Admissions

Choosing where to apply for a secondary school is a significant decision and we are delighted that you are thinking of applying to St Edward’s School. We are renowned for our ability to secure top academic outcomes for students, among the highest 10% of schools nationally, combined with our strong ethos and pastoral care. 

As a joint church school between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth and the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury, our primary aim is to provide an education that supports parents and carers from our dioceses with their responsibility to share their faith with their children. 

ADMISSION FAQs

When and how should I apply?

If your child is due to transfer to secondary school in September 2024, you can apply from 1 September until 31 October 2023. There is no benefit to applying early as no applications are ranked until after the closing date. Should you apply after 31 October, your application will not be ranked until after National Offer Day, which is 1 March 2024.

The Coordinated Admission Scheme details for 2024-25 from BCP Council will be published on the BCP School Admissions website here.

What is a Supplementary Information Form?

If you are applying under faith grounds, you need to also complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF). Previous forms for former church schools your child may have attended do not apply for St Edward’s. Please note that we cannot accept any supporting letters in lieu of a SIF. If your child was baptised out of the UK, we would recommend submitting a copy of their baptismal certificate at the same time as the SIF to avoid any delays or queries. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the SIF has been completed correctly.

How many children can attend St Edward’s in Year 7?

The Published Admissions Number for 2024-25 is 182. On average, St Edward’s receive between 600-650 applications for those 182 places each year. Once the application window has closed, these are then ranked according to our Admissions Policy in the following order:

1. Looked After, or Previously Looked After children.

2. Roman Catholic children who have been baptised and have attended Roman Catholic Church services* at least monthly for the last 12 months as evidenced by completion of the St Edward’s VA Supplementary Information Form.

3. Church of England children who have been baptised or have had a service of thanksgiving and have attended Church of England church services* at least monthly for the last 12 months as evidenced by completion of the St Edward’s VA Supplementary Information Form.

4. Children who are members of churches which are a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland as stated on the CTBI website ctbi.org.uk/member-churches (including Baptist Union, Methodist, listed Orthodox, listed Pentecostal and United Reformed churches, the Salvation Army and members of the Religious Society of Friends) who meet their Church’s criteria for membership/practice and have attended services at least monthly for the last 12 months as evidenced by completion of the St Edward’s VA Supplementary Information Form.

5. Children who meet another Christian Church’s or Faith Community’s criteria for membership/practice as evidenced by completion of the St Edward’s VA Supplementary Information Form.

6. Children not able to be admitted under categories 1- 5.

* Services are defined as public acts of worship which are open to all.

Tie break: Should the numbers in each category exceed the number of places available for that category the following criteria will be applied to decide who can be admitted:

a) Children of members of staff who have been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made or who have been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

b) Children who have a sibling who is on roll and attending the school in years 7-13 at the proposed date of admission.

c) Distance from the school (distance provided by BCP School Admissions)

Can I secure a place at St Edward’s if I don’t go to church?

For 2023-24 applicants, the furthest Category 6 application that gained a place was 0.949 miles.

If your child holds an Education, Health and Care Plan, we ask that you please contact our SENCo prior to application.

When do I find out my child’s school place?

National Allocation Day is 1st March 2024. From 10am on this day, you will be able view your child’s offered school and you will be asked to either accept or decline the offer and you have two weeks from the 1st March to do this.

What happens if my child does not get a place at their preferred school?

If you are unsuccessful in gaining a place at a higher preference school, your child’s name will be added to our waiting list, and the position will be determined by the same criteria as above. Therefore, please be aware that your child’s position can move up and down the list if someone later applies that meets a higher criteria. You are welcome to contact our Admissions Manager at any time to ask for your child’s position on the waiting list.

If you are successful in gaining a place at your first preference school, you will not be added to the waiting list at any of your lower preference schools.

Names will only remain on the waiting list for the Year 7 main entry admission cycle after 31 December 2024 if a written request is received. Waiting lists for all years will then cease on 31 August 2025. If parents wish, they can submit a new application for the following academic year from 1 June 2025. If re-applying on faith grounds a new SIF form will need to be submitted.

In the event that an offer of a place is not made, you have the right to appeal the decision. Please refer to the Appeals section below for further information. Please note that you can only appeal a decision once an academic year and you cannot appeal if you have been offered a higher preference of school for your child.

Please contact admissions@st-edwards.poole.sch.uk if we can help you with any queries.