We have two Catholic Primary Schools in the Parish: Bishop Parker School and St Thomas Aquinas School. Both schools form the Bletchley Catholic Schools Federation. The schools are served by the same Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher and there is one Governing Body for the Federation.
St Paul’s Catholic School in Leadenhall (just beyond our parish boundary) provides Catholic Secondary education for Catholic Children in Milton Keynes
Nursery: Bishop Parker School, see below.
Free Nursery Places
Bishop Parker Primary School
Hunter Drive, Bletchley, MK2 3BT
Tel: 01908 372129
Fax: 01908 645031
Email: bishopcombined@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Website: www.bishopparker.co.uk
St Thomas Aquinas Primary School
St Mary’s Avenue, Bletchley MK3 5DT
Tel: 01908 373977
Fax: 01908 373977
Email: office@st-thomasaquinas.co.uk
Website: www.st-thomasaquinas.co.uk
St Paul’s Catholic Secondary School
Phoenix Drive, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, MK6 5EN
Tel: 01908 669735
Fax: 01908 676206
Email: enquiries@st-pauls.org.uk
Website: www.st-pauls.org.uk
Important Information on Admissions to Catholic Schools 2022
Our schools are very popular, places are limited and schools are often over subscribed. In accord with national guidelines for Catholic Schools, the schools’ entrance criteria require that the Parish Priest to provide a reference known as a “Certificate of Catholic Practice” for applicant children. A Certificate is granted to a child if they regularly attend Mass on a Sunday or the Saturday evening Vigil Mass.
If you will require a Certificate of Catholic Practice from the Parish for a 2022 application you must complete a Registration Form now and return it to the Parish Office ASAP. Registration forms are available from both the back of All Saints Church and St Thomas Aquinas Church.
Full details of each School’s Admission Criteria can be viewed on their respective Websites. Please remember when applying for a place in our Parish Schools to obtain and complete the Supplementary form in addition to the ones required by the Local Authority. Once completed Supplementary forms must be returned to the school you are applying to. If you have any queries regarding School Admissions please contact the School(s) directly. If you have any enquirers regarding how to obtain a Certificate of Catholic Practice i.e a reference from Fr Christopher please contact the Parish Office on 01908 372315 during Office hours.
Proposed Admissions Policy for St Thomas Aquinas School 2022-2023 can be viewed below:
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary
School Admissions Policy 2022
“I have called you by your name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
- St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School is supported by the Diocese of
Northampton and is maintained by Milton Keynes Local Authority (LA). - The Governing Body of the Bletchley Catholic Schools Federation is responsible
for determining and administering the policy relating to the admission of pupils to
the school. It is guided by the requirements of the law, by the advice of the
Diocesan Trustees and its duty to the school and the Catholic community. - The school primarily serves the parish of St Thomas Aquinas and All Saints in
Bletchley, Milton Keynes. - The Governing Body has set its planned admission number as 30, for the school
year commencing September 2022.
Applying for a 2022-23 place at school
Parents wishing to apply for a place in the school for their child in September 2022 must complete the LA Common Application Form and read the LA admissions guide. They must also complete the St Thomas Aquinas Supplementary Information Form provided by the school. Parents can also apply online via http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schooladmissions. Parents applying online also need to obtain and complete manually and return the St Thomas Aquinas Supplementary Information Form mentioned above. Milton Keynes Council will write to all parents in April 2022 with a single offer of a school place. Those parents who applied online will also be informed at the same time by email followed by a letter.
Waiting list
If the place at St Thomas Aquinas School is declined, then parents will be asked if they would like to be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list will be held and places offered in the event that a place becomes available in order of oversubscription criteria and not in order of date of
application.
Admissions appeals
Admissions appeals will be arranged by the school as the admissions authority. Parents should contact the school directly in the event that they wish to appeal against a decision not to offer a
place to their child.
In Year Admissions
Applications should be made directly to the school. If a place cannot be offered at the time, you will be advised of reasons by letter which will include details of the appeals process. You will be also offered a place on the waiting list. This will be monitored by the Governing Body in the order of over subscription criteria below.
The Governing Body will consider all applications according to the criteria set out below without reference to the ability or aptitude of the child.
In case of oversubscription the Governors will give priority to children in the following order:-
1. Baptised Catholic children in the care of the LA, including those who were previously
in care, who immediately after being in care became subject to adoption or special
guardianship order within the last year.
2. Baptised Catholic children of Catholic teachers (for which there is a demonstrable
skills shortage) appointed by the Governors to permanent positions at St Thomas
Aquinas School for two or more years at the time the application is made. A Certificate
of Catholic Practice will also be required.
3. Baptised Catholic children attending Mass in the parish of St Thomas Aquinas &
All Saints, Bletchley, who have a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their Parish
Priest.
4. Baptised Catholic children who attend Mass in a parish other than St Thomas
Aquinas & All Saints, Bletchley, with a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their
Parish Priest.
5.Other baptised Catholic children.
6. Children in the care of the LA, other than Catholic
7. Children from committed Christian families, with a reference from a minister of religion.
8. Children whose families are supportive of the Catholic ethos of St Thomas Aquinas
Catholic School.
In the event of over-subscription in any of the above criteria, places will be
allocated using tiebreakers in the following order:-
a. Siblings of children who are attending the school at the admissions date for the child
involved.
b. Distance from the child’s normal home to the school as measured by the shortest,
safest available route from the front door of the child’s normal home to the school’s
nearest entrance gate, using the Milton Keynes Geographical Information System,
with those living closer to the school receiving the greater priority.
Multiple Births:
In cases where there is one remaining place available and the next child on the waiting list is one of a twin; triplet or other multiple birth groups, both twins would be admitted (or all siblings in the case of multiple births) even if this goes above the admission number for the school, or takes any class above the threshold of 30, in line with infant class size legislation.
Admissions Policy Definitions
1. A Catholic child is a child baptised according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church.
2. By ‘parent’ we mean:
a. both natural parents
b. any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental
responsibility for a child; or
c. any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of the child.
3. A sibling is a brother or sister, which for admission purposes means brothers and
sisters of whole or half blood or any other child (including an adopted child) who
permanently resides at the same address and for whom the parent also has
parental responsibility.
4. By ‘multiple births’ we meanin cases where there is one remaining place available and the next child on the waiting list is one of a twin, triplet or other multiple birth groups both twins would be admitted (or all siblings in the case of multiple births) even if this goes above the admission number for the school or takes any class above the threshold of 30 in line with Infant Class Size legislation.
5. By ‘looked-after child’ we mean Children who are in the care of the LA, including
those who were previously in care, who immediately after being in care became
subject to an adoption, or residence or special guardianship order within the last
year.
6.’Certificate of Catholic Practice’ means a certificate issued by the family’s parish
priest (or the priest in charge of the church where the family attends Mass) in the
form laid down by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It will be issued
if the priest is satisfied that at least one Catholic parent or carer (along with the
child, if he or she is over seven years old) have (except when it was impossible to
do so) attended Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation for at least five years
(or, in the case of a child, since the age of seven, if shorter). It will also be issued
when the practice has been continuous since being received into the Church if that
occurred less than five years ago. It is expected that most Certificates will be
issued on the basis of attendance. A Certificate may also be issued by the priest
when attendance is interrupted by exceptional circumstances which excuse from
the obligation to attend on that occasion or occasions
7. By ‘normal home’ we mean the child’s home address at the time you make your
application for a place. We regard a child’s home address to be where s/he spends
the greater part of the school week (Monday to Friday, including nights).
We may ask to see official documentation, such as a child benefit’s book or medical
card if there are reasons why a child does not live at his or her parent’s address.
For example, if s/he is resident with a grandparent, you need to tell us this on the
application form. If you do not declare any arrangements like this or use a relative’s
address for your application, we may consider that you have made a false
declaration and withdraw the offer of a place. Childcare arrangements are NOT
sufficient reason for listing another address. The school reserves the right to check
the validity of any address given by asking for evidence such as inclusion on the
A supplementary form asking parents to confirm whether their child is practising must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian and Parish Priest.
Electoral Roll or a recent utilities bill confirming your name and address.
If you are moving into the catchment area, we will ask for evidence of your move
before considering an application. Typical evidence is a letter from your solicitor
confirming that you have a legally binding agreement to buy a house or a formal
lease agreement for at least six months.
8. The shortest route will be measured using the Milton Keynes Geographical
Information System.
Catholic Bletchley 