Admission Information

Starting school is a very important time for you and your child and at St Mary’s, we aim to make this a happy experience for everyone.

Children can start school in our Reception class in the September of the academic year in which they will be five years old. At St.Mary’s we are able to admit 30 children in each academic year.

Parents wishing to apply for a place at St Mary’s Catholic Primary need to complete both the North Yorkshire Online admission application which can be found here and also a Supplementary Information Form which can be obtained from the school or online below in the downloads Section. As a voluntary aided school responsibility for admissions lies with our governors rather than the local authority. For admissions at other times of the year or for year groups other than Reception, please contact the school in the first instance.

The time in the lead up to starting school is a great opportunity for us to get to know your child and for them to get to know us. They will be invited to spend some informal sessions with their new teacher and other children from the class in the summer term in order to familiarise themselves with the school environment. An information evening for our new Reception class parents is also held in the summer term.

Mid-Year Applications

If you are applying for your child to join St Mary’s outside of the normal application process for Reception children (e.g. any other year group at any time of the year – Mid-Year Allocations) you will still need to apply to North Yorkshire and will still need to follow our admission criteria.

To apply, please complete both documents below. 

  • Primary School applications for Reception September 2026 – You can make an application from 12 October and the deadline is 15 January 2026.
  • Please click here for North Yorkshire primary application

School Admission Appeal Timetable

  • The admission authority for the school must allow parents at least 20 days to appeal from when the decision letters are sent out.
  • The admission authority will submit a deadline for submitting your appeal.
  • If you submit anything after the deadline, it might not be considered and may result in delays to your hearing.
  • Appeals should be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal.
  • An independent panel will hear appeals during June and July 2026.

Please click here to apply for a place at one of our NPCAT schools

Admissions Policies

Please click here to view our school admissions policies, located in the policies section of the website. The year of the admissions policy relates to the school year when the children would join the school. This is why more than one school admissions policy is typically visible in the policies section.

Nursery Admissions

Children are eligible to begin their free nursery entitlement the term after their third birthday. Please see the table below for a breakdown.

Your child will be entitled to the Universal 15 hour funding the term after their 3rd birthday: –

Date of birth between Funding commences
01 September – 31 December January
01 January – 31 March April
01 April – 31 August September
You may be entitled to 30 hours funding and can check to see if you meet the criteria by clicking https://www.gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-childcare If you fail to renew your 30 hour code you will be charged for the terms fees in full.
When your child turns 3 When they can get 30 hours from Recommended time to apply
1 September to 31 December Term starting on or after 1 January 15 October to 30 November
1 January to 31 March Term starting on or after 1 April 15 January to 28 February
1 April to 31 August Term starting on or after 1 September 15 June to 31 July

 

You can apply outside of these recommended dates but you might not receive your code in time. You must have a valid code by the end of the month before a new term starts.

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your 30 hours free childcare starts.

You have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you’ll have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.

Application packs can be requested by contacting the school office.

Nursery Session Times and Charging 

In line with new government guidelines, we are updating our nursery session structure and associated charges to ensure transparency and compliance.

  • 15 hours provision: 8:45am – 11:45am
  • 30 hours provision: 8:45am – 2:45pm

There will also be an optional pick-up at 3:00pm.
For children staying between 2:45pm – 3:00pm, there will be a £2 charge, which covers the cost of supervision.

These updates reflect the latest guidance and help us ensure that our provision remains fair, consistent, and sustainable for all families.

PLEASE NOTE: Nursery attendance at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School DOES NOT guarantee your child a place here for their Reception year. Reception places must be applied for through North Yorkshire County Council Admissions. Further information can be found on our admissions page.