Schools
The ‘Church of the Assumption’ is a feeder Parish for three excellent schools in the Harlow area.
Primary:
St Albans Academy admin@st-albans.essex.sch.uk www.st-albans.essex.sch.uk
St Luke’s Academy admin@st-lukesrc.essex.sch.uk www.st-lukesrc.essex.sch.uk
Secondary:
St Mark’s Academy admin@st-marks.essex.sch.uk www.st-marks.essex.sch.uk
The requirements for these “Faith Schools’ for our Diocese is below.
Applications should be made direct to the respective school for a placement and to the Parish Priest for the appropriate form, which will only be completed if you comply with the Diocese requirements.
Mr Robert Simpson the new Director of Education for the Diocese of Brentwood has asked that the attached ‘Guidance’ be made available to all Parishioners and Parents of Children who might be applying for admission to a Catholic Secondary School.
He writes: 'One of the key factors in the application process is the declaration that the family of the child is a 'Practicing Catholic family'. It is vital that this declaration should be seen as the responsibility of the Diocese, through its Parish Priests, and therefore separate from the admissions arrangements of the school, which are, of course, subject to the scrutiny of the Schools’ Adjudicators and the Government’s Admissions Code’.
The result was that the CES Working Party replaced the Priest's Reference Form with a Certificate of Catholic Practice to be signed by the appropriate priest. After discussion with the applicant(s), each priest must make a decision, in accordance with the guidance notes, whether the applicant(s) is/are known and whether the child is from a practicing family. The certificate (if issued by the priest) should be given to the applicant who can then show it, or a facsimile, to the Catholic schools to which they are applying, along with the Baptism Certificate.
Please see the attached “Diocesan Guidance to Parents” below:-
Diocese of Brentwood
Education Department
From Robert Simpson, Diocesan Director of Education – 1st September 2016
Applying for a place in a Catholic school for September 2017
DIOCESAN GUIDANCE TO PARENTS/CARERS
Dear Parents/Carers,
If you are intending to apply for a place for your child for next September in a Catholic Secondary School, you will probably already know that the process changed last year.
Instead of asking your Priest to complete a reference form regarding your Catholicity which he would then send directly to the school, you now need to see your Parish Priest and ask him for a Certificate of Catholic Practice. Your Parish Priest will give this to you providing he is satisfied you are a practicing Catholic. You will then need to take this to the Catholic School to which you are applying, together with your child’s Baptismal Certificate (or Certificate of Reception where appropriate).
If you do not, for whatever reason, qualify for a Certificate of Catholic Practice and your child is baptised, then your application will come into the next category for Baptised Catholic Children. For further details, please read carefully the admissions criteria/arrangements of the Catholic school to which you wish to apply.
If you think you are likely to be, in this second category, please do still apply in the normal way, as explained by the Catholic school or the Local Authority, and remember to take a copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate to the school.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Simpson
Diocesan Director of Education
Primary:
St Albans Academy admin@st-albans.essex.sch.uk www.st-albans.essex.sch.uk
St Luke’s Academy admin@st-lukesrc.essex.sch.uk www.st-lukesrc.essex.sch.uk
Secondary:
St Mark’s Academy admin@st-marks.essex.sch.uk www.st-marks.essex.sch.uk
The requirements for these “Faith Schools’ for our Diocese is below.
Applications should be made direct to the respective school for a placement and to the Parish Priest for the appropriate form, which will only be completed if you comply with the Diocese requirements.
Mr Robert Simpson the new Director of Education for the Diocese of Brentwood has asked that the attached ‘Guidance’ be made available to all Parishioners and Parents of Children who might be applying for admission to a Catholic Secondary School.
He writes: 'One of the key factors in the application process is the declaration that the family of the child is a 'Practicing Catholic family'. It is vital that this declaration should be seen as the responsibility of the Diocese, through its Parish Priests, and therefore separate from the admissions arrangements of the school, which are, of course, subject to the scrutiny of the Schools’ Adjudicators and the Government’s Admissions Code’.
The result was that the CES Working Party replaced the Priest's Reference Form with a Certificate of Catholic Practice to be signed by the appropriate priest. After discussion with the applicant(s), each priest must make a decision, in accordance with the guidance notes, whether the applicant(s) is/are known and whether the child is from a practicing family. The certificate (if issued by the priest) should be given to the applicant who can then show it, or a facsimile, to the Catholic schools to which they are applying, along with the Baptism Certificate.
Please see the attached “Diocesan Guidance to Parents” below:-
Diocese of Brentwood
Education Department
From Robert Simpson, Diocesan Director of Education – 1st September 2016
Applying for a place in a Catholic school for September 2017
DIOCESAN GUIDANCE TO PARENTS/CARERS
Dear Parents/Carers,
If you are intending to apply for a place for your child for next September in a Catholic Secondary School, you will probably already know that the process changed last year.
Instead of asking your Priest to complete a reference form regarding your Catholicity which he would then send directly to the school, you now need to see your Parish Priest and ask him for a Certificate of Catholic Practice. Your Parish Priest will give this to you providing he is satisfied you are a practicing Catholic. You will then need to take this to the Catholic School to which you are applying, together with your child’s Baptismal Certificate (or Certificate of Reception where appropriate).
If you do not, for whatever reason, qualify for a Certificate of Catholic Practice and your child is baptised, then your application will come into the next category for Baptised Catholic Children. For further details, please read carefully the admissions criteria/arrangements of the Catholic school to which you wish to apply.
If you think you are likely to be, in this second category, please do still apply in the normal way, as explained by the Catholic school or the Local Authority, and remember to take a copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate to the school.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Simpson
Diocesan Director of Education
