Admission Procedures

 

Big Enough to Inspire - Small Enough to Care

Procedure for Admissions

Information for September Admission

For Parents who live in Staffordshire: The Staffordshire Local Authority "First to Middle" Admissions Information Booklet is now available. This contains all the information you will need to apply for a Middle School place. It gives full details of the Admissions Policy and procedures, including how school places are allocated. To download the booklet: First to Middle School Admissions information - click here You may need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download it. Free software is available from this link.  The booklet can also be requested from the School Admissions Team by telephoning 01785 278593. The deadline for school admissions applications is 15th January 2025 but it will still be worth applying even if this deadline has passed. Please inform your child’s present school of your decision. The Local Authority Admissions Department will offer definite school places to parents around 16th April 2025 based on the criteria in the Staffordshire "First to Middle" Admissions booklet. Applications can be made online or by completing an application form   (This service will open for middle school applications on 01 November 2024). Applications can also be made by telephoning the School Admissions and Transport Service on 01785 278593 Click on this link for the Staffordshire School Admissions website. If you live in Staffordshire but outside our school catchment area, please contact Ryecroft C.E. Middle School on 01889 590394 or the Staffordshire Local Authority (LA) School Admissions Department on 01785 278593.   For Parents who live in Derbyshire Moving to a Middle School from a Derbyshire Primary School counts as a “Junior Admission”. A co-ordinated admissions scheme operates and parents must complete their application via their “home” Local Authority. You can apply online with Derbyshire County Council for a place at Ryecroft by completing their Junior School Place Application form.  Alternatively, contact the Derbyshire School Admissions Team on 01629 537479 during office hours.   The closing date for Middle School applications for both Staffordshire and Derbyshire will be 15th January 2025. This is a national date. Offers of school places will be e-mailed to those parents who have applied online around 16th April 2025.

Information for Mid-Year Admission

This guidance is intended for parents or carers of children already of school age who are wishing to move to a Staffordshire school during the school year. In the first instance you should contact us to establish if we can accommodate your child(ren). If we can, you will need to complete an In-year Application Form (289 KB) All sections of the application form must be completed. The form should be returned directly to the school office at Ryecroft C.E. Middle School. We will then notify you of the outcome Further information can be found by following this link to the Staffordshire County Council website.

Do I have a chance of getting a place for my child if I live outside Ryecroft C.E. Middle School's catchment area? Our Planned Admissions Number limits admissions to 60 pupils per year group. All children whose families applied for a school place at Ryecroft C.E. Middle School for September 2023 were successful.  However, for September admission in year groups other than Year 5, or any Mid-Year admissions, you would need to contact us to confirm if we can accommodate your child(ren).  If you live in Staffordshire, you can find out if you live in our school catchment area by calling Staffordshire Student Admissions on 01785 278593. A large proportion of our students live outside our catchment area, because parents have expressed their choice on the application form and were successful in gaining a place here.  However, free school transport is only available to children living in our catchment area, so if you live too far for your child to walk to this school, then you would need to pay for transport or make school transport arrangements yourself if you were offered a place at this school. Staffordshire LA has a free and impartial service to answer any of your questions about choosing a school and it is a good idea to contact them. You can e-mail choiceadvice@staffordshire.gov.uk or telephone the School Choice Adviser on 01785 278992 during office hours.

Please do not hesitate in telephoning the school office on 01889 590394 if you require any further information or would like to arrange to visit the school.