Admissions
Reception Admissions
For children starting school in September, the admissions procedure for children in Reception class is carried out by the Local Authority, Pupil and Student Services. If you would like to apply for a place at our school please contact:
Bury Admissions Team
3 Knowsley Place
Duke Street Bury
BL9 0EJ
Tel 0161 253 6474/7675
Offers of places will be notified by the LA in April each year
https://www.bury.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/primary-school
Published Area Number (PAN) for reception is 60 full time places.
For children starting school (Reception-Year 6), after September and at any point throughout the academic year, please see the 'In- Year Admissions' tab below.
In-Year Admissions
For an In- Year Admission, where children are moving from one primary school to another (Reception-Year 6), please complete the application form below. You can apply via the school, by handing in the admission form to the school office, or via Bury Admissions Team, 3 Knowsley Place, Duke Street Bury.
primary-school-transfer-application-form
Visits to St Paul's CE Primary School
Parents/carers considering an application to the school or with children who are transferring to St Paul's from another school, are warmly invited to tour the school. Please contact the school for an appointment. For any information or enquiries regarding visits to school, please contact Mrs Jones, in our school office.
For further information, please see our Admissions Policy:
Admissions Arrangements for September 2027 Entry (2027-28)
Our admission arrangements for September 2027 entry were determined by the Trust Board on 11 February 2026. There are no substantive changes from 2026 entry. The only updates made are technical amendments to maintain compliance with the School Admissions Code 2021.
There are no changes to our oversubscription criteria, PAN, or catchment area. The Trust admissions webpage contains a short statement to provide context to this determination: https://www.forwardasone.uk/Admissions/
Any objections to determined admission arrangements can be referred to the schools adjudicator by 15th May 2026.
Download our full determined admission arrangements for 2027-28 here: Admissions Policy 2027-28
Deferred entry
Per the School Admissions Code , although children are entitled to a full-time place from the September following their 4th birthday, parents can delay the date their child starts school to later on in the year (not later than the beginning of the summer term).
This is because children don't need to start full-time education until the first day of the term after they turn 5.
Children that turn 5 between:
- 1 September and 31 December must be in school from the start of the spring term
- 1 January and 31 March must be in school from the start of the summer term
- 1 April and 31 August (summer born) must be in school from the start of the autumn term
Paragraphs 2.17 and 2.18 of the School Admissions Code, page 25 explain this. This code applies to maintained schools and academies (except maintained special schools and special academies).
Deferring until the next academic year
Parents with summer-born children still need to apply for a school place as normal – as if their child were going to start age 4 – even if they want to delay their start date until age 5.
They can apply for their child to be placed in:
- Year 1, with their normal age group – parents must make an in-year application for a place
- Reception, outside their normal age group – parents need to make a request for this. Your admission authority’s admission arrangements explain the process for applying outside of the normal age group. Your authority will decide whether to approve the request
This is explained in the DfE's guidance for parents of summer born children.
Please see our admissions policy for detailed guidance about how to apply for a deferral.
