Primary admissions frequently asked questions

1. I think my child is due to start school next academic year but I’m not sure. How old does he/she need to be?
2. When should I complete a Common Application form for my child if they are due to start school in September 2008/January 2009?
3. My child has a statement of special educational needs, do I need to do a Common Application Form?
4. Will I definitely be offered a place?
5. What is a Supplementary Information Form (SIF)?
6. Do I need to submit an electronic Common Application Form and a paper one, or send you a paper copy of the electronic form?
7. How will I know if my electronic application has been received?
8. Once I have filled in the CAF (Common Application Form) and returned it, what should I do next?
9. Do I use a Lambeth CAF for Lambeth schools and a Wandsworth CAF for a Wandsworth school?
10. Where can I find information about a particular school's performance?
11. Does it matter what order I put the schools on the CAF?
12. I've read all of the information and I think I know what to do next but I am not 100% sure. What should I do?
13. Can I change the preference order or add new schools to the CAF after the deadline of 1 February 2008?
14. Can I appeal against the schools decision to not offer my child a place?
15. Can I request that my child’s name remains on the waiting list of any of the schools that I applied to but did not receive an offer from?
16. Can I apply for another school after 25 April 2008?
17. If I apply for another school, or accept a place which is not my first preference, will this affect the possibly of my child getting a place at my first preference school?

1. I think my child is due to start school next academic year but I’m not sure. How old does he/she need to be?

For children entering reception class (the first year of primary school) in September 2008/January 2009 they would need to be born between 01/09/03 and 31/08/04 for their application to be considered. Any Common Application Forms (CAFs) received for children outside these dates will not have their application processed.

2. When should I complete a Common Application form for my child if they are due to start school in September September 2008/January 2009?

If you are applying for a Lambeth school you will need to complete the Lambeth CAF by 1 February 2008. If you are applying for a school in another borough you will need to contact the Local Authority that the school is in and find out when their closing date is as it will be different form Lambeth's.

3. My child has a statement of special educational needs, do I need to do a Common Application Form?

No, In Lambeth, you need to apply for a secondary school place via the Special Educational Needs Team, tel. 020 7926 9578

4. Will I definitely be offered a place?

If your child does not meet the school’s admissions criteria, they are unlikely to be offered a place at that school. Please bear in mind that even if your child meets all the schools admissions criteria, they may still not be offered a place due to the large number of applications received by some schools. This new admissions procedure does not guarantee a school place.

5. What is a Supplementary Information Form (SIF)?

This is a form that voluntary Aided (church) and Foundation schools may use to assist them in gaining more information than the CAF requests. They will need this additional information collected on the SIF to fully apply their admissions criteria. The asked on a SIF may include the length of time the child or family may have been attending church or information as to whether the child has been baptized. If you are applying for an “open” place you may not need to complete a SIF but please confirm this with the school. If you are applying for a school that requires a SIF, the application is only valid if the SIF and a Common Application have both been completed by their advertised deadlines. If you are uncertain which schools require a SIF, please check the Starting School in Lambeth booklet for Lambeth schools.

6. Do I need to submit an electronic Common Application Form and a paper one, or send you a paper copy of the electronic form?

No, you should either submit an electronic form via our website or a paper one but not both. You do not need to send in a paper copy of your electronic form.

7. How will I know if my electronic application has been received?

You will be issued with a PLR reference number that will look like this:

208-2007-09-E-001234

You will need to print this number and keep it in a safe place. It is your proof that you have submitted an application. If you have not been issued with a reference number in this format your application has not been received and you will need to resubmit it.

8. Once I have filled in the CAF (Common Application Form) and returned it, what should I do next?

Please check individual school details to see if an additional Supplementary Information Form (SIF) is required. The SIF will be available from the specific school and should be returned to the school by their deadline (usually 1 February 2008).

9. Do I use a Lambeth CAF for Lambeth schools and a Wandsworth CAF for a Wandsworth school?

Yes. The primary admissions system is different from the secondary. Each Local Authority will only process CAFs for schools in their area. If you live in Lambeth you must use the Lambeth CAF and include the details of your chosen school/s. If you are applying for schools in other Local Authorities, please contact their Admissions Teams and request their own CAF. Please be aware that deadline dates will vary between Local Authorities.

10. Where can I find information about a particular school's performance?

The National Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) is the government department responsible for inspecting schools and reporting on standards of achievements. OFSTED can be contacted on 08456 404045, or online at www.ofsted.gov.uk . Alternatively you can find this on Lambeth's primary schools page.

11. Does it matter what order I put the schools on the Common Application Form?

Yes, as this is the order the co-ordinated system looks at when determining what offer can be made. For example, if your child could be offered their first and third preference school, they would be offered your first choice as that is your highest preference

12. I've read all of the information and I think I know what to do next but I am not 100% sure. What should I do?

Contact the Lambeth Schools Admissions Team on 020 7926 9503, and/or contact the school/s you are applying for.

13. Can I change the preference order or add new schools to the Common Application Form after the deadline of 1 February 2008?

No, once a form has been submitted, after the closing deadline, no changes can be made. If you happen to move address afterwards, please contact the Schools Admissions Team for advice on 020 7926 9503.

14. Can I appeal against the schools decision to not offer my child a place?

Yes you can. You have the right of appeal under the School Standards & Framework Act 1998. If you wish to appeal, you must contact the admissions authority for the school as soon as possible and ask for the date when appeals have to be received. If you want to appeal against a decision for a Lambeth Community School, please contact Democratic Services, on 020 7926 2170; these appeals must be submitted by 25 June 2008.

15. Can I request that my child’s name remains on the waiting list of any of the schools that I applied to but did not receive an offer from?

Yes. Some schools will experience movement in their waiting list after 20 April 2008. If you wish your child to remain on the waiting list please refer contact the admissions authority for the school. If it is a Voluntary Aided school, Foundation or Academy, contact the school directly. If it is a Community or Voluntary Aided school, contact that Local Authority the school is in.

16. Can I apply for another school after 25 April 2008?

Yes. You need to apply using the Lambeth Common Application Form (CAF) and any Supplementary Forms that may be required. The Lambeth Schools Admissions Team will be able to inform you of details of any vacancies in Lambeth schools as well as those in other boroughs. However, Lambeth can only do this once these schools have informed us of their vacancies which will be after 19 May 2008 (after all acceptance forms are due to be returned by 9 May and have been processed). We would recommend that you apply for the schools with places as soon as possible as these vacancies may not be available for long.

17. If I apply for another school, or accept a place which is not my first preference, will this affect the possibly of my child getting a place at my first preference school?

No, as each application for a school is viewed individually using the school’s admissions criteria. If your first preference school offers your child a place as well as you receiving another preference in another borough or from an Independent School, you need to inform Lambeth Schools Admissions Team which place you are accepting out of the two, so that another child can be offered the one you reject as soon as possible.

Lambeth Children and Young People’s Service is committed in supporting you and your child until your child has received an offer of a school place. If you have any queries please contact the Schools Admissions Team on 020 7926 9503.