Admission priority order
If the number of preferences for a school is above the number of places available, places will be offered in the following priority order:
- Looked-after Catholic children – You’ll need to provide evidence of baptism. Catholics include members of the Ordinariate and the Latin and Oriental Rite Churches that are in union with the Bishop of Rome
- Baptised Catholic children – You’ll need to provide evidence of baptism. Catholics include members of the Ordinariate and the Latin and Oriental Rite Churches that are in union with the Bishop of Rome.
- Children enrolled in the Catechumenate – This means preparing to become Catholics, and you’ll need to provide evidence.
- Other looked-after children
- Children baptised or dedicated into other Christian denominations, Churches affiliated to or represented at “Churches Together in England” You’ll need to provide evidence.
- Children who are members of other faiths, whose parents want them to have a Christian education, this should be supported by a letter and evidence of their faith.
- Any other children
Other priorities used if the above categories exceed available places
If the applications in any of the above categories exceed the places available we will also consider:
1. Brothers or sisters at the school
Children with a sibling at the named school at the time of admission have priority. This includes natural, adopted, foster and step siblings. Extended family such as cousins living in the same house do not get priority.
If the older sibling is in Year 6 when you apply, the link cannot be considered as they will not be in the school when the younger child would start in September.
2. School suitability based on social, pastoral and medical needs
This will only apply for St Benedict's Catholic Primary School, St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School and St William of Perth Catholic Primary School.
Social, pastoral and medical needs make the school more suitable for the child will get a priority. You’ll need to provide evidence by an appropriate professional such as a qualified medical practitioner, education welfare officer, social worker or priest.
3. Children of teaching staff
Children of teaching staff can get priority if they are staff employed for a minimum of 20 hours a week and have been employed for at least two years at the time of applying.
4. Closeness to the school
The distance calculated is the shortest route between the child’s home and school using the roads and footpaths known by the mapping service we use, Medway Geographical Information Software (GIS).
The start point is the central point of the nearest road or footpath. This may not always be the postal address road if an alternative road or footpath is actually nearer to the location tag of the property.
The end point is either a pre-defined point in the school or centre point within the school site. The same end point is used for all distance calculations to the school.
The distance calculated for routes and footpaths is the shortest possible route known to the Medway GIS using the centre point of the streets known by other available routes. Not all footpaths, cut-throughs, shortcuts and new roads are known to the GIS system. If it is not known, a different route will be used.
If a child’s home is on a new road, the distance calculation will begin from the nearest road known in the GIS. This may apply to new property developments.
It may not always be possible to calculate distance if the whole route is considered a walking route. In these cases, the distance calculated is only used to prioritise an application for admission and children are there is no expectation for that walk to be taken.
Equal eligibility for a place
If two or more children are all equal priority for the last available school place, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide what child will get the place.
Definitions and notes of priority places
Looked-after children are children in the care of a local authority or are housed by a local authority as part of the authority’s social services at the time of making the application for a school.
Previously looked-after children are children who were looked after but now are not due to adoption, a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order.
We may ask for a copy of the adoption or residence order as proof of the look-after child status.
2. Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan
These admissions are dealt with using a different procedure. The procedure is an important part of making and maintaining statements and EHC plans by the pupil’s local authority.