Admissions

Applications for reception are invited for September 2025

You can apply for a reception place online using these websites and forms:

• Camden Admissions- https://www.camden.gov.uk/primary-admissions
• E-admissions-https://www.eadmissions.org.uk/
• Supplementary Information Form 

In line with the admissions code Governors review the criteria to ensure we are compliant with the regulations. Our admissions criteria’s are listed below. For parents applying for reception in 2025 please read the criteria below.

ADMISSIONS POLICY 

ADMISSION CRITERIA 2025-2026 IN ORDER OF PRIORITY

St Paul’s CE Primary School is a one-form entry school with 30 places for each academic year group. Where the number of applicants exceeds the number of available places the governors will use the listed criteria. 

For entry to St Paul’s CE Primary School, up to 50% of available places will be allocated under Foundation (Church) Criteria with the remainder under Open Criteria (based on proximity to school).

If places are allocated for children with Statements of Educational Need and/or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, these will be deducted from the total number of available places (i.e.30).  Up to 50% of places available after this deduction will be allocated according to Foundation Criteria and the remainder will be allocated under Open Criteria. If the number of remaining places is uneven (i.e. 29 places),  the 30^th place will be allocated according to Foundation Criteria.

Applications should be made either for a Foundation Place or for an Open Place.

Candidates unsuccessful in their application for a Foundation Place will automatically be considered for an Open Place. 

In any criterion where there are more applications than places, the governors will admit children living closest to the school first. Distances will be measured from the front door of the child’s home address to the main entrance of the school using the Camden Local Authority computerised measuring system. Where the same distance is indicated on two or more applications, a decision will be made using random allocation. 

In cases where multiple siblings tie for the last available place, then all will be offered a place, even if this exceeds the planned admission number.

Parents may appeal against an unsuccessful application for a place if they believe that the admission criteria has not been applied correctly.

Foundation Places
All parents applying on our Foundation Criteria should complete our Supplementary Information Form in addition to the Camden Local Authority Common Application Form, so that governors may assess the application fully. Forms should be collected from the school office or downloaded from the school website and returned directly to the school by the 15th January. Places will be allocated according to the following criteria, listed in order of priority:

1. Looked After Children (i.e. children in the care of the Local Authority or children who, immediately after being Looked After, became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order; this includes children who were in state care outside England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.

2. Children who will have a sibling (i) at the school at the time of entry and whose parent(s) (ii) are, and have been, regular and committed worshippers (iii) in St Mary the Virgin Primrose Hill, St Mark's Regents Park, St Peter's Belsize Park, St Saviour's Eton Road, or St John's Wood Church for not less than two years before the closing date of application. A form of authorisation, signed by the Parish Priest to this effect, is required.

3. Children whose parent(s) (ii) are, and have been, regular and committed worshippers (iii) in St Mary the Virgin Primrose Hill, St Mark's Regents Park, St Peter's Belsize Park, St Saviour's Eton Road, or St John's Wood Church for not less than two years before the closing date of application. A form of authorisation, signed by the Parish Priest (iv) to this effect, is required.

In the event that two or more applicants have equal right to a place under the Foundation Place criteria, the Governing Body will give priority to those children living in nearest proximity to the school (v).

In the event that, during the specified for attendance at worship, the church has been closed for public worship, and has not provided alternative premises for public worship during this period, the requirements of these admissions arrangements in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church or alternative premises have been available for public worship.

Open Places
These will be allocated according to the following criteria, listed in order of priority.

1. Looked After Children (i.e. children in the care of the Local Authority or those who immediately after being Looked After Children became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order; this includes children who were in state care outside England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted).

2. Children who will have a sibling (i) at the school at the time of entry.

3. Children living in nearest proximity to the school. 

Entry with Statement of Educational Need or Education, Health and Care Plan

Children with a Statement of Educational Need or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan naming St Paul's CE Primary School will always be offered a place.

Deferred Entry

All children will be admitted in September. Parents can request that the date their child is admitted to school is deferred until later in the academic year or until the term in which the child reaches compulsory school age. Parents can request that their child takes up the place part time until the child reaches compulsory school age. A child reaches compulsory school age the term after their fifth birthday but not beyond the academic year applied for.

Admission out of Normal Year Group

In the case of children whose fifth birthday falls between 1st April 2025 and 31st August 2025, parents wishing to postpone admission from September 2025 to September 2026 should discuss this with the school at an early stage.  Decisions will be made on an individual basis and in the best interests of the child. Parental views, academic achievement, social and emotional development and, where relevant, medical opinion will be considered alongside the views of the Headteacher.

Late Applications

Late applications will be considered after all other applications.

Application Forms

All applications should be submitted to Camden Local Authority using their common application form. If you live in another borough and are applying to Camden schools you should complete your own Local Authority's Form and return it to them direct.

If you are applying for a Foundation (church) place you must complete a Local Authority Common Application Form naming the school and complete a Supplementary Form so that governors may consider your application fully. 

The Supplementary Form should be returned to the school by the 15^th January. All data on this form will be treated as confidential and it will be processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.  You will be informed if we receive a request for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be given an opportunity to comment before any decision about disclosure under that Act is made.

Applications for an Open place should not complete the Supplementary Form but must complete the Local Authority Common Application Form naming the school.

In-Year Admissions

Applications for In-Year admissions are made in the same way as those made during the normal admissions round by completing a Local Authority Common Application Form along with the St Paul's waiting list form. (Forms are returned directly to St Paul's CE Primary School)

 If a place is available and there is no waiting list then the school will communicate the governors’ offer of a place to the family. If more applications are received than there are places available, then applications will be ranked by the Governing Body in accordance with admission criteria. 

If a place cannot be offered at this time, parents may request the reason and will be informed of their right of appeal. A waiting list will be maintained by the Governing Body and applications will be ranked in accordance with admission criteria and not in the order in which the applications are received.
                           

(i) By ‘sibling’ we mean a brother or sister, half brother or sister, adopted brother or sister, step brother or sister, or the child of the parent/carer where the child for whom the place is being sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as the sibling. A sibling relationship does not apply when the older child will leave the school before the younger one starts.

(ii) By ‘parent(s)’, we mean the primary care giver(s), with whom the child lives.

(iii) By ‘regular and committed’ worshippers, we mean parents who attend church services at least twice a month.

(iv) If a family has recently moved and worshipped regularly, right up until their departure, at another Anglican parish, the application must be countersigned by their previous Parish Priest. In the case of a vacancy, or where there is no priest in the parish, the application must be countersigned by a Church Warden.

(v) Distances will be measured from the child’s home address to the main entrance of the school using the Camden Local Authority computerised measuring system and proof of address, e.g. Child Benefit/Council Tax/Electoral Roll documentation will be required both at the time of application and at the time of entry. Where the same distance is indicated for two or more applicants random allocation will be used.

For more information on Camden Admissions follow this link

 Appeal against a school admissions decision

 If your child has been refused a place at a Camden school you have the right to appeal to an independent appeals panel. For further information on the appeals timetable and process please click on the link below.

Camden Appeals Information

You should submit your appeal within 21 days of receiving your refusal letter/email.

Appeal against school admission decision

If you are not able to access the internet to complete the online appeal form, please contact the school admissions team at Camden on 020 7974 1625.