Admissions (including Nursery) and Appeals

All Admissions and Appeals

Age Groups

St Mary’s Fields takes children the September after their 3rd birthday and children are taught in Foundation Stage 1 (see below for how to apply for a place).
St Mary’s Fields takes children the September after their 4th birthday and children are taught in Foundation Stage 2 (see below for how to apply for a place).
In Years 1 and 2 they are in Key Stage 1.
In Years 3, 4 5 and 6 they are in Key Stage 2.
Children transfer to high schools at the end of Year 6 when they are 11 years old.

Full Time School Place Applications

Applications for places at St Mary’s other than part-time nursery places are made through the School Admissions department of Leicester City Council. Click here to begin your school admission application. Please also look at the information page Starting School – Nursery and Reception

Admissions Policy

For first time entry and all subsequent mid-term (in-year) applications St Mary’s Fields will follow guidance from the Leicester City Council. The Admissions Criteria will remain the same as listed in Leicester City Council’s policy, please see below.

Leicester City Council School Admissions

Applications for part-time (15 hours funded) and 30 hours places

The admissions to the Early Years Foundation Stage 1 are managed by the Headteacher at the school address.

Parents are invited to register their child by placing his/her name on a “waiting list”. To do this you will need to call at the school office with the child’s birth certificate or fill in this online form (click the link or scan the QR code.

Admissions are made from this list, using the oversubscription criteria in this document (see below). The offer of a place in the Early Years Department does not guarantee admission to the school at the point of Primary School admission. The Leicester City Council Admissions Policy (see below) applies at this point.

The school offers 15 hours funded places (a morning place) and in addition for parents who are eligible for the 30 hours funded places through the government scheme (https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/). Where parents are not eligible for the 30 hours funded by the government, but wish to pay for additional hours, it is possible to arrange this with the school directly.

The school follows the oversubscription procedure ( Admission criteria for infant and primary schools 2021-22 / Admission criteria 2022-2023) as outlined on the Leicester City Council Admissions website as below

Admission criteria for infant and primary schools 2024-25

Where a school receives more applications than places available, each preference will be ranked against the schools published admissions criteria. Full details of the criteria, for St Mary’s Fields Academy for entry in 2024-25, can be found below.

Each school has a limited number of places and this is known as the published admission number (PAN). This number considers how many pupils each school can accommodate and is shown within each drop-down below.

Published admission number: 60

Places are allocated to pupils who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school before any other allocations are made. These allocations will reduce the number of places available.

Criterion

Criterion 1: Children in the care of a local authority within England or who were previously in the care of a local authority within and outside of England (see note 1).
Criterion 2: Children who have a serious medical condition or exceptional social or domestic needs that make it essential they attend the school requested (see note 2).
Criterion 3: Children whose home address is in the catchment area of the infant or primary school with a sibling at the school who will still be on roll when the applicant starts school (see note 3).
Criterion 4: Children whose home address is outside the catchment area of the infant or primary school with a sibling at the school, who will still be on roll when the applicant starts school (see note 3).
Criterion 5: Children whose home address is in the catchment area of the infant or primary school (see note 4).
Criterion 6: Children who are sons / daughters of staff working at the school for at least 2 years at the time of application (see note 5).
Criterion 7: Children whose home address is outside the catchment area of the school and who have requested a place.

Tiebreaker: Within each criterion priority will be given to children living closest to the school, as measured on a straight-line basis using a geographical information system measuring from the geo-code reference point from the child’s home address to the geo-code reference point for the school.

In the event that two applicants within a category live exactly the same distance from the school and only one place remains, the place will be offered to one applicant on the basis of lots drawn by an officer of the local authority not involved in the administration of school admissions.

In the case of multiple births, if the final place available at a school is offered to a twin or triplet and the remaining sibling(s) would ordinarily be refused, places will be offered to the remaining sibling(s) at the same school.

Admissions policy (Leicester City Maintained Schools)

You can appeal for a place at any community school where you have applied and have been refused a place. Please find the information on this webpage https://www.leicester.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-and-colleges/school-admissions/appeal-against-a-school-place-decision/

Admissions