Admissions: Reception September 2026
2026 Reception September
2026 Reception September Open Morning:
Our dedicated Reception September Open Morning was held on Wednesday 24th September. This was for prospective parents with children who aree eligibile for a September 2026 Reception school (they must have been born between 01.09.2021-31.08.2022.)
If you were unable to attend our Reception open morning, we advise you look through the presentation that was provided by our Headteacher, Mr Beatty, during the event.
The deadline for Reception 2026 applications to your local authority & schools is: 15th January 2026. We always advise parents to submit their applications before Christmas to avoid any issues or concerns.
Application Process Overview:
To apply for a Reception place at St James’s Catholic Primary School, you must complete two key steps:
1. Local Authority, Online eAdmissions: Common Application Form (CAF):
Required for all applicants:
You must apply via your Local Authority’s online admissions system (e.g. eAdmissions for London boroughs).
You can list up to six schools in order of preference.
This is the main application used to allocate school places.
2. Supplementary Information Form (SIF):
Required only if applying under a faith-based criterion:
If you are applying for a place at St James’s Catholic Primary School under a faith criterion, you must also complete the Supplementary Information Form (SIF).
The SIF must be returned directly to the school, along with supporting documents (e.g. baptism certificate, priest reference if required).
This ensures your application is correctly ranked within the school’s Admissions Policy.
Supplementary Information Form
Link to Catholic Parish Boundary Maps:
This information is only applicable to Catholic families where their child has been baptised.
Baptised Catholic Children, must indicate on their supplementary information form if their primary home address resides within 1 of the 4 parishes.
For clarification - this is NOT where a parent worships but where the child resides. On your supplementary information - please indicate if your child resides within a parish boundary or outside of parish boundary.
Please look to our Admissions page: "Admissions General Information", for parish boundary maps. These should be used to identify where the primary carer's home address resides within:
- St Francis de Sales Hampton Hill
- St Theodores Hampton
- St Margarets
- St James's Twickenham
https://www.st-james.richmond.sch.uk/admissions-general-information/
3. Key Dates for Reception 2026 Entry:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | September 1, 2025 |
| Application Deadline | January 15, 2026 |
| National Offer Day | April 16, 2026 |
| Deadline to Accept Offer | April 30, 2026 |
| Appeals Period | May–June 2026 |
| Children Start Reception | September 2026 |
4. Important Reminders:
Both forms must be submitted by the deadline.
Missing documents or late submissions may affect your child’s chance of being offered a place.
Attending the school nursery does not guarantee a place in Reception.
For further guidance, please refer to our Admissions Policy, your Local Authority’s Primary Admissions Booklet, or contact the school office.