Visit Our School

We warmly invite you to visit St Joseph’s to see our pupils in action.

To arrange a school tour, please call the school office on 01344 425246  email secretary@stjosephsbracknell.co.uk.

Apply for a School Place

If your child was born between 1st September 2020 and 31st August 2021, you must apply for a school place by midnight on 15th January 2025.

• Bracknell Forest residents: Apply online from 5th November 2024 at www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/applyforprimary.

• Non-residents: Apply through your home local authority.

The admissions process closes on 15th January 2025. National Offer Day is Tuesday 16th April 2025, and responses are due by 30th April 2025.

We recommend completing a St Joseph’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF) to ensure your application is categorised correctly. SIFs are available from the school office or can be downloaded from our website.

You may also find the Bracknell Forest “Starting School” booklet helpful.

In-Year Applications

Applications for a place outside the normal admission round can be made at any time. Children will be admitted if places are available. Bracknell Forest School Admissions manages in-year applications according to the coordinated admissions scheme.

• Moving into the area: Complete the Bracknell Forest Common Application Form (CAF).

• Transferring from another Bracknell Forest primary: Complete the Primary School Transfer Application Form, available from your child’s current school or Bracknell Forest School Admissions.

If applicable, parents should also complete St Joseph’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF), available from the school office or website. All applications are considered by the Governing Body in line with the published admissions arrangements. If more applications are received than available places, the oversubscription criteria will be applied.

If no places are available, your child will be added to the waiting list. Applicants will be notified in writing as soon as possible, usually within 10 school days (maximum 15 days).

If your application is unsuccessful, you have the right to appeal to an independent panel.

For questions about in-year admissions, contact the school secretary at secretary@stjosephsbracknell.co.uk or the Bracknell Forest Admissions Team.

Waiting List

The waiting list is used to fill places that become available during the school year. Bracknell Forest School Admissions manages the list, with St Joseph’s Admissions Committee ranking applications before offers are made.

Positions on the list may change due to withdrawals, new applications, or changes in circumstances (e.g., baptism). The list is also reviewed when parents respond to periodic confirmation requests. Children admitted under a local authority direction or Fair Access Protocol take priority over those on the waiting list.

All requests remain on the waiting list until the end of the academic year. Parents may reapply in July for the next year. Time on the list does not affect priority.

Parents must inform Bracknell Forest Admissions in writing if they wish to remove their child from the list or if their circumstances change.

You have the right to appeal against the decision to refuse your child a place at any of the preferred schools on your application form. You should read the admission appeals booklet before completing the appeal form on the Bracknell Forest Admission Website.

You can also find national guidance for parents on school appeals on GOV.UK

St Joseph’s use Bracknell Forest School Admissions appeals service as this gives access to an independent panel.  Appeals should be made in writing to the clerk of St. Joseph’s and then complete the request on the Bracknell Forest School Admission Site.

Appeals lodged with the clerk of the Governors and Bracknell Forest Appeals Panel will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged. School and parents should submit any additional information at least three working days before the appeal hearing.

Appeals should be made to:
The Clerk to Governors
St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Gipsy Lane
Bracknell
Berks
RG12 9AP

An appeal can only be heard after an application has been made on the correct form(s) and if you have not been offered a place at your preferred school(s). The application must have been submitted and processed by the School Admissions Team before an appeal can be lodged.

You cannot appeal for a school that was a lower preference school on your application form to that of the offer you have received.

1.  Parents / carers will be notified by the Local Authority (LA) of the result of their application on 16th April 2025.
2.  Deadline to respond is 30th April 2025.
3. Appeals received by the published closing date, 19 May 2025 will usually be heard during June and July 2025.
4.  Appeals will be heard within 40 days of the deadline for lodging appeals.
5.  Appellants will be given at least 10 days’ notice of the date and location of the appeal hearing.
6.  Appellants and admission authority will be able to submit additional evidence to support their appeal up to 6 school days before the hearing. This will enable photocopying and circulation to all parties in advance of the hearing.
7. Decision letters will be sent to parents / carers within five school days of the hearing.

Useful Documents: