Applying for a place in Reception

Children in Dudley can start school (Reception) in the September after their fourth birthday.  Dudley Council's School Admissions Service publishes information on their website, informing parent/carers on how to start their child at school. However, the responsibility for applying online for a child to start reception class, remains solely with parent/carers

Applications for places at St. Joseph's are managed through Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. This can be accessed on their school admissions page (see link below).

When to apply

Parents can apply for a place in the Autumn of the year before their child turns 4 years of age. It is important that you apply for a place as soon as possible.

In-Year Applications (changing schools after starting Reception)

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 via the local authority by completing the in-year admissions application form which is available from Dudley's Admissions website (click here). As a Catholic School, parents will also need to complete a Supplementary Information Form in addition to the standard application form that is submitted to the local authority. Supplementary Information Forms can be obtained by downloading from the link below, or a hard copy can be provided on request by contacting the school office by email (info_stjosephs@emmausmac.com) or by telephoning 01384 431980. Supplementary Information Forms must be returned directly to the school either by emailing to the email address above or by post. If a Supplementary Information Form is not submitted directly to the school this may affect the priority given to the application and could affect the likelihood of your child being offered a place.

The Local authority will forward your application to the school for consideration by The Local Governing Body .

Where there are places available but more applications than places, the published oversubscription criteria, as set out in the admission arrangements for each academic year (please see below), will be applied. The full admission arrangements can be accessed below or by contacting the school office to request a hard copy. Parents are advised to read the admission arrangements carefully before making their application.

If there are no places available, the local authority will notify you of this decision on behalf of the governors and your child can be added to the waiting list at your request. Please see the admission arrangements for more details regarding waiting lists.

You will be advised of the outcome of your application in writing as soon as possible. Applicants must be informed of the outcome of their application within 15 school days of its receipt, but the aim is to notify applicants of the outcome of their application within 10 school days of its receipt.

You have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel if your application is unsuccessful.

If you have any questions in relation to in-year admissions please contact the school office using the details above. You may also wish to discuss in-year applications with the local authority by calling 0300 555 2345

The Local Governing Body of St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School adhere strictly to our admission criteria

To check that your address falls into the parish boundary, please click on the link below, this will give you a full description of the parish boundaries.  Should you require any further information please contact the school office on 01384 431980 with your post code.

The School Admissions Code and School Admission Appeals Code came into force on 1st February 2012. In line with this, the Local Governing Body is required to publish a timetable for organising and hearing school admission appeals.

In accordance with the Department for Education's School Admissions Code, admission authorities are required to consult on admission arrangements where changes are proposed.

As a result of updates to the Diocesan Model Admissions Policy, all Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Birmingham are required to undertake a full consultation on their proposed admissions policies for the 2028/29 academic year.

The proposed changes are:

• The introduction of new priority categories for Catechumens and children of Eastern Christian Churches.
• The introduction of new priority categories for children of other Christian denominations and children of other faiths.
• The introduction of new priority categories for children of members of staff at the time of admission.
• Changes intended to ensure that admission arrangements continue to reflect and serve the needs of our school communities.
• A number of minor amendments to wording, definitions and policy content, with the most significant revisions relating to the oversubscription criteria.

The consultation will remain open for a period of six weeks in accordance with statutory requirements. We welcome views from all interested parties and encourage stakeholders to participate in the consultation. Responses should be submitted in writing no later than 5:00pm on 21st December 2026 via the MS Form linked here: Emmaus Consultation on Admissions Arrangements for 2028/29 (Dudley) – Fill in form

Following the close of the consultation period, all responses received will be carefully considered by the Local Governing Body before the final admissions arrangements are determined and published.

A copy of the full consultation letter and proposed policy for 2028-29 can be seen here: