How to Apply for a place for your child in St Monica's Catholic Primary School 

St Monica's Catholic Primary School is a very popular, happy school in the heart of Bootle. We are delighted when people show interest in joining our school: we are happy to help prospective parents and families in any way we can. 

Applications for admission into Reception need to be made direct to Sefton Councill. Click here to be taken to the Sefton portal where you can apply for a school place. Should your child not receive a place at St Monica's you can appeal. Please see below for more information. 

We hold tours of the school site in the Autumn term and parents/carers are welcome to visit our school, to look around and to ask questions about our school.  Please ring the school office to make an appointment for a member of the senior leadership team to contact you to arrange a visit to school.

If you have any questions about the process of starting Reception in Sefton, this booklet is very helpful: Parents Guide to School Admissions 2026

Step-by-Step Admissions Process for Reception

1. Go to www.sefton.gov.uk/startingschool and under the ‘Do it online’ section, follow the link to Citizen Portal. Follow the on-screen instructions. The Portal is quick and easy to use.

2. Complete School's Supplementary Faith Form:

   Download and complete the Supplementary Faith Form: Supplementary Faith Form Primary St Monicas.doc

3. Proof of Faith:

   Include a copy of your child's baptismal certificate or evidence of their faith form

4. Submit Documents:

   Return the Supplementary Faith Form and proof of faith to the school, either in person or by email: finance.stmonicas@schools.sefton.gov.uk 

5. Remember to meet the deadline:

   Ensure all documentation is submitted by the local authority's deadline (January 2026)

Reception Applications for September 2026: 15th January 2026, via Sefton (more information below

Nursery Applications:

If your child is under 3 years old, and you would like to apply for a place in our School Nursery, then please contact the School Office and we will send you an application form at any time in the school year. 

Important information:

• The form needs to be completed and returned back to the School Office accompanied by the original Full Birth Certificate, proof of Baptism (if this has taken place) and proof of residency, (this should be a recent utility bill).
• If you are allocated a place in our Nursery, you will be contacted by the school in April for a September start and October /November for a January start depending on the numbers/places available.

Key Information

• If your child is successful in obtaining a place in St Monica's Nursery, please do not assume this automatically means your child will gain a place in St Monica's Reception 
• To make an application for a Reception place you should follow the process outlined below 
• All Reception applications received will be ranked against the school admission criteria which can be found in the Admission Arrangements Policy on this page

Applying for a Reception place in St Monica's

If you wish your child to start in Reception, you will receive a unique number from Sefton Admissions and you must apply online for a September start. Please contact Sefton immediately if you have not received this. 

How to apply online:

Go to www.sefton.gov.uk/startingschool and under the ‘Do it online’ section, follow the link to Citizen Portal. Follow the on-screen instructions. The Portal is quick and easy to use.

• If you have not used Sefton’s Citizen Portal before, you must first register by confirming your email address and setting up a password, (in exactly the same way as many other websites). Please keep a note of your password you will need this again to log into the Citizen Portal on National Offer Day to view the school place offer.
• If you have used Sefton’s Citizen Portal before please check your details are correct including your home address by selecting ‘My Account’ on the homepage before you start a new application.
• If you do not have internet access, a paper application is available upon request from the Sefton Admissions Team. We are also very happy to help out any prospective parents or carers who are considering St Monica's as their choice of school.

What are the benefits of Sefton’s Citizen Portal?

• It’s convenient – the Citizen Portal is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Your application will be recorded automatically, and you can start an application and finish it later.

• You can make changes at any time up until the national closing date(s). Once you have submitted (or re-submitted) an application, you will receive a confirmation email.

• The system is secure and confidential.

• You will be able to log into the Citizen Portal on national offer day to view the school place offer. You will not have to wait a few days to receive the offer letter.

Link to Citizen's Portal: https://emswebaccess.sefton.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/en

The national closing date for admission applications is: 

• RECEPTION YEAR, SEPTEMBER 2026: Closing date: 15th JANUARY 2026
• If you need any support with this application, please contact ourselves on 0151 525 1245
• or Sefton School Admissions Team on:
• Email: admissions@sefton.gov.uk
• Tel: 0151 934 3590.

In Year Admissions - Key Guidance

Key Information about in-year transfers:

• If you want your child to be admitted to any other year group in St Monica's, you must contact Sefton School Admissions Team on 0151 934 3590, and you will be informed if there is a place available. 
• Please follow this link for Sefton Council's key information for the In-Year Admissions process, including key application forms: https://www.sefton.gov.uk/childrens-services/schools-and-learning/school-admissions/in-year-admissions-and-school-transfers/ 
• Do not hesitate to call our office if you need any assistance on 0151 525 1245.

Admissions and Appeals - Key Information

• For Catholic schools within the Archdiocese, the appeal hearings are arranged by the Liverpool Archdiocese Education Department.  If you would like to lodge an appeal please submit your details using the form below, completing all of the fields.
• Online Appeal Form
• You will then receive via email or in the post an appeal form which you must complete and return along with any additional information to aes@rcaol.org.uk. 
• Please find more information here: https://www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/department/education/admissions-and-appeals

If you are unable to return your documentation electronically please send it to:The Archdiocese of Liverpool, Education Department, Liverpool Archdiocesan Office, Croxteth Drive, Sefton Park, Liverpool, L17 1AA.