Primary Schools in Kent

A good place to start finding out about getting your child into primary education is to download and read the Admission to primary school 2007 booklet. A print copy can be obtained by contacting the Primary Admissions Team.

The Admission to Primary School booklet contains:

• advice to parents about deciding which school they feel is most suitable for their child
• specific information about each school and admissions criteria for schools that are their own admissions authorities (i.e., those schools which are Voluntary Aided or Foundation)
• information about the admissions process and the admissions criteria for all Kent's Community schools

Read the admissions criteria and process very carefully to help you predict your best chance of achieving your first preference school.

Applying online This year you can also apply for your child's primary/junior school place online. Use the following link to find out more: Kent Online Admissions

If you have recently moved to the area or planning to do so, and you would like to change your child's school, you should telephone schools in your area to establish if they have a vacancy in your child's year group. If there are no vacancies contact the Admission Team.

For application forms for primary schools in Kent contact the KCC Education Office on 01732 525013, or the school directly if it is a aided/foundation school.

The decision as to when 4 year olds will be admitted is made by the school and reviewed annually. You will need to contact the Headteacher to find out when exactly your child can be admitted. Legally you can keep your child out of education until the term after they are 5, so you are therefore not obliged to accept the offer of early entry. However, the place may be offered to another child. Some schools operate September only entry so you will need to check this as well.

When your child reaches 3 they are eligible for free early years education (Early Years Grant) - this is for 5 sessions per week. Sessions in reception classes of schools count towards this, so if your child attends preschool in the morning and reception classes at school in the afternoon you will have to pay for the preschool sessions, as the reception class is counted as your free early years education.

Some frequently asked questions

Where can I obtain information about local schools? Telephone schools to obtain a prospectus, and look at their website if they have one. Arrange an appointment to look around the school.
How do I apply for a place at my local primary school? When you have decided which school you want, inform the school and you will be sent an application form at the appropriate time.
When do I have to apply? There are different closing dates depending on whether the school is community/voluntary controlled or an aided/foundation school, so check these in advance. Community/voluntary controlled schools are controlled by the LEA and aided/foundation schools are controlled by the Board of Governors of that school. If you miss the closing date you will be in the same position as families who move into the area, which is that the LEA will try to help you but cannot guarantee you a place in your preferred school.
I want to change my child's school/I am moving into the area. What should I do? Telephone schools in your area to establish if they have any spaces. If not, contact the Admission Team kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk
Do Kent schools have catchment areas?
Catchment areas do not exist but schools may indicate whether places have been offered in the past to children who live near you.
When will I hear what school my child has been offered? The LEA will post offers to parents - the date will be published on the KCC web site..
If I do not receive an offer at one of my preferred schools, how can I appeal against this decision? All appeals for a community school must be lodged in writing with the Local Education Office explaining your individual circumstances and why you are appealing for a particular school. Appeals for Foundation/Aided schools should be addressed to the Clerk of Governors at the school itself, highlighting your reasons for appeal. Foundation/Aided schools are their own Admissions authorities in their own right and the Local Education Authority have no jurisdiction over their intake. Parents must appeal by the date cited on the web site for any school that they have named on their Reception Common Application Form.
How are places allocated? Places are allocated in the following order for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

• Parental wishes
• Attendance at a linked infant school (if appropriate)
• denominational preference
• current family association
• health reasons
• nearness of children's homes and ease of access to schools

Aided and foundation schools have their own admissions criteria which are published in their prospectus. To get some idea if your child is likely to be admitted it might be helpful to ask the Headteacher if the school was over-subscribed last year, whether all local children got a place, and if not, how many did not get a place.

If your preferred school is an infant school you should check with the headteacher what happens at junior age.

STANDARD SCHOOL YEAR FOR KENT AGREED
The following is an exert from the KCC website "On 16 March 2004, Kent County Council announced a change to the pattern of the school year following extensive consultation with teachers, parents, school governors, unions and neighbouring authorities. At the start of this consultation there was a desire from schools for more even and predictable teaching blocks throughout the year and a widespread recognition that the annual changes to the date of Easter create the most disruption to regular school terms. Taking this on board and in keeping with neighbouring authorities, KCC plans to introduce a school holiday in the first two full weeks in April each year, while Good Friday and Easter Monday will become school holidays when they do not fall within that two weeks. This new calendar will start in all community, community special and voluntary controlled schools from September 2005. Governing bodies of foundation and voluntary aided schools are responsible for setting their own term dates however. However it is hoped that all schools will continue to work with this common calendar. KCC has also drawn up indicative calendars for 2006/7 and 2007/8 academic years based on the same pattern. These are subject to formal consultation with schools in due course. Headteachers believe that standardising the school year will mean it is easier to plan and develop the curriculum in six blocks of a more equal length."

TRANSPORT

You will get help with transport if your child fulfills certain criteria, check with the Education Office on the above number regarding your individual circumstances.

Kent provides free nursery schools, or classes within Primary Schools, for children under the age of 5. There are often long waiting lists for these classes and places are not guaranteed so it is best to get your child's name on the list as soon as you are able to do so.

Contact details

Kent County Council, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone , Kent , ME14 1XQ
Telephone: 01622 671411
Fax: 01622 694091

INDEPENDENT EDUCATION You may decide that you want your child to be educated privately in which case you need to look at Independent Schools - click here for more information.

The Parent Teacher Centre, Sevenoaks

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KCC DETERMINED ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR SECONDARY 2008/9 TRANSFER TO SECONDARY SCHOOL – SEPTEMBER 2008

Kent 11+ Parental consultation

"Here in Kent we are looking at the timing of our 11+ exams. This would mean some big changes both for us and for you, the parents, and we would like to take your views into account. If we did make a change to the 11+ exam timings, this would not affect the process until September 2008, for children due to start secondary school in September 2009.

Why are you thinking of changing the process?

The Government's School Admission Code came into force earlier this year, and it says that it is good practice for grammar schools and other schools which select by aptitude or ability to make sure that parents have the results of entry tests before they make their decision about which school to put down on their Common Application Form (CAF).

We don't have to make this change, but we do have to look at whether this would be a good change to make. We already know from previous discussions that there are many different views on how helpful this change would be, and would like to hear what you think about it.

We've also tried to answer a few of your questions about the proposed change, which you can read here before filling out the online form." Extract from KCC website - follow the link above for more information.

The Parent Teacher Centre
Now open in Riverhead, Sevenoaks, a new learning resource shop for parents and teachers. Learning can be fun …