Admissions
Shropshire Church of England Academies Trust is the admission authority for Meole Brace C of E Primary School and Nursery. The Trust has determined that admissions will be co-ordinated by Shropshire Local Authority.
Applications to School
To apply for a school place, parents in England must apply to their home local authority (to whichever local authority they make council tax payments) even if they are applying for a school place in another part of England. Parents make one application, naming schools in order of their preference. The application process is the same even if a school is its own admission authority (eg foundation school, or an academy). Our school is an academy. Shropshire Church of England Academies Trust determine the admissions policy for the school but the School Admissions Team at Shropshire Local Authority manage the application process in accordance with our published over subscription criteria.
Parents of children in Shropshire wishing to apply for a school place, will be required, in the Autumn Term prior to the school year of admission, to complete an LA Application Form. Parents are notified of places towards the end of the Spring Term for Reception places. Specific dates and information is given in the LA Information Pack available on the council's website.
In-Year Admissions
From 1 September 2024, Shropshire Council will be co-ordinating and allocating all requests for places at our school.
If you wish to apply for a place at our school, please complete the online application form via this link: Synergy - Homepage (shropshire.gov.uk).
Your application will be processed by the School Admissions Team at Shropshire Council in accordance with our school's published oversubscription criteria. You will then be notified via letter of the outcome of your application.
Applying for a place in Reception
Parents/carers of Reception children in Shropshire will be required, in the autumn term prior to the school year of admission, to complete a Local Authority application form stating preferences for up to three schools. Children with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), which names a particular school, will be allocated places, after which places are allocated according to an agreed set of criteria, in strict order of priority:
- Looked After Children
- Health reason requiring attendance at a specific school (in exceptional circumstances)
- Sibling connections and residence within catchment area
- Residence within catchment area
- Sibling connections and residence outside catchment area
- Proximity to school and residence outside catchment area
Please see the “Parents’ Guide” for specific details.
Whilst it is helpful if parents/carers can let school know at an early date if they would like their children to attend, such expressions of interest do not constitute registering a child, nor placing a child’s name on a waiting list, nor being offered a place. Offers of places can only be confirmed in the academic year before the child is due to start school. This process is handled by the Shropshire Council.
The 1989 Children's Act requires school to keep a register of all adults with parental responsibility but not living in the same house as the child. If relevant, please indicate the names and addresses of such adults in the relevant place on the admission forms.
Parents/carers should be aware that attendance at a particular primary school does not in any way guarantee a place at a particular secondary school.
When do children start school?
The law says that children must start their education no later than the beginning of the term after their fifth birthday.
Parents/carers of spring and summer born pupils can, if they wish, opt to have their children admitted to mainstream school in the September prior to their fifth birthday.
Parents/carers should refer to the Parents’ Guide to Education in Shropshire for detailed guidance on starting dates.
Visits to the school
Parents/carers who wish to visit school because they are considering applying for a place are always welcome to do so - appointments can be made by contacting the school office.
