Your Choice for Primary Education a Guide for Parents with Children Starting Primary School in September 2017
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Your choice for primary education A guide for parents with children starting primary school in September 2017 www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions Apply online: www.eadmissions.org.uk The Pan-London eAdmissions site opens on 1 September 2016. If your child was born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013, you will need to apply for a primary (reception) school place by 15 January 2017. Contents Introduction School information 4 Welcome 26 Common definitions 5 Introduction to the Royal Borough’s primary schools 28 Admission criteria for community schools 5 Types of state school 30 Fox Primary School priority area map 5 Contacting the Admissions Team 38 Admission criteria for Academies, Free Schools 6 Pan-London system and voluntary aided schools 7 Key dates 8 Gathering information Additional information 8 Applying for schools outside the Royal Borough 60 In-year admissions 8 Private fee-paying schools 60 Support for school attendance 60 Children with Disabilities Team The application process 60 Special Educational Needs and Education, Health and Care needs assessments 10 Closing date for applications 61 Educational Psychology Service 10 Proof of address 61 Assistance with home-to-school travel 11 Change of address 62 Family Information Service 11 Exceptional need 62 Free school meals 12 Additional forms to complete 12 Applications for children living abroad 12 Members of the UK Armed Forces and Nurseries and children’s centres Crown Servants 64 Applying for a nursery place 12 Requests to apply for reception in the following year 65 Community nursery schools and children’s centres 13 Late applications 13 Change of preferences Locations and contacts 14 Completing your application 68 Contact details for diocesan authorities 14 Guidance on completing your application (paper or online) 69 Contact details for neighbouring boroughs 16 Apply online and save time 70 Map of the Royal Borough’s educational establishments 16 Applying online can be done in five easy steps 18 A step-by-step guide to applying online 20 What will happen next 20 How decisions are made 21 Notifying you of the outcome 22 Waiting lists 22 Appeal arrangements 23 Making final arrangements for starting school 24 Frequently asked questions Apply online: www.eadmissions.org.uk 3 Introduction Welcome Dear Parents and Carers Choosing a primary school for your child is a big decision and the beginning of at least eleven years of full-time education. Enclosed in this brochure you will find helpful information, and what you need to consider before you decide which schools to apply to. You will also find basic information about all the schools located in the Royal Borough and their admission criteria, which include the new Kensington Primary Academy, which will open September 2016. The Academy provides an additional 30 reception places in an area of the borough that has seen a steady rise in demand for places in recent years. Please remember, if you are not resident within Kensington and Chelsea and would like to apply for one or more of our schools, you will need to do this through your home borough. Primary schools in Kensington and Chelsea are highly sought after and many are heavily oversubscribed. There has been an increase in applications every year so I would advise you to consider your preferences carefully and check the admission criteria for the schools you would like to apply for to avoid disappointment. The Admissions Team are happy to advise you and contact details can be found on page 5. I wish your child every success and happiness in their primary education. Cllr Emma Will Cabinet member for Education and Libraries The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 4 Apply online: www.eadmissions.org.uk Introduction Introduction to the Royal Types of state school Borough’s primary schools In the Royal Borough, there are 11 community This brochure is for parents of pupils aged between schools, 14 voluntary aided schools, one Academy three and 11, but deals mainly with issues for parents and one Free School. whose children are due to start primary school in 2017. The Admission Authority for each school is responsible It provides information about how and when to apply for setting its admission arrangements and deciding for a place, explains how admission decisions are made which children are given priority for a place, in accordance and gives information about each school to help parents with the published admission criteria. For community decide which schools to apply for. schools the Admission Authority is the local council, while In September 2017 there will be 28 maintained primary for voluntary aided schools, Academies and Free Schools schools, including one Academy and one Free School, it is the school’s governing body or Academy trust. in the Royal Borough. The new Earl’s Court Free School Community schools are financed by public money Primary, which is currently located in Hammersmith and maintained by the Council, which also sets their & Fulham, provides approximately 15 places for Royal admission requirements. Borough residents based on a measuring point from Earl’s Court. In September 2016, the new Kensington Primary Voluntary aided schools are set up by a religious or Academy, located in Kensington High Street, now provides voluntary body but funded through the Council. Governors a further 30 places to families in the south of the borough have additional responsibilities to those for community and we are also offering an extra 15 places at Colville and schools, including setting the admission arrangements. Fox primary school. Further details about each school can Academies and Free Schools are independent of the be found on pages 31-44. local authority and funded directly by central government. All other schools in the Royal Borough providing primary The governing body for each Academy and Free School or nursery education are either independent (private) sets its admission arrangements in agreement with the schools or run by other organisations that may charge secretary of state and the local council. fees. The Council’s Family Information Service provides details of all provision in the area and can be contacted by visiting www.rbkc.gov.uk/family-information-service or emailing [email protected] Further information on independent schools is available from the Independent Schools Council at www.isc.co.uk and the Independent Schools Directory and Resource at www.independentschools.co.uk Contacting the Admissions Team The Royal Borough’s Admissions Team works The Admissions Team is based at Kensington Town in partnership with the London Borough of Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX and can be Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster City contacted between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Council as a joint service. E [email protected] W www.rbkc.gov.uk/schools/admissions T 020 7745 6432/6433/6434 Apply online: www.eadmissions.org.uk 5 Introduction Pan-London system The local authorities taking part in the PLCAS then use a secure computerised system to pass on details of the Every year around 100,000 applications across London applications for schools in other areas. They will also are made for primary school reception places. All 33 co-ordinate the offer of places to make sure no child is London boroughs, together with councils bordering the offered more than one school place. The decision on capital, co-ordinate admissions to their primary schools. whether a place can be offered will continue to be made The co-ordinated admissions system is fairer and means by the Admission Authority for each school. When a more parents are offered one of their preferred schools at school receives more applications than places available an earlier stage and fewer parents receive no initial offer (also referred to as oversubscribed), its published at all. It is also easier for parents to manage, reducing admissions criteria will be used to decide the order in anxiety for you and your children. which applicants will be offered places. How the system works Schools will not be informed of where they are listed on the application form or other schools applied for. Under the Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions System (PLCAS), all parents must list the schools they want Where a child is eligible to be offered a place at more than to apply for on their home local authority’s common one school, the local authority will hold the offer for the application form, ranking them in order of preference. highest preference on the parents’ form and release all This is important, as potentially only one offer will be other lower preference offers. These places can then be made and this will be for the highest-ranked school able offered to other applicants. Potential offers are exchanged to make the offer. This form (either paper or online) is between local authorities until they are in a position to make returned to the local authority for the area in which the the single best offer to parents using all available places. child lives. All offers will be made on the same day: 18 April 2017. 6 Apply online: www.eadmissions.org.uk You must submit Introduction your application by 15 January 2017 Key dates From 1 September 2016 You will be able to apply online at www.eadmissions.org.uk Paper applications will be available from the Admissions Team on request. The Your choice for primary education brochure will be available online and a hard copy can be requested from the Admissions Team from 12 September. 15 January 2017 Closing date for applications If you are applying online, you will have up until 11.59pm on 15 January 2017 to submit your application. If you are applying via a paper form you will need to ensure it is received by the Admissions Team by 5pm on the closing date.