
Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs
The
admission of pupils with a statement of Special Educational
Needs is dealt with by a completely separate procedure. This
procedure is integral to the making and maintaining
statements by the pupils home Local Education Authority. A
detail of this separate procedure is set out in the Special
Educational Needs Code of Practice.
Notes (these notes form part of the oversubscription
criteria).
“Looked after child” has the same meaning as in Section 22
of the Children Act 1989, and means any child in the care of
a local authority or provided with accommodation by them
(e.g. children with foster parents )
“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 certification
of baptism in a Catholic church or a certificate of
reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
‘Practising Catholic’ means a Catholic child from a
practising Catholic family where this practice is verified
by a reference from a Catholic priest in the standard format
laid down by the Diocese.
To
demonstrate an exceptional social, medical or pastoral need
of the child which can be most appropriately met at this
school, the governing body will require written evidence
from an appropriate professional, such as a social worker,
doctor or priest.
Appeals Procedure
Parents who are unsuccessful in securing a place for their
child have the right of appeal.
In the first instance they should write to the Chair of
Govern ors, within 21 days. If the matter cannot be
resolved, then parents will be advised of their right of
appeal under the 1998 School Standards and Framework Act.
The school follows the procedure laid down by the
Westminster Diocese in such circumstances.
Applications to Westminster Cathedral Catholic Primary
School, 2011-2012
As
from 2006 admission to all maintained primary schools in
Westminster are co-ordinated by the City of Westminster
Local Education Authority.
If
you do not complete both the CAF
(Common Application Form)
and the SIF (Supplementary Information Form) and return them
by the closing date, the governing body may be unable to
consider your application fully and it is very unlikely that
your child will get a place at Westminster Cathedral
Catholic Primary School.
The
Westminster Common Application Form (CAF), naming
Westminster Cathedral Catholic Primary School as one
preference. On this form applicants will be able to apply
for up to six maintained primary schools within Westminster
in order of preference.
This form must be returned to:-
The
School Admissions Team,
1st Floor
215 Lisson Grove
NW8 8LF
Applicants living outside the borough of Westminster must
apply to their own local authority naming Westminster
Cathedral Primary School as a preference.
A Westminster Cathedral Catholic Primary School
supplementary form, which will enable the Governors to
gather information to assess commitment to the Roman
Catholic Church.
This form must be returned to :-
The Admissions Officer,
Westminster Cathedral Catholic Primary School,
Bessborough Place,
Pimlico,
London, SW1 3SE.
The
child’s proof of date of birth and baptism certificate
together with proof of residence (a Council Tax Bill, a
Rental Agreement, utility bill or proof of home ownership)
must be submitted with this form.
The
closing date for applications is 15th January
2011.
Both the Westminster Common Application Form and the
school’s supplementary form must be received by that date.
Offer of places
Parents will be notified of the result of their application
on 4th April 2011.
Deferred Entry
It is now possible for you to defer entry to school until
statutory age. i.e. the first day of term following the
child’s fifth birthday. Application is made in the usual
way and then the deferment may be requested. The place will
then be held until the first day of spring or summer term.
Entry may not be deferred beyond statutory school age or
beyond the year of application. Parents of children with
birthdays in the summer term who want to defer, will need to
apply for a Year 1 place for the following September and if
the school is oversubscribed they are very unlikely to
obtain a place.
In-Year Admissions
Applications for In-Year admissions are made in the same way
as those made during the normal admissions round.
Where there is no waiting list the local authority will be
notified and the child will be admitted. If more
applications are received than there are places available
then applications will be ranked by the governing body in
accordance with the oversubscription criteria, [with the
following modifications: Catholic children without an offer
of a school place elsewhere are given priority immediately
after Catholic ‘looked-after’ children; similarly, other
children without an offer of a school place are given
priority immediately after other ‘looked-after’ children].
If a place cannot be offered at this time then you may ask
us for the reasons and you will be informed of your right of
appeal. You will be offered the opportunity of being placed
on a waiting list. This waiting list will be maintained by
the governing body in the order of the oversubscription
criteria [as modified above] and not in the order in which
the applications are received. Names are removed from the
list at the end of each academic year. When a place becomes
available the governing body will decide who is at the top
of the list so that the LEA can inform the parent that the
school is making an offer.
Fair Access Protocols
The school is committed to taking its fair share of children
who are vulnerable and/or hard to place, as set out in
locally agreed protocols. Accordingly, outside the normal
admissions round the governing body is empowered to give
absolute priority to a child where admission is requested
under any local protocol that has been agreed by both the
Diocese and the governing body for the current school year.
The governing body has this power even when admitting the
child would mean exceeding the published admission number.
Click
here to download a copy of the Pre Admission
form*.
Click
here to download the Supplementary form for
Admission*. Click below
to download reference forms:*
Priest's reference: Guidance notes for parents
Part A:
your self-assessment
Part B:
Priest’s reference
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