Information to help you apply as a Bexley resident for a place for your child in a primary school, whether in Bexley or elsewhere.

If your child was born between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020, you can make an application for him or her to begin school during the school year 2024/2025.

You can apply online up to 15 January 2024.

Apply online

Children starting primary education in Bexley schools in the 2024/25 school year may start in the Autumn term 2024, regardless of their date of birth.

A list of all the primary schools in Bexley is available at Primary schools in Bexley and explains the oversubscription criteria for each school that will be used if there are more applications than places.

You must apply for a reception place even if your child already attends the nursery class at one of your preferred schools, as children do not transfer automatically from nursery to reception. No priority is given for a reception place because of attendance at a nursery class at the same school.

If your child currently attends an infant-only school (for children aged between 4 and 7), you will need to apply online for a place in a junior school in the same way as those applying for a reception place.

If you have recently moved into Bexley or are about to do so, there is information that tells you how to apply for a place in a Bexley school for children aged between 4 and 11 years.

These arrangements also apply to parents who would like their children to transfer from one primary school to another.

The primary co-ordinated admissions process

Children born from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2020 (inclusive) will be due to start in the reception class of a primary school in the 2024/2025 school year.

Under the primary co-ordinated school admission scheme, parents apply for all types of schools in Bexley or in other local authority areas (apart from private schools) by listing up to six schools on the Bexley Primary Common Application Form if they are residents of London Borough of Bexley. Parents living outside Bexley must complete the application form available from their home local authority. Bexley primary schools can be included on that form.

The Bexley Primary Common Application Form will be available online at eAdmissions from 1 September 2023. Paper applications will only be available to those who are unable to apply online.

Parents who include a faith (Church) school amongst their preferences will need to complete a supplementary information form, available direct from the school or on Primary schools your child can go to, that will ask questions about baptism, regularity of Church attendance etc. Parents should return the supplementary information form to the school.

The Council will pass on details of your application to all the schools listed on your form, and the admission authority for each will decide whether your child can be offered a place. If you are applying for priority, such as under medical grounds, you must indicate this against each preference to which you believe it applies. Evidence must be submitted at the time of application.

If there are more applicants than places, the published oversubscription criteria for each school will be used to put children in order of priority. When all the decisions are known, the Council will offer your child a place at the highest preference school possible of those listed on your application form.

Parents who apply online will receive an email with details of the school offered during the evening of Tuesday 16 April 2024. If you apply online and are offered your first preference school, your offer will be automatically accepted.

All other applicants who apply online will have until 2 May 2024 to accept or decline their offer. The coordinated scheme, by ensuring that no parent will be offered a place at more than one primary school, enables more applicants to be offered a school place.

Transferring from infant to junior school

Children transfer from infant to junior education at the beginning of the school year following their seventh birthday or the start of Year 3. If your child is in the final year of one of the infant schools in Bexley, you must apply for a place in a junior school. Children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 will transfer to junior school in September 2024.

Children who attend a primary school for children aged from 4 to 11 years transfer automatically to a junior class.

Children who attend an infant-only school for children aged 4 to 7 years do not automatically join the associated junior school. Parents of children in infant-only schools need to apply to their home local authority for a place at the junior school of their preference. The procedure is similar to that for reception class admission described above, except that only 3 preferences are allowed, and the same conditions apply for late applications.

Most parents wish their children to go from the infant school to the associated junior school, and priority is given in junior school admissions to children attending the associated infant school, after Looked After children. You can also apply to other junior schools if you wish to, or you can make an in-year application for transfer to Year 3 of a primary school. Offers of places at primary schools will depend on the availability of places, and no priority is given to children because they are leaving an infant-only school.

If there are more applications for a junior school than places available, applicants will be prioritised using the oversubscription criteria for junior schools. The Admissions Policy for each school can be found on the school's website.

The closing date for junior school applications is 15 January 2024. You can apply online by visiting eAdmissions.

Infant to junior applications will only be accepted for children already attending an infant-only school.

Applications for junior school places for children who attend a primary school or who do not have a school place must be made as in-year applications.

Waiting lists of children not allocated a place at their preferred school in the infant to junior process will be merged with in-year waiting lists for Year 3 places from 30 April 2024, and priority will still be given to children on roll at the linked infant school until 31 August 2024.

Applying online and Parent Comm app

More and more parents apply online for the following reasons:

• it’s quick and easy
• you will receive an email receipt
• it’s a secure system
• the system helps you by checking for errors
• there is no risk that your application will get lost in the post
• you can scan and upload evidence of your address and supporting evidence for medical and social priority requests
• you can view and change your application right up to the closing date
• available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, up until the closing date and time of 11.59pm on 15 January 2024
• view the outcome of your application online during the evening of 16 April 2024
• you can accept or decline your offer online until 2 May 2024

When you apply online, make sure that you receive your confirmation email within an hour of submitting your application. Your application is not valid without the confirmation. If you do not receive the confirmation, you should resubmit the application. You should make a note of your username and password. Please make sure that you enter details of brothers and sisters already attending a school in the correct boxes, and state any medical or social factors that you would like taken into account against each school preference to which they are relevant. You must upload supporting evidence for all requests for a particular priority or send paper copies to the School Admissions Team at the time of application.

If you have an existing eAdmissions account, you will be prompted to check your personal details are up to date. Please ensure you do this before starting your online application.

You can download the ParentComm app (by Atomwide) from the Apple App Store or Google Play to a mobile phone or tablet. When you register your username and password, the app will help you manage your application, and you will be able to use it to see the school you are being offered on 16 April 2024 and can now set up push notifications. The app will also give you access to other school services.