Applying for a primary school place

If your child was born between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004 s/he will be eligible to start school within the London Borough of Ealing in September 2008. Ealing Council is the Local Authority (LA) for Ealing.

This is what you need to do

Contact your preferred school in September 2007 to register your child’s name and ask for an information pack (this includes an application form) to be sent to you. If you have not received it by mid-October, please contact the school again. Registering your child’s name at a school does not mean that we will be able to offer your child a place there. Alternatively, you can apply online for a reception year place. If you live in another borough, you should also contact your own local authority regarding your child’s schooling as it may not be possible to offer a place at your preferred school(s) in Ealing. It is important that you read the composite prospectus for that borough and/or check with the school(s) to which you will be applying to ascertain the timetable of closing and offer dates as they will vary in each local authority.
Complete all sections of Ealing’s common application form . The application form is included in the information pack (see point 1). Alternatively, you can download and print the application form (pdf) or apply online. You must fill in both Ealing’s common application form and the school’s own additional information form if you wish to apply for a place at a voluntary aided school. The additional information forms will be available from the schools concerned and will be used to assess denominational commitment. The form must be returned by the parents to the school on the closing date of 7 December 2007.
List, in order of preference, the names of three different Ealing state maintained primary schools for which you wish your child to be considered. This includes the academy, community, foundation and voluntary aided schools. Order of preference is very important. Ranking of preferences will be confidential to the local authority and Ealing will treat all preferences equally for all schools. Where a pupil could be offered a place at more than one school, the rankings will be used to determine the single offer by selecting the one ranked highest of the potential offers. If none of the preferences stated can be offered an alternative offer will be made. If a community school has more applications than there are places, people living within its catchment area will have higher priority.
If you wish us to consider any medical circumstances relating to your child, you must check the admissions criteria of the school for which you are applying to see if priority for admission can be given on this basis and ascertain what professional supporting evidence is required. You must give details on the form at this stage. For community schools you must provide, with your application, a supporting letter or report from your child’s consultant - not General Practitioner (GP) - explaining why education should be at the preferred school (see documentary evidence). If you do not do this, we will not consider your application under this criterion. Priority under the criterion of exceptional medical or social circumstances can only be given for one named school.

The consultant’s letter or report will be considered by a Panel of officers as to whether your child should be given priority for admission to your preferred community school (or priority on the waiting list if all the places have been allocated).
If you want us to consider any social circumstances, you must check the admissions criteria of the school for which you are applying to see if priority for admission can be given on this basis and ascertain what professional supporting evidence is required. You must provide professionally supported evidence at the time of application. For community schools you must attach a letter or report from a social worker or other appropriately qualified person explaining why education should be at the preferred school (see documentary evidence). If you do not do this, we will not consider your application under this criterion. Priority under the criterion of exceptional medical or social circumstances can only be given for one named school. All exceptional social circumstances submitted for consideration will be looked at individually on their own merits. If a child gains a place on this basis, the school may be advised of the circumstances prior to the child’s admission to the school.
Please note that priority consideration is not given to:

parents’/carers’ childcare, working arrangements or their route to work

particular preference for the ethos or layout of the school

none of our community schools offer places based on children’s aptitude or interest in particular subjects and therefore this is not applicable under this criterion

Submitting your completed paper common application form
Please submit your completed paper common application form to your preferred primary school as the school will keep a record that your form has been received. Your form should not be sent direct to school admissions. The closing date for receipt of application forms is 7 December 2007.

If you would like confirmation that your application form has been received, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your form, noting your child’s name and date of birth on the back of the envelope.

Important
If you think your application form has been lost by the school, you must be able to produce proof of posting and receipt by
the school.

This is what we will do

We will consider your application taking into account the admissions criteria for each school applied for
Provided we receive your application on 7 December 2007 , we will send you a letter by first class post on 1 April 2008 with the outcome of your application
Provided we receive your application by 7 December 2007 and you applied online you will be able to find out the outcome of your application by logging onto the Your London eadmissions website on 2 April 2008
If we cannot offer you a place at your preferred school(s) and you live in the London Borough of Ealing, we will offer you a place at a school with a vacancy as far as practically possible. If you do not live in the London Borough of Ealing, we will write to advise you to contact your home local authority (LA) for a school place
If we cannot offer you a place at your preferred school(s), you can opt to be placed on the waiting list. You also have a right of appeal to an independent panel. Details of how to appeal will be sent to you with the letter advising you that we are unable to offer you a place at the school(s) of your preference.

This information forms part of Ealing's 2008 admission policy.