Hints and tips Applying to a secondary school for entry in September 2021 Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/ schooladmissions The Pan-London e Admissions site opens on 1 September 2020. If your child is currently in Year 6 and born between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010, you will need to apply for a secondary school place by 31 October 2020. The benefits of applying online It is quick and easy to do. During the evening of 1 March • • You can apply from any location 2021, you will be sent an email • with internet access 24 hours a day, informing you that your outcome seven days a week until the closing is available. date, 31 October 2020. Once you have received this email, • You can log back on to change or you can log onto the Pan-London • delete preferences up until 11.59pm e Admissions website and accept or on the closing date. decline your offer. You can register your mobile phone If you would prefer to complete a • number to receive reminder alerts. paper application form, these can be obtained from the admissions team • You will automatically receive a (contact details can be found on the confirmation email, with your back page of this leaflet). application reference number, once you submit your application. You are able to attach additional • documents. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 3 Where to obtain the information you need Each September all local authorities All the contacts you will need can provide information for parents that be found in the brochure of the local sets out the admissions process and authority where schools are located. procedures. This leaflet has been produced to provide you with some basic hints and tips on the application process and is a first step towards obtaining more detailed information. Hammersmith & Fulham’s Moving on up brochure about transferring to secondary school will be available online from the beginning of September at: www.lbhf.gov.uk/ schooladmissions The brochure explains the application process in detail and sets out the admission criteria for each school in Hammersmith & Fulham. Where possible, parents/carers are encouraged to access information online. You can also obtain more detailed information from each of the secondary schools by visiting their websites and attending open days/evenings. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 4 Research, research, research! You must do your research on the Speaking to your primary school head schools that you are interested in • teacher. They will have experience applying to. You can do this by: based on previous transfers. Reading the admission criteria to Contacting the admissions team for • find out if your child is likely to • advice if you are unclear how the be offered a place, and look at system works. how places were offered in the previous year. Note Attending open days/evenings Please be aware that T f L are • held at the schools. Dates and times currently considering withdrawing for H&F schools are included in the free travel concession for this leaflet. children of school age. You may Checking if the schools you want want to consider this when • to apply to require your child to take making your school selections. a test. Checking if the school requires • additional forms to be completed. This would normally apply to church schools. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 5 Hints and tips for applying Familiarise yourself with the Distance from home to school is • admission criteria for schools often used as a tie-breaker, but there are schools that use random When you begin researching schools, allocation (lottery). you will need to read the admission criteria for the school you want to Some schools have a priority area apply to. The admission criteria is often • and/or feeder primary schools. very different for each school so you These are some factors that you need must read the criteria carefully in order to be aware of when deciding which to assess the likelihood of your child schools to apply for. being offered a place. To give you some examples of what to check for: In all cases, if a school receives more applications than places available, the • Church schools will give priority to school’s admission criteria must be applicants that can demonstrate applied. There is no guarantee that practice of the respective faith if your child will be offered a place at they receive more applications than your preferred school, even if it is the places available. closest school to where you live. There are schools that will require • your child to sit a fair banding test. Not all schools give priority to • siblings so you will need to check this first. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 6 Be realistic: remember Take special care how you you can apply for up to order your preferences six schools The school preferences you make Please remember that you can apply are treated equally. This means that for up to six schools. Even after you no matter where you place a school have researched the schools and you in your list of preferences, it will be have decided where to apply, unless treated in the same way as all other you are 100 per cent sure that your applicants who also chose that school child will be offered a place (if, for – regardless of where they have placed example, there will be a brother or the school in their list. sister attending and this gives priority The reason it is so important to list the in the school’s criteria), you should not schools in the order of your preference assume that your child will be offered is that when results are returned to a place. You should also consider other the admissions team, we may receive schools where you know you will have offers for more than one of your a good chance of gaining a place. preferences. As only one offer can be Adding further schools to your list made to your child, you will be offered will not affect your chances of being the highest school possible from the offered a place at a higher preference list you provided. Any offers made school. Schools are not informed of lower in your list will be withdrawn other preferences you have made or and put back in the system. the order in which you place them. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 7 Do I need to provide You must submit your additional information? application on time There are some schools, usually You must submit your application church schools, which require you to by 31 October 2020. If you are a complete a supplementary information Hammersmith & Fulham resident you form (SIF). The SIFs for Hammersmith will not be able to apply online after & Fulham schools will be available this date and will need to request a from the individual schools and on the paper form. council website. If you submit your application form The Moving on up secondary after this date without a valid reason, admissions brochure states which your application will be considered schools require a SIF and any other after all of those which were documents. The online system will submitted on time. This will greatly alert you when you enter a preference affect your chances of being offered for any school that requires additional the school you want. forms to be completed. You must return the SIF and any other documents to the school, but make sure that you also submit the application itself naming the school in your list of preferences. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 8 Will I definitely be offered What happens to the one of my preferences? preferences that I have No. To increase your chances of being not been offered? offered one of your preferred schools Any preferences lower than the you must research the admission offered school will be withdrawn. criteria for the schools you are You will automatically be placed interested in. on the waiting list for any higher preference schools that were not able You should put at least one school to offer your child a place. in your list where you are reasonably certain your child meets the criteria You also have the right of appeal to an (e.g. sibling already at the school independent appeal panel against the and this is a high priority in the decision not to offer your child a place school’s criteria). at your preferred school/schools. For further advice you can speak to the admissions team or the school who will be able to offer you guidance on the likelihood of your child being offered a place based on the information you provide. It is not possible to give any guarantee of the outcome of your application. Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 9 Visiting dates for Hammersmith & Fulham schools Ark Burlington Danes The Fulham Boys School Academy 020 7381 7100 020 8735 4950 www.fulhamboysschool.org www.burlingtondanes.org Open evening Open evenings Tuesday 29 September, with talk Thursday 24 September, Thursday from headmaster at 6.00pm, 1 October and Thursday 8 October. 6.45pm and 7.15pm All at 5.00 to 7.00pm Open day Thursday 24 September, with talk from headmaster at 9.15am and 11.15am To book a place, please visit the school’s website Sports aptitude application deadline Thursday 1 October Sports aptitude test date Tuesday 6 October Apply online: www.lbhf.gov.uk/schooladmissions 10 Fulham Cross Academy – Hammersmith Academy a STEM specialism school 020 8222 6000 020 7381 3606 www.hammersmithacademy.org www.fulhamcrossacademy.