Entry guidelines

Set out below are the criteria that are used to decide who will be offered a place at a community school if there are more applications than there are places available. All applications are considered in accordance with the admissions criteria. The LA operates an equal preference system whereby all preferences listed by parents on the common application form are considered under the over-subscription criteria for each school without reference to the parental ranking. Only if a pupil is able to be offered a place at more than one school will the ranking be used to determine the single offer by selecting the one ranked highest of the places able to be offered.

The criteria listed in order of priority are:

Children in public care living within or outside the catchment area
Children in public care are as defined in section 22 of the 1989 Children’s Act (this includes foster children).

Catchment
Children living in the catchment area with a brother or sister who will be attending the main school (not the nursery class) at the time of admission (i)
Children living in the catchment area with a brother or sister who will be attending the main school (not the nursery class) on the same site* (this refers only to Berrymede Infant and Junior schools) at the time
of admission
Children living in the catchment area with exceptional medical or
social circumstances (ii)
Children living in the catchment area on the basis of distance from the child’s permanent home address to the preferred school (iii)

Out-catchment
Children living outside the catchment area with a brother or sister who will be attending the main school (not the nursery class) at the time of admission (as in 2 above)
Children living outside the catchment area with a brother or sister who will be attending the main school (not the nursery class) on the same site (this refers only to Berrymede Infant and Junior Schools) at
the time of admission (as in 3 above)
Children living outside the catchment area with exceptional medical or social circumstances (as in 4 above).
Children living outside the catchment area on the basis of distance from the child’s permanent home address to the preferred school (as in 5 above)
Notes

(i) The words brother and sister refer to all blood, half, foster, step and adoptive brothers and sisters (not cousins) who live at the same home as the child. A sibling relationship does not apply when the older child(ren) will leave before the younger one starts.

(ii) The medical circumstances must relate to the child, and parents will be expected to provide supporting evidence from a consultant - not general practitioner (GP) - in relation to medical circumstances or a social worker (or other appropriate professionally qualified person) in relation to social circumstances. All supporting evidence showing why priority should be given to the preferred school must be submitted at the time of application. Priority under this criterion can only be given for one named school.

(iii) The distance from home to school is measured by straight-line, from a point in the property to the nearest gated entrance which is used by pupils to enter the school grounds. The measuring system is an integral part of the admission software produced by Tribal Technology Ltd. It uses Ordinance Survey maps and is accurate to one metre. In the case of multi-occupancy buildings such as flats, priority will be given to the applicants whose door number is the lowest numerically and/or alphabetically, for example, 11B takes priority over 12A. It does not mean that we will be able to allocate a place at the school nearest to your address.

Under each criterion applicants will be prioritised in distance order.

Any combination of two or more criteria give higher priority than one criterion. For example, a brother/sister connection and agreed medical/social circumstances would give priority over a brother/sister connection.

Tie Break
In the event that the distances are equal the local authority (not the school) will draw lots to determine which applicant should be offered the place.

Twins, triplets or other children from multiple births
The local authority does not give priority under its admission criteria for twins, triplets or other children from multiple births, however, the local authority will endeavour wherever possible not to separate these children whilst still operating within the infant class size legislation.

Children of newly appointed staff
After the published offer date, where there is a demonstrable skills shortage for a vacant post (independent evidence is required), the admission authority will place the children of a new appointee for the post in question, at the top of the waiting list for places at the school.

Deferred entry to primary schools
If a child has not reached compulsory school age, the parent has the option of deferring their child’s entry. However, Ealing Council will only reserve an allocated place until the start of the Spring Term 2010 and if the place is not taken up then, it will be offered to the applicant who has highest priority for the place. Deferred admission refers only to children
who have not already started primary school, it does not apply to children already at school whose parents wish to defer a change of school. If a parent would like to delay their child’s admission to school until the start of the summer term, he/she will need to apply for a place at the beginning of March 2010. If a child does not reach compulsory school age
until September 2010 and the parent wishes to delay admission to school until then, he/she will need to apply direct to the school in mid-June 2010 for a place in year 1 for September 2010, as the child will be placed in
that year group.

Infant to junior transfer - applying for a year 3 place

If you wish to apply for a state maintained junior school in the London Borough of Ealing, contact your preferred school(s) for an application form and composite prospectus and return your completed application form
to the school(s) by 5 December 2008. Ensure that you sign and date the form, as undated forms will be treated as late.
Apply direct for any schools not in the London Borough of Ealing and/or private independent schools. Ensure you ascertain the timetable for closing and offer dates, as they will vary.
If applying for a voluntary-aided school, give the religious reference form to your priest or religious leader.
Reply to all offers within the deadline given. If you later gain your first preference from the waiting list or by appeal, decline any other offer you were holding as someone else will need the place. Holding more than one offer will deprive someone else of a place. If you have questions seek advice early from schools or the school admissions service.

Do you live in this school's catchment area?  Find out using our property enquirer.

Please also see primary school admissions and applying for a primary school place.