Admissions

Please see Admissions Arrangements below

Admissions Procedure

Groombridge St Thomas is a Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary school located in the Diocese of Chichester.

As a Voluntary Aided school, the Governing Body is the admission authority and has responsibility for admissions to the school. Please read the full policy when considering applying for a place, there is a supplementary information form for those applying under faith-based criteria.

We would be delighted to give you a tour of our school if you are considering applying for a place for your child. Please contact the office to make an appointment.

Further information on East Sussex County's Admissions arrangements can be found here:

Apply for a school place | East Sussex County Council

Appeals information and timings

If you have been refused a place at St Thomas, you are entitled to appeal to an independent panel. Please contact the school office on 01892 864305 for information on how to lodge an appeal.

An appeal for a place in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 may be subject to Key Stage 1 or Infant Class Size Legislation. This is a more limited process which reviews the original decision to refuse admission rather than an appeal against the refusal in the light of additional circumstances. There are very limited exceptions which would allow a school to exceed 30 children in a Key Stage 1 class.

Appeals timings

Appeals for children starting Reception Year in September 2022 onwards need to be submitted by Wednesday 18 May 2022 to be heard on time. The final date for appeal hearings is Thursday 21 July.

In year appeals should be submitted within 25 school days of being told your application was unsuccessful and will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being received.

The Clerk to the Independent Appeals Panel will give at least 10 days’ notice of the appeal date. Parents will also be told when to submit any further information to be considered. Parents will receive evidence from us before the appeal hearing.

After appeals are heard, decision letters should be sent within 5 school days.

Appeals at the normal round of admissions will be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals. Where the application was not made in time for a decision to be made on the national offer date, they will be heard within that 40-day period or, if that is not possible, within 30 days of the appeal being lodged. In-year admission appeals must be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged