Apply for admission to school

We have a statutory duty to, where possible, educate children at the school preferred by their parents or carers.

In the vast majority of cases, parents are happy to choose their catchment school. However, it is legally necessary for that school to be selected and named on the ‘Admission to School' form and returned by the deadline. A place will not automatically be available at a particular school, even if you live in the catchment area.

Bridgend County Borough Council is the admissions authority for community schools. Applications to Welsh-medium schools are made through the same forms as English-medium schools use, and to the same schedules. For voluntary aided schools, the admissions authority is the governing body for the school.

Over-subscription criteria

In parts of Bridgend County Borough, there is pressure on school places. Where applications exceed available places, we will use the over-subscription criteria to allocate places by priority. Consequently, some children may not get a place at their preferred school, and this is more likely if they live outside the school catchment area. Read our School Admissions Policy 2024-25 for more about our over-subscription criteria.

Admissions to voluntary aided schools

The admissions authority for voluntary aided schools is the governing body of the school. Please contact the following schools directly for the admissions criteria:

• Archdeacon John Lewis Church in Wales Primary School, Bridgend
• St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Bridgend
• St Mary’s and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, Maesteg
• St Robert’s Catholic Primary School, Bridgend
• Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School, Bridgend