Admissions

Admissions Policy and Procedures

St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School is part of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Education Trust.

The school exists primarily to serve the Catholic community, and Catholic children always have priority of admission. However, the Governing Body welcomes all applications, including those of other faiths or none, who are supportive of the religious ethos of the school.

If the school is over-subscribed, priority is given to baptised Catholic children who are resident in the parishes of St Elizabeth of Portugal, Richmond, Our Lady Queen of Peace, East Sheen, Our Lady of Loreto & St Winefride, Kew, and St Thomas Aquinas, Ham.

Click here to view a map of the parish boundaries.

Please take a look at our current Admissions Policy listed below. This will give you a clear understanding of what you need to do to secure a place at St Elizabeth's School.

The Headteacher and the school admissions officer are happy to speak with you about any questions you might have regarding the admissions process. Please call the school office on 0208 940 3015 or email the school admissions officer via admissions@st-elizabeths.richmond.sch.uk to make an appointment.

Admissions for Reception Entry September 2026

In September 2026 the Governors will admit 30 children into Reception class.

For Reception, children are admitted at the beginning of the school year in which they become five, and are offered a full-time place to start in September.

We welcome all prospective parents for Reception to come and visit the school. On your visit, you will meet with the Headteacher who will answer any specific questions you may have. Parents will also receive a tour around the school.

The dates for the prospective Parent Open Mornings for Reception 2026 are as follows -

Tuesday 30th September
Tuesday 7th October
Tuesday 21st October
Tuesday 4th November
Tuesday 18th November
Tuesday 2nd December

Each Parent Open Morning will start at 11:00 a.m. and will last approximately one hour. If you would like to register to attend an open morning, please contact the school office on 0208 940 3015 or email the school via admissions@st-elizabeths.richmond.sch.uk

In addition to the Local Authority CAF (Common Application Form), parents are invited to submit the following documents to the school office, if applicable:

The Certificate of Catholic Practice, if applicable. This is available on request from your parish priest.

Original copy of your child's Baptism certificate, if applicable.

For applications for places in Reception class, these forms should be submitted by 15th January 2026.

Key Dates for Reception Class Entry 2026

1 September 2025: Online applications are open via www.eadmissions.org.uk
15 January 2026: Closing date for all applications for Reception class entry to Local Authority and closing date for submission of Certificate of Catholic Practice and Baptism certificate to the school, if applicable.
16 April 2026: National Offer Day for Reception 2026 - Offer of school place will be sent to parents by the Local Authority.
Date tbc: Date by which parents must have accepted or declined Reception place.
Date tbc: Further offers made from this date onwards subject to places becoming available.
Date tbc: Closing date for submission of notice of appeals to Chair of Admissions Committee.

How Reception places have been offered on National Offer Day (30 places)

The table below shows how places have been offered in the past four years.

Reception Places	2021	2022	2023	2024
Number of applications	109	107	116	95
Places:
Baptised Catholics as follows:	24	26	25	25
Looked after or previously looked after children	0	1	0	0
Siblings	9	14	11	11
Non-siblings within designated parishes	12	10	13	14
Non-siblings outside designated parishes	3	2	1	0
Orthodox and Christian children of other denominations	2	3	2	3
Other children	4	0	3	2
Number of appeals heard	0	0	0	0
Number of successful appeals	0	0	0	0
There is a waiting list	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

In-Year School Admission

We welcome new children joining school as well as families new to the area, and we are pleased to offer school places if we are able to.

An application can be made for a place for a child at any time outside the admission round and the child will be admitted where there are available places. An application should be made to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames by completing the In-Year Application Form.

When applying for an in-year admission, please contact our school admissions officer on 0208 940 3015 or by email admissions@st-elizabeths.richmond.sch.uk to inform us of your application, and we can assist you if required.

Where there are places available but more applications than places, the published oversubscription criteria, as set out in the admission arrangements, will be applied. If there are no places available, the child will be added to the waiting list. Parents are advised to read the Admissions Policy and Procedures when making their application.

Parents will be informed of the outcome of their application in writing within 15 school days of receipt, but the aim is to notify applicants of the outcome of their application within 10 school days of receipt.

Parents have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel if their application is unsuccessful.