FAMILIES applying for places at Bournemouth’s St Katharine’s School will no longer need to confirm attendance at church.

Admission rules at the heavily over-subscribed school will change next year after it was found that previous arrangements “could lead to inconsistency.”

Until now, applicants have had to provide a signed form from a vicar confirming they attend one of a selected number of churches in the area.

But, following a ruling by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator, the requirement for church attendance has been removed, to take effect from September 2017.

The rules were examined by the adjudicator after a referral from an appeals panel dealing with aggrieved parents whose children had been refused a place last year.

The adjudicator agreed that allowing individual vicars discretion over signing application forms could lead to inconsistency.

In a letter published on the school website, Chair of Governors Lisa Jensen said: “The adjudicator’s determination required that changes needed to be made to the school’s admission arrangements in order to make them compliant with the School Admissions Code and the law relating to admissions.

“The Governing Body have consulted with the Diocese and acted upon their advice to remove the requirement for Church Attendance. The Admissions Policy for September 2017 reflects this change.”

St Katharine’s, in Rolls Drive, Hengistbury Head is a popular school which attracts many people to move to the area.

Many families living near to the school are refused places every year.

For most, their nearest, non-church school is Stourfield Infants in Cranleigh Road, which is also over-subscribed so many are offered places several miles away at schools with places in other parts of the town.