Primary Admissions

Academic Year 2019/20

Click here to download Kent Primary Admissions for Academic Year 2019/20

This section details the Co-ordinated Scheme for Entry to Year R for children born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015. 

For normal points of entry to school, Kent resident parents will have the opportunity to apply for their child’s school place either online Click here www.kent.gov.uk/ola or by using a standard paper form known as the Reception Common Application Form (RCAF). Kent County Council cannot accept multiple applications for the same child. A parent may use either of the above methods, but not both. Kent County Council will take all reasonable steps to ensure that every parent resident in the Kent knows how to apply for a school place by completing a RCAF online click here www.kent.gov.uk/ola or on paper, and has access to a written explanation of the co-ordinated admissions scheme. Completed applications must be submitted online and paper RCAFs returned to Kent County Council by Tuesday 15th January 2018. For further advice please telephone: 03000 412121 or email: primaryadmissions@kent.gov.uk

Key Action Scheme Date

In Year Admissions

If your child is at primary or school and you want to move them to a different school, you need to apply. This is called an in-year admission. 

There is no guarantee that your preferred school/s will be able to offer your child a place. You should not remove your child from their current school before you have an offer of a place at another school.  

You need to apply for an in-year admission if you want to move your child from:

• a primary school to a different primary school
• a primary school to an infant or junior school
• an infant school to a different infant school
• an infant school to a primary school
  (schools will start processing in-year applications for year 3 places from 1 July 2015)
• a junior school to a different junior school
• a junior school to a primary school

You do not need to apply for an in-year admission if your child is:

• in year 2 at infant school and due move to year 3 at junior school – you need to apply for a primary school place. 
• in year 6 at primary or junior school and due to move to year 7 at secondary school – you need to apply for a secondary school place.

Apply 

Please keep a record of all communication with the school in case you need support from KCC later. 

You live in Kent and want to apply for a school in Kent

Complete the in year application form (PDF, 64.0 KB) and send it to the school you’re applying to.

You need to fill in a separate form for each child and for each school you want to apply to.

You live in Kent and want to apply for a school outside Kent

Call us on 03000 41 21 21.

You don’t live in Kent and want to apply for a school in Kent

Complete the in year application form (PDF, 64.0 KB) and send it to the school you’re applying to.

You need to fill in a separate form for each child and for each school you want to apply to.

You should also contact your own local authority to keep them informed.

Children in care

For children in care with a Statement  of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) being placed with carers in Kent, it is important the social worker contacts the relevant Special Educational Needs area team if the child is moving to a different school.

Children of members of the UK Armed Forces or Crown Servants

If you are a member of the UK Armed Forces or a Crown Servant, with a confirmed posting to Kent, you can apply for an in year admission to a Kent school by completing an In Year Casual Admissions Form (IYCAF) (PDF, 64.0 KB) and sending it direct to your preferred schools. You must include an official letter that declares a relocation date and a Unit postal address or quartering area address with your application.

Where a school is able to offer a place, they will honour that place for 3 months. This can mean that a place can be kept open for the next academic year providing your child/children will start within the 3 month period. If the place has not been taken up at the end of the 3 months, the school may offer it to another child. If this happens, the school will inform you that the place is no longer available and you will need to make a new application for a school place. The school may choose to add your child’s name to their waiting list if they have one.

Moving to a grammar school

If you move to Kent after Kent Test has taken place and want a Year 7 place at a grammar school, your child will still need to be assessed. This can be arranged through the grammar school you are applying for. Until the end of the first term in the school year, all grammar schools will use the Kent Test. This will give you an assessment which is valid for any grammar school in the Kent County Council area.

If your child has not already been tested and you are looking for a year 7 place after the first term in the school year, or a place in a different year group, the grammar school will use its own assessment process. If you apply for more than one grammar school your child will need to take a different test for each grammar school you apply for.

Offers

The school should offer you a place within 5 days if:

• They have all the information they need
• They have a place available
• Your child meets the entry requirements
• No other child has a higher priority for the place

If your child has been permanently excluded from more than 2 schools, the school may refuse to offer a place. Please contact us for help if this applies to you.

If you are applying for a place at a grammar school, the school will get in touch with you about any testing arrangements.

If your child is not offered a place

If you applied for an in year admission but were not offered a place you can:

• Call 03000 41 21 21 (9am to 2pm and 4pm to 5pm Monday to Friday) or email   kentinyearadmissions@kent.gov.uk to find out which other schools have places available.
• Join the school’s waiting list
• Click here to ‘Make an appeal’