Each school has an admission authority which is the body responsible for deciding whether a place is available for a child to attend a particular school.
Wiltshire Council is the admission authority for Marlborough St Mary's Primary School. The deadline for September 2025 submissions to our Reception is January 15th 2025.
Where a school is oversubscribed, places are allocated to children in order of the ranked criteria listed below:
- Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children
The definition of Looked After Children - A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those who appear [to the admission authority] to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989). Section 22 of the Children's Act 1989(opens new window) - Vulnerable children
Children from families registered with the National Asylum Support Service; Children or families with a serious medical, physical or psychological condition where written evidence is provided at the time of application from a senior clinical medical officer, general practitioner or specialist showing that it would be detrimental to the child or family not to be admitted to the preferred school.
For the purpose of the above criteria the word 'families' is determined as living at the same address at the time of the application and also living at the same address on a permanent basis. Proof will be required and must be submitted by the deadline. - Linked Infants School (this criterion applies to infant-to-junior YR3 transfer applications only)
Children who are pupils attending year 2 at the linked infant school as at the deadline date, irrespective of the status of the school, i.e. F, A, C or VC. - Designated area siblings and shared area siblings
A child is considered under this criterion if a sibling is attending the school (or the linked junior school in the case of applications to an infants school) as at the deadline date and will continue to attend the school at the time of entry, and where the child lives within the designated area or shared area at the same address as the sibling. Step, half and foster siblings are included in this category. - Other children from the designated area or shared area
Children resident within the designated area or shared area who do not qualify under one of the criteria above. - Other siblings
A child is considered under this criterion if a sibling is attending the school (or the linked junior school in the case of applications to an infant's school) at the deadline date and will continue to attend the school at the time of entry, and where the child lives at the same address as the sibling. Step, half and foster siblings are included in this category. - Children of staff at the school
A child is considered to fall under this criterion:
where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, and/or
the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.
If applicants wish to be considered under this criterion then a letter from the Headteacher confirming the above applies to the applicant must be provided at the time of application. - Other children
Children to whom none of the above criteria apply.
If the school is oversubscribed within any of the listed categories the straight-line distance from the child's home address to the school will be used as the determining factor. Distances will be measured according to the Ordnance Survey eastings and northings for the child's home address and the school. Those living closer to the school will be given priority.
Tie Break
If two or more children with the same priority for admission live an indistinguishable distance from the preferred school, but cannot all be admitted then the available places will be decided by means of casting lots. The random allocation will be conducted independently by Democratic Services, Wiltshire Council.
To apply for a school place at Marlborough St Mary’s for September 2025 please click on the link below.
https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/1657/Apply-for-a-school-place
