Skip to content ↓

Admissions & Appeals

We have a limited number of places available in our current Reception Class.

All children welcome.

Please contact the school office to arrange a visit or for more information.

01483 414497 info@stedmunds.surrey.sch.uk

In-Year applications: please contact the school office and ask for a copy of our Supplementary Information Form (SIF) along with the Surrey County Council in-year application form (SMA).  Alternatively, both forms are available as downloads at the bottom of this page.  Here is the link to Surrey County Council: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/in-year

Admissions for September 2024 are based on the following criteria but full details are in our attached Admissions Policy.

  1. Catholic looked-after / any EHCP/Statement
  2. Catholic with an exceptional or compelling need
  3. Catholic sibling, living within the Godalming parish
  4. Catholic sibling, not living within the Godalming parish
  5. Catholic non-sibling, living in the Godalming parish
  6. Catholic non-sibling, not living in the Godalming parish
  7. Other Catholic children
  8. Other non-Catholic looked-after children
  9. Other children, non-Catholic with exceptional or compelling need
  10. Catechumens, candidates for Reception into the Church, members of Orthodox Church
  11. Any other sibling
  12. Any other children

Please note that there is no separate policy for admissions into Key Stage Two.

EYFS and KS 1 Classes are restricted to 30 and we aim to keep class sizes close to 30 from Years 3 to 6.

 

You can apply online from 30th October 2023.  Here is the link: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/in-year

The closing date for applications is 15th January 2024

By 30th April 2024 you must confirm whether you wish to accept or decline the place offered to you by Surrey County Council.

Here is the link to the Surrey County Council online application:

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/primary-junior-and-infant/apply

Appeals re Admissions for September 2024 and beyond

Offers sent out

Appeals to be lodged by

Appeals to be heard by

16/04/2024

15/05/2024

17/07/2024

(40 school days)

Parents whose applications for places are unsuccessful may appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel set up in accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.   As the school’s admissions authority, governors must comply with reasonable requests from parents / carers for information which they need to help them prepare their case for appeal.

Appeals must be made in writing and must set out the reasons on which the appeal is made.  Appeals should be made to the Admissions Appeal Clerk via the Surrey County Council website.  Please click here and use the Appeal form towards the bottom of the page.  Parents/Carers have the right to make oral representations to the Appeal Panel.

Infant classes are restricted by the legislation to 30 children.  Parents should be aware that an appeal against refusal of a place in an infant class may only succeed if it can be demonstrated that:-

  1. the admission of additional children would not breach the infant class size limit; or
  2. the admission arrangements did not comply with admissions law or had not been correctly and impartially applied and the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had complied or had been correctly and impartially applied; or
  3. the panel decides that the decision to refuse admission was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made in the circumstances of the case.

Appeals should be lodged no later than 20 school days after the Offer Day. In 2024, the Offer Day is 16th April 2024 and the last day for appeals is 15 May 2024.  Appeals lodged during this period will be heard within 40 school days of 15 May 2024 (the last day for appeals).

If it is not possible for late application appeals to be heard with the ‘on-time’ appeals they will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

For applications for in-year admissions, appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged.

No later than 10 school days before the appeal hearing, the school’s governing body will provide appellants with written notification of the date and< arrangements for the appeal hearing.  The notification will include a deadline for the submission of any further evidence that was not sent in the initial appeal. Governors will inform appellants that any information or evidence not submitted by the deadline might not be considered at the appeal hearing.  Governors will ask appellants whether they intend to call witnesses or be represented at the hearing.  Parents / carers may waive their right to 10 school days’ notice of the hearing.

Appellants will be sent a copy of the school's case seven clear working days in advance of the hearing.

Appellants must ensure that any further evidence not included with their initial appeal, is received by 5pm on the day preceding three clear working days prior to the appeal hearing date. 

If an appellant wishes to submit further evidence which was not included in their initial appeal, they must make sure that it is received no later than 5pm on the day preceding three clear working days prior to the appeal hearing date.  Any additional evidence or information received after this date might not be considered at the appeal hearing.  The Appeal Panel must decide whether it should be considered, taking into account its significance and the effect of a possible need to adjourn the hearing.

Appellants do not have the right to a second appeal in respect of this school for the same academic year unless, in exceptional circumstances, the governing body has accepted a second application from the appellant because of a significant and material change in the circumstances of the parent, child or school but still refused admission.

Appellants may apply for a place in this school in respect of a later academic year and have a further right of appeal if that application is unsuccessful.

Appellants may complain about maladministration on the part of the appeal panel to the local Government Ombudsman.  A complaint to an Ombudsman is not a further appeal and must relate to the administration   of the appeal rather than the appeal decision.  Maladministration covers matters such as failure to follow correct procedure of failure to act independently and fairly.  It does not cover the merits of decision that only the panel has the authority to make.  Therefore, generally, the Ombudsman cannot consider whether the appeal panel was correct to uphold or dismiss the appeal.

The Ombudsman is not able to overturn the appeal panel’s decision but, where they find that there has been maladministration, they may make recommendations for a suitable remedy.  For example, they may recommend that an appeal is reheard by a different panel and with a different clerk.

Appellants considering making a complaint can contact the Local government Ombudsman’s Advice Line on 0300 061 0614, visit the website at www.lgo.uk, email advice@lgo.org.uk or write to The Local Government Ombudsman PO Box 4771 Coventry CV4 0EH.