Admissions
We are delighted that you are considering sending your child to St. Mary's. The full, formal admission arrangements are contained in the Admissions Policy document.
School Admissions Website
Admission to Reception classMost children start Primary School in the September after their 4th birthday. You will need to apply online via the Lancashire admissions website - www.lancashire.gov.uk/schools - by the middle of January that year. The website can also be reached by clicking on the link at the top of this page. When choosing your child's school, you will be asked to state three preferences. You will be informed of the school in which your child has been allocated a place in mid-April. |
Mid-year AdmissionsThere are a number of reasons why children may come to us at other times than at the start of the Reception Class. If you are interested in your child joining us, please telephone, in the first instance, to ascertain whether there is a space in the appropriate year group. If there is, we would warmly invite you to come into school for a visit and our Headteacher, Mrs Birchall, will be only too pleased to show you round. If you decide to take the place, we will arrange for your child to begin school at your earliest convenience. |
Admissions process for September starters
Admissions - allocation of places
The school itself has no input as to who is awarded a place. This is decided by the LEA. Our maximum admission number each year is 30. If there are no more than 30 children putting St. Mary's as their first choice, then all 30 will be allocated a place at our school. Should there be more then 30 first place applications, then the LEA will allocate places according to the school's Admissions Criteria. Please see our Admissions Policy for more details on these criteria. In the last three years, all applicants who put St. Mary's as first choice were successful in being awarded a place at our school.
Arrangements for starting school
Once your child is allocated a place at St.Mary's, we will be in touch with you. You will be invited into school for a parents' meeting; our Reception Class staff will visit you and your child in your home setting on a Home Visit; and your child will be invited into school several times during the summer term so as to familiarise themselves with the Reception classroom, the staff and, indeed, the school itself. This whole induction process ensures that your child will be well and truly ready to start 'big school' on that first day in September. If we have any tears, it's usually from the parents!
(Please note : our arrangements may have to change owing to Covid restrictions but we will still do all we can to ensure that your child's transition into school is a smooth and happy one.)