Admission to Catholic Maintained

Schools in the Tower Hamlets Deanery of the

Diocese of Westminster.

Notes of Guidance/Reference Form for Parents & Priests.

Notes of Guidance.

The sole responsibility for the admission of students to Catholic maintained

schools rests with the governing body of each school. The governors publish
an admissions policy each year, which is included in the school prospectus.
Where there are more applications than places available, the policy must
state how the places are to be allocated. Parents are advised to study the
admissions policy carefully. It will almost certainly vary from school to school.

The bishop expects all Catholic maintained schools to give first priority to
Catholic applicants. The schools must conduct themselves and provide
religious education in accordance with the rites, practices and doctrines of the
Catholic Church. Religious education and all liturgies and acts of worship are
specifically Catholic in character. Some schools restrict the number of non-
Catholic admissions even where the school is not full, in order to preserve its
Catholic character.

All parents requesting a place in a Catholic school are expected to recognise

and accept the Catholic aims and identity of the school. Some schools require
parents to sign a document confirming this. Signing such a document,
however, would not guarantee a place in the school.

Where the school is over-subscribed, even with Catholic applicants, it will

usually give priority to Catholics who practise their faith. Most schools will
require evidence of Catholic practice. The evidence that schools are likely to
require is the priest’s reference supplied with these notes (part B). Please
note, however, that a supportive reference from a priest does not guarantee a
place in the school.

Where a school is over-subscribed with Catholic applicants, all of whom have

provided evidence of Catholic practice, the governing body will apply other
criteria such as proximity to the school, or whether there is an older sister or
brother attending the school at the same time. These factors are likely to be
crucial in deciding how places are to be allocated. These points will be
explained in detail in the school prospectus.
FORM “A”

YOUR SELF-ASSESSMENT

FILL IN THIS FORM AND TAKE IT TO THE PRIEST WHERE YOU USUALLY GO TO MASS.

HE WILL THEN USE THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE GIVEN TO HELP HIM FILL IN FORM “B” WHICH IS
THE FORM YOU TAKE TO THE SCHOOL.

This part of the form requires you to consider your responsibililities.

This Form “A” is confidential to you and the priest and will not be sent
to the school. It will be kept by the priest for his records.

Your Name(s)

Address

Telephone

Parish

Name of child

Are you and/or your spouse Baptised Catholic(s)?

Which church do you normally attend?

How often do you attend Mass?

If you do not attend regularly, you may wish to give reasons below.
FORM “B”
PRIEST’S REFERENCE

THIS IS THE FORM YOU SEND TO THE SCHOOL

Please give this form to your Priest to support your application for a place at a
Catholic school. You will need to have filled in Form “A” and to have given it to
the Priest when you ask him to fill in this Form.

Name of Child ______________________________________

Name of Parent(s)___________________________________

Home Address (The normal family home*)

Post code Telephone

*This is where the child normally lives. The address of another relative or a
temporary address is not acceptable. Any attempt to mislead the school may
result in the withdrawal of an offer of a place, particularly where nearness to
the school forms part of the governing body’s policy for admissions.

1 The parents are known to me Yes/No

2 The child is known to me Yes/No

3 The child is a member of a practising Catholic family Yes/No

4 I support this application Yes/No

If the answer to Q3 is no, and to Q4 is yes, please give your reasons:

Priest’s signature_________________________
Date________________

Address

Parish stamp.
As a result of the provision of the 1980 Education Act
The information in this form is not to be treated as confidential