Category: School Admissions

Primary schools only

The application deadline is 15 January 2021 and National offer day will be 16 April 2021.

Please note we will NOT be delivering printed booklets to schools this year. Parents will be able to view our digital viewbook online and asked to apply via e-admissions website (external link). The Secondary admissions viewbook also includes information on the secondary school open events which are also available on our website (external link).

Please can you remind parents/carers with children in your nursery (where applicable) to apply on time and also to alert families with children already on roll who have younger siblings. We have a small number of families every year who forget to make a reception application for their second or subsequent child or a Junior transfer application for their infant school child. With your help and support in publicising these deadlines and the imperative of making an on-time application we can minimise the number of families who don’t secure a school place at one of their preferred schools.

Preferences

We will let you know how many reception preferences you have received (including from those applicants resident outside Haringey) on 11 February 2021. If you would like to know how many applicants have applied online (not on paper) you can find this out now by logging on to the online admissions system (external link)
　
On 11 February 2021, we will also send you a list to verify sibling applications (community and voluntary controlled schools only) or send you a full list of applicants to rank in the order of your admissions criteria (academies and voluntary aided schools only). It is very important that you return these lists by no later than 25 February 2021 to ensure that we are able to meet our PAN London deadlines.

Offers

We will send you a final offer list before 16 April 2021. After offer day we will continue to send you updated lists as places are declined and new offers are made.

For any queries on any of the above, please contact Lynne Tighe, Lynne.Tighe@haringey.gov.uk (Reception) or Imogen Rush, Imogen.Rush@haringey.gov.uk (Junior).

School Admissions Team 

The Governing Body of St James C of E Primary has proposed a variation to the admissions arrangements for admission to Year Reception in September 2021, in respect of the over-subscription criteria relating to church attendance.

 Please see this letter from the Chair of Governors for your information: Variation to admission arrangements St James C of E Primary Letter to Governing body

The governing body of St Michael’s Church of England Primary School in Highgate has proposed a variation to the admissions arrangements for admission to Reception in September 2021, in respect of the over-subscription criteria relating to church attendance.

Please read this  letter from the Chair of Governors, for your information.

St Michael’s Primary School Chair of Governors admission amendment 22 09 2020

The Governing Body of St Mary’s CE Primary School (N8) has proposed a variation to the admissions arrangements for admission to Reception in September 2021, in respect of the over-subscription criteria relating to church attendance.

Please see this letter from the Chair of Governors at the school for your information:

St Mary’s CE Primary School Chair of Governors letter

Thank you to all schools which have already submitted their Early Transfer Form (ETF) and uploaded it via the S2S website. 

Secondary Transfer ETF letter to Primary schools 2020

There are still a number of schools who have not submitted their form. If you are not aware of the process for transferring Year 6 pupil information to their Year 7 destination school then can I ask that you kindly read the attached letter dated 21 April 2020 which was emailed to all schools.

The deadline has now passed and so it is essential that we receive this information by no later than Friday 12 June 2020. If we do not meet this new deadline then this will create difficulties for secondary schools in making preparations to welcome your year 6 pupils.

If you are experiencing any difficulties in completing the spreadsheet then please contact my colleague Chi Tsang (telephone 020 8489 2553) who will be able to assist you further.

Many thanks.

Carlo Kodsi

Head of Admissions, Education and School Organisation

Secondary Transfer ETF letter to Primary schools 2020

School admissions appeals – new temporary regulations
Under the School Standards & Framework Act 1998 and the School Admission Appeals Code (2012) parent/carers have the right to appeal against the decision made by an admission authority to refuse their child a school place. In the case of community and voluntary controlled schools the admission authority is the local authority. For voluntary aided, foundation schools, free schools and academies the admission authority is the Governing Body.
In Haringey, the majority of own admission authority schools have delegated the responsibility of arranging appeal hearings to the Local Authority.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – impact on appeal hearings
In accordance with the requirements set out in the School Admission Appeals Code (2012), appeal panels must be held in person. However, in light of the Coronavirus outbreak, this would break the current government restrictions on gatherings of more than two people. There may also be problems securing sufficient independent panel members and partial school openings and closures may impact on meeting certain appeal deadlines.
What will happen next? – new regulatory changes
The DfE will be making regulatory changes that will relax some of the current requirements set out in the School Admission Appeals Code and enable admission authorities to proceed with admission appeals during the summer term. The new regulations will come into force on 24 April. The new regulations, which will be in force until 31 January 2021, will:
• disapply the requirement that appeals panels must be held in person and instead give flexibility for panel hearings to take place either in person, by telephone, video conference or through a paper-based appeal where all parties can make representations in writing
• relax the rules with regard to what happens if one of the three panel members withdraws (temporarily or permanently) to make it permissible for the panel to continue with and conclude the appeal as a panel of two.
• amend the deadlines relating to appeals for the time that the new regulations are in force
The DfE have been clear that they will not be relaxing any requirements on clerking. Clerks carry out a key role in relation to appeal hearings and provide advice on admissions law as well as keeping an accurate record of proceedings.
Virtual appeal hearings to be arranged by the LA
We have started forming ideas on how we can proceed with appeal hearings during the summer term. We will be contacting all panel members and appellants to establish whether they have access to the necessary equipment to enable them to participate in a hearing by telephone or video conference. If appellants are not able to participate in this way, then an appeal may be heard in their absence and decided on the written information submitted. We will update stakeholders with further details on For further information on the new regulations that will come into force on the 24 April, please visit the DfE website. The DfE will be publishing guidance to support admission authorities and local authorities in carrying out admission appeals over the coming months to provide further details on these regulations.when and how appeals will take place after the complete DfE guidance is published.

FAO Headteachers of own admission authority schools (please share with relevant Governors/Trustees)  
(The LA as the admission authority for community schools undertakes this task)
Determination and publication of admission arrangements for 2021/22 – please note dates
The School Admissions Code (2014) stipulates that your governing body are statutorily required to meet and determine your admission arrangements by no later than 28 February 2020. There is no flexibility on this date under the provisions of the Code. If you have not consulted because the arrangements have not changed you must still minute that the governing body have determined the admission arrangements and in all cases you must publish a copy of your arrangements on the school website by 15 March 2020 (displaying them for the whole offer year). It is also good practice to publish arrangements for all admission authority schools across Haringey on the LA website.  
Please send my colleague Taj Buljhoo a copy of your determined admission arrangements as soon possible by return email and no later than 6 March 2020 . Schools who have not published their admission arrangements on their website and provided a copy to the LA will be contacted as a reminder.  
Compliance checks
If you would like to discuss determining your arrangements in any detail or the results of your consultation if your Governing Body decided to propose a change this year then please do contact me on my number 0208 489 1823 or by email at carlokodsi@haringey.gov.uk
I am also happy to assist in ensuring that your published admission arrangements are compliant with all the relevant legislation and can provide feedback/comment for further consideration by Governors at your next GB meeting, including information on setting your PAN and the impact of any planned reductions (Primary)/expansions (Secondary) . 
As you may be aware we hold a great deal of data that you may be interested in within the LA; please do take the time to read the School Place Planning Report. Our School Place Planning lead, Nick Shasha has started to analyse the data that will inform the report for June 2020.  
NB. The compliance exercise undertaken by the LA for individual schools is available on request and may in future be charged at a small cost as part of our existing traded service model. There are of course benefits and cost-savings in the longer term as robust and compliant arrangements will help to reduce challenge and the number of appeals upheld on the basis of unclear or unlawful arrangements.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Best wishes
Carlo Kodsi
Head of Admissions, Education and School Organisation 
Haringey Council
7th Floor, River Park House, 225 High Road, London, N22 8HQ 
T. 020 8489 1823
E. carlo.kodsi@haringey.gov.uk 
FAO Headteachers of own admission authority schools