Applications 

JMHS is a non-selective school and we welcome all students.  Our size allows us to know our students well and we work hard to ensure that every student achieves their potential. Applications to John Masefield High School should be made online through Herefordshire County Council.     

For students joining from primary school the closing date for applications is 31 October and offers of places are made to parents, by Herefordshire Council, on 1 March.  The Council’s webpage above contains a wealth of information and also provides a link to the Government’s guide for parents on school admissions and appeals.  

We hold open events each year in the run up to the 31 October deadline, and we welcome everyone to come and visit the school and see its facilities and buildings and meet our staff. You are also welcome to request to meet with a senior member of staff personally; please contact the school, and we will be happy to arrange this for you. 

If your child is in Year 5, you are very welcome to join us at our open events.  We also run an information evening specifically for you in the summer, along with a Year 5 taster day so you and your child can learn more about our community as early as possible. 

Year 5 Information Evening :  Thursday 2 July 2026 

Year 5 days: Tuesday 7 July and Wednesday 8 July 2026 (depends on primary school) 

Supporting with transition 

We work very closely with all our local primary schools to ensure that the move from primary to secondary school is as easy and as natural as we can make it. Our transition team, led by Dean Wyatt, Assistant Headteacher, visits every child’s school, meeting them in their familiar environment and considers their individual needs before they move to us. This close attention to detail ensures that your child is confident and happy right from their first day at JMHS. We make sure you are informed of progress on a regular basis and there is always someone on the end of the phone to speak to you.  

We offer a variety of events for you to attend which give us an opportunity to share our success story and show you why we provide the very best education, care, guidance and support for your son or daughter. Our evening events allow us to explain our transition plans and how we can ensure a successful start to Year 7. We offer tours, which are an opportunity for you to have a comprehensive look at our school during a normal school day accompanied by senior staff. Our Year 5 and Year 6 days are a chance for your children to experience a full day at JMHS, following a carefully planned timetable. The following dates are key to our transition planning:

Year 6 Information Evening:  Thursday 25 June 2026 

Year 6 Transition Day:  Thursday 2 July 2026 

If you would like to join us in the middle of an academic year, or at the beginning of any school year other than Year 7 or Year 12, then you will need to complete an in year transfer form.

To help you decide if an in year transfer is the right decision for your child, we would advise you to visit the school and see our community on a typical delay.  We would be delighted to welcome you.  One of our senior members of staff or Year Leaders would take you on a tour, answer any questions you might have, and talk about how we would support your child’s transition into a new school.   

Please contact admin@jmhs.hereford.sch.uk  to arrange your visit.   

We hold open events each year in the run up to the 31 October deadline for Year 7 places.  It's a great opportunity to come and visit the school and see its facilities and buildings and meet our staff. You are also welcome to request to meet with a senior member of staff personally; please contact the school, and we will be happy to arrange this for you. 

Our 2026/27 Open Evening will be held on Thursday 8 October 2026.  We will also be holding Open Mornings on the morning of Monday 12 October 2026 and Tuesday 13 October 2026.  These Open Mornings will be bookable events and details will be available in September 2026.  Booking is not necessary for the Open Evening.

The JMHS Sixth Form Open Evening will be held on Thursday 22 October 2026.