Early Years FAQ’s

Q: When is the school going to be open?

Rugeley John Taylor School is opening in 2 phases; we opened the secondary phase with 150 places (5 form entry) for Year 7 students in September 2025. The primary phase is opening with 30 Reception places and 26 Nursery places in September 2026.

Q: Why is the school needed?

There will be over 2000 new homes built on the former power station site, and typically 1000 homes require a “form of entry” of provision. The need for a two-form entry 420-place primary school was therefore part of the planning permission for the site regeneration. These children will ultimately require secondary school places also.

The number of places for secondary phase pupils in the town itself has reduced considerably via the effective amalgamation of two secondary schools into one and it has been projected that, without new school places for secondary age children, an increasing number of the town’s children would have to travel further afield to go to school. A considerable number of secondary age children do so already. However, the areas to which they currently travel (typically, Lichfield, Hednesford, Cannock and Stafford) are also subject to population growth and will therefore see school places limited. The town of Rugeley and the areas surrounding it needs to be self-sufficient in the education of its young people. Finally, currently approximately four fifths of the town’s young people are educated post-16 outside of the town. By opening sixth form provision at Rugeley John Taylor, this again provides more options in Rugeley itself for its young people.

Q: How many spaces are there in Reception? How likely is it to get space?

There will be 30 spaces in Reception (i.e. 1 form of entry) in September 2026. Place allocation will be based on parental preferences (how many parents wish to send their children to the school) and in the event of oversubscription (ie. More than 30 places applied for) the admissions criteria prioritise children in care or with a ECHP, then children who have a sibling in the secondary phase at Rugeley John Talyor School and then location to the school – with the children closest to the school being preferred over those furthest away. We encourage applications from anyone interested in a place at Rugeley John Taylor, as it in no way jeopardises their applications for places at other schools.

Q: I can name more than one school on the application form. How important is it that I place schools in the correct preference order?

Staffordshire County Council do not operate a first preference first or first come, first served admissions policy – this is in accordance with the law. This means that every school listed in your application will be considered separately and fairly against the individual school’s published admission arrangements.

If you can be offered a place at more than one preferred school, a place will be allocated at your highest preferred school. We therefore encourage families to carefully consider the order in which they place schools on their application form, with the school they would most like to attend, being selected as preference one, and so forth, as this in no way influences your chances of being offered a place at other schools listed on your application form.

Q: I’m not sure how the catchment works, so some information on that would be appreciated.

As a new “free school”, the school will not have a ‘catchment area’ of its own and will admit children from the locality it serves on a “distance rule” basis. This means that applications will be assessed by how close the child’s home is in relation to the school, and this is compared with other applications. The school will prioritise its offers of places based on proximity of the children’s homes to the school, in order of our admissions criteria as outlined in our policy on our school website.

Q: Why aren’t you admitting children into the other year groups?

The Department for Education specify in applications for new schools that these schools should fill “from the bottom, up”. This means that children are not having to switch schools mid-phase, causing disruption for their education and for other local schools.

Q: I have another child who is due to start secondary school in 2028 – will Rugeley John Taylor have a siblings policy so both children can attend the same school?

Yes we have a siblings rule as part of our admissions criteria. Any family who has a child in either the secondary phase or the primary phase of Rugeley John Taylor School already, will be given higher priority for their sibling to attend in either the same phase or the other phase of the school. Our full admissions policy can be found on our school website.

Q: How can I make enquiries about admissions to Rugeley John Taylor?

Please email us at [email protected]  and a member of our team will get back to you.