Admissions Policy

The School

There are 30 Reception places available.  No child is refused admission to the school unless we have more applications for admission than we have vacant places.

The Governors will consider every application on its merit at a convenient date late in the Autumn Term.  You will be notified by Sefton LE of the offer of a place in April and asked to confirm your acceptance of the place directly to school.

If there are more applications than places available, the following will be applied in the order shown to determine the allocation of places.

Admissions Criteria:

• Children in Public Care at the time when preferences are expressed and are still expected to be in Public Care when admitted to the school.

• Children who have a sibling currently attending the school and who will still be there at the start of the new academic year.

• Children of parents/family who worship regularly* at either St. Peter’s or Holy Trinity Churches.The application must be supported by a letter from the Parish Priest.

• Children of parents/family who worship regularly* at another Christian Church*.The application must be supported by a letter from the Vicar/Minister.

• Children of parents who wish a Christian based education.

• Children who live closest to the main entrance of the school as measured via the safest walking route.

• Regular attendance is deemed to be at least monthly for the past 12 months.

• Siblings.  This includes half-brothers and sisters, step-brothers and sisters living in the same house.

• Church – Members of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

If the Governors have been unable to admit your child because all vacancies at the school have already been filled, you have the right to appeal against the Governors’ decision, in writing within 14 days to the Chair of Governors, c/o Trinity St. Peter’s School, setting out the grounds of your appeal.  Arrangements will then be made for you to have the opportunity of stating your case to an Appeals Panel, constituted under School Admission Appeals - Code of Practice 1999, whose decision will be final.

Nursery

Prospective parents are welcome to visit the School before completing an application form for their child and should contact the Headteacher to arrange a mutually convenient time for the visit.

Although Nursery Education is non-statutory, the Governors have agreed the following guidelines for admission:-

Trinity St. Peter’s Nursery offers 52 part-time places, for children who have reached their 3rd birthday, as follows:-

• Parents who choose to place their child at our Nursery do so because they want to access Educational Curriculum content, not ‘Child Care’ based upon time allocation.

• The School does not provide ‘Child Care’ in this context.

• We are a 26 place Nursery and offer 5 x 2p hour morning sessions or 5 x 2p afternoon sessions each week.

• We follow a structured curriculum, the afternoon sessions reflecting the morning curriculum.

For children who are not offered a place, their names will be put on a waiting list to be considered for the next available place in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

Children will normally be admitted at the half-term after their third birthday, if a place is available.

Consideration will also be given to admitting children who are aged 3+ at a time other than half-term, as stated above, on the grounds of individual pupil needs, availability of places and acting in the best interests of the child.

When offering places to children, preference will be given to those parents requesting 5 full sessions per week.

A child can be registered for a place at Nursery as soon as they are born.

Admissions to the Nursery will be at the discretion of the Governors who will aim to give as many children as possible a minimum of three terms education before they reach the age for mainstream education the following September.

A place at Nursery does not automatically guarantee a place in the school at statutory age and parents should make application to the school for a place at statutory age as normal  ~  please contact the School for details.

Any child not attending Nursery for a period of three weeks without a valid reason will forfeit their place which will be offered to the next child on the reserve list.

If the school receives more applications than places available, the Admissions Committee will apply the oversubscription criteria which are as follows:-

• Looked After Children  (children in public care)

• Children who have siblings at Trinity St. Peter’s School at the time of admission

• Children whose parents are regularly worshipping members of Holy Trinity or St. Peter’s Parish Churches (regular is defined as at least once a month)*

• Children whose parents are regular worshipping members of other Christian Churches*

• Children whose parents wish a Christian based education

• Children who live closest to the main entrance of the school as measured via the safest walking route.

Children with exceptional documented social or medical circumstances may be given priority.

• Parents may be asked to obtain a letter from a member of the clergy or faith leadership team to substantiate their Church allegiance.