St Michael’s Catholic School is promoted by the Diocese of Northampton and is maintained by Buckinghamshire Local Authority.

The Governing Body is responsible for determining and administering the policy relating to the admission of pupils to the school. It is guided in that responsibility by the requirements of the law, the advice of the Diocesan Trustee, and its duty to the school and the Roman Catholic community. The ethos of St Michael’s Catholic School is based on Christian Gospel values and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. We ask parents applying for a place here to respect this ethos and its importance to the school community. This does not affect the rights of parents who are not of the Roman Catholic faith to apply for and be considered for a place here.

Full details on our admissions policy and appeals procedure are available here.

How to apply for a place at St Michael’s Catholic School:
If your child is in Year 6 and is applying for a place in September, please -

a) Apply through the County application form: Apply for a secondary school place | Buckinghamshire Council

AND

b) Complete a SIF (Supplementary Information Form) Supplementary Information Form

If your child is in year 7 to 11, please -

a) Complete an “In Year Transfer Form” In Year Transfer form

AND

b) Complete a SIF and return it to the school Supplementary Information Form

Some other points of guidance:

• When applying for a place to join year seven in September, please note that the deadline for returning the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) is the same as the deadline for applying on the county website, typically 31st of October.
• The SIF needs to be posted to the school or handed in directly to main reception. If you are posting, please post to Admissions High Wycombe, Saint Michael’s Catholic School, Daws, Hill Lane, High Wycombe, HP11 1PW.
• If you intend to submit a baptism certificate, please bring the original into reception with your SIF. It will be immediately photocopied and handed back to you together with your SIF receipt.
• There is no need to submit additional paperwork, such as driving licenses, household bills, or letters of recommendation from other agencies, such as previous education, settings, or social care. These do not have any swing in terms of the admissions criteria, and simply make the process more onerous for parents.
• The SIF is not just for families who practise a faith. Even if your child is not practising a faith, it is worth signing the SIF yourself, and handing it in to demonstrate that you are in sympathy with the Roman Catholic ethos.
• We are keen to support families for whom English is not the first spoken language. Please feel free to contact the school if you need the actual SIF or any of this guidance translated into a different language. We hope this guidance is helpful in supporting you through the application process. If you need any further guidance please feel free to email at office@stmichaelscs.org or call (01494) 535196.

Appeals Information for Admissions to St Michael’s Secondary – September 2025

A school will usually only refuse a child a place if the school has received more applications than they have places available.

You may decide to appeal because:

• your child has a particular interest in the subjects offered by the school
• your child has medical, social or educational reasons for wanting the place
• you have recently moved house

Places at St Michael’s are allocated by Buckinghamshire Local Authority in accordance with the school’s oversubscription criteria as outlined in the admissions policy. The appeals process is also administered and co-ordinated by the Local Authority. Bucks will ensure that sufficient notice is given for the submission of appeals papers and additional evidence and that at least ten days’ notice is given for the date and time of the appeal hearing.

You can find out more about the process using the links below. These links include a timetable of arrangements, key deadlines and a clear link to the online appeal forms (which are also downloadable as hard copies):

For secondary use this link:https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-appeals/appeal-a-secondary-school-decision/

Following on from the school allocation day (1st March for secondary and 19th April for primary) if you wish to appeal the decision of the school not to offer your child a place, this appeal must be submitted to Bucks County Council by March 28th 2025. Bucks County Council will do their best to ensure that this appeal is heard prior to the end of the summer term although they have stated that this may be prone to disruption as a result of COVID-19.

If your appeal is submitted after the appeal deadlines, the appeal will be heard in September 2025.  The Appeal Outcome panel, appointed by the Local Authority, will come to a decision as to whether your child is admitted based on the case put forward by both:

• the applicant, usually the parent or carer
• the admission authority, which will be the council or the school itself

A decision letter will be sent to you no later than 7 calendar days after the appeal decision is made.