Admissions
In-Year Admissions to St Mary Magdalen's (Whole School)
If you are new to the area and require a school place or if you already reside in the area and you want to move your child from their current local school to our school, your application should be made directly to our school and the child will be admitted where there are available places. A waiting list for each class is held at our school. If a place becomes available, the pupils on that waiting list are ranked according to our admissions criteria. (See policy below.) This is a different system than most schools because we are a foundation school. Please complete the below form and return it to school either via email or post.
If there are no places available, the child will be added to the waiting list and you have the right of appeal. Please see below for appeal information. Please note, that the waiting list does NOT guarantee a place at our school and if your child is currently not in education you should either make an appeal to our school and/or apply for a place at an alternative school.
Further information on how to apply for a local school can be found on the Lancashire County Council website:
Admissions into Reception Class
Applications for a place at our school are now completed online at Lancashire County Council
- Apply online at LCC before 15th January 2023 at LCC Admissions
- Fill in the Supplementary Form for school and hand in at school. If your child has been baptised you need to bring in proof of baptism for us to copy. (Certificate or a candle). You may also email a copy of the form and proof of baptism (photograph) to bursar@st-marymagdalen.lancs.sch.uk.
Our latest Admissions Policy can be found by clicking here. (Policies page will open in a new window)
We pride ourselves on our transition into Reception class and want to ensure that both child and parents are ready to start in September through a comprehensive series of days in June & July. An example of the transition timetable (from a previous year) can be found here.
Frequently asked questions
Does a school know whether parents have put the school down as first second or third choice?
No we don't. We are sent a list of all names that have us on their list somewhere and rank them according to our admissions criteria (see Admissions Policy). After the whole process is finished we are given numbers but not names of parents expressing us as first choice.
What happens to that ranked list?
The list is returned to the admission team who try their best to give all parents their first choice.
My child is baptised Catholic but we do not live in the parish of St Mary Magdalen's . Is it possible that we could get a place?
Yes it is although the further away you live the more reduced your chances become. Much depends on the birth rate for that year. All the children living in the parish, plus siblings of children already at school who live outside would be higher up than you. Our advice: Put us down by all means but have a strong second and third choice too.
My child is not baptised Catholic, could they attend your school?
If your child is a Looked After child or are previously Looked After then yes. (Look After means have been in Social Care.) For other children it very much depends on the birth rate for that year.
It is possible that your child may be older than Reception and we may have had a child leave, creating a space in that year group. In that instance the waiting list is referred to and the pupils on the waiting list are ranked according to the criteria in the policy. It could be that a non Catholic child is the only person on the waiting list for that year group so they would get a place.
My child attends another school but we would like to come to St Mary Magdalen's?
If you would like to move your child to attend our school we would advise speaking to the current headteacher first and then speaking to us. If there is no place available your child's name will be added to a waiting list for that year group. If a place becomes available the children on the list will be ranked according to our admission policy and the top of that list will be offered a place.
Where are the boundaries of St Mary Magdalen's parish?
The highlights mark the edge of the parish boundary.
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