Nursery Education
It has been the local authority’s long-standing position that every child should have access to free part-time nursery education from the start of the term following the child’s third birthday. In practice children start attending nursery education in school at the age of 3 or 4 years, depending on class number limitations and local demand.
Pre-nursery Admissions (Rising 3’s)
Children who turn 3 during the academic year (Rising 3’s) are eligible to apply for a prenursery place to commence the term after their third birthday i.e. in the Spring and Summer Terms each year. Pre-nursery places are provided subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed at any school. Once the nursery accommodation is deemed to be full, no further pre-nursery pupils may be admitted.
Those children who are admitted to a pre-nursery class will not have an automatic right to continue education at that school. Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate these pupils to transfer into the Nursery class the following September, there may be occasions when, due to oversubscription, it will not be possible for this transfer to take place.
Nursery Admissions (Rising 4’s)
Important Information Pupils who are admitted to a nursery class will not have an automatic right to continue education at that school. Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate these pupils, a formal application must be made for transfer to the Reception class (upon transfer from nursery). There may be occasions when, due to oversubscription, it will not be possible for this transfer to take place.
Primary Education
Every child is required by law to receive full-time education from the beginning of the school term after his/her fifth birthday. All children are entitled to start school at the beginning of the school year (September) in which they become five. Children will be able to attend school when they are aged three or four and parents should discuss this provision with the staff at School Admissions Team, Learning Department. Children between the ages of 3/4- Admission Policy 7 11 years are recognised as pupils receiving primary education. In Merthyr Tydfil primary education is provided in a primary school with pupils aged 3/4-11 years of age. Attendance between the age of 3 to the date of the child’s fifth birthday is optional and parents have the right to defer their child’s entry to school until the term following their fifth birthday.
Admission to Reception Class
Parents/carers of children attending a nursery class in a school, or a feeder nursery school, must apply for a place in the main school when the child reaches the age for admission to primary school. Such children do not transfer automatically.
Admission to Primary Schools
Pupils who reach the age of five during the school year may be admitted to infant departments at the commencement of the school year in September.
Parents/carers should notify the local authority in advance if they have a child, who will reach the age of 4 years by 31st August, 2023. On-line Admissions will be open during the autumn term and it is important that you do not miss out on a place due to late application. If parents/carers are unsure which school normally serves their locality they should contact the School Admissions Team for advice (01685 725000).
If parents/carers wish their child to attend a primary school which does not serve their locality they should contact the School Admissions Team for advice (01685 725000). Applications for such admissions should be made as early as possible and as stipulated with the published arrangements.
Changing Schools
Primary Education Changing schools during primary education is a significant step for a child. Such a decision may be unavoidable, e.g. as a consequence of the family moving home, and in such circumstances parents/carers will need to contact the School Admissions Team for assistance (01685 725000) and advise their current school. If parents/carers would like their child to transfer from one school to another they should first discuss the position with the present Headteacher. If, following this discussion, parents/carers still wish to transfer their child to a new school they should contact the School Admissions Team for advice before making the application. If there is a suitable vacancy, a child will be admitted to the school. Classes may include more than one age group in which case the Headteacher will have the task of locating the child in the most appropriate class. The Government has limited the number of children able to attend primary classes to a maximum of 30 pupils in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes. This could result in no suitable vacancy being available.
Admission to Secondary Schools
Children will transfer from primary school to secondary school at the beginning of the school year following their eleventh birthday. All such transfers must be made by means of a completed application. If a child was born between 1st September 2011 and 31st August she/he will automatically transfer to the local secondary school in September . Headteachers of primary schools will be able to inform parents/carers of the secondary school which their children should normally attend and advise parents/carers of the Admission Policy transport arrangements adopted by the authority. If parents/carers wish their child to attend a secondary school which does not serve their locality, they should contact Schools Department, School Admissions Team, for advice (01685 725000). Applications for such admissions should be made as early as possible and as stipulated in the published arrangements.
Admission to Voluntary Aided Schools
Admissions Policy 3-16 school
This policy refers to admission in September. The Catholic school is a voluntary aided school in the Archdiocese of Cardiff. The Temporary Governing Body has sole responsibility for admissions to the school and will act in accordance with all relevant provisions of the Welsh Government's Codes on School Admissions and School Admission Appeals and with the law on school admissions as it applies to maintained schools.
The Catholic school has a Catholic ethos. The School is governed as part of the Catholic church in accordance with its Trust Deed and Instrument of Government and seeks at all times to be a witness to Jesus Christ. We ask all parents applying for a place here to respect this ethos and its importance to the school community. This does not affect the right of parents who are not of the Catholic faith, or of no faith background, to apply for and be considered for a place as the School welcomes and encourages applications from all families.
Sixth Form Admissions
This provision is now accessed via The College Merthyr Tydfil. Pupils from Merthyr Tydfil who are taught through the medium of Welsh attend Ysgol Rhydywaun in Rhondda Cynon Taf which has a sixth form provision.
Waiting Lists
For those schools, which may become oversubscribed, the local authority maintains a waiting list. Following the allocation of places during the normal admissions round, any pupil that is refused admission to an oversubscribed school will remain on the list, which will be maintained until 30th September. Thereafter, parent/carers will be expected to make a fresh application for admission to their preferred school. Admissions in respect of pupils on waiting lists are determined by application of the oversubscription criteria, not by the length of time that a child has been on the waiting list.
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