As a Catholic School community, for all children who have chosen to attend Holy Cross School we are an active living and faith community providing a place where:-

 •      God is recognised and is central to all our lives.

 •      The Gospel values and teachings are shared.

 •      We work together,

                       pray together,

                                      worship together,

                                                     and celebrate together.

Holy Cross Catholic Primary Voluntary Aided School is situated in the Diocese of Plymouth and is maintained by Plymouth Local Education Authority.

The school serves the parishes of Mount Carmel - Efford, Plymstock - St Margaret Mary, Plympton - Our Lady of Lourdes, and Holy Cross.

There are currently 201 children attending, aged from 5 to 11, in 7 year group classes.

Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School. As a Catholic School, priority for admission is given to Roman Catholic pupils. The criteria for admission to Holy Cross is as follows:- 1 Children who are baptised Catholics and resident in the designated area. 2 Children who are baptised Catholics and resident outside of the designated area. 3 Children belonging to other Christian denominations whose Parish Priest / Minister of Religion has supported the application on the form provided. 4 Other children including those of other faiths who want a Catholic School Education. In the event of a tie break in any of the above categories priority will be given first : * to the applicant(s) with a brother or sister at Holy Cross School at the time of admission,  * and then to the applicant(s) living closest to Holy Cross Catholic Primary School based on where the school is resident at the time of admission. Pupils are admitted to Holy Cross School from the age of 4 years old. There is only one admissions point in the school year, however, parents of children born between 1st September and February 28th may request their child starts in January 2004/05. Our Planned Admission Level (PAL) is 30 pupils. Admissions Criteria 2004-05 Parents have the opportunity of opting for their child to have three terms in the Foundation Unit, by starting school at the beginning of the school academic year 2005. However, should parents prefer to have a deferred starting date from January 2006, a written request must be made to the Headteacher for Governors confirmation. Parents are advised that children must, by statutory requirement, attend school in the term following their fifth birthday.  Places will be allocated by the Governors of the school up to the Planned Admission Number (PAN – Annual intake). Applications for one of these places in the school are considered by the Governors in the following order of priority:- 1  A baptised Roman Catholic child. (Evidence: baptismal certificate or letter from a Roman Catholic priest confirming their knowledge of the child’s baptism). 2 A child who has a sibling who will still be attending the school when the child is due to enter. (Evidence: the supplementary form will allow you to give the sibling’s name). 3 A child whose normal residence is with at least one parent who is a baptised Roman Catholic. (Evidence: parent’s baptismal certificate or letter from a Catholic priest confirming their knowledge of the parent’s baptism). 4 A child who is a member of another Christian denomination. (Evidence: baptismal certificate or equivalent or letter from a minister). 5 A child who is a member of another recognised Faith tradition. (Evidence: letter from a Faith leader confirming their knowledge of the child). 6 A child who seeks a Roman Catholic education 7 Other applications. Tiebreaker Priority will be given to the child from the designated feeder parish/es of the school and if this is a tie; that lives the shortest walking distance from the school. Are there exceptions to the admissions criteria? Yes, exceptions may be made: • on exceptional medical or social grounds, or where the child is in the care of the local authority; • where a child requires admission to a designated special needs centre or other specialist provision attached to the school; • where a child has a SEN statement, a school is required to admit the child if the school has been named in the Statement; • where necessary to meet the requirements of a school’s trust deed.

Admission Timetable 2005

30th April  *DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS* 7th May Holy Cross Catholic Primary School send out initial offer of places and seek confirmation of acceptance by parents. 18th May  Deadline of acceptance by parents of places offered for September. 21st May Holy Cross Catholic Primary School sends out any further offers of places for September and seek confirmation of acceptance by parents. 24th May  Deadline for parents to accept further offers of places for September. 28th May  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School notify applicants not offered places for September. 4th June  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School start induction of pupils for September. 4th September  1.30 p.m. Admission of pupils born between 1st September and 28th February.  24th September  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School send out initial offer of places for January and seek confirmation of acceptance by parents. 5th October  Deadline for parents to accept places offered for January  8th October  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School send out any further offers of places for January and seek confirmation of acceptance by parents. 12th October  Deadline for parents to accept further offers of places for January  15th October  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School notify applicants not offered places for January. 29th October Holy Cross Catholic Primary School start induction of pupils for January.

National Curriculum

All schools providing for Key Stage 1 (Infants) and Key Stage 2 (Juniors) are required to teach a broad, balanced curriculum including the National Curriculum Core and Foundation Subjects, including Religious Education.        The National Curriculum subjects are:-  Religious Education Core Subjects  English Mathematics Science  Information & Communications Technology (I.C.T)  Foundation Subjects Design technology Art Music  History Geography  Physical Education   P.S.H.E At Holy Cross School clear priority is given to Religious Education and the teaching of Literacy and Numeracy. Each day, every class will receive a dedicated hour for both Literacy and Numeracy.

The Governors and staff of Holy Cross believe in creating an atmosphere that enables us all to live what we believe, as God wants us to. We value all friendships, actively seeking to follow in Jesus' footsteps. This must be evident in our welcome, the way we pray and worship, and in our care for and service to one another.

We are proud to belong to the special family of Holy Cross. It calls us all to love and serve the Lord, working together, recognising Him in one another. As God loves us all, this provides the confidence and the courage to play our valued part in this whole community responsibility.

This includes the fundamental role of the family in building true partnerships through mutual support, reinforcing beliefs and open communication. It shares with the parish important events, celebrations and decisions.

A sense of belonging us to contribute fully, taking ownership of what we do at Holy Cross. As we value and respect one another, we must appreciate the good, reaffirm the 'best' of society's values and meet the challenges as well. This also requires us to forgive and accept forgiveness, showing tolerance in a generous way, as reflected in the Lord's Prayer.

We are all blessed with unique talents, which we develop in the service and praise of God. Our key role is to celebrate the 'whole' person - spiritually, intellectually, morally, socially and physically.

Our school must be a happy place where we try to encourage and support all our 'special' needs. We strive to make the most of all opportunities, where the complementary experiences measure education not merely in terms of quantifiable learning but also by such virtues as generosity, sympathy, tolerance and respect.

We all share a commitment to maintain high standards of education, fostering a desire to learn, where pupils are motivated to succeed. Our curriculum should endeavour to be purposeful, interesting and challenging, where every child aspires to reach his or her potential.

We proclaim and celebrate the presence of Christ by what we teach and by who we are. As the 'Cross' is a symbol of what it means to serve, may we begin to appreciate what it means to be a child of God.

..To give and not to count the cost...