Address:
Hadfield Street
Salford
M7 4XG
Telephone: 0161 921 2060
Email: stthomasofcanterbury.rcprimaryschool@salford.gov.uk
Headteacher: Mr D Deane
School type: Voluntary aided
Total number of places for nursery: 60
Total number of places for reception: 60
Total applications received by offer day for reception: 84
Breakdown of reception offers at offer day (17 April 2023): All applicants in categories 1-8 to a distance of 0.521 miles.
Total numbers of reception offers made (including alternative offers): 60
Total reception vacancies: 0
St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School is a Roman Catholic Primary School provided by the Diocese of Salford and is maintained by Salford Local Authority as a Voluntary Aided school. The school’s Governing Body is the Admissions Authority and is responsible for taking decisions on applications and admissions.
For the school year commencing September 2024, the Governing Body has set its planned admissions number at 60. Admission to the school will be made by the Governing Body in accordance with the stated preferences it receives, subject to the following set of criteria, which will be used to form a priority order if there are more applications for admission than the school has places available.
The governors will admit all children who have statements of special educational needs/education health and care plan in which the school is named. In the event of oversubscription for the remaining places they will be allocated by use of the following criteria applied in order.
In the course of allocating places for children within 1 to 8 of the above criteria, it is possible that the school’s admission number will be reached before all the children within that criterion have been allocated places. If that happens all of the children within that criterion (but not children in higher criteria whose places will be assured) will be ranked according to distance from the school. Priority is given to children who live nearest the school. The distance is measured along a straight line between the home address and the school. This exercise will be carried out by the LA using a computer package.
In the event of distances being the same for two or more applicants where this distance would be last place/s to be allocated, a random lottery will be carried out in a public place.
a. All applicants will be considered at the same time by the admissions committee after the closing date for admissions, which is 15 January 2024.
b. Each Roman Catholic applicant will be required to produce a baptismal certificate.
c. Parents/carers should check carefully whether they are within the parish boundary of the school concerned. A map illustrating the parish boundary may be available at the school.
d. It is the duty of the Governors to comply with class size limits at Key Stage One. This means that the school cannot operate classes of more than 30 in Key Stage One.
e. The term ‘brother or sister’ will be defined as a natural brother or sister, or step-brother or sister, or foster/adopted brother or sister who live in the same household and which is the child’s genuine main residence.
f. The Governing Body reserve the right to admit children proven with exceptional medical and social needs where admission to the school might best help satisfy those exceptional needs, providing that such application is submitted with appropriate evidence from a doctor or social worker.
g. If an applicant for admission has been turned down by the Governing Body, Parents/carers can appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. This appeal must be sent in writing to the Clerk to the Governors at the school within 20 days of notification of refusal.
h. A looked after child is a child who is i)in the care of the Local Authority or , ii) been provided with accommodation by a Local authority in the exercise of their Social Services functions under section 22(i) of the Children’s Act 1989. A previously Looked After Child is one who immediately moved on from that status after becoming subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order.
i. Where a family has shared responsibility for childcare a place will be offered on the address of the parent who has the majority of custody during school term
j) The school admissions waiting list will be ranked by admission criterion and not by date of receipt of application.
The admission authority provides for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. However, where a child has been offered a place at a school the child’s parents/carers can defer the date their child is admitted to the school until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age and not beyond the beginning of the final term of the school year for which it was made. Alternatively, where parents wish, children may attend part time until later in the school year but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age.
Parents wishing to take either of the above options should inform their allocated school as soon as a place is offered so that the appropriate arrangements can be made.
Parents may seek a place for their child outside of their normal age group, for example if the child is gifted and talented or has experienced problems such as ill health. Parents should contact the Headteacher in the first instance to discuss and application for admission outside of the normal age group.
In addition, parents of children born between 1 April and 31 August (summer born children) may choose not to send that child to school until the September following their fifth birthday and may request that they are admitted out of their normal age group – to reception rather than year 1 i.e. starting reception a year later than those in their age group. This request should be made to the school admissions team in writing giving reasons for the request. This should be done at the time the child would usually be expected to apply for a reception place.
The request will be considered in conjunction with the school and the parent, and the admission authority for the school will decide on whether the child should be offered delayed admission or not. The decision, and the reasons for it, will be communicated to the parent in writing. Where a child is offered a place at a school but not in the year group preferred there will be no right of appeal.
‘In year’ or 'non-routine' applications are applications received outside the normal admissions round and if places are available then children qualifying under the published criteria will be admitted. Applications to the school should be made to the School Admissions team. If there are places available but more applicants than places then the published oversubscription criteria will be applied.
The local authority runs a fair access protocol and where a child meets certain criteria their application may be considered under this protocol. Further information in year admissions.