Admissions Process
The main entry points into Bury Catholic Preparatory School are Nursery and Reception, but we welcome new pupils into all year groups, subject to availability.
Each year we are excited to welcome a brand new cohort of pupils to Bury Catholic Preparatory School – we would love for your child to be among them.
We understand that making an application may be a big decision, but our process is simple and our whole school team are here to support you each step of the way.
There are lots of considerations when deciding where to send your child to school, and different factors are important to different people. That’s why we ensure that there are plenty of opportunities during the admission process to find out more about the school, whether that be by browsing our website, chatting with our staff, coming along for an Open Event or having a private consultation.
Step One - Enquiry
The first step in the process is submitting an online enquiry, which you can do here (alternatively, you can contact our office on 0161 797 5804). At this point you can also sign up for an event, or request a meeting/ conversation. There’s no obligation to continue with an application at this stage, it is just an opportunity to find out more information about the school and request a visit if you so choose. We recommend doing this as soon as possible if you think you may be interested in joining us, as we will then be able to keep you up-to-date with deadlines and upcoming events that may be of interest.
Complete our online enquiry form to register your interest. We will then send you more information about the school and provide an application form.
Step Two – Apply
Alternatively, you can contact our office on 0161 797 5804 and we’ll send an application form out to you with a stamped addressed envelope, then simply return this to us by post:
Bury Catholic Preparatory School Office
Arden House,
172, Manchester Road,
Bury,
Lancashire,
BL9 9BH
Step Three – Entrance Assessment
On receiving an application form, your child will be invited to spend a day in school, during which time they will be assessed whilst joining in with normal lessons. This will give your child the chance to experience life at Bury Catholic Preparatory School first hand and to meet their peer group. The nature of the visit will depend on your child’s age:-
- Children in Nursery, Reception will spend a taster session (half day) in class. Children in Year 1 will spend a whole day in class. During their visit, the teacher will spend some time getting to know them and they will be assessed informally.
- Children in Year 2 to Year 6 will spend a full day in school, during which they will be assessed in the core subjects of Mathematics and English, including reading, along with some measures of general ability. The work is set at National Curriculum ability levels appropriate for the age group and these assessments should be seen as a positive opportunity for each child to show their ability.
- Assessment tests require no specific revision. The best advice is to reassure your child that the assessments are not designed to catch them out. They should relax and try to complete them to the best of their ability. A member of staff will also spend some time in an informal interview with the child, where we will be looking for their ability to listen and speak freely with enthusiasm on a variety of topics of their choice. The remainder of the day will be spent in class, with the teacher providing opportunities to observe both personal and social skills, and how your child interacts with their peers both in class and during playtimes.
During the application process, parents are invited for a tour of the school. The tour will be carried out by the Head teacher or Deputy Head teacher, and will allow you to view the school as a working environment. We may seek a reference from the Head of your child’s current school, who would typically be asked to comment upon academic ability, attitude, behaviour, talents and interests.
Step 4 – Offers of Places
Offers of places are made to successful candidates shortly after their visits. In some instances, children are accepted into the Nursery class at the beginning of the term in which they have their third birthday. Children can also come into the Reception class at the start of the academic year in which they become five. In terms of Reception entry, priority is given to the children attending our Nursery class.
For all successful applicants, and taking the above Nursery and Reception criteria into consideration, if there are places in a class, admission is possible at any time during the school year.