The School is a voluntary aided co-educational day first school catering for children in the age range 3 to 9 years.
Our school is a Church Aided School - this means that the members of the Parish Church and the Diocese of Wakefield have contributed towards the building of the school and continue to pay towards its upkeep.
Decisions about admission to the school are made by the Governors - not the Local Education Authority or the Headteacher.
As the Church has invested in the school we feel it is right that the Admission Policy should reflect this. Our school is also a neighbourhood school, serving Gomersal within the Kirklees Education Authority, and this is also reflected in our policy.
The criteria for admission are set out below in order of priority. They are subject to notes (a) and (b) .
1. Children with a brother or sister attending the school at the proposed date of admission.
2. Children whose parents are regular worshipping members of St Mary's Parish Church, Gomersal and whose names are entered on the Church's Electoral Roll.
3. Children with Statements of Special Educational Need for whom this school is appropriate. (Parents applying under this category will have had discussions with both the Headteacher and the Local Education Authority Officers before applying).
4. Children who are resident in Gomersal Parish and whose parents are active, worshipping members of the Church of England, other than St Mary's, and whose names appear on the other church's Electoral Roll and children of parents who are active worshipping members of other Churches which accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
5. Children resident within the Priority Admission Area of the school.
6. Children resident within the ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary's, Gomersal.
7. Children resident outside the Parish.
(a) "Resident" refers to the child's permanent home at the proposed date of admission.
(b) Where the above criteria are not adequate to distinguish between requests for admission which cannot all be accepted without exceeding the Planned Admission Limit, priority will be decided on the basis of the distance from the school to home measured by the shortest safe walking route, those living nearest being given priority.
This information is published by the Governors of Gomersal St Mary's Church of England (Aided) First and Nursery School in accordance with the relevant sections of the Education Act (1980) and the Education (School Information) Regulations 1981.
Admission criteria may change from one year to the next.
Children attaining the age of five are normally admitted to the school according to the following pattern:
Birth Dates (inclusive) Term of Admission
1 September - 28 February Autumn (September)
1 March - 31 August Spring (January)
Only in very exceptional cases can the Governors agree to admit a child earlier than the normal admission time: parents who wish to make a special request for the early admission of a child to the school may approach the Headteacher, who will put them in contact with the Local Education Authority's Principal Education Social Worker. Parents seeking the initial admission of a child to the school in the normally way are asked to register the child as soon as possible after the child's third birthday. The final date by which a child should be registered is 1 February in the year preceding the normal date of admission. It is emphasised that registration by the Headteacher does not imply a promise of a place.
The Governors will try to meet parents' wishes whenever possible, but final decisions cannot be taken until it is known how many places will still be available at the school after the needs of those who clearly satisfy the Governors' conditions have been met. All the reasons stated on the registration form will be taken into account in allocating places. Firm offers of places will be notified to parents by April of the academic year preceding that in which their children will begin school. In a case where the Governors are unable to grant the place requested, the notification will be accompanied by an explanation of the procedure to be followed if the parents wish to appeal against that decision.
The school has a 24 place Nursery Unit serving the whole of the Gomersal area. Children will be admitted on a morning or afternoon basis when they attain the age of three, but this is dependent on the length of the waiting list. Parents may seek admission for their children by contacting the Headteacher.
Parents wishing to transfer a child to the school without changing their address should approach the Headteacher in order to ascertain whether a place is available in the relevant year group and, if necessary, to fill in the appropriate request form. In a case where the Governors are unable to offer the place requested, the notification will be accompanied by an explanation of the procedure to be followed if the parents wish to appeal against that decision. The Governors are not bound to admit any child to the school otherwise than at the beginning of a school term.
Parents considering sending their children to the school are welcome to look around at any time and should make an appointment with the Headteacher. It is normally expected that children who are to be admitted will make a series of visits in the term before they enter; this helps them to become familiar with their surroundings.