If your child is born between the 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008 your child is due to start Primary / Infant school in September 2012.
If your child is born between the 1 September 2000 and 31 August 2001 your child is due to start Secondary school in September 2012
Once you have narrowed down your list of preferred schools, it's time to apply for a place.
The process for applying for a Primary or Secondary school place starts on the 1 September every year.
There are important dates by which you need to submit your application.
When you’ll find out the results of your application
For children starting Primary / Infant school in September 2012 the National offer date is 18 April 2012.
For children starting Secondary school in September 2012 the National Offer date is 1 March 2012.
Nb. If you have applied online for either a Primary or Secondary school place you will be emailed during the evening of national offer day with the outcome of your application. If you applied via a paper application then a letter will be sent on the national offer day to you detailing the outcome of your application. Please note that you will not receive a letter on the national offer day.
General School Admissions Information
If you are not a Havering resident and you wish to apply for a Havering school you must contact your own local authority school admissions team.
If you wish to view the determined admissions criteria for Havering schools please scroll to the bottom of this page and click on 2012/13 determined admissions criteria.
Choosing a School.
Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make for them. To have the best chance of getting your child into the primary or secondary school of your choice, you must understand the admissions process and start your research early.
Planning and preparing
The process of choosing a school for your child can seem daunting, but starting your preparation and planning early can help you to make a well informed choice.
Remember that all parents need to make an application – even if your child’s current primary or nursery school is linked to the school you want them to go to next, you won’t be considered for a place unless you apply.
Making an early start will mean that you'll be less likely to miss key deadlines.
Finding a school for your child
Search for schools near you
Start by looking online for schools in your area. You can do this by following the link to “
Finding schools in your area” and then type in your postcode to find all the schools near your home.
Find out more
Once you know which schools are near you, get as much information as you can about them. This will give you a better idea of which schools might suit your child most. For example, you might like to:
- visit the schools
- read the schools' most recent Ofsted reports www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports
- read the schools’ prospectuses
- read the local authority's school admissions brochures (“Starting school in Havering” and “Changing Schools at Eleven”) which are available from the download section on this page.
What type of school best fits your child's needs?
Once you have found some local schools which could suit your child, draw up a shortlist.
Before you apply for a school think about your child's personality and their needs. Also consider your family's needs: would you prefer a school which can offer access to after-school childcare? All children are different, and you may find that the school with the best reputation is not necessarily the best choice for your child.
Which school does your child prefer?
Find out what matters to them. You might not agree, but it's important to talk about where they would like to go. This may be more relevant when your child is older and you are choosing a secondary school. Where are their friends going? Starting a new school can be daunting, and having one or two close friends there can help.
Does your child need special attention?
If your child is very bright, shows particular patterns of behaviour or has special needs, it's important to find a school that will be able to give them the necessary support.
Does your child have specific interests?
If they are keen on sport or a specific subject (like maths, languages, art or music) you may want to consider how the school can help to develop their interests. While all state schools follow the National Curriculum, some specialise in a particular subject.
What extended services does the school offer?
An increasing number of schools are offering services outside normal school hours like breakfast clubs or after-school activities.
Decisions about which extended services to offer are made by the schools themselves. To get information about which services are being offered by your child’s school, you should contact the school directly.
Admissions criteria
Before submitting your application, it's very important to read the school's admission criteria; different schools have different criteria. If the school you're interested in is popular, the admissions criteria will give you a realistic idea of your child's chances of getting a place there. The school admissions criteria can be found in the relevant Havering Brochure, for primary please read the "Starting school in Havering" brochure and for secondary please read the Changing schools at Eleven" brochure.
Admission to primary and secondary schools is not automatic. All schools have 'admissions criteria' which the school's admission authority uses to allocate places if they receive more applications than they have places available.
How schools allocate places
Every child aged between five and 16 is entitled by law to a place at a state school. Wherever possible you will be offered a place at one of your preferred schools, but this can't be guaranteed.
Many schools receive more applications than they have places to offer. Every school has an admissions limit, and this determines the number of applicants they will accept.
Admissions criteria
Every school has a set of rules, known as the 'admissions' or ' oversubscription' criteria. Schools that are oversubscribed will follow these rules when allocating places. Admissions criteria are set by the school's admission authority which for state schools are:
- the local authority (for 'community' or 'voluntary controlled' schools); or
- the school's governing body (for Academies and 'foundation' or 'voluntary aided' schools)
Find out about the criteria before you apply
It’s very important to find out what admissions criteria local schools use before you choose which schools to apply to.
Details of all Havering schools admissions criteria's can be found in the Havering School Admission brochures.
Admissions criteria may vary from school to school, but the School Admissions Code requires them to be clear, fair and objective. The code also has a list of admissions criteria that state-funded schools are not allowed to use.
Admissions Statistics for September 2012 Intake
If you wish to view the 2012 Secondary Admissions Statistics please visit the
2012 Admissions Statistics Page
In Year Transfer - Transferring between one school and another.
What is an In Year Transfer?
If you want to transfer your child to the same year group in a different school (for example your child is in year 3 in one school and you wish to apply for a year 3 place in another school) your application is called an In Year admission (also known as a casual admission). You can download an In Year Common Application Form (ICAF) from the download section to the right of this page.
How to apply
Havering Residents
You can either download the In Year Common Application Form (ICAF) form the download section on this page, get one from the school you want to transfer to or contact the School admissions team on 01708 434600 and we will send you one. Once you have completed it you then need to return it to our office by post. Please carefully read the notes page as this will explain which parts need to be filled in and by whom.
What if I don’t Live in Havering
If you live outside of Havering and you would like to apply for a Havering school you will need to apply to your own Local Authority, if you are unsure which Local Authority you live in please visit the
Direct.gov LA Finder and enter your postcode in the search bar.
Infant to Junior Transfers and Applications
When a child attending an infant school in Havering is due to transfer to Year 3 there will be an entitlement to transfer to the partner junior school.
Parents/ carers who wish to apply for a Year 3 place at schools other than the partner junior school will need to complete a Infant to Junior Common Application Form (JCAF). These applications will be considered using the published admissions criteria for the preferred school(s). Such applications should be submitted by 15 January 2012. In terms of applications for community junior schools in Havering, places will only be allocated once demand has been met by pupils transferring from the partner infant school. The Local Authority will co-ordinate the application and a place will be offered at the highest preference school with a vacancy. If there are no vacancies at any of the preferred schools, then the parent carer will be advised of this fact and of their right of appeal against the decision not to offer their child a place at any of their preferred schools.
Parents/ carers whose children attend an out-borough infant school and who want their child to transfer to the partner junior school will need to complete and submit a Infant to Junior Common Application Form (JCAF) to the School Admissions Team by 15 January 2012. Most voluntary aided schools and some foundation schools require Supplementary Information Forms to be completed and where this is the case these should be sent to the school direct. The Admissions team will liaise with the local authority in whose area the school is located and advise if a place can be offered at the preferred junior school.
The Infant to Junior Common Application Form (JCAF) can be downloaded from the download section of this website.
Waiting Lists
If you are unsuccessful in gaining either your first or a higher preferred school to the one that you have been offered this will result in your child’s name being placed on a waiting list and ranked according to the published admission criteria for the school(s) concerned. You should indicate on the reply slip that will be sent to you with the offer letter if you want / do not want your child’s name to be placed on the waiting list(s) for any higher preference school(s).
Priority cannot be given to children based on the date their application was received or their name was added to the waiting list. Waiting lists will be re-ranked in accordance with the school’s published admission criteria each time a child’s name is added to the waiting list. This means that a child’s position on any waiting list can move down as well as up.
Looked after children and previously looked after children and those children allocated a place at a school in accordance with the Local Authority’s Fair Access Protocol, must take priority over other children on the waiting list.
Waiting lists will be maintained for community schools until the end of the autumn term 2012 for Year 7 / Reception applications and for the rest of the academic year if an In-Year application. Academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools vary in the length of time they keep names on their waiting lists.
In-Year Fair Access Protocol
Here you will find information on Havering's In Year Fair Access Protocol.
The Education & Inspections Act 2006 introduced a requirement for each local authority to have in place an In-Year Fair Access Protocol (FAP). Further guidance on this requirement can be found in the School Admissions Code which is available on the
Department of Education website.
In Year Fair Access Protocols exist for those children who cannot obtain a place through normal admissions procedures.
A copy of Havering's protocol can be viewed on the link below: