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How do I decide which school to send my child to?
This is a personal decision. To support your selection of preferences, you can view the schools within Monmouthshire here. Open evenings are an excellent way of finding out about a school as well as visiting the schools’ websites.
Outcomes of recent Estyn inspections of schools can be viewed at estyn.gov.uk
If I am residing within the catchment area for my preferred School, will I be guaranteed a place?
Local Authority does not guarantee places to those children residing within the catchment area for a school, although residing within the catchment area does appear as part of our over-subscription criteria.
What are the possible difficulties if I apply for a school which is not my catchment school?
You need to consider the possible difficulties that there may be if you apply for an alternative school to your catchment school. For example, if your application for an alternative placement to the catchment school is successful, then you would not be eligible for free transport, even if you live more than one and half miles from that school. N.B If the school to which you apply is not your catchment school, but is your nearest school, you may qualify for free transport under the normal qualifying criteria – see transport section. If you do wish to apply for a school outside of your catchment area, please also consider placing more than one preference on your application in case your application for this school is unsuccessful.
What do you mean by Admission Number?
Each school will have its own admission number. The admission number is the upper limit for admissions into the year group that allows the school to continue to adequately meet the needs of the pupils with the space and resources available at the school. To breach the admission number would place further pressure on the provision of effective education and efficient use of resources at the school. The admission number is derived directly from the amount of area within a school designated as teaching space and the resource areas in place to support the teaching. The guidance used to calculate the admission number is the Welsh Government’s “Measuring the Capacity of Schools in Wales”, Circular no. 021/2011.
Can I apply to both Monmouthshire and a neighbouring Local Authority at the same time
No, you need to obtain your form from the Authority to whom you pay your council tax. However on this form you can cite preferences to schools of a number of Local Authorities. They will then forward the application to the relevant Local Authority. Your Local Authority should advise you of the time-frame for forwarding applications. The only exception to the above is if your preferred school resides within the City of Newport. In this instance, you must apply directly to Newport City Council.
If I do not live in Monmouthshire, can my application be considered for a place in a Monmouthshire School?
Yes, applications for the admission of pupils who live outside the county are considered on an equal basis. Application forms are available from the Local Authority to whom you pay your council tax. The form should then be returned to them. They will forward the form onto the School and Student Access Unit. It may also be appropriate to forward a letter to the School and Student Access Unit to ensure that we are aware of your request for a place.
If I apply for a place at an independent school, Voluntary Aided School, or out of county school will my application for a Monmouthshire school be jeopardised?
Application forms invite parents to express up to three preferences, and it is important to include your application to a VA or independent school as one of these preferences. All preferences will be considered equally in line with the Authority’s over-subscription criteria. Your highest ranked preference will be offered in the event that one or more preferences can be met.
What if I no longer want the place?
Please write or e-mail confirming this is the case. Again, please state the child’s name, date of birth and address. We require you to confirm your acceptance for any place offered to your child as failure to do so could result in the place being withdrawn.
What if I miss the closing date?
All complete applications received by 4pm on 31st October 2026 (Secondary) and 4pm on 15th January 2027 (Primary) will be dealt with first. Any applications received after this date will not be considered until those applications received on time have been processed. Failure to complete a form on time may reduce your chance of having your preferences met.
Why do I need to supply additional evidence to support my application?
The Authority will access Council Tax data to validate your home address. For this, we will require you to provide your Council Tax reference number on the application. If you are moving properties you will need to supply evidence in terms of Exchange of Contracts or long term Tenancy Agreement. This will need to be received by us prior to the closing date.