Admissions:
Upcoming Open Morning:
We are holding an Open morning for prospective Nursery & Reception parents, on Wednesday 3rd December 2025 - 9 to 10 AM.
If you missed this and would like a visit, please contact the school office.
If you would like to come along to find out more about our amazing school, please get in touch to make an appointment. We look forward to welcoming you.
Please call the school office to book a place on
0121 505 3595
www.stmaryswednesbury.co.uk
@SMCPWednesbury
Further Guidance:
Nursery Admissions:
Applying for a place in Reception:
Children in Sandwell can start school (Reception) in the September after their fourth birthday.
Sandwell Council’s School Admissions Service publishes information on their website, informing parent/carers on how to start their child at school. However, the responsibility for applying online for a child to start reception class, remains solely with parent/carers.
Information on how to apply for a place can be found on the Sandwell MBC website
When to Apply
Parents can apply for a place in the Autumn of the year before their child turns four years of age. It is important that you apply for a place as soon as possible. Attendance at our nursery class does not give a child automatic priority for a place.
In-Year Applications (changing schools in the middle of the year):
An application can be made for a place for a child at any time outside the admission round and the child will be admitted where there are available places. An application should be made following the guidance on the Mid-Year Transfers page of the Sandwell MBC website
As a Catholic School, parents will also need to complete a Supplementary Information Form in addition to the standard application form that is submitted to the local authority. Supplementary Information Forms are available above or a hard copy can be provided on request from the Office Manager. Supplementary Information Forms must be returned directly to the Office Manager by email or handing them into the school office. If a Supplementary Information Form is not submitted directly to the school this may affect the priority given to the application and could affect the likelihood of your child being offered a place.
The local authority will forward your application to the school for consideration by the governors.
Where there are places available but more applications than places, the published oversubscription criteria, as set out in the admission arrangements for the current academic year, will be applied. The full admission arrangements can be accessed by contacting the school office. Parents are advised to read the admission arrangements carefully before making their application.
If there are no places available, the local authority will notify you of this decision on behalf of the governors and the child will be added to the waiting list. Please see the admission arrangements for more details regarding waiting lists.
You will be advised of the outcome of your application in writing as soon as possible. Applicants must be informed of the outcome of their application within 15 school days of its receipt, but the aim is to notify applicants of the outcome of their application within 10 school days of its receipt.
You have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel if your application is unsuccessful.
If you have any questions in relation to in-year admissions please contact our Office Manager by email. You may also wish to discuss in-year applications with the local authority by emailing: midyear_admissions@sandwell.gov.uk
Secondary School / High School:
We are a feeder Primary school for Stuart Bathurst, which is the only Catholic Secondary school in Sandwell. Applications to Secondary school must be made in the same was as Reception applications.
The information can be found here: School admissions | Sandwell Council
We work in partnership with Stuart Bathurst and pupils have the opportunity take part in different events held there. Please take a look at their website: Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School - Home (stuart-bathurst.org.uk)
Appeals Information:
Parents who wish to appeal against the decision of the Local Governing Body to refuse their child a place in the school should make that appeal request in writing to the Chair of the Local Governing Body at the school address. Appeals will be heard by an independent panel.
Please note that parents do not have the right to appeal if their request for their children to be admitted to a class outside of their normal year group has been refused, but the Local Governing Body have offered a place in the normal age group instead.
Sandwell School Admissions Timetable:
Which Local Authority:
We follow the admission procedure laid down by Sandwell Local Authority which handles all applications for us on our behalf.
The application form for admission to school is a very important document, and has to be filled in online. You must make sure you fill it in as accurately and fully as possible. If you don’t do this, you may not end up with the choice of school you wanted. You may even end up being allocated a school place several miles away.
You apply via the Local Authority you live in, even if the school you wish to apply to is not in the same authority. For example, St. Mary's Catholic Primary is a Sandwell school, but a parent who lives in the Walsall Council area may wish to apply to the school. In this case the parent would apply via Walsall Council.
The Local Authorities co-ordinate applications together.
If you are unsure which authority you fall into visit Find Your Local Council and use the postcode lookup, which will tell you what Council authority you live in.
If you don’t feel confident in applying for a school place on your own, the school can support you complete an application form. Contact the school office and ask to make an appointment with our Office Manager who will be able to help you.
Further information on the Admissions process can be found on the following web pages:
