Here are some common questions parents often ask in connection with admissions.
- Would it be possible for us to come and look round St Edmund’s RC Primary School before we apply for a place for our child?
Certainly – please visit our school, meet our Business Manager, Mrs Lomas, or our Early Years Leader, Mrs Demarchi, and our Headteacher, Mrs Kirwan, tour the school and generally find out more for yourself. Please phone the School Office for an appointment. You are about to make a most important family decision, and we believe it essential that you visit any school you are considering for your child. - How do I enter my child for admission to St Edmund’s RC Nursery
When you visit the school you will be given an information pack by Mrs Lomas our Business Manager and this will include an application form for our Nursery. Please complete the form and hand it into the School Office. This will place your child’s name and details on our Register of Applications for Admissions to Nursery. - How are places at the school decided?
In agreement with the School Governors, the Local Education Authority (LEA) have decided that St Edmund’s RC Primary School may admit up to 30 pupils into the Foundation Class during the current academic year.
Admissions Policy 2022-23 has full details for admissions for the academic year starting in September 2022.
Admissions Policy 2023-24 has full details for admissions for the academic year starting in September 2023.
Admissions Policy 2024-25 has full details for admissions for the academic year starting in September 2024. - A booklet, “Starting School” is available for collection in any Oxfordshire Primary and Infant Schools or from the Admissions Team in Oxfordshire County Council. You can apply for a school place on-line at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions or by using the form in the booklet. Parents of children attending nursery classes within a Primary School must apply for a place in the main school. Please remember that it is the responsibility of parents/carers to apply for a school place. You have the opportunity to list three different preferences for a school place and it is strongly advised that you use all three preferences. You can use this link to find the admissions criteria for all of the Oxfordshire primary schools to help you further in this decision. Once this is completed, please return it to: Admissions Team, Children, Young People and Families, County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND.
For applications for September 2022 please complete our Supplementary Information Form 2022-23
For applications for September 2023 please complete our Supplementary Information Form 2023-24
For applications for September 2024 please complete our Supplementary Information Form 2024-25
The Supplementary Information Form, and supporting Documentary Evidence, should be returned directly to the school office. - What happens if there are too many applications?
The LEA publish the criteria they apply to the allocation of places in an over-subscribed school. You will find these included in the booklet “Starting School” which is available online. - What dates should I be aware of?
Please check this link for dates: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/admissions-primary-infant-and-junior-schools
Select this link for FAQs: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/school-admissions-faqs
As this is only a guide, we highly recommend you read through your copy of the “Starting School” booklet. - Can I appeal if my child is not offered a place?
Yes – you have the right of appeal to a local appeals committee if your application for a place for your child is refused by the LEA. Details of how to do this will be sent at the time of notification of places. - When will my child start school?
Children are offered full time places in the September of the school year of their fifth birthday. - What happens before my child starts school?
Our aim is to make your child’s entry to the school as happy and confident as possible. You will be invited to an ice-breaker session followed by a talk from our Foundation team. Our Foundation Teacher will also visit you and your child in the home setting before they start school. - What happens if I move into the area, and I would like my child to attend St Edmund’s RC Primary School?
We are very happy to admit children into the school at any stage in their primary education if a place is available. We currently have a few places available in Year 2 & Key Stage 2. Please contact the School Office to make an appointment to meet our Business Manager Mrs Lomas and the Headteacher, Mrs Kirwan and tour our school – see the “Contact Us” link in the top navigation tool bar.
In-Year Applications An application can be made for a place for a child at any time outside the admission round and the child will be admitted where there are available places. An application should be made to the school by completing the in-year admissions application form and returning it along with the completed Supplementary Information Form to our School Business Manager, Mrs Caroline Lomas, at St Edmund’s RC Primary School, Radley Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3PP. Where there are places available but more applications than places, the published oversubscription criteria, as set out in the admission arrangements for the current academic year, will be applied. Please see Admissions Policy in point three above. Parents are advised to read the admission arrangements carefully before making their application. If there are no places available, the child will be added to the waiting list. Please see the admission arrangements for more details. You will be advised of the outcome of your application in writing as soon as possible. Applicants must be informed of the outcome of their application within 15 school days of receipt, but the aim is to notify applicants of the outcome of their application within 10 school days of receipt. You have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel if your application is unsuccessful. If you have any questions in relation to in-year admissions please contact our School Business Manager, Mrs Caroline Lomas, via the school office. You may also wish to discuss in-year applications with the local authority.
Further information regarding Oxfordshire school admissions can be found here.