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Admissions

Admissions – starting school at Welwyn St Mary’s

Each year all parents with children approaching school age are asked to name the preferred school for their child.  We warmly welcome parents who wish to visit Welwyn St Mary’s by appointment to see the school at work at any time.  We also hold open mornings when you can attend a brief talk by the headteacher followed by a tour of the school.

If you are not able to visit us in person at this time, please watch our video below to see our lovely school in action.  We look forward to meeting you in due course.

Normal admissions round

As a Voluntary Aided school, the governors are the admission authority and the admissions committee admits the standard number of 60 children to the Reception classes each academic year.  We seek to serve the village community first and foremost as well as offering places to those who already have a family or church connection.

If the number of applications for places exceeds the number available, the admission policy will be followed in order to allocate places.  Each applicant is placed in a category determined by their home location; if there is a sibling already at the school; or if the family has a church connection (see the policy for a full explanation).

You must make your application for a place either on-line to the Local Authority (LA – Hertfordshire County Council)  www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissions  or contact the customer service centre on 0300 123 4043 to request a hard copy of the form.  We also ask that you complete a supplementary information form  (SIF) and return it to the school, in order to register interest in a place for your child.  We ask for information on that form which helps us give your application full consideration.

Admissions for September 2024

The closing date for applications is 15th January 2024.

Please be aware that we require our own supplementary information form to be completed and returned to the school office as well as your online application to county.  If you do not make the application to county by the due date then we are unable to consider your application as on time.

Appeals

The appeals process is for people applying for their child to start primary school for the first time in September 2024.

After allocation day on 16 April 2024, you will be able to appeal for any of the primary schools you applied for but were unsuccessful.

  • Appeals deadline – submit your appeal by 4pm on 22 May 2024.
  • Appeals will be heard between 13 June and 19 July 2024.

Appeals lodged after these dates will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal deadline or 30 school days of being lodged, whichever is the later date.

The Local Authority will include information about appeals in its post-allocation literature and further details and explanation may be found in the LA’s admission literature and website.

Admissions for September 2025

In-year admissions

Requests for admission to other year groups should be made direct to the school and both the LA and the school can provide an in-year application form upon request.  The school will accept the LA application form but parents/carers are also requested to complete the SIF.  The school will inform unsuccessful applicants of their right of appeal; for in-year applications parents wishing to appeal should contact the school directly in the first instance.

This map shows the catchment area shaded on a map of the area and you can pan and zoom with good definition (with acknowledgement to Ordnance Survey).

Catchment area map